#my dad would get me sweet and sour chicken and wonton soup

[nostalgicfun]

Where was your favorite place to go out to eat when you were a kid, and what did you order? 🌈

[let-me-love-you-loki]

Waking Up in Vegas--Ch. 19

Chapter 19: You Think I’m Funny

Dean, Evening, 6:37 PM

           I threw an extra twenty bucks in for a tip for the kid who delivered our dinner. It was from a Chinese place not that far from the house that I hadn’t tried before, but Mera liked take out. Not quite sure exactly what she wanted, I ordered fried and white rice, dumplings, sweet and sour chicken, steak teriyaki, vegetables, and spring rolls. The bottom of the bag was filled with little packets of regular and mild duck sauce, soy sauce, and a bowl of teriyaki reduction.

           After her bath, she’d curled up on the bed to nap. I spent some time getting the bar set up in the den, stocking it the way I wanted—best stuff on the bottom—and making sure the lights had been strung up in the pool. Once I’d finished with that, I called out the order and took a quick shower, doing my best not to wake Mera. It didn’t surprise me how deeply she slept. She’d practically put together the whole bottom floor of the house on her own in an afternoon.

           I searched around until I found where she’d stocked the plates and the utensils.

           “What are you doin’?” mumbled my sweet, sleep drugged wife from the bottom of the stairs.

           Turning, I could just barely see her from the kitchen island. Her sunlight and honey hair was mussed from sleep, the tangled locks hanging over one shoulder. A faint flush ran over her cheeks, her body warm from sleep.

           That primal thing in my chest stirred, a rumble of contentment running through my entire body. She was breathtakingly beautiful. It was humbling to see her there, to know that she was mine.

           “Trying to set the table for dinner, darlin’,” I drawled, putting down everything in my hands to go to her. When I reached her, I wrapped her in my arms, burying my nose in her hair, breathing in the scent of her. “I wanted to surprise you.”

           I felt her smile against my neck. “You don’t have to,” she cooed, palms splaying out on my ribs.

           For a second, I wanted to answer. Instead, I nodded and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’ll save them for a special night then.”

 Mera, Evening, 6:44 PM

           Each new moment with Dean Ambrose was something new, something that made me fall a little bit further in love. No matter how stressful it had been moving everything from my place in Florida, he had done everything he could to make it as smooth as possible. It was a wonderful thing to not have to worry about the details of everything. Dean took care of it all.

           When I saw him standing in the kitchen—of our house—in sweatpants and a threadbare grey tee, I couldn’t help but smile. His damp hazelnut hair was swept so that it fell a little over his left eye. He looked so… soft.

           Dean smiled as he took my hand, drawing me toward the island. “How about we have dinner outside?”

           I grinned back, running my free hand through my tangled hair. “What do we have to eat?”

           “Anything you could want from a Chinese place. I hope.” He shrugged, an adorable expression flitting across his face.

           “Did you get General Tso’s?”

           “Shit,” Dean swore. “Okay, almost anything.”

           “What about orange chicken?”

           I watched him grit his teeth, make a fist and thump it into his thigh. “Okay, almost almost anything.”

           “Wonton soup? Lo mein?”

           He stopped, turned toward me. There was a little downward curve of his mouth. “Okay, we have seven things you can get at a Chinese takeout place.”

           I leaned in, dropping my voice to a whisper. “Are there spring rolls?”

           “Yes!” he exclaimed, blue eyes going bright as he threw his arms up in triumph. “Yes, my sweet wife, there are spring rolls!”

           Before I could stop myself, I broke out into laughter. The giggling seemed to pour out of me without direction or meaning. It was something about being with Dean, in the place that we could now call our own, with him trying so hard to do everything right.

Dean, Evening, 6:51 PM

           She laughed and I swear I thought the universe had exploded into a supernova of light. Her eyes turned to shimmering gold that danced with flecks of bronze. There was a smile on her face that made my heart stop in my chest.

           God knows I would die gladly if hers was the last face I ever saw.

           “I like it when you call me that,” she admitted softly.

           I slipped my arms around her waist, drew her against me. She curled against my chest, face tilted up toward mine. I settled my forehead against hers, letting myself smile peacefully.

           “Good. Because I like saying it,” I murmured, brushing the tip of my nose along her cheek. “Because you are my wife, and there is nothing sweeter than you.”

           She blushed. Everything about her seemed brighter, set off with a rosy glow that made her look fuzzy around the edges. Her hands slid up my chest. My whole body shivered, and I did my best to keep desire in check. Mera’s palms settled against my jaw, thumbs brushing along my cheeks.

           “Yes, there is,” she whispered, her voice low, husky. “There’s you, my sweet, sweet, sweet husband.”

           My heart nearly burst in my chest at the sound of her calling me her husband—sweet or not. I could spend every moment of every day of the rest of my life listening to her call me husband. If I had my way, I would.

