#don't even get me started on gena on the other side

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Breaking down the comics: Familiar Ghosts (Issue 31)

Moon Knight, Issue #31:  A Box of Music for Savage Studs

Written by Doug Moench and art done by Kevin Kowlan and Terry Austin. This is our first official change up without Bill. 

The end of the story also has a short: 

"Fly the Friendly Skies" Written by Steve Ringgenberg and art done by Michael Hernandez and Kevin Dzuban. 

We open in Brooklyn as the sun sets. 

A group of tough looking punks gathers in a back alley. 

On the other side, we see a pair of old hands opening up a music box. 

"War council all present an' 'counted for, Shank." 

"Right. Now listen studs. Time to creep-time to slide through the shadows like two-ply smoke, soft and silent and slippery. Right?" 

There's lots of punk language being used here. We’re talking gang rule and street territory. 

Minor history lesson: In the 1970s and 1980s young gangs made a major uprising. It became easier to get around, and weapons became easier to get a hold of. 

Fights became deadlier, and with drive by shootings now accessable to them, casualties started to grow. By the early 1980s, crack cocaine had hit the streets in a big way and any youth gangs turned to drug dealing and movement. 

Especially in New York, the violence escalated heavily in the early to mid 80s and by late 80s, it was considered an epidemic. 

Next up we see Moon Knight, gliding across Brooklyn. 

"This part of Brooklyn's a bad scene, all right -- A war zone, and worse than I remembered... Even the wind here seems dirty and hopelesss. Still no sign of any trouble tonight...Simmering or otherwise. Maybe Gena's kids were wrong. 

No...Even if everything IS quiet, it's not like Ricky and Ray to cry wolf on something like this--they're too streetwise." 

He decides to make one last round before heading back to Manhattan. 

The gang moves to a street called 'dough row'. 

"Closing time on Dough Row--A concentrated block of grimy shops teetering on brinks of bankruptcy. 

Merchants scowl as leftover goods are carted inside, tattered awnings rolled back, iron gates locked, sparse tills counted...And as unwelcome shadows appear, Like jackals after the pickings." 

The thugs pass by the shops, the protection money has already been collected. 

Except for one shop. A pawn shop where the owner stands his ground. 

"That's right, pawnbroker--and if you wanna keep runnin' yer hock business, you gotta pay the rent! Right, Studs?" 

"Yeah, Pawnbroker--You Jews always got plenty of money--You can afford it!" 

They heckle him. A common anti-semetic stereotype. 

One of the Studs steps forward, clad in a nice black leather jacket. 

"Don't make it hard, Lewis--Just pay up, huh?"

"Lenny...? You too, Lenny?

Still running with this pack of hooligans? With these---These beasts? I thought you were going to quit the gang--Get yourself a job. Your mother is a good woman, Lenny. You'll break her heart if--" 

Shank, the leader, steps in and starts a fuss. He grabs the pawnbroker with threats of violence. 

Moon Knight passes by in time to watch them smack the Broker around. He isn't going to stand for that. 

He’s never really got along well with punks. 

While Moon Knight fights the main punk, the leader calls out to Lenny for help. 

"Help me, Lenny! You're my war chief, man--Help me!" 

The pawn broker begs Lenny not to listen. 

While Moon Knight interrogates the main guy on what his game is, Lenny jumps on his back. 

This gives the main punk time to run off. 

And earns Lenny a good old fashioned Moon Knight back-hand. 

"A spatter of blood stains the window filled with hocked dreams... Merchandise originally displayed, brand-new and tantalizing in all the other shops along Dough Row. Just as all roads lead to rome---All dreams die with the Pawn Broker." 

The broker steps in and stops Moon Knight. "No! Don't hurt him! He's a good boy!" 

As Moon Knight hesitates, Lenny makes a run for it. 

Moon assures the broker that he won't hurt Lenny then take off after him. 

