#once i was cooking at a dinner party for several vegetarians and that was how i found out worcestershire sauce is nsfv

[bondsmagii]

Because of your blog and you discussing how Parmesan is vegetarian I was able to tell my vegetarian friend when we went out for drinks on night right before she ate some chips with it on so cheers my friend didn’t eat any non vegetarian food

good! I am so glad, it always annoys me so much when I see vegetarian options on menus smothered in parmesan. I know (and have seen) that there's vegetarian parmesan cheese out there, and at least around here menus tend to specify if it's vegetarian -- I actually went out the other day and the parmesan on our loaded fries was veggie, and it was cool how the place clearly did their research into what's actually veggie!

I can't even be too mad because like. how the fuck could people guess that a literal cheese is not vegetarian lol, even a lot of vegetarians themselves don't realise. but now i know, I see it everywhere, and it's insane. I also think the same about Worcestershire sauce, which is also not vegetarian (it has anchovies in it!). I can see why there are different tiers of strictness re: animal products for vegetarians and vegans, because christ it really is in everything. fucked up that it's in so many places you would not expect.

(fun fact if you like facts about cheese: "Parmesan" is one of those names you have to earn by making your cheese in a certain way, so while veggie parmesan is called parmesan, it's technically not, as it doesn't meet the criteria. anything with the word "Parmesan" on it, check the ingredients/info. anything called something more vague/without the brand name, like "Italian hard cheese" or "Italian-style hard cheese," check anyway, but this is likely to be made without the stomach enzymes that makes Official Parmesan unsuitable for vegetarians.)

[ransprang]

The Choice of Pain (Miroku x fem!reader)

(I wrote this based on the book The Savages by Matt Whyman. no i have not read the book. I was spun around in the library with my eyes closed asked to pick a book by Admin Sar. Once i did, i based this fanfic based on the blurb on the back! It ended up being out of my fantasy so enjoy!! - Admin Sav)

We all make choices, that affect ourselves and the people around us. Then how can someone consciously make such a choice that brings only pain to everyone?

On a dark winter evening, he stood there next to the sakura tree in front of Mt. Fuji. His robe slightly dropped from his shoulder, gracefully landing on his bicep. His black hair tied neatly in a ponytail behind. The wind was blowing the sakura flowers towards the river on the left, some getting caught in his hair. What a beautiful sight.

You slowly make your way towards this man who could almost be a sculpture. "Miroku Sama, I think we should leave now! We can't keep them waiting", the man named Miroku slowly turned towards you and cupped your face "of course baby girl let's go". Making your way through the cobbled path you both reach an old well. You look into Miroku's eyes which showed a glint of fear but yet he firmly gripped your hand and with a loud huff jumped into it.

Swoooosh~ Miroku and you popped up in a manhole, in the middle of an urban town named Pura. He pushed up the manhole cover with his head and that's where he caught eyes with your parents on the pavement awaiting your return. He climbed out and gave you a hand too. He brushed the purple bedsheet he dawned of dust and gracefully bowed to greet your parents.

Despite the several cultural and timeline differences, your family took both of you out for a nice dinner. You guys went to a beautiful teppanyaki Japanese restaurant and began placing your orders. Miroku had a twinkle in his eyes, a new city, a new era with the girl he loved so much. Everything was just perfect.

Until...Your father spoke the words...sorry we don't eat beef and are vegetarians on Tuesdays. Miroku had never heard such blasphemy before. Not even the dirty things those girls whispered in his ears during rituals disturbed him like this.

Miroku looked at you with disgust. He got up and took his Shakujo and hit your father at the back of his head. Earning a scream but this time not of pleasure. Your mother stood up and swore a swear unheard of. Miroku felt a chill down his spine, he knew at that moment that this family needed an exorcism. He instantly began chanting a mantra that caused your parents to rattle in their positions, you were screaming in the back. Chaos ensued.

