#at the time i was sure that 2 slices of cheese wouldn't be enough to hurt me. but it is :(

[myrtaceaae]

🙁🙁 was 2 slices of cheese really worth this tummy ache?

[faraway-sunshine]

What my typical meal plan looks like on school days

Breakfast

This is the one meal I make myself. Normally I just eat dry cereal (I don't like it getting soggy). Most days, Mom gives me a granola bar or two before I leave. I think she thinks that I'm not making myself enough on those days, but doesn't want to start an argument. I also have to have a certain amount of milk a day, so I get some of it over and done with at breakfast. I'm not sure how anyone likes milk. I have to water mine down as Mom started getting full fat to try and help me put on weight, but full fat's gross.

Recess Snack

This is normally when I eat the granola bars. I also have an apple or mandarin in my lunchbox. I have to put the peel or core in my lunchbox, not the bin, as proof.

Lunch

The cafeteria has a lot of great smelling things, but the line at the serving counter is rowdier than a full watering hole during a drought. People get shoved, money lost or stolen, kids trip and get food all over their uniform.

So I just eat my lunch. So far Mom always makes me salad sandwiches, with chicken or boiled eggs or something, and they get soggy but I know they have a lot of nutrients. After the first day I started to unpick the slices to eat the fillings on their own, then leave the bread as it's all gross by then. I also usually have a couple Oreos, some dried fruit, and some of those crackers with cheese on the top.

It's quite different to when I went to school before; either Mari would make lunch with me so I could tailor it, or Dad would make a bento box or something.

Although we're mostly only supposed to bring water to school, I also have permission to bring a juice carton to help with my vitamins.

Afternoon snack

When I get home is pretty much the only time I'm supposed to be trusted to eat something without a teacher or Mom watching. Mostly I forget, but on Friday I came home so tired that I ate half a sleeve of Oreos and finished the milk so I wouldn't need to worry about it at dinner. I felt guilty when Mom seemed so proud of that, especially as I got a stomach ache from it.

Dinner

Varies. Mom often comes home tired, so mostly she either puts a ready meal in the over for 20 minutes or the microwave for 20 seconds. Whatever it is, the deal is that I at least try everything on my plate and make an effort to eat as much as I feel like, but that I stop when I feel I can't have more without a stomach ache or throwing up again or becoming too tense and anxious next time. She also always tries to make sure there's at least 2 kinds of vegetable in each one, and she leans towards stuff that can be easily reheated if I feel hungrier later.

Dessert

The rule back when Mari and Dad were here used to be that you only got dessert if you finished your dinner, but now Mom just gives me candy or chocolate afterwards anyway because if I ate a lot, it's a reward, and if I didn't, well, it's extra calories that I need anyway.

(Monday 11th September, 2000, 7:26 AM)

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

What's your favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving?

I eat whatever my parents make for me. But in the last few years I haven't actually had any turkey (except for a tiny, tiny portion of turkey in that box of store-bought mini-turkeys I found). My parents are vegetarians, so it's never occurred to them to cook turkey, etc., and they just have a few (large, store-brand) side dishes. But in the time since I have started reading Less Wrong, I have made some things myself.

I think I'm most proud of my pumpkin pie. It's a recipe my mom sent me, and I don't know if that says something about the family's cooking style (although I'm pretty sure that mom is a really great cook, so I guess I'm not that biased). Anyway, here it is:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).

2. Prepare a 9″ pie plate (I prefer one with an aluminum rim so I can turn it over relatively easily once the bottom is filled).

3. Peel your pumpkin, cut it in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and cut it into chunks. Put it in a food processor (or blender if you want to cut it into smaller pieces) and purée until it's very smooth. (If you are not using a food processor, use a potato masher. The goal is for the purée to have the consistency of ice cream. You can adjust as needed for the texture of the pie later.) Pour into your pie plate, and use paper towels to push down on the purée until it is mostly compacted. Do not worry about it getting a smooth top.

4. In a separate bowl, add cream cheese, sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Microwave for 30 seconds to warm, then whisk together with electric mixer until smooth. Put a piece of wax paper between the bowl and the mixer so that the bowl doesn't get greasy or anything.

5. Pour half of the cheese mixture into the top of the pie. Add pumpkin and whisk together, then add remaining cheese mixture and whisk to mix it in, and then whisk again to distribute it evenly. (I was afraid there wouldn't be enough cornstarch to make a thick crust, but it got thick enough after the third whisking that it held together.)