"I've sent quite a few punks to the slammer, Lenny--Some for life. A lot of them started out just like you." 

"Yeah? Well, at least those guys are eatin' regular--And what do you know about it anyway? A star with your picture inthe papers--Probably rich--What do you know about doin' something for money? Somethin' wrong." 

"Maybe I know more about it than you can dream, Lenny. At one time or another, we've all been mercenary." 

Moon Knight recalls his merc days. 

"Yeah? You think we like doin' what we have to do? Look around you, Man! This is what they're willin' to give us--Garbage and back alleys! But the minute we try steppin' out into the street where the money is, they start screamin' about undesirable elements!" 

Lenny is worked up. He yells about how the powers that be don't want them. Want only to keep them down. How it's a war and they have to reclaim the streets. 

Moon Knight is deep in thought. 

It must remind him of someone else... Someone a long time ago yelling the same thing at their father. 

He asks Lenny if he is a good boy. The Pawn Broker spoke up for him, after all. 

Lenny pauses to think about how things were a long time ago, but the moment passes. He storms off, leaving Moon Knight alone in the alley. 

Moon Knight lets him go. 

Moon Knight returns to the pawn shop to make sure the owner is alright. 

"I have, you know, faced far tougher men than those young hoodlums..." 

Mr. Lewis is fine, but he tells Moon Knight that he has business. 

Right on time, the other shop owners show up with bats, pipes, and axes. 

The neighborhood is going to fight back. 

Moon Knight pleads with them to not do this. 

"You are the ones who showed us it is possible to fight back. Besides, if I survived the Nazis, I can certainly stand up to a bunch of young hoodlums!" 

Moon Knight tries to reason with them, tell them that the police tend to not appreciate vigilantes. 

Is Moon Knight not a vigilante? Why should they remain victims? 

"That's different--I...uh...I know what I'm doing..." 

Do you, Moon Buddy? 

"Then you leave me no choice... And you'll just have to go through me to do it." 

The men don't exactly want to fight Moon Knight. 

Moon Knight asks them to talk to the gang. To offer them jobs and a means to support themselves. 

But the shop keeps can't afford to give them jobs. The economy is too far gone and barely support themselves. 

"...But we can be nice to them... Nice but firm. We must all agree never to pay them again --But we must also agree together, to talk to them, try to explain things..." 

The men all agree and depart. Moon Knight watches them leave. 

"I think it's time I became Lockley for a while...To dig deeper into this mess." 

Out under the docks, the gang talks about their next plans. 

Apparently they need the money for 'The Dance". Another gang has spread the word that they don't have it in them but there's a dance where they can prove themselves. 

The leader declares that they need to send a message and trash the pawnshop tonight. 

Lenny protests. 

"If there's too much trouble on Dough row, people'll stop going' there and the shopkeepers won't have any money to give us. Besides, the cops'll shut us down." 

He has a point. 

"I'll get the money from Lewis, but I'll do it quietly." Lenny promises. 

He's given till tomorrow night. 

Lenny returns home where his mother is waiting. 

She notices his bloody nose and fussess, but he tells her not to worry. 

"I've told you a thousand times... The Savage studs is a social club." 

She shows him a music box she found in the closet while cleaning. 

"Your father gave it to me when we learned we were going to have you." 

She falls asleep listening to the music. 

"The mother sleeps. The son looks at her, studies her, for the first time in years. And rough hands grasp a delicate box of music. A door clicks. Silence is complete." 

He takes the music box. 

Back in Manhattan! 

Jake is back in his cab and he pulls up at a Basket ball court to find Gena's boys. 

Gotta say, I love seeing Lockley hanigng with the people. 

He asks how the boys are doing before getting to business then asks for more information on the Save Studs gang. 

They tell him to check out the 'club house' under the wharves. 

Jake thanks them and tells them to head home to help their mother close up the diner. 

They tell him about a film they made for school that got an A and he promises to check it out later. 

A man of the people! 