After 15 minutes Miroku finally stopped. He held onto your bum for support as his knees gave in. Your parents were sweating, but they stood up and looked over at the teppanyaki chef with a lustful gaze. Suddenly your father hopped over the grill and to cook meat with his own hands for the party.

That night Miroku had a hearty modern meal. He fell in love with not just you this time but your family too.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #288

“i never believed the devil was real, but god couldn’t make someone filthy as you”

When was the last time you drove or travelled for over an hour? Where did you go? Around a month back, I rode with Mom and my sister to my mom’s doc appointment. When you get old, are you going to let your hair go gray or dye it instead? Haha, I don’t see my desire to dye my hair wild colors ever fading. What genre was the last book you read? Was it any good? Fantasy. It was very good. Did you ever wear braces on your teeth? Yes. What’s your favorite condiment to have with sausages or hot dogs (or the vegetarian equivalent)? I just have ketchup and mustard. Which fictional character can you relate to the most? Is this a character from film, TV or a book? I dunno, there’s just so many to dig through. I’ve never felt a *strong* connection to any. Do you groom your eyebrows? If so, how? Not really anymore. Do you own any photo albums? Are they dedicated to special occasions or just a random selection of photos? We have old ones stored in a cabinet somewhere. I haven’t looked at them in a long time, but I think they’re loosely bound by time periods. What’s your favorite meal of the day - breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Breakfast, for sure. Who was the last person you texted? How do you know that person? Sara. She’s my best friend. What was the reason behind the last time you shouted or raised your voice? It wasn’t severe at all, but I raised my voice to tell Roman to stop clawing at the carpet. Are you a citizen of more than one country? Would you ever use that advantage to move abroad? No. Have you ever read any of John Green’s books? If so, which one is your favorite? I barely started The Fault in Our Stars, and that’s it. I’m quite sure I would if I actually read them, though. Are you a protective person? UM ONLY JUST SLIGHTLY. Have you ever experienced an earthquake? No. There’s been very, very mild ones here, and the one “big” one (which, mind you, was only big enough to make the pool water barely tremble) that’s happened in my lifetime I wasn’t even home for; I was hours away at the zoo. According to Facebook outrage much more recently, my area experienced a teeny-tiny one, but I sure didn’t feel it. Are you a fan of penguins? Omg yes, such darlings. So intelligent, too. I particularly love emperor penguins. Has anyone ever sang to you? Yes. Are you a good painter? I’ve been told so. Before buying a car, do you usually test drive it? I’ve never been in this position. When was the last time you met someone for the first time? Ummm I dunno. Maybe Nicole’s ex? Have you ever cooked with crab or lobster? Could you ever bring yourself to kill a live lobster/crab? No and no. I hate the taste of both. Squishy and just… ew. Which fast food restaurant do you go to the most? What do you tend to order when you go there? Being the cheapest, probably McDonald’s? I usually get a double cheeseburger and small or medium fry. Does it bother you when dogs jump up at you? Does it bother you less if it’s a smaller dog? Nah. I mean their claws can hurt, but it’s all worth a dog’s love, haha. What kind of animal did you touch last? Was this animal one of your pets? I pet my cat Roman last. How would you describe your sense of humor? Have you ever offended someone when you were only joking? Seeing as I don’t even find myself funny, idk how to answer that. I don’t believe I’ve ever offended anyone with a joke. When was the last time you cried - what caused it? It was literally last night when I was really deeply thinking about stuff I’ve been running from. What’s your favorite flavor of potato chip? You can’t beat the original ruffled kind, imo. Do you prefer fruit or vegetable juice? What kind of flavors do you like? I love fruit juice, but you’ll never see me even try vegetable juice. I enjoy lots of fruit ones: mango (my favorite), pineapple, strawberry, watermelon, orange, apple… Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? How did you meet this person? If you mean via a call and not texting, that would be my psychiatrist. I met him during my partial hospitalization. He helped save my life. Who was your first celebrity crush? Which celebrity do you like now? Jesse McCartney /swoons. Now I’m a l l about Mark Fischbach like jesus fucking Christ lord- Do you usually sleep with your closet door open or closed? It’s closed. What’s your favorite love movie? The Notebook. Afraid of heights? Kinda, yeah. Do you take a vitamin daily? Not daily, no, but I have to take Vitamin D once a week. Wal-Mart, Target, or K-Mart? Wal-Mart. Is K-Mart even still around? Cheetos Or Fritos? Cheetos; I don’t really like the latter. Are you patient? N O P E, not unless it’s really called for. Which are better black or green olives? I hate olives. Black aren’t as awful, though. Who was your high school crush? Ha, Jason surpassed “crush” by a lighyear. Have you ever had your computer or e-mail hacked? Did anything bad happen as a result? No to both, but I’ve had my Facebook hacked. Nothing too bad happened. Do you prefer the company of people or animals? Animals, for sure. I need human company sometimes too, though. When was the last time you went to the beach? What did you do there? A few years ago when Colleen and I were still friends. The water felt fucking incredible, so I swam a lot, and then I just chilled with her, her husband, and their then-infant son under the umbrella. I still got insane sun poisoning, though. What kind of milk do you prefer to drink (if you drink it at all)? 