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waywardnerd67 · 4 years

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Sweet Slice

Title: Sweet Slice Summary: (Y/N) is new to Lebanon escaping the big city life when she gets a job at a local bakery. Things get complicated when her past returns and her boss gets in the middle. Pairing: Dean x Reader Rating: E - Everyone Warnings: Angst/Fluff Word Count: 2173 Squared Filled: Baker!Dean Bingo Card: @spnaubingo A/N: The sandwiches described are from the grocery store my mom works at. They can be found at http://www.straubs.com/category/sandwiches

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Staring out over the horizon, (Y/N) watched as the sun peeked over rising into the dark sky. Black and navy faded into beautiful pinks and reds as a sign of a new day. Breathing in the cool morning air, she threw up a few silent thank yous to whatever higher being was listening to her. Grateful for a new day, a new start and a new life for her. Carefully standing on the rooftop, she climbed back in through her single window and started mapping out her day.

(Y/N) had only lived in Lebanon, Kansas for three weeks. Finding a studio apartment above the only bakery in town that was owned by the handsome Dean Winchester. She gave him almost all her savings for the first month's rent and went in search of work. In a town of only two hundred-fifty people finding a job was harder than she expected. Until last week, when she approached Dean about the next month’s rent and offered her a job on the spot.

Now, as she pulled the hair out of her face and wrapped a red bandana over it (Y/N) headed downstairs for her first day at Sweet Slice. Approaching the kitchen entrance she could hear Led Zeppelin playing through the store speakers and pans clanging against one another.

“Morning boss.”

He looked over his shoulder a wide smile spreading across his face, “Good morning, let me get this pie in the oven and then I will give you your mission for the day.”

(Y/N) chuckled watching as he finished the pie he was working on. No one would ever believe from looking at Dean that he was a baker. His broad shoulders, muscular arms gave off the impression he was a tough guy. There were a few scars on his forearms she could see from the sleeves of his flannel being rolled up to his elbows. His large hands and thick fingers were the most deceiving as they gently and delicately handled creating the lattice pie crust on top.

“Ready?”

His husky voice brought her out of her daydream as she nodded following him to the other side of the kitchen. On the long table were various deli meats and cheeses along with a variety of breads then seemed to be freshly baked.

“I’ve always had this idea of not only offering specialty pies and baked goods but also to have a lunch hour with sandwiches on some of our breads. Today, I was you to just come up with some sandwiches for the menu and I’m going to taste test them for lunch.”

She smirked, “So basically you want me to make you a sammich?”

His laughter was infectious filling her body with a joy she hadn’t felt in a long time, “Yeah, I guess so. One of the perks for being the boss. If you need anything just holler at me.”

(Y/N) grabbed the pencil and paper on the table and started writing down some ideas she had. Sandwiches were something she knew all about being from New York. As a teenager she had worked at her local deli making sandwiches and giving the old mob men trouble as they flirted with her. The memory sent a chill down her spine. It was in that deli shop she had met Wyatt and her life changed forever.

Shaking her head, she went back to her list of sandwiches and began constructing them. A few of them, she had to have Dean bake up a few hoagie rolls because regular bread would not be right for them. By noon, she had assembled six different sandwiches for them to enjoy. She waited to garnish them until right before they sat down to eat. Dean had taken his flannel off wiping the sweat from his face from being near the oven.

His eyes widened as they glanced over the sandwiches plated in front of him, “These look awesome and I’m starving. Let’s dive in.”

The first sandwich was an Italian Sub that was on a fresh hoagie roll, spread with a mayo mustard blend and topped with salami, top round roast beef, baked and glazed ham, provel, dill pickle, onion, pepperoncinis and shredded lettuce. The noises coming from Dean as he devoured his half made her cheeks burn.

The next couple of sandwiches were simple ones with meat, cheese and simple lettuce, tomato, pickle toppings that could be offered cold or warm. The fifth sandwich was one her grandmother made for her every Sunday. Layers of baked and glazed ham, hard salami, mortadella, and provel topped with an olive Italian dressing blend on fresh baked focaccia bread.

“Now that sandwich sent my taste buds on an adventure. Whew!” He chuckled, finishing the last bite.

The final sandwich was her take on a grilled cheese sandwich. She had called it The Cure All making it whenever she had a particularly bad time of the month or a wicked hangover. On sourdough she placed two slices of cheddar, a layer of jalapenos, two slices of american, a layer of bacon, topped with caramelized onions.

Dean admired the sandwich for a moment before taking a large bite from it. His olive eyes rolled back as he closed them chewing slowly. She watched as he swallowed the bite and his full lips pursed together blowing out a gush of air.

“Wow, I think that may be the perfect sandwich and our signature sandwich to kick off a lunch special.”

Her cheeks were aching from smiling, “I guess I can add sandwich creator to my severely lacking resume.”

“If I have my way, you will never need a resume again and stay with me forever.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth a few things happened all at once. Their eyes snapped up connecting immediately. Her heart leaped within her chest with a bright, burning hope she has not felt in a long time. While Dean’s cheeks flushed crimson.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean… not that I wouldn’t want to be with… um. Crap.” He put his head in his hands, “All I’m saying is you’re amazing and wonderful for what I have gotten to know of you these last few weeks. I think we would work great with one another.”

There was something deep within urging for her to reach out to him and after five years of being with someone who only pretended to care for her and use her she had kept herself guarded. Looking into Dean’s eyes, she could see the kind of man he was. The kind of man to sacrifice himself for the ones he loves. The kind of man to go out of his way to care for someone. The kind of man that would protect those closest to him fiercely and without regard to his own well being.

(Y/N) reached across the table placing her hand on top of his, “There is nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you.”

It was in that moment that everything changed for them. They became partners in every way they could in their lives. Sharing the business together, his home together, building a life together over the next year. Until her past caught up to her in the little bakery in Lebanon.

It was a normal Tuesday as Dean and (Y/N) prepared for their normal lunch hour. Their business doubled from them adding a sandwich and slice combo. Some of their normal morning customers had picked up a pie or two for that evening so when the bell rang signaling another customer, (Y/N) thought nothing of it walking to the front counter.

“There you are my sweetness. I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

She froze in her spot, the familiar raspy voice knocking the wind out of her. Looking up, standing in the middle of the empty bakery and locking the front door was the man of her nightmares. Standing nearly a foot taller than her, his jet black hair was slicked back and dark brown eyes narrowing in on her.

“H-How did you…” The words would not come out as fear struck her mind instinctively backing up towards the door leading into the kitchen.

His menacing smile spread wider, “You know I have my ways. You know when I want something I get it. No matter what.” He took two steps towards her as he spoke.

The same desperate fight or flight feeling kicked in pushing her feet towards the kitchen yelling, “DEAN!”

Before she made it two feet through the door a pair of thick, leather covered arms wrapped around her waist. She let out a piercing scream before Wyatt clamp his hand over her mouth. He walked them back through the door holding her tightly against his body where she could not kick or push herself away.

“You’ve always been weak and pathetic, but that’s how I like my women. You can’t fight me.” He snarled into her ear.

“But I can.”

She looked up wide eyed as Dean appeared in front of them stepping through the door. He was holding up a large iron skillet never once taking his eyes off of Wyatt.

“Put (Y/N) down now.” His jaw clenched as he spun the skillet in his hand.

Wyatt laughed pushing her into the front case. She cried out as shards of thick glass sliced and embedded themselves into her skin. She glanced up just in time to roll herself over the glass that had shattered as Wyatt’s large body flew back towards her. Crimson filled her vision as she looked down to the floor. Bile burned up her throat as the sickening cracking of breaking bones echoed throughout the room. Her vision darkened as the last thing she saw was the door crashing open.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Every inch of (Y/N)’s body throbbed. She could hardly lift her eyelids, her vision blurry from exhaustion and her glasses missing. Trying to speak, she coughed and a large hand engulfed hers. Instinctively, she flinched pulling it away. Squeezing her eyes shut terrified she would see Wyatt sitting beside her.

“(Y/N), you’re okay. You’re safe.”

Her eyes snapped open tears freely flowing down her face, “D-Dean…” she croaked.

“Shhh. Don’t try to speak until you’ve had some ice chips.” He stood grabbing a cup and feeding her some ice, “After Sam and I took care of Wyatt, we had to rush you to the hospital. You lost a lot of blood and one large piece of glass embedded itself into your back.”

Dean became quiet looking down at their hands clasped together, “W-What hap-pen?” she whispered, eating some more ice and the cold soothing her burning throat.

She was surprised to see his eyes shining with tears, “We almost lost you and…” he looked away from her wiping his eyes.

“And what, Dean?” Her stomach churned and knotted a thousand thoughts running through her mind.

“And it wrecked me. I didn’t want to imagine life without you and when I did it gutted me.”

(Y/N) reached up wiping the few wayward tears from his cheek, “I’m right here because of you. Thank you.”

Her hand slipped down to his chest gripping his shirt and pulling him towards her. Every move she made was agonizing but worth it as his lips pressed against hers.

“I will always be here for you.” He whispered as she nodded her forehead resting against his.

Lying back she asked, “What happened to Wyatt?”

A low growl escaped Dean’s lips, “He and his buddy are currently in a cell hopefully getting to know their new roommates intimately.”

She wanted to know everything, but exhaustion was consuming her. Her eyes closing as Dean sat beside her on the bed humming her favorite Zeppelin song and lulling her to sleep.

Over the next several months, between her physical recovery and mental anguish as she relive her life with Wyatt to detectives and lawyers. (Y/N) slowly started getting her life back to normal. Dean accompanied her to New York where Wyatt and his goons were all put on trial for what they had done to her. After the guilty verdict was read, (Y/N) felt a great weight lift from her shoulders finally feeling free to live her life in peace.

When they arrived back in Lebanon, they noticed the vacant building across from the bakery had been sold and a new sign was being lifted into the air to attach to the store front. As the tarp fell to the ground, they both stared up completely stunned at what they saw.

The sign had a cake with a halo above it that read Angel Cakes Bakery. A tall, dark hair man stood admiring the sign before glancing over to them. He gave a small wave walking back into the building while (Y/N) looked over to Dean.

His jaw set in a strong line before muttering, “Son of a bitch…”

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midnightechoes · 4 years

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Halloween Lunch Date

Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy the little fic I wrote for the @supercorpbb Halloween/Fall Event! I ended up using three of the prompts from the list: Pumpkin spice debate, Lena sees Kara wearing a plaid button-up with the sleeves rolled up for the first time and loses her damn mind, and Couple’s costumes. Although, if truth be told, none of the themes are that front and center. This was really just an excuse to write some Supercorp fluff since the last thing I wrote was pretty angsty! Hope everyone enjoys it!

Read it on AO3!

A sudden, deep yawn escaped Lena, knocking her out of the deep state of concentration that she had been in for the last three hours. The CEO of L-Corp’s hand shot up to her mouth in an attempt to stifle a second wave of yawns. Once they were under control, she leaned back in her office chair and rubbed her eyes. She had been staring at her laptop all morning, tearing through report after report in a desperate attempt to get ahead of her seemingly neverending workload, and she was feeling it in every inch of her body.

Lena’s stomach let out a rumble, its angry attempt at reminding the woman that it disagreed with Lena’s decision to skip lunch. It was the third skipped lunch in a row, and her stomach seemed to be on the verge of a mutiny, calming only slightly as she took a gulp of water from a glass she had been nursing for the past hour.

Seemingly as if she had heard the cries from Lena’s stomach, Supergirl touched down gently on the balcony of Lena’s office. The Luthor heard her before she saw her, the unmistakable crunch of the hero’s boots tapping against her balcony’s concrete. There was a time, early in their relationship, when the uncontrollable expression of glee that instantly covered her face was something Lena fought with, embarrassed by her inability to contain herself.

Those days ended months ago, and the Luthor excitedly spun around in her chair, her own bright smile matching the blinding one her girlfriend was shooting her way as Supergirl stepped into the office. “Kara!” Lena drawled out, letting each letter slowly fall from her mouth breathlessly. With one smooth motion, Lena pushed herself up from her chair and cleared the short distance between the two.

Supergirl, one hand carrying a white paper bag, and the other hand balancing a cup carrier holding two drinks, spread her arms out, allowing Lena’s arms to easily wrap around the Girl of Steel’s waist. Before Kara could respond, she found that her lips were already busy with Lena’s, who had wasted no time pulling the Kryptonian into a kiss.

Within seconds, Lena could the aches of her day draining away, replaced with the warmth and softness of the blonde woman that was enthusiastically returning her kiss. They pulled apart after a few more seconds with a gasp, each pulling back just enough to stare into each other’s eyes.

“Love of my life,” Kara murmured with a giant grin on her face. It had become her favorite way to greet the Luthor of the past few weeks, after reading what had apparently been a particularly convincing fortune cookie fortune. Lena giggled, slapping Kara lightly across her chest. The phrase had grown on the raven-haired woman, and secretly, she desperately hoped it was accurate, but she still felt the need to at least pretend to resist the lofty implications of the saying.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Lena hummed, her hands resting on Supergirl’s chest.

“Well,” Kara chirped, “I finally turned in that article that Andrea’s been badgering me about, meaning that I get the afternoon off!” The blonde held up the contents in her hands. “And I thought it’d be fun to bring my girlfriend lunch.” The Kryptonian’s smile twisted into some sort of smug smirk as her brows furrowed. “Especially since it’s almost three and I somehow doubt you’ve eaten since I saw you this morning.”

Lena took a step back and scoffed, clutching her chest with mock outrage.

“Don’t even try,” Kara responded, rolling her eyes. “You’ve come home famished every night this week! You ate three slices of pizza last night!”

“You ate an entire pizza yourself,” Lena shot back.

“Okay, yeah, but I always eat an entire pizza, you usually can’t even finish two slices. Besides,” Kara leaned in, grinning as she jostled the bag in her hand, “I got you that smoke salmon bagel that you love.”

“On a whole wheat bagel?” Lena asked, the hopefulness in her voice obvious. Kara just beamed and nodded. An ear to ear smile grew on Lena’s face as she cupped Kara by the cheeks. “You really are my favorite person,” Lena mused, pulling Kara into another kiss.

The end of the kiss was sudden. Lena tugged herself free and snatched the bag before Kara even knew what was happening. The raven-haired woman stood there, clutching the bag greedily, a sheepish smile on her face. “Okay, maybe I am hungry.” As if to drive the point home, a needy gurgle erupted from Lena’s stomach, causing the Luthor to blush.

Kara couldn’t contain her laughter. She pulled one of the paper cups out of the carrier and handed it to the woman in front of her. “And one soy lavender tea latte to go with it,” Kara smiled. “Think you can take a break long enough to eat with your girlfriend?”

The Luthor stepped around Supergirl, planting a kiss on her shoulder as she passed. “Go change first,” she purred into the Kryptonian’s ear. Lena’s hair kicked up from the blowback of Kara zooming away to the private washroom attached to the office.