           Mera leaned up on her toes and brushed her lips against mine. It was gentle, lingering and chaste. Yet it was just as beautiful and breathtaking as anything more passionate. When she drew away, her eyes met mine. I was suddenly awestruck once again by how absolutely gorgeous she was, how thoroughly I was lost in her eyes, how completely she owned every part of me—heart, body, and soul.

           How desperately and wholly I loved her.

           “Come on, sweet wife,” I said with a grin. “I was going to set up the food by the pool, but we can eat in here if you want.”

           “Outside would be fantastic.”

           I kissed her once on the forehead before taking her hand and pulling her along behind me. In the kitchen, we gathered up the boxes of takeout, a couple plates and silverware. We were nearly out the door when she remembered drinks.

           After stashing the food on the side of the pool, Mera ducked back into the kitchen. When she reappeared, she had a bottle of beer in each hand and a twinkle in her eyes.

           A moment later, we were sitting on the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the water as we ate. She ate as if she was starving, splashing her toes every now and then. I couldn’t take my eyes off her—the way she smiled, the way she laughed. She seemed so happy just then.

           I took a sip of my beer and grinned at her.

Mera, Evening, 7:10 PM

           The way he smiled at me was almost more than I could handle. It made his dimples show at the corners of his mouth. His blue eyes turned bright as a summer sky. Just looking at him made my heart skip a beat.

           He laughed, making his whole face light up. “Hey, have I told you about this buddy of mine who has a new hobby?”

           I sensed something amiss, but couldn’t quite figure it out. “No.”

           Dean nodded and took a swig of his beer. “Yeah, he’s a photographer. And he takes pictures of fish in different outfits. He says its like shooting fish in apparel.”

           A split second later, I realized what he said. The smirk on his face was enough to show that he was proud of himself. I had to admit, it was relatively clever. Or it would have been, if it wasn’t such a…

           “Bad dad joke,” I said, throwing my head back and laughing. It was more at how horrible the joke was rather than the fact that it was funny. “Oh my god, Dean… that was bad. So bad.”

           He laughed a little louder before leaning over to kiss me on the side of the head. “I’ve got a lifetime of ‘em, darlin’.”

           Warmth spread through my whole body. I could only imagine what a lifetime of horrible jokes and takeout with our feet in the water under a starry desert night.

           It was everything I could ever want.

           And I wanted it with Dean Ambrose.

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40+ Healthy Asian-Inspired Recipes

From wonton soup and lettuce wraps and more, skip the take-out and make one of these 40+ healthy Asian-inspired recipes at home for dinner tonight!

Cooking with Asian ingredients is not only good for the waistline but it makes for healthy eating much more interesting! Whether it’s adding ginger root to your chicken stock, stirring in hoisin to your stir-fry or sautéing veggies in sesame oil, cooking Asian food is easier than you think! Save money and calories, ditch the takeout menu and try cooking one of these healthy Asian recipes today!

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile or follow me on Instagram, you are likely well aware that I’m mildly obsessed with Asian food. Whether it was my very first bite of dim sum in San Francisco’s Chinatown or large family gatherings at one of Berkeley’s many Thai restaurants, I have been eating authentic Asian food for as long as I can remember.

In fact, my Dad would frequently take my sisters and I out for “Sushi Saturdays” at Tokyo Grill, the same restaurant we now take our toddlers for salmon sashimi and spicy tuna rolls. The best weekends would end with a big Sunday dinner at Mr. Lee’s, a hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant where I learned how to dip rice paper in hot water to create the perfect bbq pork fresh roll. 

Needless to say, I am smitten with the salty, sour, sweet and spicy flavors that makes Asian food so delicious and well balanced. As a result, if given the choice, I will always choose a steamy bowl of pho or a quick and easy stir-fry over a slice of pizza or a juicy burger any day of the week. The best part? By nature, authentic Asian food is often more nutritionally balanced than traditional American food.

Full of fresh vegetables, fragrant herbs and naturally low calorie ingredients like soy sauce and rice vinegar, adding a few Asian recipes to your weekly meal plan is not only delicious but a great way to ensure a healthy meal the whole family will love. To get you started, here are 40 Healthy Asian-Inspired Recipes from some of your favorite food bloggers!

Your fork is waiting.

Stir-Fry Sichuan Beef

This Stir-Fry Sichuan Beef recipe is super flavorful. The sauce combines the flavors of soy, ginger, ketchup, hoisin sauce, and chili bean sauce. The vegetables include onions, green bell peppers, and a garnish of scallions, all ingredients that are readily available. The sauce is amazing.

Check out this recipe!

Vegan Scallion Pancakes

Vegan scallion pancakes require few ingredients but are full-on in flavour. Although they may look tricky to make if you’ve never done it before, the technique is actually very simple – just flatten, roll, coil, flatten and fry.

Check out this recipe!

Be sure to check out my Asian Recipes Pinterest board for more fresh and fabulous ideas!

Source: https://thelemonbowl.com/20-healthy-asian-inspired-recipes/