1-2%. Skim is gross and whole is too thick. When was the last time you wore some kind of fancy dress? That witchy photoshoot I mentioned in I think the last survey. Do you enjoy dressing up (ie. in suits or smart clothing)? When was the last time you did so? Ugh, no. Too much effort and usually not very comfortable. See above answer for the second part. What’s worse - being overdressed or underdressed? I think the latter would embarrass me more. What do you think would be the worst thing about being stuck in solitary confinement? Being alone with only your head for “sound.” And if you’re in solitary, odds are your head isn’t in a good place, so it just makes it worse. How old were you when you learned to tie your shoelaces? Idk, but I know I learned it the “wrong” way first from Dad. It always annoyed Mom because they weren’t tight enough, apparently. Do you enjoy decorating for the holidays? For the most part, honestly not really. I love SEEING places decorated, but hate doing it myself. So much effort for sometimes not even a month’s worth of enjoyment. Would you rather go into a restaurant or just go via the drive-thru? I prefer the drive-thru. Do you like having your teeth cleaned at the dentist? Yeah, even if there may be a bit of pain here and there. It feels nice afterwards. Have you ever had a gun drawn on you before? YIKES, NO. When was the last time you went to a petting zoo? I probably haven’t since I was a baby. How old were you when you first started using Tumblr? Have you had the same blog all that time? Idr, but I know I was waaaay late to the party. I’ve had the same since the start, though. Are you a fan of Reddit? What are some of your favorite subreddits? I’ve never used it. Have you ever watched those YouTube videos of people popping their own spots or zits? Do you find them gross or fascinating? EW EW EW EW NO. They gross me the FUCK out. What’s a food you hated as a kid but love now? How about vice versa? Hmmm… I only know vice-versa, really. I loved peas as a baby, but now it’s a “fuck no” from me, man. Do you prefer socks, shoes or going bare foot? Bare feet, at least where it makes sense. Are you currently in the second story of a building? No; my house doesn't have a second floor. Who was the last music artist you listened to a song by? Ozzy. Have you ever written or drew something on a dollar bill? No. What was your favorite childhood game to play with your friends? We played lots of things, but I guess "Categories" in the pool probably wins. Basically the person on one end of the pool had to guess somebody on the other side's favorite in a certain topic, and if they guessed it right, you raced the other person to the opposite side. Whoever got there fastest was the next guesser. Where did you get your favorite pet from? My favorite pet of all time, my old dog Teddy, we got as a puppy from a friend of a friend. Her cocker spaniel had a massive litter and adopted the babies out. Have you ever called animal control on anyone? Not me personally, no. I think my mom did when our childhood neighbor's two rottweilers got loose and killed at least one of our kittens of the time; she was livid because it wasn't the first time they got out and attacked our cats, and of course us kids were absolutely devastated. I think they got off with a warning. Do you prefer wearing hoodies to coats? Yeah, especially slightly oversized. Is there anything written on the shirt you are wearing? No, it's just a black tank top. Have you ever been to another continent? No. Do you ever go out of your way to avoid someone? Not really. What was your last voicemail about? I don't even have a voicemail set up, so. Are you currently wearing a belt?I haven't worn belts since high school. How much was gas the last time you looked? I think $1.99. Is there someone who would support you no matter what? My mom, probably. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?I REALLY don't want to think about this one. Do you still get carded when you try and buy things you’re old enough to? I very rarely order one, but I don't really get carded for drinks at restaurants anymore. Do you know anyone fluent in a really uncommon language? Not that I know of. Do you kiss on the first date? This would depend on a lot of things. Odds are though, no. When was the last time you slept on something other than a bed? I've got no clue. How do you feel about the last person you shared a kiss with? I love her. Describe your current mood: Hopeless. Confused. Aimless. Exasperated. Just depressed. Do you think we were put on this earth for a reason? I mean, somewhat, but also not really. I don't believe life exists by chance, so whoever/whatever made that decision obviously had some reason - but not for each person in particular, I believe. I highly doubt something/someone thought out extravagant stories for every single thing that lives. I believe we give ourselves a reason. What