It was a quick scamper over to the white couch on the other side of the office for Lena, who set the bag down on the coffee table as soon as she reached it. By that time, Kara was already emerging from the washroom, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and loosely tucked into her black denim jeans was a hunter-green and black flannel button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up halfway up her forearms. The top few buttons of the shirt remained unbuttoned, open just enough to expose her collarbones and get a peek at the rim of the tank top she was wearing underneath. The raven-haired woman rose the cup to her lips, positioning the opening in the lid in front of her, and let it hover there, obscuring the hungry grin on her face.

Lena really enjoyed the fall.

Eyes still fixed on watching her girlfriend saunter towards her, Lena absently took a sip from her drink. It was an instant regret. She grimaced, her entire face scrunching up and she swallowed.

At the sight of her girlfriend struggling, Kara quickened her pace, closing the remaining distance in an instance.

“Darling,” Lena coughed, “are you sure they gave you the right order?”

Kara took the drink from Lena, gave it a sniff, then sipped it herself. A happy hum escaped her. “Ah, I see,” she mumbled and handed the other cup that she had been carrying. “Here, try this one.”

What started as an experimental sip turned into a good chug. “Much better,” Lena said, taking a seat on the couch.

“Sorry, handed you mine by mistake,” Kara admitted as she plopped down next to Lena, their knees knocking against each other playfully. She set her cup down and began unpacking their lunch: smoked salmon on a whole wheat bagel with a dill spread, tomatoes, capers, and red onions for Lena, and a bacon grilled cheese sandwich, triple the bacon, for Kara.

“What was that?” Lena asked, a single eyebrow raised over her confusion at how Kara could delight in whatever that concoction was supposed to be.

“Pumpkin spice latte,” Kara chirped just before chomping down on her sandwich.

The answer only made Lena’s confusion grow. “That’s what a pumpkin spice latte tastes like?” she asked incredulously.

The blonde’s eyes went wide as she turned to Lena. “You’ve never had a pumpkin spice latte?!” she spit out through a mouth full of cheese, bread, and bacon.

“The idea of pumpkin in my coffee never sounded appealing to me, but that doesn’t even taste anything like pumpkin!”

Kara just shrugged as she took another sip of her coffee. “They make it sweeter so the flavors mix well with the coffee.”

“Well, they failed at that,” Lena flatly stated.

“Sweetie, it’s one of the most popular drinks in the world,” Kara countered with a chuckle.

“We’ve failed as a society,” Lena responded instantly. Kara busted out laughing, flopping back into the couch and twisting so that her face was buried into Lena’s shoulder. “I need to dedicate more funding into nutritional health initiatives,” she added, causing a fresh round of laughter from her girlfriend.

Slowly, Kara pulled herself back up. “Lena, sweetie, don’t you think you’re being just a little overdramatic?”

Lena snapped her head up so that her chin was pointed high in the air. “I am a Luthor, after all, we are nothing if not dramatic,” she retorted, barely able to contain a snicker. Kara couldn’t help but laugh at her girlfriend’s silliness for a moment before she really took in the sight of Lena in front of her. In her dramatic “proper” pose, Lena’s neck was on full display, and Kara didn’t spend much time resisting before pouncing.

They crashed into the back of the couch, Lena giggling uncontrollably as her girlfriend was straddling her lap, suckling on her pale skin. “Vampire! Vampire!” the Luthor cried out, unable to contain her enjoyment.

After a moment Kara came up for air. “Oooh, we could be vampires for Halloween,” Kara suggested as she sat comfortably on Lena. The Luthor shook her head.

“Too basic,” Lena replied. “It’s our first couples’ costume, it needs to be a little more inspired.” Kara sat up and rubbed her chin, clearly deep in thought. Lena pushed herself up and planted another kiss onto Kara. “Don’t worry, we’ll think of something,” she murmured against Kara’s lips. Her arms snaked around Kara, her hand gripping at her back. “But right now, I think I’d rather focus on enjoying my lunch break with my girlfriend.”

Kara leaned forward and hummed. “Yeah, I think we can do that,” she breathed before pushing Lena back down.

---

Nia was scurrying to her door as fast as she could, taking care not to catch her fairy wings on anything. Only half the guests had arrived and already her Halloween party was loud and raucous. It had made the knocking hard to hear, hence her scurrying. As she reached the door she made a mental note to post a sticky note on the outside telling people to just enter.

Taking just a second to catch her breath and compose herself, Nia swung the door open, a big smile ready to greet whoever it was. As soon as she laid eyes on Kara and Lena she let out a hearty laugh.

Kara held up her little, plastic shield and beamed. “Cap and Iron Man, pretty great, right?” the Kryptonian boasted. Lena shifted next to her, a light blush on her face as she held her helmet in her hands.

“It’s perfect!” Nia bellowed, wrapping both into a hug. “Come on you two, it’s time for candy and booze!” she yelled, ushering them into her apartment.

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passionate-baker · 6 years

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Four Days in Amsterdam, Holland

There’s something magical about Amsterdam. This was my second visit to the Dutch capital, and still I have trouble explaining to people what is so captivating about the place. For example, I can never quite get across how genuinely crooked all of the buildings are - crooked doors/windows/walls/steps all going in a different direction to each other, but yet all fitting together so perfectly. It genuinely boggles my mind, & no picture on earth can accurately capture the imperfect perfectness of it all. I love the attitude of the city, it’s relaxed and easy going, but everything still runs smoothly & efficiently. I love the wonky gingerbread houses lining the canals, a classic car or two parked nonchalantly outside. Wandering along the canals almost transports you to another time; it feels otherworldly and special. Somehow, I even grew to enjoy the thrill of nearly being mowed down by any number of the bloodthirsty cyclists at every corner.

I visited the city with one of my best friends & we dedicated our time to walking along the canals and eating as much as humanly possible. Below is a lengthy list of recommendations and a whole bundle of photographs from our time in the city. Enjoy!

Stay

Hotel Mozart // our cute hotel was so perfect for us. We opted for the “romantic canal view room”, which was a weensy bit more expensive than the other rooms, but totally worth it. At night we could look out our window to see the glistening canal & a super cute classic car parked across the way that we affectionately named Louis. The hotel is literally a five minute walk away from the Rijksmuseum - aka, within walking distance of almost everywhere you’ll want to go - so we were pretty dang happy with the location. Added bonus: it’s nestled in along Prinsengracht, which is one of the prettiest canal/streets in the whole city.

Eat - Brunch / Lunch / Sancks

Gartine // let’s just take a step back for a second while I admit two things: eggs benedict is my weakness & french toast is my friend’s weakness. We are powerless creatures of menu habit & that didn’t change while we were in Amsterdam. Gartine was my first eggs benedict of the trip, & it was also the worst. That said, my friend had one of the best french toast experiences of her whole life - if I remember correctly, it was a little blueberry number that stole her heart - so I guess I ordered wrong. The whole cafe has just a handful of tables & is effortlessly gorgeous, so be prepared to wait a little. Think mismatching cups & saucers, hipster-chic waiters, cups of mint tea filled with real life stalks of mint, & an extremely lovely barista. Added bonus: there was the most beautiful flower installation draped across a stormy grey statement wall.

Bakers & Roasters // B&R was my most favourite brunching experience of our whole trip. We loved it so much we actually went back to squeeze in a quick meal before catching our flight home. No surprises about what we ordered: classic eggs benny for me, banana nut bread french toast for her. Friends, we died & went to brunch heaven. The portions are massive, and thank goodness for that because the food is amazing. The bacon was crispy & delicious, the hot buttered sourdough was so thick & fluffy I nearly cried, the poached eggs were perfect, & the coffee was so good I had two before my food even arrived. We were lucky when we visited in that we didn’t have to queue, but by the time we were leaving there was a long line snaking down the street. Pro tip: if eggs benny ain’t your thing, I can also vouch for the ‘Navajo eggs’ - a pulled pork, poached eggs, avo, salsa + toast number - that I opted for on our return & literally filled me to the brim until we touched down in Dublin nearly 10 hours later.

Dignita // we decided to hit up the Dignita at Hoftuin (they also have a location at Vondelpark) which is inside the garden of the Hermitage Museum & is absolutely stunning - head-to-toe windows, crawler plants hanging from the ceiling, glorious sunshine filling the whole room. We loved it immediately. I have to say, the eggs benedict I had at Dignita might just about steal the crown for The Best Eggs Benedict in Amsterdam. Not only were the eggs & bacon perfect, but they were served on the most crispy - yet tender & luscious - generous pillows of hash browns. I ate every single morsel of food on my plate, not a crumb survived. It was perfection. After the success of our meal we opted for some extra coffees & a brownie between us - cream cheese & raspberry, no less - and we nearly ended up in a food coma. A happy, happy food coma. Added bonus: their profits go towards helping victims of human trafficking. How awesome is that?

Foodhallen // as the map told us we were getting closer to Foodhallen, it appeared as though we were walking out of the city & into a more residential area. Then, suddenly, we turned a corner & there it was: a massive indoor market, one section of which is dedicated to food + drink. We walked there shortly after brunch one morning & had chatted about just getting a snack or two, but after a quick walk around the stalls that idea went hurtling out the window. We secured ourselves a table at the communal seating area, picked up two glasses of cheap wine from the bar, & ordered a sharing board from a Spanish stall called Jabugo. We sat there for the guts of an hour, relaxing, drinking, eating meat & cheese, people watching, living our best lives. Pro tip: I’ve also heard wondrous things about the burgers at The Butcher, but I’ll have to save that for my next trip. Added bonus: there’s a fabulous atmosphere in the market (it reminded me of the Time Out Market in Lisbon), that feels so good you could sit there for hours snacking and watching the world go by.

Eat - Dinner

Hap-Hmm // walking to Hap-Hmm along a pitch black street with no lights was more than a little terrifying, but thankfully entirely worth it. A traditional Dutch restaurant serving the kinds of food I imagine Dutch grandmothers make, Hap-Hmm has been open for over 60 years. We queued for 40 minutes to get a nice little table right in the centre of everything, & the smells wafting past us as we waited had our tummies seriously grumbling. The menu was small but good - I opted for the wiener schnitzel & my pal went for the house specialty: a beef stew. Both mains were melt-in-the-mouth good (especially the stew) & came with large sides of potatoes + miscellaneous veggies. A couple of beers later, we were totally satisfied & much less terrified walking home along the pitch black street.

Los Feliz // owned by the crowd behind Bakers & Roasters, this is the Mexican restaurant of my dreams. As we perused the menu, I treated myself to a good old fashioned margarita & we let our inner beasts run wild when ordering. Friends, we feasted. We can, without any reservations at all, vouch for most of the menu: guac + chips, a whole host of different tostadas + carnitas, & the chipotle aioli fries. We couldn’t decide which tostada stole the show (a tie between the tinga de pollo & the carne asada), but really everything was so goddamn delicious & flavoursome that it was much of a muchness. After the roaring success of our meal, we simply couldn’t leave without trying a dessert (& another margarita, just in case). We went for the tres leches cake, which neither of us had ever tried before, but which we devoured within seconds. From beginning to end, it was glorious.

Thrill Grill // TG is a burger place. At the time I rather enjoyed my burger - & my pal really enjoyed her hot dog - but thinking back on the experience as a whole, there wasn’t really anything fantastic about the place. Not necessarily a bad restaurant, there was just nothing about the place that would make me go back.

Drink - Alcohol

Cafe George // we stumbled across Cafe George completely by accident one day & it ended up being one of our favourite stops. It’s a kind of hipster-chic place with an American/French bistro vibe going on. There are marble tabletops, mirrors lining the wall, cute candles lit regardless of the time, & a solid snack list (definitely try the traditional ‘bitterballen’). We stopped by more than once to enjoy a couple glasses of wine in the shade.

Wijnbar Boelen // we decided to treat ourselves to a fancy glass of wine before dinner one night & this was the perfect spot. I opted for a big glass of Valpolicella, which was so delicious that I treated myself to a second.

Drink - Coffee

Scandinavian Embassy // I somehow discovered online that Scandinavian Embassy have the best cinnamon rolls in the city (obviously something I investigate before going anywhere). It’s a very cool, very chic place, with the very alluring smell of cinnamon wafting out the front door. SE are also real deal kind of serious about their coffee. We sat right at the bar so we could watch the barista work his magic & we pretty much sat there openly gawping at him the whole time we were there. The cinnamon roll was amazing, but it was the coffee that stole the show. A lot of care & attention went into making every single cup, & you could definitely taste it in the end result.

Lott Sixty One Coffee // we actually have an Instagram pal to thank for leading us here - @sandy.somewhere, thank you for your tip about the attractive Thor-type baristas, we are eternally grateful. Attractiveness aside, the baristas seemed to be really know what they were doing - the coffee was amazingly smooth. Cute boys + delicious coffee = match made in heaven.

Canal Cruise // I feel like this is a must in Amsterdam, you just gotta do one. We went with a company called Lovers, but I think they’re all basically the same. The tour lasts an hour & brings you down all the main canal routes, with an informative little electric tour guide narrating your trip. Our boat driver threw out a few tid-bits of information every so often: did you know that the canals in Amsterdam are 3-metres deep? He reckons they’re actually only 2-metres of water & 1-metre of ill fated bicycles, of which they pull over 12,000 from the canals every year. Mad.

Rijksmuseum // another Amsterdam must. I headed straight for the Van Gogh self-portrait & stood there taking in every single brushstroke for a good 20-minutes while waiting for my pal to catch up. It is exquisite. The museum also holds an extensive Rembrandt collection on the top floor, including his massive painting “The Night Watch”, which is definitely worth a visit. Pro tip: don’t miss a trip to the library inside the museum - it's a three storey room filled entirely with books about art history & is extremely pleasing to behold.

Moco Museum // skeptical as I was about visiting Moco, I thoroughly enjoyed our time in the museum. Perhaps that’s because it’s much less museum-ey than the Rijksmuseum etc, it is more just a collection of art. The museum houses contemporary works of art - we saw a Banksy & a Roy Lichtenstein exhibition - in a seemingly random layout. Added bonus: in the basement of the museum there was a 3D interior room installation of Lichtenstein’s painting “Bedroom at Arles” - it was literally like we stepped into the artwork; we were amazed.

I Amsterdam Sign // just one of those stupid/half fun things that you have to do when you’re in Amsterdam. If you’re one of the unlucky few whose name begins with any of the ‘iamsterdam’ letters, then you get to try climb up on top of said letter for that cliche tourist shot. Let’s just hope that you don’t slip or embarrass yourself on the way up, because there are a heck of a lot of people waiting for their chance to climb aboard. Thankfully, there’s no hidden ‘V’ in ‘iamsterdam’, so I’ve been spared the public humiliation thus far.