Brooklyn, the next day. 

Lenny returns to the pawn shop. 

Lewis instantly suspects trouble, but Lenny tells him he's there for something else. 

"I wanna hock somethin'... I... I need some bucks. How much'll you gimme for it?" 

He pulls out the music box. 

"Oh, Lenny... No, Lenny No... Where did you get such a thing? I cannot accept merchandise which has been stolen." 

"It ain't stolen! It's mine! From when I was a kid!" 

"Lenny, I'm a merchant of dreams, and sometimes, many times, I am sick with myself for trading in such things." 

This is the life of a pawn broker. Things once loved and cherished by someone holds many dreams that have died and been sold for cheap collars. 

"Once a dream has been lost, Lenny, you cannot buy it back... Not with all the cheap dollars in the world..." 

Lenny is angry. He's doing it for Lewis. 

"Either you fork over some bucks for the lousy thing, or I gotta force you to pay me protection--But one way or another I gotta show some green to Shank and the other Studs." 

Lewis refuses. He won't buy another dream. 

"Listen, Old man! You mighta been my old man-And you won't even do this for me?! You won't even help me when I'm only trying to help you!?" 

Now theres a turn. His mother said his father ran out on them. 

Lewis agrees and pays him. Lenny promises to come back and buy it back in two weeks. Lewis tells him no one ever comes back to redeem their dreams. 

Back at home, Lenny's mother is distraught that someone stole her music box. 

"I...I kow who took it. And I'll get it back..." 

"Can you, Lenny? Can you do that for me? Will you?" 

"I promise, Ma--I swear it!" 

NEXT ISSUE: WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS! 

What’s interesting about this issue is Moon Knight’s hesitation. You can see him wanting to help Lenny the second Lenny gives him the argument about it being a war and how he needs to stand up for himself. 

It’s a very familiar argument that Marc Spector makes against his own father and what took him down the path he took. 

There is pain there and the need to not let him go the way he did, but also still agreeing with him. Why shouldn’t he fight for his right to exist and live a happy and healthy life? 

Then, let’s not forget the other side, the Jewish Pawn Shop keep that wants to stand up for himself, but also wants to protect Lenny. 

Moon Knight is unsure of how to help, but he wants to help. This is territory that he will walk in time and time again. A common theme in early Moon Knight years by the OG. Perhaps, it’s the Jewish culture. To exist despite all those who wish them not to exist. To fight back or not to fight back? To have faith or to survive despite faith? 

This story also reminds me of a MUCH later comic. Where Moon Knight fights against ghost punks. 

In the mean time, let's check out the mini story:

 "FLY THE FRIENDLY SKIES" 

This happens open with Jake and I'm here for it. 

"On this sullen summer evening, heat lies like a shroud on lower manhattan. 

The sidewalks seem to whisper secrets of madness and death. In a sleazy bar--" 

Frankly, I love that Crawley drinks tea everywhere he goes. With reused tea bags because he’s broke. I also love that Jake is sitting there so RELAXED in his red sweater jacket thing and green shirt and matching hat. The man just has style that says comfort. And you know he’s drinking shit coffee too. (has anyone actually cosplayed Comic Jake Lockley yet? This is a tragedy and it needs to be remedied.) 

So Crawley has dire news for Jake. 

You know this was NOT written by Moench because Crawley is understandable without reaching for a dictionary. 

Crawley goes on to tell Jake that someone has hired five exotic hitmen, each specializing in their own brand of weaponry. Their target? The Brenner Airship works 'The Ark II', which is like a sort of blimp. 

"These killers were hired to either steal the ship or destroy it. And one very odd thing, Jake--The killers are all women! Beautiful women!" 

Jake takes a moment. It would seem that Steven Grant helped to finance the Ark II. 