6. Transfer the pie plate into the oven and bake for 50 minutes, then turn it over and bake another 50 minutes.

That's a lot of whisking. But it turned out pretty well!

Also, my mom's pie has a layer of apple pie on top. She doesn't have a food processor (or a potato masher) so she does it by hand, mixing and rolling the top layer out into sheets, then adding it to the bottom layer of the pumpkin pie. (She says the trick is to spread it as thin as possible, so it covers the crusty top layer of pie, and to make sure it's in one piece, so don't try to split it into slices to add to the pie.)

[fuckkbrunch]

I need to prepare myself for the price of some of these recipes. Doesn't help that I buy most of my ingredients at Costco, but it really is the cheapest by weight. That and I unfortunately fucking work there. But then I have to find uses for all this damn cheese I end up with as leftovers.

I digress. Back to Mac.

That's a lotta cheese. Parm, gruyere, and aged cheddar make for a pretty sharp mac and cheese. Kids will not like this. The mozzarella was the smallest amount of cheese, and I'm convinced it was there mostly for the cheese pull factor.

Always satisfying to make a bechamel. This technically counts as two recipes, since his bechamel recipe is in the back of the book.

I only baked one of these, and I'm saving one to bake later this week. I hope it stands up to being food prepped like that. That said, the texture is already a little grainy due to the parm.

I reheated some the next day and it was just as good microwaved. I did add some frozen peas to the leftovers, it really needed something green to cut it. Broccoli would have been good too. Tony suggests adding thinly sliced ham, but i wouldn't. I halved the salt in the recipe and it was totally fine. And I love my salt.

I'm gonna brown the next one a little better. This one still turned out pretty crispy though. The noodles were the perfect level of doneness, and the mozzarella tones it down just enough that it's not too sharp.

This thing has two full teaspoons of cayenne in it, so be warned. It's got some spice. I'm not joking when I say kids won't like this.

Left is mine, right is his. I think I got the recipe pretty fuckin' spot on.

| Macaroni and Cheese |

Taste is a 4 out of 5. Very good, but not perfect. Needs something, but not ham.

Difficulty is a 2 out of 5. But I'm very comfortable with making bechamel.

Time was about an hour and a half. Have fun grating all that cheese.

I'm sure I could make this 5 more times with all this leftover cheese. Damn Tony and his cheese fetish.

[bakingneoriche]

Now Eat Your Tiramisu

In episode one of Neo Yokio Kaz has a meeting with Aunt Agatha at what will be a recurring Italian restaurant and the first thing we see them eat there is tiramisu.

Luckily for me, tiramisu is a rather easy dessert. Unluckily for me, this means I need to find a way to make it take way longer than it needs to.

Its a dessert comprised of ladyfingers soaked in espresso layered with a mascarpone cream. Typically the mascarpone and ladyfingers are bought, so in this recipe they're homemade.

I started with the mascarpone the day before I planned on assembling the tiramisu since it need at least 12 hours to drain. I could have done this up to 2 weeks before I needed it.

Once I had my mascarpone draining, I made my ladyfingers. These also store well as long as they are out of humidity so they could have also been made well in advance

The next morning, on the day of tiramisu assembly I made my coffee mixture. I think this is traditionally just espresso and coffee liqueur, but I don't like how strong this is, so instead I add 2 shots of espresso into an 6 oz. cup of coffee with one or two spoonful of sugar. If I can't source the espresso, I have also added a packet of instant to a cup of coffee and used that. Then I put this into a bowl to cool down while I made my mascarpone cream.

My recipe has egg yolks in it, and I put my entire quantity of sugar into it so I put mine over a double boiler to whip (enjoy the photos below). I stirred them until they were very light and fluffy and I couldn't feel many grains of sugar left when I rubbed some between my fingers. Then I set this outside (in winter) to cool down so that the mascarpone wouldn't melt as soon as I put it in.

After my egg yolks cooled I beat in my mascarpone, which is one full recipe from my blog. It can be anywhere between 8 and 12 oz. and still work, so I never actually weigh how much it is.

Once my egg yolks and cheese are smooth, I fold in very stiffly whipped cream, starting with a small amount of it. The first photo below is my first addition of cream, and the second photo is of the finished cream.

Once the cream is done, my coffee has cooled, and I have my ladyfingers on standby, assembly can begin.

In an 8x8 casserole dish or cake pan, line a strip of parchment with the ends hanging over the sides. These ends act as handles so the dessert can be lifted out to slice.