Vondelpark // I imagine Vondelpark would be a lovely place for a summer picnic or a stroll, but you must remember that we were there during the winter/spring. If I’m being completely honest with you, it was so bloody freezing when we got there that we briskly walked 10 paces in, glanced around, & briskly walked right back out again. Only when we were safely inside a warm coffee shop 10-minutes later did we decide that yes, it was indeed a pretty park.

Classic car hunting // Amsterdam is full of quirky old cars - they’re impossible not to come across. Go for a wander along the canals & see if you can stumble across that insta-perfect shot. I dragged my poor friend halfway across the city to go back & take a picture of a classic car I’d spotted while we were on our canal tour. The things you do for Instagram!

#amsterdam #travel #holland #the netherlands

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charlottegracetaylor · 7 years

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Best Friends Forever Ch. 2

{Chapter 1} {Chapter 2} {Chapter 3} {Chapter 4} || {read on ffn} {read on ao3}

A steady wave of aromas drifting from the kitchen began to fill the air in the living room and roused Clarke from her sleep. There was very little light coming through the window blinds; Clarke figured the sun was just beginning to rise. As the fog of sleep cleared from her mind she registered that she was on the couch, wrapped in Grandma Blake’s blanket. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head, letting the blanket fall into her lap.

She noticed immediately that she felt much better than she did yesterday. Just a twenty-four hour thing, thank God. She felt none of the vertigo or sensitivity that had plagued her since she awoke the previous day, and the nausea was nearly gone as well.

She pulled the blanket around her and ambled across the living room to lean against the kitchen doorway. Bellamy stood in front of the stove, tending to two frying pans. Taking note of the white wire dangling down from his ears and disappearing into the back pocket of his jeans, she knew he was immersed in another world.

She hopped onto a barstool at their kitchen island, careful not to trip on the blanket, and rested her chin in her hands. The toaster had slipped her notice on the other end of the counter and she started with a squeal when it popped. Bellamy whipped around, a spatula raised in his hand. It was so comical and just so Bellamy that he was ready to defend her with a greasy spatula. She didn’t even try to fight the laugh that bubbled to the surface.

“Clarke,” Bellamy deadpanned. He tugged on the wire of his earbuds and wrapped it up around his phone.

“Yes, dear,” she said through a giggle.

He let his lips turn up in a smile and playfully flicked her nose. “Seems you’re feeling better.”

Nodding, she hummed in agreement. “Almost back to normal. I think it’s just a twenty-four hour bug. Where’s Octavia?”

He tipped his head toward the fridge as he returned his attention to the pans on the stove. “Ah, shit,” he mumbled, hurriedly turning off both burners.

Clarke slid off the barstool and walked over to the fridge. Her eyes skimmed over Octavia’s note before she pulled the door open and grabbed a small bottle of orange juice. “Crispy and scrambled?” she guessed, shaking the orange juice. Admittedly it wasn’t a difficult guess. Every time she or Octavia got sick, Bellamy made bacon and eggs for breakfast, and lunch was always tomato soup and grilled cheese. She reached in front of him and grabbed a small piece of bacon off the plate he was holding.

He lifted both plates into the air over her head and smirked at her. “Patience is a virtue, Clarke. Have I taught you nothing?” He had been smirking, but the smirk morphed into a genuine smile that let a peal of laughter escape him. Her frizzy hair was pulling free of a messy bun and sticking out all over. Her favorite baggy Ark U sweatpants were fraying at the bottoms. And she had once again stolen one of his tee shirts, because it would be a miracle if Clarke ever washed her laundry before literally every piece of clothing she owned was dirty. She looked a mess and she was ready to fight him. “You’re awful feisty for someone who just cheated death.”

If looks could kill, he would be halfway to the light at the end of the tunnel. She may have been glaring daggers at him, but the wrinkles forming in the corners of her eyes told him she was fighting a smile.

“I will start whining if you don’t give me my plate,” she warned, jabbing a finger into his chest. “I might even turn on the tears.”

“Back to the couch, Griffin,” he chuckled. “You’ve been up long enough.” He heard her angry-sigh behind him as he grabbed two forks from the cutlery drawer and led the way back to the living room, knowing she would follow.

They each settled into a corner, Clarke’s legs curled on the cushion between them, and Bellamy’s feet kicked up on the coffee table. He handed a plate and fork to her, his own sitting on his lap. “How the Universe Works?” he suggested, knowing full well that he would be spending the day marathoning Gilmore Girls. He wouldn’t exactly say he enjoyed the show, but if he were to be honest he couldn’t say he hated it. It was just tradition when Clarke got sick. It had been a long time since she’d been this sick, and who was he to mess with tradition?

“Gil-“

“Gilmore Girls. I know, I know,” he cut her off with an amiable grin, already bringing the show up on Netflix.

***

Clarke loved this - the elusive lazy Saturday. Between both of their jobs and her school schedule, she and Bellamy didn’t get days like this very often. But they both really took advantage of it whenever the chance came. Clarke would call in sick at the hospital, where she worked part-time as a Medical Assistant, and Bellamy would happily pay no mind to the laptop bag that was perpetually bursting at the seams with papers needing graded and lectures needing planned.

At some point between the second and third episodes of Gilmore Girls Clarke found herself laying across the couch with her head in Bellamy’s lap. “Feeling sick again?” she heard him ask, barely louder than a whisper.

“No,” she answered as quietly. “Just a little tired.” An unbidden yawn broke across her face, forcing her eyes shut, and she didn’t bother to open them again.

Bellamy dropped his head back on the couch and closed his eyes as well, listening to Luke and Lorelai bantering on the television, and a vague thought comparing his and Clarke’s friendship to Luke and Lorelai danced around the edges of his mind, just beyond his grasp. Without any conscious thought, his fingers found Clarke’s hair and slowly, gently toyed with the strands that had pulled free of her bun until he fell into a comfortable sleep.

***

When Clarke woke up, she registered first that Bellamy was still asleep. She was curled up, her knees digging into the back of the couch and her face inches from Bellamy’s stomach. She laid still, not wanting to wake him, and took a moment to appreciate her best friend.

For over a decade, he had been there whenever she needed him. When she fought with her mom, he was there. He answered the phone every single time she called, even in the middle of the night, and he let her vent to him. Sometimes she cried, sometimes she yelled. Sometimes they just sat in silence, and Clarke simply took comfort knowing he was on the other end of the line.

When she broke up with her boyfriend Wells the day before the Homecoming dance her senior year of high school, Bellamy showed up at her front door wearing a tie and holding a corsage, both of which perfectly matched her dress. He waited in an extremely uncomfortable silence with her mother and Marcus while she ran upstairs to trade her pajamas for her dress.

She would always fondly remember when Bellamy and Octavia crashed Abby’s wedding. Clarke stood in her place as Maid of Honor at the altar while Abby and Marcus exchanged vows. She saw her best friends sneak into the back of the church, and she knew they were there to give her moral support. They danced with her through the entire reception, and when it was all over they whisked her away to their favorite bar and got drunk with her until sunrise.

In her junior year of college, she found out her boyfriend Finn had been cheating on her. More accurately, he was cheating on his girlfriend of six years, Raven, and Clarke was the other woman. She had been out with Bellamy and Octavia one night when Octavia saw Finn with a dark-haired beauty. Long story short: Bellamy went home that night with sore knuckles, Finn went home with a black eye, and Clarke and Octavia went home having made a new friend.

But Bellamy was there for the good stuff, too. He signed up as chaperone when Clarke and Octavia when to France with their French Club. He was there when Clarke graduated high school as Valedictorian. He pulled some strings for her and Octavia when the college tried to enforce on-campus living their freshman year, and saved them thousands of dollars in room and board. He planned her a surprise party when she got hired at the hospital. “Bell, it’s just a part-time Medical Assistant position,” she had reminded him, to which he responded “It’s the first step toward a full-time residency when you graduate med school.”

Over the years, without even realizing it, she had gotten closer to Bellamy than she was to Octavia. Not to make light of her friendship with O; they were still as inseparable as they were when they were twelve. But she had opened herself up to Bellamy in ways she never did with Octavia. Even with O, she kept some walls up, but it was different with Bellamy. It had always been different with him.

Clarke smiled, an overwhelming feeling of happiness filling her as she thought of all the things Bellamy had done for her, all the ways he had supported her and shown her true friendship. But as the word “friendship” floated through her mind, she felt a hazy sense of sadness tugging gently at her heart, which she chalked up to her emotions getting jumbled from all the stress she’d been putting herself under at school and at the hospital.

***

“Damn, again?” Octavia asked of no one in particular when she arrived home from work that evening to find Clarke and Bellamy sleeping, once again, on the couch. She flicked the light on and let her keys clang onto the entry table. “Honey, I’m home!”

The sudden noise startled them awake and they jumped up in surprise. “Damn, O,” Bellamy grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“Rise and shine, big brother!” Octavia sing-songed in response. “You feeling better?” she asked Clarke with the same glint in her eyes that was always present when she found them spending any kind of time alone together.

“Good as new,” Clarke chirped on her way back the hallway. “I’m gonna shower,” she called, pausing to look over her shoulder. “Can I borrow a shirt, O? Laundry was at the bottom of my to-do list today.”

“Yeah, I bet it was,” Octavia mumbled to herself. “Help yourself.”

“What, you’re too good for my shirts now, princess?” Bellamy teased as he passed her to duck into his room.

“Oh, hey!” Octavia hollered at them through their closed doors. “Pizza will be here in half an hour. And we’re having company.”

Both doors opened simultaneously and their heads popped out in unison. “Octavia.” There was a hint of dread in his voice that was mirrored in Clarke’s eyes.

“It’ll be fine, you guys. Clarke’s all better. And I’ll handle cleanup.”

Two pairs of eyes rolled up to the ceiling before they closed their doors again.

***

The ringing doorbell prompted Bellamy to peer through the peephole in the front door. “Octavia,” he grumbled then opened the door with a friendly smile.

The pizza delivery guy stood on the doorstep, holding four pizza boxes and what Bellamy could only guess was a box of wings. He was surrounded by Lincoln, Jasper, Maya, Raven, Roan, Monty, Harper, Murphy and Emori, each of whom was carrying six-packs – some beer, some wine coolers.

Octavia appeared behind Bellamy and paid the delivery guy with a generous tip. As their friends filed past them into the house, Clarke emerged from her bedroom looking fresh and happy. Only Bellamy knew that the slightly grey tint at the edges of her irises was a sign of the exhaustion that had undoubtedly played a hand in yesterday’s flu.

“You alright?” he whispered by her side in the kitchen while they were taking their turn filling their plates.

She knew better than to tell him she was fine. He wouldn’t have asked if he didn’t already know the answer. “Just haven’t gotten all my energy back. I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

***

Even though Clarke was still recovering, an evening of fun with all of her friends was exactly what she needed – what they all needed.

After five beers and three wine coolers, Emori was the undeniably the most drunk of them all. Murphy, who’d had only one beer, bid everyone good night rather early, threw her over his shoulder and carried her down to the car. Monty and Harper each had a light buzz and spent the evening sharing their funniest stories from bartending. Maya and Jasper sat together and listened to everyone else’s chatting. They were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, and were clearly having a hard time keeping their hands to themselves.

Raven and Roan stayed on opposite sides of the room all night. Their friends had taken bets on when the two would hook up. It was inevitable. Their friendship was a rollercoaster from heated arguments (Clarke loved to tell the story about the time the cops showed up at Roan’s house in response to a domestic disturbance call from his neighbors, who thought Raven was going to lay Roan out.) to afternoons spent together in a comfortable companionship that was second only to Clarke and Bellamy.

When nearly everyone had gone home, Bellamy glanced over to see Octavia sound asleep on the loveseat next to Lincoln. “I’ll handle cleanup,” he mimicked under his breath, to which he felt Clarke giggle quietly in response beside him. When he made to stand up, her hand on his shoulder stopped him, and he turned to look at her.

“Not yet,” she said and he sat back to let her snuggle into his side.

Half an hour later, Lincoln was asleep with Octavia, and Raven and Roan had snuck out. How the Universe Works was playing on the television, and Bellamy’s head kept lolling to the side as he fought to stay awake.

When she thought he lost the battle, Clarke extricated herself from his arm and crept into the kitchen. She had only gotten the leftovers put into the fridge before Bellamy was there. “I can do this tomorrow,” he said softly.

“I thought you were asleep,” she turned to him, her hand still on the fridge handle. “You’re always cleaning up after us, Bell. Just wanted to return the favor for once.” She started gathering the plates from the counter until his hand came down on hers.

“Go to bed, Clarke.” His voice was low. She could hear his concern in the way he said her name. She let him take the plates from her and lay them in the sink.

“We can do this tomorrow?” The exhaustion was seeping out of her, and she didn’t bother to try to hide it.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Tomorrow.”

When she walked out of the bathroom a couple minutes later, he was standing by her bedroom door with a pair of his sweatpants and another of his tee shirts. She smiled her thanks to him and he chuckled.

“I’ll do my laundry tomorrow,” she promised.

#a: charlottegracetaylor #title: best friends forever #modern au #multichaps #slow burn #friends to lovers #professor!bellamy #fluff #best friends brother #bellarke au #bellarke modern au #sharing clothes #bellarke fanfiction

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recipereruns · 6 years

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#TBT Recipe - 'Baloney Sandwich - Just Like the Ones Mom's and Prisons Used to Make'

Baloney, or Bologna as it was originally known, is a ground sausage, lard and myrtle berry mixture that was created in the Italian region of Bologna. It was then taken by German immigrants in America who pulverized all the parts of all the animals, some fallen acorns, shoe laces and a few missing children and spread it across the Middle West and Southern Canada! Danke!

Oscar Meyer hit the gold mine when they pre-packaged the pounded meat mix, added an ear worm of a jingle and a cute little boy fishing unsupervised! Busy, meth-making moms like mine loved pre-sliced convenience, making it a staple in every lunch box. The states loved it because they could feed federal prisoners something akin to meat for 6 cents a day!

I didn't hate baloney, I just tolerated what I called a 'flat hotdog' by adding lots of mustard.

Mom, however, up to her elbows in the white powder, made Baloney American Cheese Roll Up the default snack that she felt no guilt pawning off on us to make.

Take the round, pre-sliced, Mettwurst (German for ‘some kind’ of sausage) that looks like it was freshly skinned off Augustus Gloop’s pudgy little back. Next, open the plastic of a slice of plastic American ‘Cheese’ singles and roll them up into a smelly processed food cigar.

I won’t fault mom for liking the convenience of grab and go so she could cook up her batches with minimal interruptions in time to catch ‘Ryan’s Hope’.

I once suggested that it would be really nice if all her meth came pre-packaged and then maybe she’d have time to sign me up for a tap dancing class. Or notice when my brother took another tumble down the stairs. Mom got mad and yelled something about her ‘craft’ and how the meth doesn’t grow on trees. Dad got into it and yelled with his Scotch voice, “That’s enough, B.S., Kerri Lynn”. I asked what ‘B.S.’ stood for? ‘Baloney Sauce’ he slurred.