LOOK AT THAT JAW LINE. I love when people try to make sense out of Jake’s face. He’s such a manly looking regular guy. He’s like that laid back uncle that shows up late to all the family gatherings, is loud and makes obnoxious jokes, hands out folded bills as gifts to the kids, gets yelled at by all the other adults, then says he’s gotta job to get to and ducks out early. A legend. 

ANYWAYS. I’m getting distracted. It’s nice that Jake takes a moment to worry about Steven getting upset if things go badly for his blimp. But also shows that Moon Knight has his place and they all respect it. 

"But when Moon Knight arrives at the Brenner Airship works, he finds it deserted and...eerily watchful." 

Okay, so the blimp is a 'flying environmental lab'. 

Moon Knight wonders why someone would want to steal it. 

He moves in to investigate and finds some sort of vapor leaking. Something is being pumped into the big balloon! 

The gas being pumped into the balloon? Zyklon B! 

Yeah... you know the one... 

Moon Knight moves in to shut off the gas but inhales a bit, making him dizzy. 

As he tries to turn it off, someone sneaks up behind him and knocks him out. 

Moon Knight wakes up some itme later, unable to see (an 'aftereffect of the gas. The blindness wears off in a few hours') and in the clutches of five assassin women and some dude. 

(side note, the women are in various states of skimpy outfits and one appears to be totally naked??? Art choices of 1982 people.) 

Moon Knight tells the weird guy that he heard someone was out to hijack the ship. 

""The rumor is true. It was I who hired the ladies to dispose of the guards. I have a board of directors to answer to and I fear they would not approve of my plans--particularly my plans for the gas!" 

With Moon Knight being blind, the guy decides that Moon Knight is harmless and decides to take him on a tour. 

Moon Knight may be without sight, but Steven Grant recognizes that voice (him being on the board of directors). 

"Brenner. You ARE Douglas Brenner, aren't you? The environmentalist? The brains behind Ark II?" 

Also, Moon Knight is sassy as fuck and I love it. 

"Indeed. I am flattered you recognize me. Come." 

"I'm BLIND--remember?" 

"Then follow the sound of my voice--Unless you prefer to be led like a cripple." 

They start with the computer room where the computers not only fly the Art, but they also keep tabs on weather satellites up in space. 

Seems Brenner has gone eco-terrorist and now wishes to use the satellites to eliminate the source of pollution - "Man himself!" 

Yeah, he's gone full Poison Ivy. 

"In one hour when we reach the proper altitude, the computers will automatically release the gas, New York City will die! And after New York--Boston! Chicago! Detroit!--All the rest!" 

Moon Knight starts to inch closer but... 

"Blast... My vision's still too blurry. Can't gauge the distance properly to jump him." 

Moon Knight DOES manage to find the light switch just as the women prepare to kill him. 

Everyone in the dark, he manages to track voices enough to take out three of the women before the fourth sneaks up on him and knocks him out again. 

And here we have Moon Knight doing what he does best: GROUND. 

Weird dude starts monologuing and Moon Knight uses the moment to sock him one good. 

"You...can see?" 

"The gas wore off." 

Moon Knight tells him he can't kill the world. 

Not exactly what creepy guy wanted to hear. He snaps and charges. 

Moon Knight takes him out easily. 

"He was crazy...But he wasn't very tough. No wonder he needed those muscular ladies. Funny... They seem to have abandoned him. Probably somewhere else in the balloon... Hiding in an airtight compartment in case any of the gas reaches the upper atmosphere. But there won't be any gas."

Moon Knight manages to reset the computers to prevent them from letting out the gas. 

He then finds a card for "Iron Rose Inc". The organization that Brenner found the assassins from. 

"They've just gotten high on my list of people and places to smash." 

Moon Knight gives from the balloon with his glider cape and calls up Frenchie. He gives instructions to get the air force in to gently bring down the balloon. 

And that concludes the little short. 

This one was odd. Really really odd. When the shorts happen that aren’t written my Moench and by some guest artist trying to get a grasp on what to do with Moon Knight, you either get a fantastic one or one that just kinda staggers. This one staggered. 