To assemble I either drizzle coffee into the pan, add a layer of ladyfinger, then drizzle more coffee, or I break the sheet of ladyfinger and dip them into the coffee. If I'm dipping them, I only dip them on one side since the homemade ladyfingers absorb the coffee quicker.

Then I add a third of the cream and spread it very evenly and as level as I can. An offset spatula helps a lot with this. Then I repeated this two more times. Below shows the first two layers.

Then once I had my final layer of cream as smooth as I could I dusted the top with cocoa powder. Some people are adamantly against the cocoa powder top, and I think this is only really when there's a thick layer of powder, so I just do mine really lightly. However, many people use chocolate shavings instead, so that's an option.

This needs to go into the fridge to set , or if its winter, you can put it in your garage for 6 hours minimum. Just make sure you cover it, or you may be as unfortunate as I and have a mouse walk on it. Pictured below are the tiny adorable disgusting little mouse footprints. IF you are unfortunate enough to have this happen, all is not lost. using a kitchen torch burn the affected cocoa powder and scrape it off very well, the torch the now exposed layer of cream to 'sanitize' it and re-dust it. But maybe don't serve it to strangers if this happens.

The tiramisu in Neo Yokio has a chocolate heart in the top, so I made some out of tempered chocolate by printing out hearts, then layering a sheet of acetate on top and piping hearts, then adding stems to them so they could be stuck in a slice of tiramisu.

Finally, once it had set, I lifted the whole thing out of the pan by the parchment paper and sliced it into squares. Each square got a heart.

[spooniesense]

Week 2 was the first week of classes! My classes are all on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays so I knew I wouldn't really have the energy or time to prep anything the morning of or night before those days. I decided to prep something on the weekend that would hold up really well for those days.

I started by setting some box mac and cheese to cook since it's cheap and a safe food for me. 1 box is enough to be the carb for three of my bentos, so it was perfect.

I had some hot dogs I wanted to use before they expired next month, so I tried my hand at those octopus hot dog things. It wasn't as hard as you'd think, though it did take some time.

Grapes and Gala apples were on sale so on meal prep day I portioned out my grapes and either froze or tossed the ones with textures I wouldn't like. I also made sure to leave the stems on the grapes so they'd last longer in the bento, and patted them dry after washing for the same reason.

I wanted to prep apple slices but didn't want them to brown, so I looked up some hacks. I decided to go with the salt water one, so the night before (or a couple nights before in the case of my busy days), I cut up an apple and let it soak for at least 5 min in a bowl of water with 1/2 a teaspoon of salt dissolved in it. Then I'd take them out, rinse the slices, pat them dry, and then put them in a sandwich bag in the fridge with the air squeezed out until I was ready to use them. Morning of I could just pop them into the bento and go. It worked like magic and I noticed zero browning, texture changes, or weird tastes. Will definitely be doing this again.

For dinner I decided to try my hand at onigarazu. I had a 10 pack of nori sheets, so I figured that gave me three days extra after a week of dinners. I decided those three extra sheets would be used for tuna mayo sushi rolls in my lunches on some chiller days.

For the onigarazu, I decided to use chicken as the protein. I don't like the texture of unprocessed meat most of the time, so I got a pack of those precooked frozen chicken patties. I would set the rice to go in my rice cooker while doing some chores. When it was done I sprinkled some rice vinegar, salt, and sugar over the rice and mixed in. Later I started also adding furikake and sesame seeds and I liked that. Then I'd scoop a little onto my nori, add my veggies (I used cucumber and carrot slices), and then a chicken patty I'd warmed in the microwave and let cool. Then I added more rice and folded it up. It was pretty fast, especially by the end of the week. I also usually made two days worth at a time since they kept well enough, which saved me some effort after my long days.

For the sushi, I made rice the same way. Sometimes doubled up with the onigarazu to save time. For the filling I used small carrot and cucumber slices I had leftover from the onigarazu. I also took a can of tuna, drained it, and then mixed it with mayo and Sriracha until I liked the flavor and consistency. That made about enough for three sushi rolls, which was perfect.

I was pretty happy with how it all turned out tbh. I even ended up taking my leftover cucumber slices and finding a simple quick pickle recipe online that I was pretty happy with. Those got thrown in as well and were a nice contrast.

[childotkw]

So I had to Google and gleam this Piece of information on the internet so pls correct me if I'm wrong but the dursleys did starve him or at least gave him not enough food right? Cause in chamber of the secrets after working in the outside summer sun and coming back in Petunia only have him 2 slices of bread and a bit of cheese and.