Baloney Sauce?? I pictured packs of Oscar Mayer being tossed into blenders with milk and then heated on the stove and poured over spaghetti and that was the day my father almost ruined baloney for me. ALMOST.

One day I smelled something cooking that was NOT pseudoephedrine. It was frying. It smelled like ham. Then bacon. Then hotdogs. Then toenails and Barbie shoes. She gave me some to taste. It was crispy, salty and delicious.

‘What is that?’ I asked.

‘Fried Baloney.” said Meth Mom.

‘Baloney Sauce!’ I yelled.

Not sure if kids today eat baloney, but if they do, make it fried. Sans Ketchup. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

2 slices of white bread

1-2 slices of bologna

1/8 tsp of oil

1 slice American cheese food

1 Tbs of mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Put oil in frying pan and heat to medium high.

Put a slit in bologna from middle to all the way through the end.

Put bologna in heated oil.

Brown both sides.

Add cheese to the top while last side is browning.

Spread mustard on both sides of the bread.

Add bologna.

Or, fry bologna, set aside, butter bread and place each slice butter side down. Place cheese and bologna on one slice, top with the other. Grill. Flip. Repeat.

#tbtrecipe recipereruns baloney bologna oscarmayer meth mom

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verningitup · 6 years

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“You’re not Filipina no?” -By Laverne Floris

Kamusta Everyone

So a lot of you have been asking me so many questions about my recent trip to the Philippines and I thought I’d write a lil something to give you a good summary on the whole trip. Please note that the exchange rate was R0.27 = 1 Philippine Piso.

Let’s take it back to the beginning. I met Kiddo and Sylvester in South Korea in 2017 at the World Barista Championships in Seoul. Team South Africa and Team Philippines hit it off so well that it made me want to visit my new friends in their awesome country.

A year later, I found myself getting on that plane, jetting off to the Philippines.

So the journey began at Cape Town International Airport and the commute was as follows:

Cape Town to Manila. Manila to Puerto Princesa. A 6 hour bus ride from Puerto Princesa to final destination El Nido. I travelled for 2 whole days and when I arrived at my accommodation, I just fell on my bed, laying on my stomach because my backside was so lame from all the SITTING!

I flew with Cathay Pacific airlines. The great thing with them is that they fly to Hong Kong and you can choose a really short layover (mine was 55 minutes) or you can choose a longer layover (around 13 hours) and explore the city of Hong Kong if you’re keen. I’ve done that before and it’s a great way to save on the ticket price and see another side of the world.

For domestic flights I used Air Asia. I found them to be the most affordable airline but they struggle with punctuality. Their insanely beautiful and friendly flight attendants make up for it haha. Also they play really cool music in the aircraft before and after the flight. Other airlines one can use fly domestically in the Philippines is Cebu Pacific and Philippines airlines.

https://www.airasia.com

https://www.cebupacificair.com/

https://www.philippineairlines.com/en

If you don’t feel like the bus commute and you just want to get to the island, I would suggest AirSwift for a quick and easy flight from Manila to El Nido. Here’s a link to their website.

https://air-swift.com/

El Nido, Palawan Island:

I spent 4 days in this incredibly breath taking island all by myself. I stayed at this lovely super authentic cottage in Corong Corong. It’s called Eco Sommer Cottage. I found them on Airbnb for R365 a night with breakfast included. The staff and their services were so accommodating, the only thing that sucked is there was absolutely no signal. Please note that El Nido is one of the most untouched islands out there hence the under developed infrastructure. Give that place 5 more years and it will be the next Bali. So much construction happening all over in terms of hotels and hospitality.

El Nido was voted most beautiful island in the world in 2016 and one can seriously believe that once you get off that plane. Even flying over El Nido was one of the most incredible things to witness. The crystal clear beaches makes you feel like you are swimming in salty warm heaven. Heads up, beaches in the Philippines are so much more salty than South Africa.

Tric or Tricycles are the ubers of the islands and the most common way to get around but I suggest renting a scooter, you get to see so much more of the island and the fresh air is amazing. To rent a scooter per day is P500/ R133 and you can get it at one of the many scooter hire shops or some accommodation places have scooters to rent right there.

Things I did in El Nido:

Solid beaching, there are hardly any rough waves and the water is so tranquil. For those craving a surf (like I always do haha), there’s a beach called Duli beach, about a 50 minute scooter drive from the main town. A long but incredibly beautiful drive.

· Free diving is pretty big in El Nido so if you’re wanting to explore the waters, free diving is your best bet.

· Boat trips. The most touristy thing in El Nido and one of the best. There are 4 main tours that runs every single day. I have inserted a link below and if you don’t manage to book online, don’t worry, there are so many boat tour businesses all over El Nido town. Lunch and snorkelling gear is provided on the boat which is very convenient because this boat trip last almost the whole day.

https://www.elnidoparadise.com/island-hopping/el-nido-tours/

· Amazing restaurants with amazing food, make sure to check out Las Cabañas / Meri Pegpeg beach / and all the restaurants on that stripe. Paddle boarding and zip lining is available there too.

Please note that I was only there for 4 days so I didn’t explore much but check out my pinterest board to links for those who want to stay longer.

https://za.pinterest.com/lavernefloris/philippines/

Back on a 6 hour van ride to Puerto Princesa, overnight there in a hotel and on a flight to Manila the next morning. This ride costs me P1000/R266 for a return ticket. There are vans waiting for tourists at the airport so it will be easy to find a ride. I’ve inserted a website to book your bus trips upfront.

https://biyaheroes.com/#!/

When I landed in Manila, another bus was waiting for me, luckily this trip was only about 4 hours long. Arrived at my hostel 22:30, put on hoop earrings and headed out to party haha. La Union has a big partying culture and everyone is invited. The town slows down on Sunday so it’s a balance of both.

San Juan, La Union Province

So this is where Kiddo and Sylvester reside. They own this really cool coffee spot called El Union (notice the play on words form L U). It’s located right on the beach in the restaurant hub called The Great northwest. It’s a hub filled with amazing restaurants, a barbershop, tattoo parlour and some bars. I spent most of my time chilling there during the day, hanging out with the locals and made friends for life.

There’s a stereotype that says that Filipino people are the friendliest out there and boy did they live up to that. The people were my highlight of the trip. They are so welcoming and they have this wonderful loyalty about them.

When I wasn’t drinking coffee, eating waffles or grilled cheese sandwiches (the best I’ve ever had btw), you would find me in the water at the different surf spots, Carielle and Taboc.

Another highlight of my trip was my accommodation in La Union. I stayed at this stunning and oh so aesthetically pleasing hostel called Vessel Hostel. It’s owned and designed by two architect surfers so you know that combination produces a great work of art. It costs P1200/ R324 a night and it is totally value for money. Breakfast included, the dopest music blasting through the speakers all day and it’s a great location, right across the bus stop to Manila and right in the middle of all the cool restaurants.

https://vesselhostel.com/

I extended my trip and had to find accommodation quickly. Luckily Flotsam Jetsam Hostel had available rooms. This is another great place to stay if Vessel Hostel is fully booked. A totally different look and feel but their breakfast is BOMB and you’re right in the party action if you don’t mind the noise. This grandma had to suck it up and sleep through it haha.

https://www.flotsamandjetsamhostel.com/

Things I did in La union:

· Surf. Tan. Surf. Repeat.

· Visited Tangadan Falls. We drove up all the way but one can take a tricycle or jeepney (the Fiilipino version of a taxi) and then hike to the waterfall.

· Party at Flotsam Jetsam hostel and the Shrine of Satisfaction.

There was so much more that I wanted to do, go visit a coffee farm up further up North and do more hiking trails but the water kept me busy and the people. Like I said, I made so many great connections and when I go back (yes I’m planning on going back) I will tick more things off my list. See link below for more things to do in that area.

https://twomonkeystravelgroup.com/awesome-things-to-do-in-la-union-philippines-aside-from-surfing/

Also here’s a really cool video about my friend Kiddo Cosio and his cool family. This video will have you thinking about your quality of life and how much you miss the beach haha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhRaDG-Qbzc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RawevCuURkI

Food in the Philippines:

So I’m abit of a picky eater but I had no problem choosing meals in the Philippines. There’s tons of western restaurants and western dishes served. Rice is a major staple in the country and it is served with EVERYTHING! Bacon and eggs with rice? YEP! I didn’t try it but I’m sure it’s not that bad lol.

I had abit of the local dishes and my favourite was Beef Steak Taglog. Its like a beef stew with, you guessed it, rice. My favourite meal was the Korean beef bowl from Papa Bear in the Great Northwest hub of La union. Pulled beef short rib, kimchi, sous vide egg, bean sprouts over rice. So freaken good.

Filipinos love their pork so you find it all over the menu as well as their chicken. Unfortunately I didn’t have chance to try out the famous Jollybee and its chicken. Jollybee is HUGE in the Philippines. Even bigger than McDonalds so if you’re ever in PH, try it out. Oh and for all the fruit lovers like myself, unfortunately I didn’t come across so many fruits. Mango and banana is very common around there so that’s the fruit you see all over. Best mangoes I’ve ever tasted.

Okay so let’s talk about the weather since this conversation is almost done haha.

It is SUPER hot in the Philippines. Combine an average of 35 degrees Celsius and a nice 80% humidity and you will get a normal day. For a Cape Townian girl like me, the humidity gets to me sometimes but there’s ocean all around to cool off.

**Tip: best time to travel in to the Philippines is December to March. This is their “winter” and their dry season. They have a summer rainfall so the rainy season is June to October, which is not ideal for all the adventures.

I was so sad to leave La Union but Cape Town was calling me. Back to Manila city for me and luckily my flight was only late the afternoon so I got to spend the day exploring Manila. Makati, Poblacion area specifically. I arrived the evening so it was another booking into the hostel. By this time, I just wanted to commit to one bed but this really built up travelling endurance in me. I stayed at Z hostel. A very popular hostel in the heart of Makati. Makati is like every other city. Hipster coffee shops, fast food restaurants, businessmen all over, lots of shopping and TRAFFIC. Manila is known to be the world’s most dense city so this means traffic 24/7. I am not even joking. It was 01:30 in the morning and there was traffic. Manila also has one of the biggest malls in Asia called Mall of Asia so if you want to get your proper shopping on, this is this place to be. Manila is a very grimy city with so much poverty and forms of eradication all over so not a pretty sight when turning corners.

For all the coffee lovers, I had coffee at this really cool place called Commune and to my surprise, it was one of the best flat whites I’ve ever had. Manila also has a %Arabica café, unfortunately I just missed it but if you’re looking for great coffee Manila, that’s your place to be. I did some shopping exploring in the Greenbelt mall area which is a stunning area. To move around in Manila, you can use the Grab app. It’s their version of uber.

So the dying question, how much did this whole trip cost?

Well all in all this trip costs me roughly R20 000. This is including flights (R14 000) all accommodation (R4330), buses and scooters (R1000). This is excluding spending money and food. I use this amazing website for when I plan my budget for travelling its life changing. It compares the cost of living in different cities in the world.

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp

A few FYI points:

· Most showers are only cold water.

· The mosquitos are silent so you don’t hear them biting during the night.

· Pack in a deep conditioner treatment for your hair, heat rash ointment and mosquito bite cream.

· Bring a refill bottle for drinking water.

· Definitely buy a waterproof beach pack bag when you get there.

· English is taught in schools so everyone speaks pretty decent English.

· YOU DON’T NEED A VISA FOR THE PHILIPPINES IF YOU HAVE A SOUTH AFRICAN PASSPORT :)

So how was it travelling alone?

To be honest, it was all and all amazing. I’m abit of a lone ranger so the solitude was good. Traveling alone is great because you don’t have to deal with different people’s moods, their pace of walking and their own itinerary. Being alone also forces you to speak to people, especially locals, and this leads to making friends. I ended up making friends with two German guys in my bus ride in El Nido, two cool girls from the Netherlands at my accommodation, one lovely lady from London and another two Dutch guys from my accommodation. Btw, you cannot escape the Dutch, wherever you travel

I was only technically alone for 4 days but even out of that 4 days I was hanging out with my two girlfriends from The Netherlands. One is only truly “alone” when commuting and flying in the plane.

I’ve told so many people that you’re never truly alone in the Philippines. The locals are so willing to connect with you that they’re just like “hey you got plans for tonight, let’s go for dinner”. I’m also a people’s person so that helped me a lot on this trip.

Another benefit of traveling alone is that it helps you reflect in such a big way. After the whirlwind of a year that I had. Recently single and in between changing careers, this solo trip was so needed in so many ways. You learn so much about yourself and you become your own anchor of strength. The first night I arrived in El Nido, I found myself so exhausted from the two day traveling that I just burst out crying and I was like “Omgosh, you did it and there’s a whole two week trip ahead of you”. Right there I pulled myself towards myself and started this amazing relationship with myself. You figure out your strengths and weaknesses in a whole new way. So I encourage everyone, everyone that suffers with crazy anxiety and everyone that’s extremely introverted, please do yourself and your soul a favour and try a solo trip abroad. It will be hard at times but the lessons learnt and the experienced gained is priceless.

Ps. please check out my instagram story highlights for more imagery and videos. @verningitup , for now, see pictures below :)

#travelpost #traveldiary #itsmorefuninthephilippines #eatpraylove

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bulbsanta06-blog · 5 years

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Eating BIG in Montreal

Eating like a local: Regional food specialties

- Exploring French-Canada (MTL edition)

We decided to take a trip for our second anniversary. My wife had the time available from work and I'm currently part timing so why not we figured? If it's one rule I try to live by it's the live for now mentality. At least while it's just us anyway. Why Montreal? Well we paired it with Quebec City but in truth it was Montreal that I really wanted to get to. It's a spot I'd been to about a decade ago but that was before I did stuff like this. So we did the typical stuff that 20 somethings do when traveling there. I think I ate poutine at the casino. Ha. So this trip would be much different. As always I had my eyes on Montreal for the food first and foremost. That paired with the facts it's only a two hour flight and early November was off season made it an easy choice. We wanted something similar to Europe.

Sights from Montreal

What's so similar to Europe? Well to start French is still the main language in the Quebec region of Canada. This alone makes you feel like you're somewhere overseas. Maybe not as much so as Quebec City but Montreal has some wonderful historic neighborhoods with cobblestone streets and such. I cant quite pinpoint what it is but I really did love Montreal after this second trip I took. We got lucky in that it was warmer there then it was in Chicago so we had basically 50 degree weather that was mostly sunny. I really want to go back during the summer bc like Chicago I imagine it's electric.

More Sights from Montreal

I always have these large google maps that I make of all the spots I want to try. I was surprised by how many were on my Montreal list. It's a big city and it seemed like my type of spots just kept popping up. Of course it was impossible to get to tall of them which is partially why I think Montreal is the type of city that warrants multiple visits. If you like strolling around town and walking through different neighborhoods than this is a good place to take a vacation. The public transit system was very much reliable and really easy to use. Clean too. Shouts out to the Hotel William Gray which is a very nice place to stay if you like the new school hip and modern hotels that take good care of you.