But I did appreciate the acknowledgement of Moon Knight’s quips and humor. Especially that they remembered to include Jake and the discussion that Steven would have a thought or two about the mission. That was nice. We don’t get enough Steven. 

The next one (sequel to the music box one) is ALSO a double feature. I wonder if this happens because they feel the main story isn’t as spectacular or if they realize they are short and need a quick filler to pad out the issue. 

Join me next time and we’ll find out together! 

[grizzledyoungimpact]

Febuwhump Day #2: Solitary Confinement

Febuwhump 2024 February 2nd, 2024 Solitary Confinement Chuck Mambo/Adrien Pike (OC) Supernatural Verse

The humans had always called him a morgen, or a Mori-genas, a sea born. To the people of the Welsh islands, Chuck Mambo had been nothing more than a story.

𝖣𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝗀𝗈 𝗇𝖾𝖺𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖾𝖽𝗀𝖾 𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎. 𝖣𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖽𝗋𝖺𝗐 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋.

It made the man laugh. After all, he was mostly harmless.

That's why when he had been pulled from the water and locked in the cage, it had made the song leave his heart. He was sea-born, sea-bound. the brightly suited demon had dragged him across the world, from his beloved islands to the states. Even then, there was no sea to warm his heart. There was only the cold of...where did the monster say...Minnesota? Wherever it was, the cold ached his bones far more than any other home he'd been locked in.

The room was nicer than any the demon who mockingly called himself The Pastor had allowed him to have, Chuck did have to admit that. It was large enough for a single bed, which was an improvement over the small pile of blankets he was usually given and an even bigger improvement than the cage he had started in.

He had just started to get ready for sleep when the loud sound of wood breaking and the flickering of lights roused Chuck awake. Something was happening downstairs, something that had The Pastor using his abilities. Fear entered his eyes and he scanned for a place to hide, though he knew it was futile. Whatever was happening downstairs was dangerous, yes, but he could hear footsteps on the stairs. Whatever was happening downstairs, it had friends that were a real danger to Chuck.

And then he caught the whiff of the sea.

The doorknob turned, but the door was locked. The door was always locked by The pastor's magic unless he was in the room listening to Chuck sing. A large force slammed against the door and the frame itself cracked, the door clattering to the ground with a large thud. Chuck backed into the wall behind him, shark like teeth bared as the mountain of a man stepped toward him. "Don't come any closer, mate! I'm...I'm warning-"

"We found ye," the smaller man pushed his way past his larger friend. Red hair that seemed flaked with sand and salt was pulled into a bun, the black leather both figures wore seemed to cling to their frames. The tattooed mountain of a man was new, but the red-head?

"H...have we met?"

The man cupped Chuck's cheek and Mambo could see the unmistakable tattoo on the man's forearm that marked him as a hunter, "Ya don't remember me? That's...that's okay. You've been gone for years and-"

Chuck cocked his head to the side before a small smile took his lips. He may not have known the man, but he smelled of the sea, and that was enough comfort for the morgen.

[m--bloop]

Peter Falk as Nick Longhetti during the spaghetti scene

A Woman Under the Influence dir. John Cassavetes (1974)

[princessnijireiki]

bonus: ridiculous dreams

so I dream, as one does, that a bunch of skarsgårds are shooting some high end fashion photography and commercials nearby, which I'm, like, tangentially involved with—

and for some reason, alexander skarsgård gets my number and starts texting me, wanting to meet up later for a coffee date after his shoot is done. we make small talk via text, and it turns out he is 70 years old (even in-dream I was like "well hot damn he's aging well then, what the fuck"), deathly boring, and hates emojis