How Harry isn't literally the smallest and most malnutritioed kid in his class I do not know. Like. Malnutrition during childhood hinders growth but also Motor development. Yknow things like catching a flying pinball in first year like sure in second and third year, he has more time in hogwarts, being able to eat like 9 months or so whatever tf he wants but in first year? After probalby being malnourished? No way his body I think just wouldn't allow it, also I think flying and quidttich in general would've been to impactful for hrrys body. But that's thinking that the not getting enough food was normal which I highly suspect.

It's implied a lot that they starved him, but given that the first few books are geared towards children, iirc a lot of it is played off? Or at least not acknowledged as seriously as it should be.

That's why quite a lot of fic writers canonically make Harry a lot smaller than he is in the movies / books.

Logically, being malnourished from such a young age would have a long lasting effect on Harry's physical and mental health. He'd be tiny, he'd have severe lapses in concentration and would struggle in school, and his immune system would probably be shot.

If we want to get more theoretical, I suppose one could make the argument that his magic helped. Magic in HP is both very structured and yet extremely ill-defined. If someone wanted, they could spin it as Harry is literally surviving off his own magic. It's working overtime to sustain him, trying to limit the damage his lack of food is doing to him; but in doing so, it's negatively impacting his control over his magic.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate it into a more realistic version of Harry.

Though I imagine Prof. Sprout would lock onto it immediately and probably get him to the hospital wing as discretely as possible for an examination. Harry would probably hate the entire experience - it'd ruin any trust he'd have in Sprout for a while, but as he gets older and understand more, I could see him forgiving her.

[allovertheplace-writing]

• First Kiss •

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My Hero Academia

Characters: Mirio Togata & Tomura Shigaraki

Genre: Fluff

Type: Scenario

Warnings: None unless you don't like kisses

Description: Your first kiss with your boyfriend

Check Pinned Post for Request Info!

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Mirio Togata

Smiling up at Mirio, you lightly squeeze his hand while walking past UA's school gates. "(Y/n)! Mirio!" Nejiro ran over while dragging Tamaki with her, "You two took so long to get here." You laughed nervously and scratched the back of your head. "We wanted to take our time today, it is a half day!" Mirio explained with a sheepish smile. "Pftt, okay, lovebirds~" She teased, finally letting Tamaki's arm go. "We're here now, so let's go..!" Feeling your face burn, you wrapped up up the conversation and tug Mirio's hand to let him know. He lightly chuckled and began moving, everyone quick in following.

"Sooo, there's this carnival in town for the next few days..." Nejiro paused for a moment before exploding in excitement, "You two should go there for a date!" Mirio laughed, "We're going there after school!" Tamaki let out a quiet chuckle, "Figures." We enter the school and make our way upstairs to our classrooms. You try to let go of Mirio's but he held on a little tighter. "We'll be in the classroom!" Nejiro announced as she bounced away with Tamaki. "What's up, Mirio?" Looking up at him, you see him brightly smiling at you. "I love you a lot, (Y/n)." He lowered his head and layed a gentle kiss to your forehead.

"I love you too." You reach up and cup his cheeks before brushing your nose against his in an eskimo kiss. "I'll see you after classes." The two of you unwillingly part, walking away to your classrooms. Once entering your class, you sigh and slip into your seat. "Miss him already, (Y/n)?" Your classmate, Emi(not an actual character btw) nudged your desk as she spoke. "Of course, he's just- he's so bright." You laughed a bit, covering your face as it warmed up. "Wrap up your conversations! It might be a half day, but we still have some work to do." The teacher clapped her hands and eased us into today's topic.

Once the last school bell rang, you hurried to put your books and supplies into your bag. "Calm down, woman!" Emi laughed and picked up your pencil and eraser from the floor after it fell. "Sorry, my nerves are just going haywire." You apologize and take your things from her. "(Y/n)!" Jumping, you snap your eyes to the door. Mirio stood there with a wide smile. "Got something planned? He's wayyy more happy than usual.." Emi mumbled. "We're going to the carnival, I have to go now. Thanks, Emi!" Stumbling to the door, you put your bag on. "Be careful, sunshine." Mirio wrapped his arm around you as you left the classroom.