More Sights from Montreal

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Beauty's Luncheonette

Montreal is home to a ton of iconic eateries. Some of them have been on my hit list for quite some time. Beauty's Luncheonette was one of them. Opened in 1942 by a son of two Russian-Jewish immigrants it's been a staple of the community ever since. Locals come for both the food and chit chat based on what I saw on our visit. I chose this as our first stop bc we got in early and the most ordered menu item at Beauty's is the Beauty's Special. It's a toasted Montreal bagel with lox, cream cheese, red onion, and tomato. A classic that I can always enjoy. Even if the bagel is toasted. Other popular menu items are the blintzes, challah French toast, and the smoked salmon with eggs. It just started to get packed as the kids of the founder were hosting some sort of get together for what seemed like friends and relatives. Go early or on a weekday if you can bc I noticed a line on the wkd.

The Beauty Special at Beauty's Luncheonette

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Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann

Any time a city's direct comparison is France you better stop and see what's up with the pastries. Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann is said to be one of the best spots in town. We stopped in for both a croissant and also a bite of the namesake. Not bad at all. Maybe not Paris level or should I say San Francisco which is where I fell in love with the super buttery and flaky Kouign Amann pastry.

Kouign Amann at Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann

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Larry's

Larry is short for Lawrence which is a popular Montreal dinner spot. Helmed by a British ex pat who also runs a head to tail butcher it was one of many spots on my radar. I didn't get into the Restaurant Lawrence on this trip but we did get to enjoy some natural wines at his all day bar Larry's. If it's too early for drinks you can get coffee here and the menu is reflective of all three popular meals in the day. It's the rare chef driven all day spot that every city deserves. We got the chicken liver over toast from the section of toasts on offer and it was wonderful. Some of the best chicken liver pate I've tried.

Chicken Liver Toast at Larry's

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Wilensky's Light Lunch

Seeing as how we were a short walk from the #1 spot on my hit list I made it happen early. It too is an iconic stop on Montreal's sensational sandwich trail. Wilensky's was opened in 1932 by a Russian Jew who made Montreal his home. There is no grill, or fryers. No plates or silverware either. That’s bc they basically serve one thing which is the famous Wilensky sandwich made with five slices of beef salami, one slice of bologna, mustard, and your choice of cheese (Swiss or cheddar). It’s pressed until the cheese melts and then served on a napkin. Don’t even think about asking for it sliced or served without mustard bc they have never catered to those requests. Don't forget to try a homemade soda and either some sweet or sour pickles. My cherry cola was made right before my eyes.

Sandwich, Pickles, Drink at Wilensky's Light Lunch

Having been visited by the likes of Anthony Bourdain, David Chang, and just about every travel publication out there it's a popular spot for both locals and tourists. I loved sitting at the counter and I loved the sandwich even more. I ended up going back for one on the last day as it was right there. I don't have a Hall of Fame of spots I've visited over years. But if I did Wilensky's is a first ballot entry.

The Wilensky Special

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Agrikol

Montreal has that French connection which means there's also a Haitian connection. There's plenty of French speaking Haitians around town from what I saw. Agrikol is a hip rum bar where Haitian flavors star in the food. It took us straight to South Beach with it's presentation and vibes. That said I've never quite liked a place in SoBe the way I did Agrikol. Both the food and drink were killer. Specifically the food. I've had my fair share of Haitian down in Palm Beach County and Griot is one of the most popular menu items. The fried pork is one of the cuisines signature dishes and Agrikol gives it a wonderful fresh fry resulting in a piece of pork as juicy as the freshest fried chicken. What takes it over the top is both the wonderful citrus flavors and also the pikliz. The latter of which is a diced up pickled cabbage loaded with sneaky heat. Haitians put this on everything so it's at each table like BBQ sauce is at a smokehouse. Whatever you order make sure you turn it up to 10 with pikliz.

Griot at Agrikol

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Au Pied De Cochon

You know the drill. When most people look into where they should dine while in Montreal there's two spots that always pop up. Au Pied De Cochon is one of them. Run by the famous Martin Picard it's one of Montreal's OG new age fine dining restaurants. New age meaning all the rules from the fine dining of your youth are kicked to the curb in favor of rustic French-Canadian cooking with lot's of fireworks involved. As in an entire section of the menu dedicated to different preps of foie gras.

Foie Gras Nigiri

I forget where I saw the Nigiri but it was on one of the shows as these guys are a popular visit from food and travel people. I believe they were on Bourdain's show a couple times. The foie gras nigiri was as good as advertised. I could eat that stuff all day. No surprise to find foie gras and rice going so well together as it's not the first time I've tried the two paired together. After what was an almost unbearable wait we received our entree. Honestly every single restaurant had anywhere from good to great service with this spot being the exception. Our waiter was hardly friendly which is fine as long as I don't have to wait close to an hour for my food. I think it might've been sitting at the station for a good 15 minutes while the waiter chatted wines with another table. Oh well I rarely care about service. I would still go back but after all the great hospitality before this it was a letdown here. The Tajine Pork was extra fragrant and quite delicious but also rather one dimensional with cumin being the dominant spice. I liked it but I didn't want to eat it all night. Good thing we got a single portion.

Curry Pork Tajine at Au Pied De Cochon

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Cosmos Snack

If you couldn't tell by now Montreal has a ton of locals favorite type spots. Places that have been around as long as many of Montreal's people. Located in a pretty residential area is this iconic diner. So beloved that there was a documentary made on Cosmos and it's founder. Tony Koulakis opened his diminutive diner in 1967 after emigrating to Canada from Crete. It quickly became a local landmark known for it's greasy spoon breakfasts and the friendly owner who served them. The documentary titled 'Man of Grease' lives on but unfortunately Tony does not. He was tragically killed by his son back in 2013. His picture still sits overlooking the small counter that seats maybe six.

a peek inside

In spite of his tragic death Tony left behind a legacy in both his diner and it's food. One of the most popular menu items is the famous creation sandwich. It's made with bacon, salami, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on toasted challah. I watched from the counter as the lady whipped up three of these as everyone in there was eating them. Upon my first bite it was easy to understand why it was such a popular way for Habs to start their day. It's a damn fine sandwich. Shit I should've got two.

The Creation Sandwich at Cosmos Snack

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Momesso Restaurant

Continuing along on my little self guided sandwich crawl was another must stop spot on my hit list. I was feeling the Italian sausage subs served at this extremely popular sandwich shop in a pretty Italian heavy area. I visited right around Noon and it got hopping real quick. I think I read that they've been in the area since the 70's. A bunch of Canadiens memorabilia on the walls as well as TV's and drafts of cheap beer gave Momesso the feel of a sports bar. The menu has hot sandwich offerings with the Italian being the first one listed. For good reason. It's their most popular. They take a seasoned Italian sausage patty and fry it up on a flattop before putting it in a bun and topping it with tomatoes, onion, cabbage, oil. Cups of homemade pepper relish come served on side at each table. Delicioso!

Italian Sausage Sandwich at Momesso Restaurant

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Gibeau Orange Julep

So I had a lot of must stops on my lists and this next one was another. I've wanted to check this place out for a long, long time. Partly do to the food but also bc of the building itself. As you can see in the pic above the Gibeau Orange Julep is housed in a big orange orbit. It's impossible to miss if you're driving past. It opened in 1932 and over time has become a roadside attraction for both the building and the famous orange julep drink. For those familiar with an Orange Julius drink this is pretty much the same thing. They also serve burgers and hot dogs. I was tempted to try a hot dog or maybe a burger but those were coming soon so I held off. But I really liked the creamy orange drink.

Gibeau Orange Julep

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Snowdon Deli

For those that may have been wondering there was no trip to Schwartz's. What gives? Well first is the fact I went there on my trip a decade or so ago. The other is the long lines and locals talk of it being overrated. They're not the only smoked meat sandwich game in town. The smoked meat sandwich being the most crucial of Montreal's regional foods. The bagels may be the most celebrated but those in the know understand how special the smoked meat sandwich is. Like the bagels the smoked meat sandwich is a product of the city's Jewish community. It's made using a Kosher brisket that's been salted and cured with different spices before being smoked and sliced for sandwich meat. Snowdon Deli is said to serve one of the best in the city and I'll be damned if it isn't bc it was f'ing spectacular. The meats tenderness reminded me of the best brisket I've ate in Texas. Notice they don't slice it too thin? That's bc it's hand sliced. Pictured is a "medium" in terms of fattiness. IT. WAS. PERFECT.

Smoked Meat Sandwich at Snowdon Deli

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Bar Henrietta

As always my wife was on the cocktails and Bar Henrietta was near the top of her list. It was on mine too but more so for the food. As you can read in the neon pictured above this is a trendy Portuguese style tavern. Montreal has a really nice sized Portuguese community and Bar Henrietta is an ode to some of the older taverns found around town. Aside from the drinks they also do a small bar menu of Portuguese inspired bites. We loved all three of the plates we tried to the point where I really thought about coming back. The chicken liver pate was decadent. The roasted octopus with fried sliced potatoes was perfect. We also tried the Bifana sandwich which is one of a handful of popular Portuguese sandwiches. Made with thinly sliced marinated pork and cheese that's pressed in a Portuguese roll and served with sides of mustard and cornichons. So good. Pretty similar to a Cuban.

Portuguese Bar Snacks at Bar Henrietta

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Joe Beef

Many of you already know about Joe Beef. Perhaps the most famous restaurant in Canada. The Kings of restaurant gluttony have built themselves quite an empire. Aside from their original project they have another spot next door as well as a natural wine bar and an upscale luncheonette. Joe Beef being the spot that gave them the ability to do all the others. So as you can imagine people book reservations here well in advance. There were no spots left by the time we knew we were going to Montreal however there is a way to enhance your chances of getting to go. So long as you're willing to find out if so on the day of the meal. There's a Canadian dining app called DINR that you can download for free. Once on your phone you can open it and select your city where you'll be brought to a page with a bunch of popular restaurants around town that have last minute reservations available. From what I could tell Joe Beef has spots on the app every day. We got in easily. After taking a seat at the bar (I prefer sitting there) we were greeted by some enthusiastic locals. Five star hospitality.

Quail Stuffed with Sausage in a dill infused broth

The bartenders / waiters were full of life and obviously enjoyed their job. As was the case with just about every place we ate, they were all about the fact we were from Chicago. I swear every bartender and or waiter we had in both Montreal and Quebec City has either been to Chicago or was going and they were all visiting for the food and drink. So them knowing we were from Chicago I think made them bring their A game as they all had nothing but wonderful things to say about our city. All of which I could shoot back at the Quebec region and it's people as the service was stellar just about everywhere. Food wise we weren't let down either. Pictured above was a sausage stuffed quail in a sip it dry dill infused broth. The menu changes daily but you'll never have trouble finding something good.

Lobster Spaghetti at Joe Beef

One thing you will most always find on the menu is the lobster spaghetti. It's pretty much their signature dish. Not much selling needed by our waiter for this one. The picture doesn't do justice the fact that there's an entire lobster on that plate. It's a dish that pretty much anyone who likes shellfish would love. I like shellfish and so does she. Thus we loved it. At first I couldn't decide between a steak and a beef cheek but in the end it was actually pretty easy. When you see slow braised meats on the menu at Joe Beef you'd be well off to make them your dinner. French-Canadian cooking is all about comforting yourself up on a cold winter night. But it doesn't need to be cold for it to be good.

Slow Braised Beef Cheek at Joe Beef

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Montreal's Bar Scene

As always we popped around to a handful of the hot local drinking spots. I'd give Montreal's cocktail scene a B+ as it was better than many spots I've been to but not quite on the level of some of the worlds best. We enjoyed drinks at a Vietnamese inspired bar called Nhau. The food is also supposed to be good but we stopped there before reservations elsewhere. Perhaps the best cocktail I've had in some time came from a backdoor spot called Cold Room. It was called the Ube-Macapuno and it was made with rum, purple yam ananas, suze liquor, dry curacao, Bols yogurt, pineapple, and mint. It had an amazing taste that I've never quite experienced. I imagine this is what the cocktails are like in Tokyo. That said the service was SLOOOOOW so be prepared to wait and maybe even order two.

Cocktail at Cold Room

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The Greenspot

One of my favorite things about Montreal's food scene is all of the local fast food spots. They call them Casse Croutes but they can also be diners. The latter of which is what Greenspot is. The diner has been around for more than 70 years. Just like in the States these spots tend to be owned by Greek and or Albanian immigrants. Greenspot felt alot like many of the old school diners in Rust Belt cities such as Cleveland and Detroit. They became popular for their hot dogs which are huge in Montreal. Equally big if not bigger is poutine. Greenspot was said to have a good one so I made it breakfast one day. Though they have something like 27 different poutine options you can't beat the classic. Thick fresh cut fries are topped with a deeply beef flavored brown gravy and fresh squeaky cheese curds. I've always liked poutine even though it's something I don't eat often. Greenspot's was the best I've ever had. This place was a perfect ex. of a greasy spoon diner. I wish I could be a regular.

Poutine at Greenspot

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Ma Poule Mouille

When it comes to regional treats Montreal has more than their fair share. Portuguese grilled chicken is another one of them. Peri Peri Chicken shops such as Ma Poule Mouille are beloved for their charcoal grilled chicken dripping in spicy peri peri sauce. It's just one of many dishes the Portuguese adapted into their own as peri-peri is originally an African snack. Mozambique to be exact.

Charcoal Grilled Chicken

Ma Poule Mouille isn't the oldest of the bunch but it gets mentioned often as the best in the city. Same goes for their poutine which they add slices of Spanish chorizo into. I wanted to try the poutine but had plans for another stop so we got a half grilled chicken which comes with salad and fresh cut fries. Everyone loves a good plate of charcoal kissed chicken so it's no surprise this place stays packed. In a city where you can easily spend $20+ on lunch this is a great option for the locals.

Peri Peri Chicken at Ma Poule Mouille

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Pataterie Chez Philippe

Next stop up was on my list for a Michigan. What's that you ask? It's basically what they call a chili dog in Montreal. What's the reason? I cant promise you it's 100% accurate but I do know that they also call them "Michigan's" in upstate New York which isn't far from Montreal. So that's the most likely reason but why do they call them that in NY? My guess would be bc the people in New York named them after the Coney Dogs of Michigan. Detroit to be exact. Pataterie Chez Phillipe is a longtime Montreal casse croute that the locals love for both hot dogs and burgers. I hear the fries are great and the poutine is too by extension but I couldn't do all three. So I rolled with one Michigan and a cheeseburger with everything. The burger had some unexpected fantastic crispy laced edges and was really well made for something like $4. They grind the beef in house. The hot dog was a standard skinless frank from the popular local supplier but the sauce was pretty popping. Great little stop.