I'm over it so I text him back, "damn, you hate emojis? sorry to hear that 😗" and turn off my phone before he can respond, and then bill skarsgård rushes into my room, at which point I realize, "oh shit, I'm dating this one but still chatting up his big brother on the side— what the fuck, thotty dream gena??" (because that's unlike me irl lmao)

turns out, dream bill skarsgård hadn't quite gotten his big break yet, so while I had just gotten a solid office job with benefits (and was trying to enroll in bennies + formally quit a restaurant job!) AND was preparing for spring classes to start, he was like "yeah my achedule is booked and education is important, but can you cover all my restaurant shifts and do all my homework for me while I go on auditions? cool thanks babe you're the best" & leaves.

so I'm pissed, and I decided to take delgado with me to MY computer classes bc he is very well behaved and can pass for a service dog and I'm mad at these fucking swedish men!!

on the way, because I'm walking in the woods instead of driving downtown, since my dream classes are in suburban west massachusetts, apparently, I'm on the phone with somebody & see a big ass heavy ass hammer and sickle lying in the road right near a fench between two people's yards. the woman on the phone is like, "oh yeah, I share that with my neighbor, and SHE'D say they're both hers and she LETS me use them, and I'D say they're both mine—"

and I go, "let me stop you right there: I don't care and it's in my way. y'all can work it out without me later. bye." so I hang up, break this heavy shit apart, haul the hammer into one yard and chuck the sickle into the other, then steal a respectable looking collar and leash from one of the yards for the trouble, so's delgado can look dapper & legitimized and stuff in class.

then in class (no one the wiser about my dog) I'm realizing, yeah, even if my core knowledge is down, I'm too broke to skimp on studying, because I'm a few generations behind in my own tech & lack experience with new + non-windows stuff (which is true), so extra much fuck this "two jobs under the table trying to game the system while doing another bastard's homework" shit, even if I hadn't said fuck all that shit to hell before.

at this point in the dream I went to bed, then woke up at my dream self's laptop. I had emailed old boy a file that was supposed to be his homework titled "Always. Save. Your OWN. Work!!!!!!.txt"… and it was not only empty, but fucking corrupt. I was confused about it, because I'd actually done that assignment already (and it was due that day lmao) before realizing this white boy expected dream gena to do ALL his work for him; and, like, deleting classwork out of spite is SQUAREEE in my petty ass wheelhouse… but even though that was REALLY FUNNY, I had no memory of deleting it.

so I checked dream me's voicemail, and my mom had called me like, "gena, you called me at 2:48am drunk, talking about 'motherfuckers don't know they need to save their OWNNNN work up in THIS bitch,' and I don't know what you're talking about, but… right on! so call me back." and the mystery was solved.

the moral is, don't EVER let white men* tell you what to fucking do, especially in terms of invisible work elevating their dumb asses "pursuing their dreams" while you slave away at the goddamn grindstone (*including karl marx); and don't shortchange yourself bending over backwards over shitty low-paying no-bennies jobs, either, especially when they treat you like a shitty boyfriend would, extra especially when it's at some dumb ass white man's behest & for his ultimate profit/benefit; and also, delgado is a very good dog & the goodest boy when he's not stealing a bag of like 48 dog treats and scarfing 'em all down like a fat oinker irl.

also, drunkenly calling your mom in the middle of petty acts of revenge in order to share & document the hilarity for later is, in fact, peak wisdom in action.

so yeah.

not sure why my brain thought I needed to hear all that last night, but it was worth hearing out anyway, I suppose.

[dtechshope]

The Insanely Easy Breakfasts Food Bloggers Eat All the Time (But Don't Think Are Worth Posting)

Reading any food blog makes it seem like the writer eats amazing, how-did-they-come-up-with-that meals all day long. Easy or intricate, it’s hard not to lick the screen thanks to the food porn, and the recipes make us wish we were besties and could come over to taste test their creations.

Yet most recipe bloggers don’t post everything they whip up in the kitchen. There might be an Instagram of some of their other meals, but even then you’re left wondering how to recreate those dishes yourself.