"I'm just really excited for the carnival." You tell him as the two of you walk down the stairs and toward the exit. "I'm glad! During break, Nejiro and Tamaki helped me look up more about the carnival." He slipped his arm off your shoulders and held your hand, lacing your fingers together. "Really? Guess you'll have to show me around, then." Nudging his side, you lightly giggle. "Mhm!" He squeezed your hand as you walked down the sidewalk, the teacup ride peeping out from above a building. It only took a few more minutes to get there and pay for entry.

Strolling in, you notice the cotton candy immediately and accidentally gasp. Covering your mouth, you smile. "Want to get some?" He asked turning to you. "Well, I don't want to have you pay-" He snickers and tugs you over, "Come on!" Letting out a laugh, you watch as he quickly grabs and pays for a large twist one. Mirio pulls you over to a bench in the shade, opening the bag around the cotton candy. "Thank you, Miri." You smile at him as he plucks a piece of cotton and places it in his mouth. "Make sure you get some, I don't wanna eat it on you!" He practically sparkled as he plucked a piece and hovered it in front of your lips.

Opening your mouth, you take the cotton from him and beam at him, "I know we haven't done anything yet, but this is already amazing." You watched as his eyes softened, it looked like he melted at your words, "I'm glad you feel that way, sunshine." You leaned over and placed a quick kiss to his cheek, almost jolting back when he grabbed your face. Looking into each others eyes, you smile and lean into his hands. "I love you." He tilts his head slightly and brings his head forward, closing his eyes as his lips hesitantly brush against your own. A laugh bubbles in your throat as you tug him into your arms, holding him close, "I love you more, Miri."

Tomura Shigaraki

To say you were touch starved was an understatement. Your boyfriend wouldn't even look at you. You know he doesn't want to hurt you with his quirk, but knowing that isn't enough. So you made it your mission for the day. Get some sort of loving response from Shigaraki, weather it be a blush or a small nudge. Walking into the hideout, you stroll up to the bar and slide onto a stool, training your eyes on Shigaraki as he listens to Kurogiri. You take a deep breath, clenching your hands together. He wouldn't appreciate the affection as much if there's a lot of people around. You needed to do this before Dabi, Toga, Spinner, and Twice arrived.

Standing up, you stretched and popped your back. Covering your mouth as you yawn, you quietly stroll behind Shigaraki and pretend you're leaving the room. "Heading off to research, (Y/n)?" Dammit, Kurogiri! You hold back a groan, turning around with a small smile, "Mhm." Glancing over to Shigaraki, you notice he hasn't moved a muscle, almost like he stopped breathing. Kurogiri took note of your glancing and nodded to you, "Good luck." Attempt one: failed. You still had the rest of the day though, so you had some hope left.

1 2 : 0 0 PM

Lunchtime. What could you do during this time? Get him something to eat? That might work... but you'll need to be quick. Grabbing your jacket, you hurry out of your work room and down the stairs to the main area. "Whoa! Where you heading off to, (Y/n)?" Spinner announces your presence when you practically zoom by him. "Grabbing some food, want anything?" You offer as you slide your bag off the bar counter. "Ooo! Then can you get some chips?" Toga chimes in. "Can I get a sub?" Spinner asks with a smirk as he slaps an arm around your shoulders. An almost inaudible growl from the bar reached your ears, causing you to look over. Shigaraki's eyes basically burned holes into Spinner's head. "Alright, be back in a bit." Smiling, you leave the hideout.

Reaching the store, you immediately head to the fruit section after grabbing a basket. "He likes strawberries and watermelon... right?" You whispered to yourself as you peered through the fruit, trying to find the best ones. After a minute, you find a good pair of watermelon slices and a small bowl of strawberries. Placing them in your basket, you head over to the snacks isle. You grab baked potato chips and gently place them down. You make your way over to the deli area and wait in the small line. Feeling your phone vibrate in your pocket, you fish it out and check the message.

_

- | Shishi | -

(Shishi)- Be safe.

I will, love you 💕 -(Me)

(Shishi)- Mhm.

_

You couldn't help but be upset when he didn't say it back. "I can help whoever's next!" Looking back up, you realize you're next and began ordering Spinner's sub. "Cheese, mayo, lettuce, and tomatoes toasted, please." The employees were quick in making it so you put 300 yen in their tip jar before walking to a cashier to pay for everything. Once paying for your items, you hurry out of the store and down the street. You bumped shoulders with a few people, which ended up with just you apologizing or you and the other person to apologize. Glancing around, you slip into the alleyway and start taking the path back to the hideout. Knocking the code on the door, you open it and slip in.