"Michigan" Hot Dog and Cheeseburger at Pataterie Chez Phillipe

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Cadet

After five straight days of hearty meat-centric French-Canadian fare we wanted some seafood. This newish small plate and natural wine spot popped up the night of this need. In a true testament to Montreal's dining depth it was one of the best meals of the trip, and it wasn't even on my radar. For starters we had a fantastic plate of octopus with fried chickpeas and eggplant. We got our seafood in the form of a whole fried sea bass with baby bok choy sitting over ginger noodles. I loved this dish and it's light Asian flavors. Also so as to not suffer meat withdrawal we got a plate of pork belly with chicharron, apricot, and barley. Normally I prefer the belly crisped up but this was insanely tender. The natural wine recs by our waiter were really good as well. Cadet is a spot I'd return to for more.

Dinner at Cadet

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Montreal Pool Room

As I mentioned earlier Montreal'ers love their hot dogs. Or Steamés as they call them. Montreal Pool Room is one of 100's of hot dogs stands in the city but it's also one of the oldest. They've been in business since 1912 and thus have pretty much always been there for locals in need of a late night hot dog fix. Maybe they used to have pool tables, I don't know, but these days I know they don't. Now they may not compare to a perfectly made hot dog in Chicago but I still found a spot in my heart for steamés. Everything on these is diced cabbage, onions, and mustard. Most folks get at least two.

Steamés at Montreal Pool Hall

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Fameux Gyros Elatos

One of the things I noticed in my research was Montreal's love for souvkali. The Greek grilled pork skewers are found all over town. Many spots specializing in them. Every Habs fan has a souvlaki spot. I scouted this old school looking spot in a Greek dominant neighborhood and made my way over on the last day. Elatos is a compact family run Greek counter. It had the feel of a diner. I think it was father, daughter, and son running the place. I originally came here for the souvlaki but when I arrived I was greeted by a huge cone of fresh layered gyro meat. Thus my decision to get a combo plate was an easy one. Both the souvlaki and the gyro rocked. Would've liked a bit less sauce on the gyro so I could really taste the meat straight up but it was still super satisfying. Another good one.

Gyro Sandwich at Souvlaki at Fameux Gyros Elatos

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Lester's Deli

The other smoked meat sandwich that I wanted to check out comes from Lester's Deli. This old school spot has been a part of the heavy Jewish neighborhood since 1951. You can feel the nostalgia upon walking inside. I was tempted by the smoked meat breakfast plate but a sandwich is hard to beat. The typical way to eat a smoked meat is just mustard though some folks get cheese. This was yet another killer sandwich to be found in Montreal. Just fantastic. They have a spot at the airport too.

Smoked Meat Sandwich at Lester's Deli

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St. Viateur Bagel Shop

You knew this one was coming. Reason I waited until the last day to stop here was I wanted to bring the bagels home. I arrived to a pretty tame shop but within three minutes the place was packed. St. Viateur has been making their wood fired Montreal bagels since 1957. There's an argument to be made that it's the number one attraction in the city. Just realize that they only sell bagels. I think they have a fridge with cream cheese and such but you'll have to make your bagel sandwiches on your own. Montreal bagels are a bit sweeter than their NY counterparts. I'm not a hardcore bagel guy so I cant comment on which style is better. I can just share my thought on these which is pretty good! Like so many other famous food stops St. Viateur has a dueling competitor in the nearby Fairmont Bagel. I stopped there after going into St. Viateur but there was a huge line and I had to go pack.

Bagels at St. Viateur Bagel Shop

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Montreal's Chinatown

After packing up we had an hour or so to chill. So I walked over to the Chinatown area which we had only Ubered through earlier. With it being the weekend there were quite a few people out and about eating noodles, dumplings, and such. I ended up stopping at a spot called Qinghua which specialized in dumplings. Actually I was surprised by how many specialty dumpling shops Montreal has. This one wasn't at the top of my list as reviews were mixed. But the spots I wanted to try weren't in Chinatown so this was my fallback. Not bad but I felt what others were saying in that there's better.

Dumplings at Qinghua Dumplings

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Note: To find the locations of all the spots featured in this post, as well as places I didn't make it to, please click HERE for my google maps guide to Montreal. Stay tuned for Quebec City.

Source: http://chibbqking.blogspot.com/2018/12/eating-big-in-montreal.html

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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florahecate · 5 years

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Read More The 50 Biggest Fast Food Chains in America

The following post The 50 Biggest Fast Food Chains in America is republished from Eat This Not That by April Benshosan

Sure, it might seem like there’s a Starbucks or McDonald’s on every corner…but what’s even more ubiquitous than the coffee chain or iconic burger restaurant? To find out which quick-service and fast food chains are most abundant in all the land, we consulted QSR Magazine‘s most recent report on the top 50 chains with the most U.S. locations to determine the biggest fast food chains. Our list is made up of popular fast food chains with many locations nationwide (like Chick-Fil-A, Burger King, and McDonald’s) and more regional restaurant chains (like In-N-Out, El Pollo Loco, and Marco’s Pizza). If you haven’t heard of some of these places before, it might be time to book a trip to that part of the US!

Read on to see if the results meet your expectations, and then discover what the 100 Most Popular Fast Food Items are at these nationwide chains.

Jason’s Deli

Jason's Deli/Facebook

You can find muffalettas, loaded baked potatoes, Caprese paninis, and the endless garden-fresh salad bar at any of the 273 Jason’s Delis across the country.

In-N-Out

Ashley Green/Unsplash

In-N-Out will only open stores where it can deliver its meat fresh from its distribution centers in California and Texas, making all of its 328 stores on the West Coast.

White Castle

Shutterstock

Although they’re not quite as charming and historical as the ones in Europe, you can find 380 White Castles here in America.

McAlister’s Deli

Courtesy of McAlister's Deli

From humble beginnings in a small town in Mississippi to a neighborhood favorite in 26 states, you can get McAlister’s Famous Tea by the glass or the gallon at any of their 409 locations!

Boston Market

Shutterstock

Before being purchased by McDonald’s Corporation in 2002, Boston Market’s rapid expansion to 461 locations left the company in a bit of a financial pickle. Failed attempts to spread globally caused Boston Market to reroute into supermarkets rather than opening new stores.

El Pollo Loco

@ElPolloLoco/Twitter

People go crazy for this chicken joint’s signature citrus-marinated, fire-grilled cuts at 477 El Pollo Loco-tions.

Noodles & Co.

Courtesy of Noodles and Co.

With 478 convenient locations ranging from Wisconsin to New York, you can try oodles of noodle combinations, or opt for their best-selling Wisconsin Mac & Cheese.

Steak ‘n’ Shake

Shutterstock

You can grab a Steakburger at any of Steak ‘n’ Shake’s 511 locations, although this is the only type of steak you’ll find on the menu. The famous burger is said to be made with a combination of T-bone and sirloin steak, ground like chopped meat.

Del Taco

Shutterstock

Taco-bout a success story—the first Del Taco opened in California in 1964 and now has 564 fast food joints. If only the tacos were still 19 cents.

Culver’s

Shutterstock

Although it fell short of In-N-Out when it came in number two for the country’s favorite burger chain, Culver’s boasts a whole 286 more locations than their competitor with 643 locations.

Moe’s Southwest Grill

Moe's Southwest Grill

With 705 locations since its small start in Georgia in 2000, one of Chipotle’s biggest competitors is still growing.

Qdoba

Courtesy of Qdoba

Let’s hear it for the 726 Qdoba locations that don’t charge extra for guac!

RELATED: These are the easy, at-home recipes that help you lose weight.

Tim Hortons

Facebook/Tim Horton

This Ontario-based restaurant may have an impressive 738 shops in the U.S., but Tim Hortons is actually Canada’s largest quick-serving chain.

Bojangles’

Courtesy of Bojangles

You can find the famous chicken and biscuits at any of the 764 southeastern locations.

Whataburger

Courtesy of Whataburger

Of the 821 Whataburgers, the proudest consumers are from Texas, where the chain started back in 1950.

Marco’s Pizza

Shutterstock

Marco’s Pizza didn’t even crack QSR’s top 50 list last year. It expanded by 97 units since last year and now has 867 locations nationwide.

Checkers & Rally’s

Flickr/ Phillip Pessar

A 1999 merger helped these fast food chains, who share headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to reach a total of 873 spots.

Zaxby’s

Zaxbys/Facebook

The predominantly southern chain has 890 locations, but no matter where you visit Zaxby’s, people are obsessed with their dipping sauces.

Church’s Chicken

Church's Chicken/Facebook

Boasting the title of fourth largest chicken restaurant chain, you can get fried chicken from Church’s at any of their 1,009 locations.

Wingstop

Shutterstock

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Wingstop has expanded from one small Texas restaurant in 1994 to a chain of 1,027 locations nationwide.

Firehouse Subs

Firehouse Subs/Facebook

Firehouse Subs was started by the firemen and police officers of the Sorensen family in 1994. Since then, news of the famous sandwiches caught fire and the franchise has expanded to 1,091 locations.

Carl’s Jr.

Carl's Jr./Facebook

While Carl’s Jr. dominates the West Coast and Hardee’s the east, the sister fast food chains boast 1,156 locations across the nation altogether.

Auntie Anne’s

Courtesy of Auntie Anne's

Although the pretzel chain is mostly known for their shopping mall stands, Auntie Anne’s originally started at a farmer’s market as a way for founder Anne Beiler to support her husband’s dream of a free family counseling center, and boy did it pay off—the franchise now has 1,311 locations.

Five Guys

Courtesy of Five Guys

When Five Guys started franchising in 2003, the Virginia headquartered company began a period of rapid expansion that has failed to stop since. Today you can enjoy burgers, fries, and a selection of shakes (including the signature bacon shake) at any of the chains 1,321 locations.

Jersey Mike’s

Jersey Mikes/Facebook

Despite its name, Jersey Mike’s has expanded way past its original Jersey roots. Today, its 1,343 locations can be found all across the country and are even gaining popularity on the West Coast, especially in Southern California.

Papa Murphy’s

Shutterstock

For the freshest pizza around, take-and-bake the Gourmet Delite, Stuffed, or Signature pies—or opt for creating your own—at any of Papa Murphy’s 1,483 locations.

Hardee’s

Shutterstock

Hardee’s ceased operating in tandem with its sister brand, Carl’s Jr. in 2018, claiming its own stake on this list. Now that Hardee’s is on its own, it goes to show that people love biting into the juicy charbroiled burgers on 1,864 menus across the nation.

Panda Express

Facebook/Panda Express

You can pick up your favorite chow mein, orange chicken, fried rice, and more at any of this fast-casual chain’s 2,011 locations, most of which are located in mall food courts. Who doesn’t love Chinese food and shopping?

Panera Bread

Panera Bread/Facebook

Originally the St. Louis Bread Company, there are now 2,043 locations serving soup and pasta in hearty bread bowls.

Chick-fil-A

Courtesy of Chick-fil-A

Chick-Fil-A snags a spot on America’s favorite fast food chains, and with 2,225 locations, you can “Eat Mor Chikin” in almost every state.

Popeyes

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Whether you opt for the blackened tenders or the popcorn shrimp, be sure to grab the Southern-style fare at any of Popeyes’ 2,231 locations.

Jack in the Box

Jack in the Box/Facebook

Jack in the Box’s deep-fried and fully-loaded taco is a fan-favorite among its 2,251 locations—but that shouldn’t give you the green light to order it.

Chipotle

Chipotle Mexican Grill/Facebook

With a little bit of help from their largest investor, McDonald’s, Chipotle expanded from just 16 restaurants in 1998 to 500 by 2005. These days, you can get your favorite Mexican fare from any of the 2,371 locations.

Baskin-Robbins

Shutterstock

When craving a cone, most folks opt for a single scoop of either Oreo, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, chocolate, or very berry strawberry at one of the 2,538 Baskin-Robbins shops.

Jimmy John’s

Courtesy of Jimmy John's

Jimmy John’s expanded its sandwich emporium by 108 stores in a year, climbing up to an impressive 2,755 in cities ranging from Phoenix to Philadelphia.

Papa John’s

Courtesy of Papa Johns

Although Papa John’s prides itself in using “better ingredients” and therefore serving up better pizza than its competitors, its lowly 3,314 locations compared to Pizza Hut and Domino’s aren’t doing the brand justice.

Arby’s

Shutterstock

Widely praised for the classic roast beef sandwiches that Arby’s has been slow-roasting since the mid-sixties, the sub shop climbed to 3,415 spots in 2017.

Sonic Drive-In

jeepersmedia/Flickr

The Oklahoma-based drive-in has 3,593 locations in its homeland where you can grab an All-American Dog, a Chili Cheese Coney, or even splurge with a side of fluffy tots.

KFC

Shutterstock

Kentucky Fried Chicken’s humble beginnings as a roadside restaurant in Corbin circa 1930 transformed it into a globe-spanning chain, boasting 4,109 U.S.-based locations as of 2017.

Little Caesars

Shutterstock

Snag one of Little Caesars’ hot-n-ready pies at any of the 4,332 locations. The pizza parlor is the third-largest pizza chain in the country, expectedly trailing behind Pizza Hut and Domino’s.

Dairy Queen

Shutterstock

Dairy Queen may have 4,455 units across the coasts, but the Blizzard sovereign’s fan food is no match for the Frosty and McFlurry.

Domino’s

Shutterstock

When Domino’s opened up shop in 1960, the now-global chain consisted of just a single location that was dubbed DomiNick’s. Fast forward six decades later, and the pizza place has 5,587 locations under its belt.

Wendy’s

Wendy's/Facebook

Dave Thomas founded the fast-food chain with fresh, never frozen beef at the crux of Wendy’s menu—which is likely why the chain has expanded to an impressive 5,769 locations.

Taco Bell

Taco Bell/Facebook

Whether you’re craving Mexican for lunch or inebriated and famished at 3 a.m., you can find the dichromatic bell logo tacked on 6,446 storefronts across the U.S.

Burger King

Burger King/Facebook

Snag a Whopper and a paper crown at any of the 7,226 locations nationwide, up a whole 70 spots from the previous year.

Pizza Hut

Shutterstock

Craving stuffed crust? Pizza Hut’s loaded cheesy bites pizza will have you covered.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Facebook/Dunkin Donuts

America runs on Dunkin’, so we expected the doughnut chain to rank in the top five. You can find glazed doughnuts and iced macchiatos at all 12,538 locations.

Starbucks

Courtesy of Starbucks

The U.S. is home to 13,930 Starbucks locations, expanding by 758 stores in just one year.

McDonald’s

Courtesy of McDonald's

Surprisingly enough, one of the oldest, most ubiquitous, and most iconic American restaurants isn’t actually the biggest in the U.S. The Golden Arches’ 14,036 locations beat out Starbucks but still came in second place.