is something you have done this year you’re proud of? Absolutely nothing, off the top of my head. What were you doing 10 years ago? I woulda been 14, almost 15... so starting high school. I was in school with actual goals and confidence I'd do great in life, despite my depression being in full swing. Did you ever have a MySpace? Yup... Still remember Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine" was the song on my meerkat-slathered page too, haha. Do you think breaks are toxic in a relationship? I don't believe in breaks, period. You don't turn love on and off. Do you have a YouTube channel? If no, would you create one? If yes, what’s your content? Yeah, but it's not one that seriously produces content. Its primary purpose is just to like, favorite, and rarely comment on stuff while having recommendations catered to my interests. I used to make GMV/AMV-type things and mostly Meerkat Manor tributes, as well as various MEP parts because BOY could I only accomplish very short videos. I no longer have "professional" video editing software (I'd always pirated it before, anyway...) nor the necessary motivation and patience to make them anymore. Are you a math person? Heeeeeeeell no. Have you been ghosted before? Would you ghost someone? No to both. When do you think things will be normal again? Who the fuck knows. It'll probably be a couple years, at least. Do you watch anime? If I'm watching television, yeah, I like some animes. Do you like TikTok? Never used it. Do you ever miss Vine? YO Vine was fuckin FUNNY If you're in school, are you doing it on Zoom or in class? I'm not in school, so. But if I was and in-person classes were expected, guess who the fuck isn't going with how serious I am about social distancing. Lives come before education. Would you ever have a pet rat? I've had a handful, but I don't think I will again. Their cages require so much cleaning, and they need more socialization than I'm able to provide. I fucking adore them, though. Favorite memory with your best friend? It's weird, we've "seen" each other for only like, a month's collective time, and I'm not sure of my answer because there's so many. Have you ever dated someone more than twice your age? No. Have you ever “dined and dashed”? No, I never could. Have you ever been cut off by a bartender because you were too drunk? No. Have you ever borrowed money from your mom & lied about why you needed it? I don't think so. Have you ever dated someone just because they had money? Fuck no. Have you ever lied to your spouse about the money you spent shopping? N/A, but I wouldn't. Have you ever flirted with a cop to get out of a ticket? No. Have you ever lied during a job interview? Me? Social? People person? Well duh, of course I am. Have you ever switched tags on an item to pay less for it? No, that's awful. Have you taken any pics of yourself that you wouldn't want your parents to see? Actually no. Did you ever get fired and tell someone you were laid off? No. Have you ever turned in a school paper that someone else wrote for you? Absolutely not. I liked writing papers anyway and am very serious about creative honesty. Do you feel accepted by your BF/GF’s family? N/A If you were an employer, would you hire someone with your exact work ethic? Well, what's the job? Have you ever trashed your ex’s car after an argument? No. The only thing I ever did to his car was decorate it for his birthday lmao. Have you ever done something because of peer pressure you are ashamed of? I don't think so, no. Have you ever been embarrassed to introduce your parents to anyone? No. Would you leave a note on a car claiming responsibility if you damaged it? Yes. The guilt otherwise would be unbearable. Have you ever used someone's handicapped parking pass to get a parking spot? Ew, no. Have you ever held back a well-deserved compliment because you were jealous? I wouldn't put me past it lately. For yourself, would you rather have a perfect body or high IQ? I hate my body so fuckin much that I'll take the first, please. Have you ever used a false ID? Nope. Are you embarrassed to tell people your job? I'm embarrassed to admit I don't HAVE a job. If you ran over an animal would you keep driving? Oh my god no, I'd have to stop to break the fuck down. Ever lie about you (or your kids') age to get a discount? Ha, I'm sure my parents would sometimes at restaurants when I was young. Do you really care about saving the planet for future generations? A LOT. Have you gotten close to anyone recently? Not really. Do you remember the first conversation you had with the person you have feelings for? No, but I can assure you it probably wasn't nice lmao. Have you ever gotten a D or F on your report card? Not until college. If you had twins, would you give them rhyming names? No. What are you listening to? "Radio" by Rammstein is on atm. Have you ever fallen into a mud puddle? Maybe as a kid. But that might'a been on purpose, lol. Are you scared of spiders? To a degree. Like, I want a few tarantulas but will scream and jump five feet the moment I see a huge spider beside me unexpectantly. I think they are very, very fascinating and important, but I also prefer to give them distance. Unless I have a camera in hand, haha. Do you think that crying is a form of weakness? Absolutely not. Have you ever slept on a couch with someone? Yeah. Last person to call you? Some number from Mississippi??????????? Ever feel like you have been replaced? Oh yes.