"You mad or something?" Dabi grumbled toward you as you sat at the bar. Placing the bag beside you, you slumped forward and whined out a response, "...too many people." Dabi hummed in understanding and left you alone. "Shigaraki, welcome back." Kurogiri greeted him as he cleaned a glass with a rag. Grunting, Shigaraki shuffles over to the bar, lightly ruffling your hair before sitting. Smiling, you almost bounce when you stand. Opening the bag, you take the food out and set them all aside except the fruit. You walk over to Shigaraki, sliding him the fruit as you lean down. Shifting his father's hand, you place a lingering kiss to his cheek before moving back. Attempt two: Successful!

"Kurogiri, can you let Toga and Spinner know they're food's here?" He nods his and takes out his phone. You walk to the stairs so you can continue researching, but only make it a few steps before getting turned around. "..wait." Shigaraki lets your wrist go. Raising his hand to his face, he removes his father's hand before moving his face toward your own. His shaky breath fans over your lips before he lightly presses his lips against yours. Pushing your lips to his, you gently cup his cheeks and smile. Double success!

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[flameontheotherside]

Erik Warned Me About Moldy Cheese...

...I didn't listen to him 😭😂🤣😭😂🤣😭

My bf was going to make dinner but he was taking forever so I ate some yogurt and thought about the spicy cheese we still have a bunch of. In my head I saw mold was on it minutes before deciding to eat some.

Then I heard Erik warn me to take a look at the cheese first. I brushed it off, had a drink and pulled 3 slices if cheese thinking:

Yeah right. Mold! Funny! 🙄😂

I briefly looked at it and thought I saw nothing. Obviously I didn't look close enough. I engulfed almost 2 slices and Erik told me to look again so I looked and sure enough, THERE WAS MOLD! 😨🤮 My glasses were in the bedroom so it wasn't easy for me to see right off rip. My eyesight is in the -4s so yeah my eyes are bad.

Mold was on the last piece and the one I hadn't finished ALSO had mold. Erik was laughing his ass off watching me gag and freak the fuck out. At the time it wasn't funny to me.

Rick said that I need to learn how to listen.

Okay. He's right. I don't listen to Erik either. I can be stubborn especially when I have made a decision to do something which works in my favor in some situations but in this case, it didnt...😑

Is my lesson learned? 🤷‍♀️

Idk...When it comes to spirits or whatever warning me about stuff I second guess myself a lot. I should follow the advice and there were times I was saved from a certain shitty situation. Like when God specifically told me not to go to the library as I had done. Had I gone, the people waiting at the shelter to recruit me into the program I needed, wouldn't have found me and I would have been stuck hopping from shitty shelter to shitty shelter and they would have taken someone else!

I tend to ignore warnings from Erik because he jokes a lot. Thats another thing we are both working on. He's working on being more serious and I'm working on taking him more seriously! Actually he stopped laughing at me pretty quickly when I realized I ate mold. He started "preaching" to me about listening and taking my own advice, paying attention, blah blah blah...🙄 patience...blah blah blah...Well he has a point.

All this went down pretty fast.

Psychologically grossed the fuck out, I found myself gaging in the bathroom after downing some tonic I made to ease the stomach and gurgling some mouth wash because I had pieces of cheese stuck in one of my teeth. 😫 Oh it was horrible!

😘💕 Have a wonderful day!

[katedrakeohd]

This is for you @sirbeepsalot 🌹🥀🌺🌻🌼🌷⚘

I've had a bunch of asks in my inbox forever and need to finally get around to them. I was inspired by @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria and her one shot about Drake meeting Camille at her flower shop. I went in a totally different direction, but hopefully this little story is just as fluffy. 💗

....

Paint me a Picture 🎨🌷🌼

Drake hummed happily to himself as he stepped out of his office. He had just finished a conference call with his fellow council members finalizing the plans for Kate's upcoming baby shower. They had put off the party for the past two months amid fears of the Coronavirus spreading into Cordonia. Kate's due date of March 12th was fast approaching and they had reached the decision to reduce the guest list to under ten people. This suited Drake just fine because he wasn't much of a party person, plus Kate found too much attention and fussing around more tiring than exciting at this point.

Checking his watch, Drake realizes that his call had taken him well into the lunch hour and he was quite hungry. The plush carpet of the stairs muted his footsteps as he descended toward the main hall. He could feel the empty space blanket him in its silence, and he wondered where Kate, Hana and the corgis were.

When he had last seen Kate that morning she had been reorganizing the supplies in the nursery for the fourth time. He had chuckled at her restless nesting and kissed her on the cheek before leaving to make his phone call.