Subway

@Subway/Twitter

The prolific sub shop boasts a whopping 25,908 locations across the nation, beating its closest competitor, Arby’s, by almost eightfold.

The post The 50 Biggest Fast Food Chains in America appeared first on Eat This Not That.

#Eat This Not That

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lenaglittleus · 6 years

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42 Kid-Friendly Recipes

Parents know the truth: Trying to find easy kid-friendly recipes can sometimes feel like searching for a rainbow-colored unicorn.

And that’s under the best of circumstances.

But trying to find a healthy, family-friendly recipe after doing everything that needs to get done during your day? Almost impossible.

Search no more, parents: We pulled together an array of recipes that cover the childhood favorites — chicken fingers, hamburgers, pizza, pasta, fajitas, and many more.

Bookmark these, print them out, Pin them — with these kid-friendly staples in your arsenal, you’ll never have to search for that rainbow-colored unicorn again!

The Best Kid-Friendly Recipes

Winner, Winner Chicken (& Turkey) Dinners

Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers With Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Nothing says “kid-friendly” like chicken fingers. Instead of traditional deep-fried versions, try this baked chicken fingers recipe.

An almond-and-panko crust bakes to a crisp, golden exterior, and the honey mustard sauce has the perfect blend of sweet and tangy. Get the recipe.

(Not a fan of honey mustard? Try this healthier ranch dressing recipe.)

Healthier Chicken Cordon Bleu

It may sound fancy, but this kid-friendly dinner recipe is basically a chicken breast stuffed with ham and cheese. (#YUM).

If your kiddos are handy in the kitchen, you can get them to help you assemble the chicken breasts before popping them in the oven.

In 30 minutes, your chicken will emerge golden brown, and when you slice into it, you’ll see a beautiful ring of ham and melted cheese.

Get the recipe.

Breaded Chicken Tenders With Lemon and Broccolini

If your little ones can’t get enough of finger-shaped food, then bake up a pan of these breaded chicken tenders.

The crunchy crust gets extra flavor from Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and spices you probably already have in your pantry. Dinner = done.

Get the recipe.

Healthier General Tso’s Chicken

Ordering in Chinese food is a fun treat, but restaurant food isn’t always the healthiest. The solution: Re-create your favorite dishes at home with this family-friendly recipe.

This Healthier General Tso’s Chicken looks and tastes just like the real thing, but with much less fat and sugar than the original recipe.

Get the recipe.

Chicken Pot Pie

Pie for dinner? Heck, yeah! This savory, comforting dish is one that kids of all ages will love.

But instead of a butter-loaded pastry crust, this lighter Chicken Pot Pie recipe uses crisp, flaky phyllo dough as the topper.

This pie is also a great way to get more vegetables into your kids — it’s loaded with mushroom, carrots, onion, peas, and sweet potatoes all mixed together in a flavorful filling.

Get the recipe.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

This recipe for succulent, tasty chicken tacos is a triple threat: it practically cooks itself, you can eat it however you like (tacos! burritos! tostadas! on rice! by itself!), and you can make a big batch to make meal prep a breeze.

Enough said — get the recipe.

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

Like the recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos, this recipe helps you live your best life: All it takes is 15 minutes of prep before you toss everything into a slow cooker and walk away.

In the meantime, you can focus on everything/anything else besides cooking, like spending time with your family, going for a walk, crushing a workout — the world is your oyster!

This recipe makes 10 servings, so there are plenty of leftovers for a couple of lunches or dinners, too.

Get the recipe.

Turkey Tostadas

Turn Taco Tuesday into Tostada Tuesday with this quick kid-friendly dinner recipe for turkey tostadas.

It’s a great recipe to get the whole family involved — everyone gets to build their own tostada from scratch.

Or turn this recipe into Nacho Night: Just slice the tortillas into wedges before baking. Top crisped “chips” with turkey mixture, onions, and cheese and then bake until cheese melts. Top with lettuce and serve.

Get the recipe.

Barbecue Chicken Baked Sweet Potatoes

Nothing is easier — or more kid-friendly — than a stuffed baked potato.

Take your stuffed baked potato skills to a new, healthier level with this recipe for Barbecue Chicken Baked Sweet Potatoes.

Baked sweet potatoes are stuffed with shredded chicken drenched in smoky barbecue sauce then topped with pickled onions (or chopped red onions).

And if you already have baked sweet potatoes and leftover chicken ready, you can put this dinner together in less than 10 minutes!

For a complete meal, serve each baked sweet potato with a green salad or vegetables like broccoli, asparagus or Brussels sprouts that can be roasted on the same baking sheet as the potatoes.

Get the recipe.

Kid-Friendly Burger and Fajita Recipes

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

Turn your kitchen into a fajita fiesta with maximum flavor and minimal effort.

This chicken fajitas recipe uses a slow cooker to infuse the tender chicken with the flavors of every ingredient, so each bite is bursting with bold taste.

It’s so easy to make — just pop all the ingredients into your slow cooker in the morning and when you get home from work, you’ll have a delicious, healthy dinner on the table in minutes.

Pro tip: Can’t wait all day for this deliciousness? You can also make this in an Instant Pot — click through to the recipe for full instructions.

Get the recipe.

Steak Fajitas

There’s something about that sizzling platter of fajitas that always makes everyone’s mouth water when it goes by the table at your favorite Mexican spot.

You can re-create that same restaurant experience at home with this steak fajitas recipe from Autumn Calabrese’s FIXATE cookbook.

This is another recipe that’s perfect for getting the kids involved — pile all the fixings in the middle of the table and let them build their own festive fajita.

Get the recipe.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

What happens when you combine the flavors of a juicy bacon cheeseburger with classic meatloaf?

Bacon cheeseburger meatloaf!

We packed all of the flavors of a great American burger into this family-friendly recipe that only takes 15 minutes to prep before you pop it in the oven.

Get the recipe.

Burgers With Roasted Garlic and Rosemary

Ditch the plain ground beef burgers and up your meat game.

Roasted garlic and fresh rosemary make these burgers extra flavorful. Adding grated zucchini to the lean ground beef helps keep the burgers moist and it’s an inexpensive way to add bulk.

It’s almost undetectable, so it’s also a clever way to sneak extra veggies into everyone’s diet!

Get the recipe.

Kid-Friendly Mac-and-Cheese and Sandwich Recipes

Macaroni and Cheese With Broccoli

Mac-and-cheese is the ultimate kid-friendly recipe. It’s also a perfect vehicle to sneak/introduce more vegetables into your kids’ bellies.

This mac-and-cheese recipe includes broccoli, but you can sub in any other veggies, like green beans, Brussels sprouts, or asparagus.

Sharp cheddar cheese and almond milk make a creamy cheese sauce with just the right amount of gooey goodness.

Get the recipe.

Three-Cheese Macaroni Casserole

Pop quiz: What’s better than macaroni and cheese?

Answer: Macaroni with THREE cheeses, of course.

Ricotta cheese adds creaminess, while mozzarella creates those long strands of melty cheese that stretch as you lift each bite to your mouth. Parmesan cheese gives it depth of flavor.

Bonus: There’s a hefty serving of vegetables nestled in all that melted cheese — red and yellow peppers and broccoli.

Get the recipe.

Butternut Squash Mac-and-Cheese

This variation of mac-and-cheese includes two types of extra flavorful cheeses and brightly colored vegetables.

Sharp cheddar cheese and Gruyere blend with a silky butternut squash puree to create an intensely flavorful sauce.

We added peppers, onions, and a sprinkling of parsley to make the dish even more tasty and nutritious!

This mac-and-cheese recipe makes 10 servings, so it can feed a hungry family or make several servings for healthy meal prep.

Get the recipe.

How to Make a Healthier Mac-and-Cheese

If you prefer to go freestyle or you’re just looking to upgrade your own favorite recipe, there are easy ways to make your own healthy mac-and-cheese recipe.

The key is not to completely re-do the beauty that is mac-and-cheese. Instead, swap out some of the cheese, milk, and butter for clever substitutions and additions.

Find out how.

Grilled Cheese With Spinach and Provolone

Grilled cheese? Yes, please!

Everyone can enjoy this melted cheese sammie while sticking to healthy nutrition goals. This crunchy, cheesy grilled cheese sandwich is packed with colorful sautéed veggies and Provolone cheese.

A touch of Dijon mustard is the special ingredient that really pumps up the flavor.

Get the recipe.

Turkey, Cranberry, and Brie Sandwich

With this sandwich, Thanksgiving doesn’t just have to happen once a year. In just a few minutes, you can enjoy a taste of those Thanksgiving flavors whether it’s November or July.

Get the recipe.

Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese With Arugula and Roasted Red Peppers

Think you can’t enjoy grilled cheese and eat healthy? Think again.

The secret, besides making sure it’s not overloaded with cheese, is using flavorful ingredients that offer the most bang for calories.

Our yummy grilled cheese recipe features smoked gouda, a bold cheese, so you can use less and still enjoy the cheesy goodness.

A light spreading of Dijon mustard, roasted red peppers, and peppery arugula make this a grilled cheese sandwich everyone in your family will love.

Get the recipe.

How to Build a Healthy Sandwich Like a Boss

The art of sandwich making requires more than just throwing meat and lettuce between two slices of bread.

Sandwiches are all about building flavors and textures, and while there are endless ways to do it wrong (too much meat, too little cheese, soggy bread, not enough spread), there’s no single way to do it right, either.

We consulted a couple of sandwich experts to see how to build a healthy and flavorful satisfying sammie from the bread up.

Find out how.

Kid-Friendly Pasta and Pizza Recipes

Healthier Fettuccine Alfredo

Every kids’ menu features some variation of noodles with a cream sauce. And with good reason: Sometimes, there’s nothing more comforting or delicious than a plate of creamy noodles.

But traditional fettuccine Alfredo recipes call for butter, cheese, cream, and more butter. Needless to say, it’s not exactly the healthiest pasta recipe.

The good news is that we figured out a way to get all the flavor without all the cream and butter with a secret (healthy!) ingredient.

Get the recipe and find out what it is!

Skinny Beef Stroganoff

This beef Stroganoff recipe has the same savory flavor of the original but with significantly less fat and calories, thanks to simple swaps.

Extra-lean sirloin beef and whole-wheat egg noodles form the base of this satisfying dish, with a creamy sauce made from beef stock and reduced-fat Greek yogurt.

A sprinkling of fresh parsley adds a pop of color, fresh fragrance, and elevates the dish.

Get the recipe.

Baked Ziti With Summer Vegetables

Pasta casseroles are one of the best go-to dishes for easy weeknight meals.

We used tomatoes, summer squash, and zucchini in this hearty baked ziti casserole, but feel free to get creative and swap in your family’s favorite vegetables.

This will, of course, adjust the nutritional content a little bit, but if you want to add more (or different) veggies, we won’t say no!

Get the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

When you think of lasagna, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? We’d bet it has something to do with cheese, more cheese, and savory tomato sauce.

With this lasagna recipe, we’ve focused on the good stuff, which means you’ll still get plenty of sauce and cheese.

But instead of pasta noodles, you’ll load up on spaghetti squash instead. Spaghetti squash is a fiber-rich, lower-carb alternative to pasta.

Ditching the noodles saves on calories and makes room for plenty of cheese. In the oven, the spaghetti squash noodles absorb the tomato and cheesy goodness for a kid-approved, lip-smacking dish!

Get the recipe.

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

There’s nothing better than coming home to a delicious dinner that’s been slowly cooking all day.

Just throw all the ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning, set the timer, and you’ll have a warm, hearty meal ready when you come home.

These slow cooker turkey meatballs are incredibly versatile — spoon them onto zucchini noodles or whole-grain spaghetti, or tuck a couple into a pita pocket with a slice of mozzarella cheese.

Pro tip: In a rush? You can make this recipe in an Instant Pot — check out the instructions in the Recipe Notes!

Get the recipe.

BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza

Pizza for dinner is a sure-fire winner 100-percent of the time. And 50-percent of that winning is getting to make your own at home.

Get your little Top Chefs to help you out by giving them topping duty. It’s a fun way to spend time together — and keeps those little hands busy!

Get the recipe.

Margherita Pizza

This simple pizza recipe relies on quality ingredients to highlight the flavors.

We stick to the classic ingredients of tomato, mozzarella, and basil, but we replace the white flour dough in favor of whole-wheat pizza dough.

If you want to take your pizza to the next level, make your own whole-wheat dough — find out how.

Get the recipe.

Pita Pizza

Every parent knows that when little tummies are a’rumblin, you don’t have much time before it all ends in tears.

The solution: Pita pizzas that are ready in less than 20 minutes.

These cute pita pizzas feature mozzarella cheese, crunchy bell peppers, and onion, but you can sub in different vegetables like artichoke hearts, broccoli, or cauliflower for a quick, healthy meal.

Get the recipe.

Kid-Friendly Chili and Soup Recipes

Easy Turkey Chili

This turkey Chili recipe is a “stick-to-your-ribs” kind of meal.

Extra-lean ground turkey packs in the protein and bite-sized chunks of sweet potatoes are a delicious, fiber-filled alternative to beans.

For an added bit of fun at the dinner table, prepare extra toppings for your family to add on top of their individual bowls.

Get the recipe.

Slow Cooker Beef Chili

This beef chili recipe is everything a busy family can hope for: Some chopping and sautéing, and then pop everything into a slow cooker.

In a slow cooker, the meat becomes fall-apart tender and develops a deep and satisfying flavor. To save even more time, you can double the recipe and freeze the rest for a future weeknight win.

Get the recipe.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This easy chicken noodle soup recipe takes less than 15 minutes to prep and is ready in under an hour. To make your life even easier, use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken breast.

Pro tip: If you aren’t going to serve all of the soup immediately, store the soup and pasta separately or the pasta will swell and absorb the liquid from the soup.

Get the recipe.

“Fun Food”

Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

For kids, it’s all about presentation: You can get even the pickiest eaters to chow down if you make something that’s delicious and fun to look at.

These cute little jack-o’-lanterns are filled with a fiesta-inspired mix of spices, ground turkey, and black beans.

Once your filling is prepared, simply stuff it inside your carved peppers and pop them in the oven. A sprinkling of cheese brings this dish together.

Pro tip: You can make these stuffed peppers vegan by swapping the filling with this Quinoa Stuffing.

Get the recipe.

Mexican Chicken Zucchini Boats

These fun “boats” are a healthier spin on chicken burritos, swapping in nutritious zucchini for flour tortillas.

You can cook the chicken however you choose, but for tender, succulent chicken, check out this no-fuss cooking guide for baked chicken breasts.

There’s a boatload of good stuff in this dish: protein, vitamins, and minerals from the spices (cumin, paprika, and chili powder), and lycopene from tomato sauce and tomato paste.

And of course, everything just tastes better with melted cheese on top.

Plus, these boats can actually travel: Pop leftovers in a container and you’ve got a fast, easy lunch to bring to work.

Get the recipe.