[love-carries-on]

Love Carries On: Chapter VI

Virgil woke up, and immediately jumped up; today was the day, Logan’ birthday. five months of hard work, five months of life changing progress and now today was the day that Logan should get to relax. Virgil sat up out of bed and scrambled around until he found his hoodie, a gift from Roman. He pulled it on, his perpetually cold body reassured in the added protection of the jacket. He pushed his hair out of his face before heading out into the living room.

The living room was entirely empty, which was to be expected. His boyfriends always liked to go really big on celebrations, birthdays, holidays, any chance they got to be extra they’d take. Logan had presumably been kicked out of the house until the party and the rest of them were probably in the kitchen preparing something akin to a feast.

Virgil smiled to himself as he walked into the kitchen to find Roman and Patton in matching flowered aprons. Patton was furiously stirring some type of batter, while Roman was building layers of something in a pan. Diego was nowhere to be found. He walked up to Roman and tapped him sharply on the shoulder, he received on finger held up to him, give me a sec.

After a few minutes of working and arranging, Roman turned around. What’s up Virge? He leaned forward, raising his eyebrow in a questioning way.

Where’s D? Virgil responded in likewise, his own question granting an eyebrow raise.

We sent him to the store so that he could get decorations and candles. He shrugged at the end of the statement, his eyebrows relaxing as he switched out of the question asking zone.

By himself? It was less a question and more an anxious and panicked statement.

No! Logan went with, as did Stella. Roman was surprisingly nonchalant, and his eyes were already wandering back to the pan full of food. He just wanted to cook with Patton and not be bothered by all these questions about where and who.

Virgil rolled his eyes before walking away. He couldn’t do anything right now, Logan and Diego were already gone, and he wasn’t a very good cook, or at least not Roman and Patton’s level. A brief thought of him helping Logan and D set up decorations shot through his mind and he nodded to himself in agreement. Seeing as there wasn’t much else to do, he settled himself on the couch and put on a documentary.