"Go get some fresh air and sunshine, it'll do you good."

Kate sighed, rubbing her aching back. "I guess so. I wonder what Hana's up to this morning."

Drake shrugged, "Send her a text to come get you and take your mind off baby stuff."

"Thanks, I will."

..

As he turned the corner toward the kitchen, Drake could smell toasting bread, and the delicious aroma of chicken soup. His mouth waters and he swallows, breathing deeply as his stomach rumbles. The sound of laughter, clink of plates and drawers opening and closing made him smile. Over the past 8 1/2 months the kitchen staff had become familiar with Kate's unusual cravings at all hours of the day. Early on she had wanted salty snacks, and then halfway through her second trimester her cravings had her wanting sweets, during the last month she had started combining the two in odd ways. It made Drake shake his head in wonder, but he obliged her desires. And if Kate was happy, Drake was happy.

Walking into the kitchen unnoticed, he sees the staff loading up a tray with a platter of sandwiches, and a pitcher of iced tea.

"Good afternoon Ladies," he says, and the laughing chatter amongst the women stops.

"Lovely day indeed, Your Grace." Marie the head cook replies with a smile.

Drake eyes the sandwiches on the platter hungrily. He could imagine sinking his teeth into the golden toasted bread, and hearing the crunch. "Are these for Kate and Hana by any chance?"

"Why yes they are. They're taking lunch in the sunroom. I can add another drinking glass and another plate if you'd like to join them."

Drake nods, "That would be wonderful. How about if I take lunch to them then?"

Claire, the young kitchen helper, protests as she sees Drake reach for the tray. "Oh my goodness, Your Grace, let us do that. You go on ahead and we'll bring lunch to you. "

Drake grabs half of a sandwich, "Well, if you insist. I'll just take this to go then, thanks."

Turning around to leave the kitchen Drake raises the sandwich to his mouth and checks the contents before taking a bite. Lettuce, tomato and a slice of swiss cheese. Not bad, but could use some bacon.

..

In the sunroom the atmosphere is that of a bright summer's day despite the dull late winter landscape outside. Lush greenery, tropical flowers and golden sunshine fill the space and give it a pleasant warmth. Off to one side, chair cushions are clustered together on the tiled floor. At the moment they're serving as lounges for sunbathing, sleeping, corgis; but earlier the cushions had served as a comfy surface for a gentle yoga session for Kate and Hana. Now the two friends were standing at easels and painting, chatting back and forth about what to hang in the nursery.

"So you and Drake still don't know if you're having a boy or a girl right?"

Kate nods, "As much as I want to know now, it's still a mystery. Our doctor knows though."

Hana purses her lips in thought as she dabs some blue on her canvas, "So do you mind if I paint a gender neutral landscape instead of flowers?"

"Not at all. I'm still sticking with flowers though. The ones in here are just too beautiful not to paint. If it doesn't suit the theme of the nursery I'll just hang it somewhere else."

Hana rinses out her brush, setting it aside and selects a different one to line in some happy little trees in a dark brown. "I suppose Drake is hoping that you have a little boy."

"He won't admit it, but of course he does. He's itching to go camping and fishing, to kick a football around, toss a baseball with a son."

With a shrug Kate draws in some green stems on her yellow daffodils, "Of course these are all activities he could do with a daughter as well. I remember tossing around a baseball with my Dad in the backyard."

Opening the door and stepping into the sunroom Drake is met by the wall of heat and fragrant scent of flowers. He immediately feels overdressed as a trickle of sweat runs down his neck. "How do you ladies stand it in here?"

Kate turns away from her painting to look at Drake, "Oh Hi Honey, welcome to summer in March."

Under the shade of her Sun hat, Kate is wearing one of Drake's old denim shirts as a painter's smock, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. There's a green smudge of paint on her cheek. Drake notices that it appears that she's wearing little else other than flip flops.

"Uh, Kate? Are you naked under my shirt?"

Kate giggles, covering her mouth, putting another smudge of green on her face. "No silly. I'm wearing a bikini top and shorts." She glances down at herself, "I can see it looking that way though."

Hana is wearing a short summer dress, and her own Sun hat. "You look a little warm there Drake. I wouldn't mind if you decided to take off your shirt."

Kate snickers as she goes back to her painting, "Yeah Honey, don't be shy."

Drake clears his throat, loosening his top two buttons and rolling up his sleeves. "I think I'll just open a couple of windows instead."