Barbecue Spaghetti Squash Sliders

Sliders are the perfect food for little hands. This recipe for barbecue spaghetti squash sliders is fun for kids to eat and a useful tool for parents trying to get their kids to eat more vegetables.

Spaghetti squash soaks up the flavors of barbecue sauce and spices like cumin and paprika. The combination of flavors and textures creates a convincing, plant-based version of pulled pork.

Pile your saucy squash on whole-grain dinner rolls and top them with a tangy, fresh cabbage slaw and sliced pickles.

Get the recipe.

Philly Cheese Steak Sliders

If your kids aren’t quite ready for squash sliders, try these Philly Cheese Steak sliders instead.

We upgraded the traditional Philly cheesesteak sandwich with fresh veggies, lean sirloin steak, and whole-wheat rolls for authentic flavor without all the fat and calories.

Get the recipe.

Kid-Friendly Sides and Snacks

Broccoli Tots

These fun broccoli tots make a great bite-sized snack or side dish for kids and adults.

Instead of deep-frying, these tots get their crispy-crunchy golden-brown crust in the oven. They’re chock-full of broccoli, green onion, and cheddar cheese — getting your greens in never tasted so yummy.

Pro tip: Refrigerate the mixture briefly (15–30 minutes) to help it firm up and make the shaping process easier.

Get the recipe.

Sweet Potato Latkes

Latkes are delicious, but most recipes call for lots of oil and sour cream. We used sweet potatoes to create a healthier version of a traditional favorite.

(Love cauliflower? Try these Baked Cauliflower Latkes.)

Serve these as a healthy side dish with chicken or fish, or top them with a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt and unsweetened applesauce as a snack.

Get the recipe.

Kale Chips

The next time your kids are clamoring for something crunchy, instead of store-bought chips, try these kale chips instead.

OK, OK, so it will probably take few tries to convince them that these are better than regular potato chips, but this recipe will help your case.

The secret to getting crispy chips is to make sure the kale is as dry as possible after washing; too much moisture means you’ll end up with steamed “chips.”

This recipe calls for no-salt seasoning, but you can get creative with your toppings — a sprinkle of nutritional yeast adds cheese-like flavor and spices like garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder provide a little kick.

Get the recipe.

Roasted Rainbow Carrots With Maple Glaze

You can’t go wrong with glazed vegetables. It’s a surprisingly simple way to start with plain vegetables and transform them into something magical.

The vegetables stay crisp, yet tender; and the just-sweet glaze makes you want to take another bite (and another, and another).

The pure maple syrup adds natural sweetness, and rich balsamic vinegar adds the perfect amount of zing.

Get the recipe.

Zucchini Fries

These zucchini fries are a clever way to wean your kids off of greasy, fried French fries.

Cornmeal creates a deliciously crunchy coating for these healthy baked veggie fries. It’s the perfect snack or side for roasted garlic and rosemary burgers.

Get the recipe.

Maple Chai-Roasted Chickpeas

This is a snack recipe that you need in your life, immediately. They’re so easy to make and incredibly flavorful.

Once your kids get a load of these gorgeous, crunchy little orbs of yum, they’ll never ask for processed store-bought treats ever again. (Or you know, not as often.)

These roasted chickpeas feature a unique combination of sweet and savory flavors — cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves.

A spoonful of maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness that complements the savory elements of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Get the recipe.

Daily Sunshine

If you’re short on time, on the go, or your kids just need a quick snack to tide them over, Daily Sunshine can be a life-saver.

It comes in kid-friendly Chocolate and Strawberry Banana flavors, so even the pickiest palate will be satisfied.

For snack emergencies, just add water, shake, and drink.

For when you have a wee bit more time, we created 7 Daily Sunshine recipes that cover all the snack bases, like Nutty Butter Chocolate Balls, a Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly Smoothie, and Nutty Chocolate Coconut Squares.

Get the recipes.

from News About Health https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/kid-friendly-recipes

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twentysomethinginorlando · 7 years

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SeaWorld's All Day Dining Deal

New Post has been published on https://twentysomethinginorlando.com/seaworlds-all-day-dining-deal/

SeaWorld's All Day Dining Deal

It took four years of being an annual pass holder, but I was finally able to cross SeaWorld’s All-Day-Dining off my bucket list! For one flat rate, you can eat a full meal as often as once per hour with a side or a dessert and a drink. Generally speaking, if you eat twice it will more than pay for itself. If you go intending to spend your day feasting you are going to have an amazing time.

We arrived around eleven, which was later than I wanted to arrive but sometimes it’s hard to get moving early when you closed the night before. We had to stop by the kiosk just inside the park to swap out our printed vouchers for the wristbands and that took about ten minutes. Then we made a quick detour to take a picture with a Shark posing at the front of the park. We had already missed the continental breakfast as Seafire Grill had already switched to lunch, so we journeyed further in to Voyager’s Smokehouse. It’s the restaurant beside my favorite show, Pets Ahoy! We spent a little more time than I am willing to admit staring at the explanation of how precisely the dining deal worked. I love and adore SeaWorld, but their employees aren’t always the most helpful so I don’t like asking them questions if I can avoid it. Eventually we figured it out. You get one entrée, marked with a red dot, and the choice of a side or dessert, marked with a blue dot, and then one fountain drink. At Voyager’s Smokehouse there are a couple entrees that are excluded with no dot at all, but this isn’t the case most places. You can basically have anything you want but the ribs and chicken combo, so Jay got the ribs and I got the quarter chicken. Each entrée came with a side of its own side already, and then we added two salads for “side” option. (It was too early for dessert and lots of sugar.) Then we got two fountain drinks. The total on the register was about $38, but it changed to $0 when they scanned the wristbands. I checked my watch, it was 11:20 so we could eat again at 12:20. So we rode Mako and went to watch the dolphin show.

My favorite restaurant in the park is the Expedition Café across from Antarctica. They have three different counters each with a different cuisine: American, Asian, or Italian. We headed straight for the Italian. I got the pasta and sauce, and Jay got some sort of thing with cheese that the woman serving the food recommended. He picked the carrot cake for dessert, and I got the vanilla cheesecake. The food is served inside and you take your trays outside to pay.

There’s seating areas outside, but what most people don’t realize is there’s actually an indoor seating area. It’s empty almost every single time I go. People mistake the doors for being just part of theming and they don’t realize they actually open. Makes for nice, quiet, air-conditioned dining.

We were still full from the first meal so we didn’t quite finish all of it. I opted to leave part of the pasta uneaten to polish off the cheesecake. We threw our leftovers in the trash and headed out, to lots of confused stares from tourists eating in the blinding sun. We started to make our way towards the whales, except I got distracted by the meet and greet with Puck, the penguin from the Antarctica ride.

We went to the orca underwater viewing, but there weren’t any whales. There are seven pools and six whales, and they can come and go as they please. So sometimes you see them, sometimes you don’t. Instead, we headed over to Wild Artic to see the beluga whales, seals and walruses until it was time for more food. Mama’s Pretzel Kitchen is just outside Shamu Stadium, and it’s usually my favorite snack place. Snacks, however, don’t work on the All Day Dining Plan, it’s one of the limitations. So the only thing we could get was one of the fancier pretzel meals: a pretzel dog, or one with pepperoni and bacon. They’re served with chips and you still get dessert. Jay passed but I got the chocolate cake, determined to get as much out of the dining plan as I could. When we tried to redeem it the bracelets weren’t working and they said it was too soon since we last ate. I pulled out the receipt for our last meal and proved it had been over an hour, so a supervisor overrode the error and approved it. The Pretzel Kitchen doesn’t have indoor or really even shaded seating, so we wandered over to the ice cream place and found a table in there. I vastly overestimated my stomach’s tolerance for more food, and wound up making the day of a family next to us when I asked the mom if I could give her daughters my cake. I finished about half the pretzel, and we went to see Pets Ahoy! After the show we went to the sea lion exhibit until it was time for more food.

I learned my lesson the last time, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to keep getting free food. We went to the Spice Mill and opted for just desserts and drinks this time. Jay got a cup full of strawberries and I finally tried the chocolate cake. I was a little sad it wasn’t as good as the cheesecake, but it was a nice breather in a mostly empty indoor restaurant. It was a little after five at this point in the day, and the park closed at seven so we laid our plans for what else we wanted to see. We headed to the manatee pools, and spent quite a bit of time there. I’ve always been disappointed they changed the underwater viewing into a queue for Turtle Trek, so we waited in the queue to see the animals and then exited before the show. We went by the dolphin underwater viewing, where I caught a Pokémon that looked like an octopus in the tank! We started the long walk to the other side of the park back to Shamu Stadium to grab a seat. The stadium was almost empty, so we wandered around the giftshops until it was closer to show time.

Our final stop of the night was the Seafire Grill for two vanilla cheesecakes with strawberries, bringing our total for the day to three complete meals, two desserts, and five fountain drinks each and feeling so full we could burst.

Cost: $37 each with tax. We got ours buy one, get one free on “Blue Friday”, SeaWorld’s version of Black Friday.

Duration: All day.

Value: Totally worth it if you’re spending a full day at the park. Look forward to doing it again sometime. If you eat twice, it more than pays for itself.

Add On Options: Souvenir cup for $6.99 with unlimited free refills.

#food #Pokémon #seaworld #Adventure Report

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thehungrykat1 · 7 years

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Anniversary Special Pizza & Lunch Buffet at Salvatore Cuomo

Salvatore Cuomo & Bar is celebrating its first anniversary with a special Pizza and Lunch Buffet available every day of the week. Guests can enjoy unlimited servings of Italian appetizers, fresh salads, and signature authentic Neapolitan pizza for only P600 per person! That is quite a steal given the quality and prestige of this upscale celebrity chef restaurant located at Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City.

The Anniversary Special Pizza & Lunch Buffet actually started last July and was supposed to run for only a limited period, but the overwhelming response from its diners encourage them to extend the promotion indefinitely. I dined at Salvatore Cuomo & Bar last year when Chef Salvatore Cuomo himself flew in for a special engagement (Read: Salvatore Cuomo Opens Flagship Restaurant at Bonifacio Global City), but this will be my first time to try their special lunch buffet.

There was a good weekday crowd when we visited the restaurant two weeks ago and the buffet really does offer great value for money. For only P600 per person on weekdays and P900 on weekends, guests can enjoy a buffet of appetizers and pizza as well as a choice of one main dish. Looking at the menu, the buffet price is almost the same as the price of a single main dish or pizza alone.

I dropped by Salvatore Cuomo with a few of my friends including Nines from Nines vs Food. It was time to attack the buffet area and we started with some salads and Italian appetizers.

I particularly liked the Sauteed Mushrooms and the Potato Salad which was like an upgraded version of mashed potatoes

The Frittata was also an excellent appetizer. This Italian dish is similar to an egg omelette enriched with various ingredients.

Other items on the buffet table included Marinated Pumpkin, Zeppole, Penne Pumpkin Gratin, Cauliflower Gratin, and Eggplant with Spicy Tomato.

But the main attraction at the Anniversary Special Pizza and Lunch Buffet is, of course, the pizza! The giant custom-made artisanal oven from Naples stands proudly beside the buffet area. It uses a combination of local beech wood and imported composite wood that gives their pizza its distinct taste and texture. Chef Salvatore Cuomo likes his pizza crust soft instead of crispy which is how they do it in Naples.

Diners can have all the slices of delicious and authentic Neapolitan pizza that they want, starting with one of their bestsellers, the Quattro Formaggi Pizza with four different kinds of cheese. Top it with some honey for a sweet, simple and delightful pizza.

There are many other pizzas displayed on the buffet table including the Gorgonzola e Porchetta, Margherita Pizza, Denominazione Origine di Controllata or D.O.C., and others which rotate during the lunch period. Check out my previous blog here to see all these pizzas in action.

They also have their soup for the day which in our case is the Minestrone, a thick Italian soup with vegetables, meat and pasta inside the broth. It kinda reminds me of our own creamy chicken sopas.

Drinks are also included in the buffet and diners can fill their glasses at the beverage station offering Lemonade, Iced Tea, and Detox Water.

I had something else in mind so I ordered a glass of Sangria to make lunch more interesting. This is not included in the buffet but Salvatore Cuomo & Bar has an extensive bar menu with sparkling wines, cocktails, and fruit shakes for all ages.

But that’s not all! Each guest partaking of the Pizza & Lunch Buffet also has a choice of one main dish. You can choose from a special menu of pasta, seafood, and meat dishes to complete your lunch buffet.

The Spaghetti Carbonara was my top choice among the pasta dishes and this was also my favorite the last time I dined here. It has a very creamy white sauce and is also loaded with lots of bacon bits giving it that perfect savoury combination.

Other pasta dishes you can order include the Pancetta Bacon and Mushrooms Risotto or the Homemade Lasagna.

The more colorful and interesting pasta dishes would be the Spaghetti with Clams and Zucchini and the Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce with Cheese and Basil.

Aside from the pasta dishes, guests can also choose to get a seafood or meat main course instead for an additional P300. The Pan Fried Salmon with Mediterranean Sauce would be my recommendation and I loved its flavor and tenderness.

Another seafood main course would be the Grilled Seafood Skewers with prawn and calamari.

Heavier eaters would probably choose to get the meaty main courses like the Oven-Roasted Chicken with Balsamic and Mustard Sauce. This roasted chicken gets its distinct Italian flavor from the balsamic sauce.

Pork lovers should get the Homemade Roasted Pork Porchetta for a truly satisfying main course. This boneless and fatty roast pork will serve as enough protein to balance out all the carbs you will be consuming.

Desserts are not yet included in the weekday lunch buffet, but guests can order the sweet Creme Brulee or the Tiramisu that comes with a delicious pistachio gelato. Now is the best time to visit Salvatore Cuomo & Bar because I’m not sure how long this promotion will last. The Anniversary Special Pizza & Lunch Buffet is available daily from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Hopefully, they will extend it all the way ‘til Christmas.

SALVATORE CUOMO & BAR

G/F Uptown Parade Mall, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

946-3072

salvatorecuomoph.com

www.facebook.com/SalvatorePhilippines

#SalvatoreCuomoPH #SalvatoreCuomo #Pizza #Pasta #Anniversary #LunchBuffet #UptownParade #BonifacioGlobalCity #Italian #Authentic

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twentysomethinginorlando · 7 years

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SeaWorld's All Day Dining Deal

New Post has been published on https://twentysomethinginorlando.com/seaworlds-all-day-dining-deal/

SeaWorld's All Day Dining Deal

Cost: $37 each with tax. We got ours buy one, get one free on “Blue Friday”, SeaWorld’s version of Black Friday.

Duration: All day.

Value: Totally worth it if you’re spending a full day at the park. Look forward to doing it again sometime. If you eat twice, it more than pays for itself.

Add On Options: Souvenir cup for $6.99 with unlimited free refills.

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#animals #food #Pokémon #seaworld #Adventure Report

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