So we went to some of the top food bloggers and asked them to share their go-to breakfasts—the ones they’ve never written about on their sites, perhaps because they’re so quick and easy, it didn’t even strike them to post the recipe. But they’re so delicious, you’ll wonder what other goodies they’re not sharing!

Eggs and Greens

I love this breakfast because it feels both healthy and indulgent. I get in a ton of local greens and love the flavors of a runny yolk and spicy yogurt. Sauté 2 cups Swiss chard and spinach in olive oil until wilted. Crack 2 eggs in the middle of the greens and cook until the whites are set. Serve with Greek yogurt, sriracha, and cracked pepper. – Nikki Rappaport, Cupcakes for Breakfast

Nutty Berry Avocado Smoothie

This is unlike other banana and fruit-based smoothies because it isn’t super sweet. The avocado makes it creamy, and all the other seeds and nuts provide healthy fats that leave you feeling satisfied. Purée 1 cup non-dairy milk, 3 raw walnuts, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon cashew or almond butter, 1/4 avocado, a splash of vanilla extract, 1 or 2 pitted dates, and about 1 cup of frozen organic berries in a blender. You’re done! For a thicker consistency, add 1 tablespoon of coconut flour. – Renee Hunt, Soul Beet

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Oatmeal With Pumpkin Seeds

I love this because it’s quick and easy to make, and is full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats. It keeps you full all morning long and tastes great. Place 1/2 cup rolled oats, 3/4 cup milk, and 1/2 cup chopped fruit (like pears or apples) in a bowl. Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes. Top with 1 tablespoon peanut butter and sprinkle with a handful of pumpkin seeds and a few chocolate chips. – Lindsay Livingston, R.D., The Lean Green Bean

Spinach, Mushroom and Havarti Omelet

This omelet is one of my favorite breakfasts, and I eat it about four times a week. It is a quick, easy, and healthy meal that satisfies my hunger for hours. Melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Add 2 sliced mushrooms and cook until softened. Add 1 cup baby spinach and once it wilts, add 3 egg whites and 1 ounce Havarti cheese. Scrape the mixture toward the center of the pan as the eggs start to cook, and when there’s hardly any liquid left, cover the pan for 60 seconds. Remove the cover, fold the eggs in half, and press down to release any liquid. Flip the omelet over, press down again, and you’re ready to eat. – Carrie Farias, Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen

Spicy Avocado Toast

My go-to morning avocado toast recipe is simple. Take 1 slice Udi’s millet-chia bread and top with half an avocado mashed with a fork, a splash of lemon juice, chili flakes, coarse sea salt, and olive oil. Lately I’ve been sprinkling hemp seeds on top for a little extra fiber. – Phoebe Lapine, Feed Me Phoebe

Overnight Chia Oat Pudding

My no-brainer breakfast is a mixture of oats, chia seeds, and natural sweeteners: Mix 2 tablespoons chia seeds, 1/3 cup dry rolled oats, a dash of cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup, and 1 cup almond milk together. Place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, give it a stir and add your favorite fruit. It’s easy to transport and so deliciously healthy. – Gena Hamshaw, Choosing Raw

Green Egg Whites and Sausage

This breakfast is super easy and great way to add veggies to your day. The combo is so perfect, I’ve been known to make this for dinner. In a nonstick frying pan, toast up a slice of sourdough bread on both sides. Sprinkle a little olive oil on the top and set it aside. Slice chicken sausage and sauté for a minute. Crack egg whites into the pan and top with baby spinach. Sprinkle with a little salt and flip it all. Cook for another minute until the spinach is a bit crispy, and enjoy warm with your toast. – Diana Santos, So Small So Strong

Power Toast

Who doesn’t love nut butter and bananas? This protein-packed breakfast is easy and full of flavor. Spread 1 slice Ezekiel toast with 1 heaping tablespoon almond butter. Top with half a thinly sliced banana, sprinkle with chia and/or hemp seeds, and drizzle with a little raw honey. – Serena Wolf, Domesticate Me