Kate watches Drake crank open a window, appreciating the flex of the muscles in his forearms. The fresh air blows the fabric of his shirt against his chest, making it stick to the sweat on his skin. She realizes that he isn't wearing a tee underneath. Probably why he was reluctant to remove his shirt in Hana's company. Drake notices her watching him and gives her a wink as he walks across to open another window. "So what are you ladies painting today?"

Kate feels the cool breeze brush the hair off the back of her neck and she shivers with delight. "Thanks honey, I didn't realize just how warm it was getting in here."

Drake does a quick bow with flourish of his hand, "Always pleased to be of service, Your Grace."

Hana giggles, "We're painting flowers and landscapes, to answer your previous question."

Drake settles down on the floor with the corgis, resting his elbow on a cushion and rubbing a belly as one dog happily rolls over. "I have the pleasure of informing you ladies that iced tea and sandwiches are also on the way, for our lunch."

Hana wipes her brow, "Anything with Ice in it would be welcome right now. I first experienced cold tea when we were in Texas for Savannah's wedding. I wasn't sure if I'd like it."

Kate sighs, "Mmm, I love lemony iced tea in the summertime. I miss it from being back home."

Drake's stomach growls again, causing one of the corgis to give him a look and then retreat to a spot in the shade, "Sorry Fluffers, didn't mean to disturb you. Don't worry I'm not hungry enough to eat you, close but no."

"I could go for a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs right now," Kate says wistfully as she paints a tomato red poppy onto her canvas bouquet.

Drake groans, folding his arms behind his head as he leans back on the cushions and closes his eyes, "Oh stop, you're just making me more hungry."

Kate bites her lip, "Ooh, or pizza. A nice big slice of ole New York thin crust with extra cheese."

"STOP IT!" Drake barks out a laugh, chuckling as he wipes the sweat off his brow. "I ate half a sandwich on my way here, and it's really tasting like another half right about now."

Kate wipes her hands on a rag, "Ooh, what type of sandwich?"

Drake shrugs, "I dunno, there was cheese and some lettuce in there, maybe tomato?"

Kate kicks off her flip flops and walks across the warm floor tiles to stand over Drake, casting a shadow across him, hands on her hips. "And you didn't think to bring the rest of the sandwiches with you?"

Drake cracks an eye open to look up at his wife, his face scrunching up in amusement at her paint smudged face and raised eyebrows. "Hey, I tried to take the tray with me. But I don't think the girls in the kitchen trusted me to get the sandwiches this far without eating a few."

Kate nudges his leg playfully with her foot. "So true. We've all seen how much you like to eat."

Drake growls playfully, reaching out to grab for her ankle but she steps back out of his reach, "Can't help it if I'm a hungry man, c'mere you. I bet you taste like chicken."

"Nah ah, if I get down on those cushions with you I might never get back up. I'm going to wash up my hands and then take a seat over there at the table. Besides I think cannibalism is frowned upon in Cordonia."

Drake smirks at her and rolls over on his stomach, watching her walk away. "Mmm, golden fried chicken. You know how much I'm a breast and leg man."

Hana bursts out laughing, "Geez guys get a room."

Continue on to the next part

[clatterbane]

Tonight's Quarantine Cooking Challenge plan: more kinda trashy kitchen sink fried rice!

I purposely cooked extra last night for the red beans and rice, but the around 2 c. left didn't look like enough. (Hidden under the pile of veggies here. 😅) Especially since I try to make at least an extra lunch worth of food for myself at supper. So, I microwaved another 1.5 c. or so cooked yield a little while ago, to give it cooling time.

There's also the leftover red and yellow peppers to use some of, and a little chopped red onion from the other night's chili mac lurking in the cream cheese tub.

It's hard to see there, but the frozen mixed veggies also have some corn and green beans besides the peas and carrots, for a little more variety.

As for the less usual items, I have never tried using a few sliced weenies in fried rice before, but don't see why it wouldn't work. Sort of like Spam fried rice, but using something that will go bad more quickly in the fridge. Smoked kielbasa has worked pretty well in place of Chinese sausage before, so why not. Very different flavors, but yummy.

We only have one egg left for two people, so I ended up thinking back to my vegan years with the tofu. Generally I would use firm tofu (with some extra seasonings mixed in), but the shelf stable silken stuff was what we had.

Not sure how the texture will turn out, but it should at least be good for some extra protein and other nutrition. I'll probably add it toward the end, to be safe. That should leave about half a block to use for something else.