As much as he poked fun at Logan for liking documentaries, he liked them a lot as well, it didn’t require him to use his imagination and to understand what type of tone the narrator, or in the case of a lot of movies, character, might be using because they were just relaying factual information. It was comforting to read the subtitles and feel like he understood exactly what was going on.

Today’s documentary was on World War One, it seemed to be centered around one specific battle, but Virgil was just sort of watching the pictures on screen and halfway reading the words. It was comforting, to hang out and not have to do anything just yet. The black and white photography was just boring enough for his brain to focus on other things. He found himself pondering who’s car the boys had taken, what Roman was making, what Patton was making, how Stella was doing. His mind just drifted around, and it was comforting to drift, nothing to focus on, just allowing his mind to think and know things.

He spent what felt like hours doing that, but it was barely half an hour before the door opened and Logan and Diego came in. He didn’t hear the door of course, but he did feel the tap on the shoulder from Logan and he turned around to see them both standing there, bags in their hands.

“Want to help decorate?” Diego spoke slowly, allowing Virgil to read his lips.

Yes. He signed it, a quick knocking movement, before getting up off of the couch to help them put things away.

They set the bags on the table, and inside Virgil found an assortment of party goods, hats, banners and streamers, candles, a few bags for gift wrapping (which Virgil needed because he’d been hiding Logan’s present for months and now he needed a bag to put it in). He was impressed that they had managed to remember all of this, of course since Logan went along, it shouldn’t have surprised him at all.

He shot Diego a quick few signs, asking him if there was a plan. And when Diego explained to him that there wasn’t a plan, he was almost delighted. Virgil had been told almost all of his life that he had an eye for design, and even if that was something of a hidden talent, he thoroughly enjoyed designing things. He grabbed the streamers, (blue and silver) and started to layout in his head where he wanted everything to go. He dug around in the bag until he found a roll of tape. He grabbed a chair from the table and climbed up on it.

Then he paused, suddenly remembering the banner that said ‘Happy Birthday’ on it. He snapped to get Diego’s attention, pointing at the banner on the table, and wordlessly, he handed it to him. Virgil took a step back and looked at the arch, careful not to fall off of the chair, trying to figure out where the banner would have to go to be centered. He nodded his head unconsciously before turning back and snapping again. Diego looked up, and he signed for him to get Logan’s attention.

Logan was the tallest of his boyfriends, and he needed him to hold the banner while he ripped the tape to hold it in place. After Diego explained to him what Virgil needed, Logan came over to stand by him. Virgil guided his hand to where he needed it to be, before letting go so that he could tear the tape. He tore several smaller pieces, so that he could stabilize it, before pulling a long piece to put over the rest. Then, he pulled on the shoulder of Logan’s button up, trying to get him to move around to the other side. After a few seconds of being yanked on, he understood what he wanted, and after accidentally running into the chair that Virgil was standing on, he eventually made his way over to the other side. Once again, Virgil guided his hand into position before taping the other side of the banner in place.

As soon as he was done, he patted Logan on the head in thanks, and grabbed the roll of streamers off of the table. The blue roll was the one he had originally had in his hand, and now that the banner was up, he could see it that much clearer. He ripped off a piece of tape, and stuck just a little bit of it to the wall where he wanted the streamer to be. Then, he placed the streamer, before smoothing the tape over it.

Virgil turned around where he was, reaching out to grab the scissors off of the table as well. He cut the streamer and then stuck them into his pocket so that he’d have them on hand. He stuck the other end of the streamer centered in the middle of the banner. Then, he put the blue streamers in his other pocket to replicate the design with the silver streamers.

It didn’t take long for him to have every archway leading into the dining room decorated with streamers. Some of them were branched across the archway, while others hung down in colorful representations of celebration. He got down off of the chair, and turned it back to face the table, as he finished the archway leading into the kitchen. Then, he pushed it back, before turning away so that he could set all of the things out of his pocket on the buffet table in the corner.

He smiled, satisfied with himself, before going back over to the table and putting on one of the party hats. There were several of them, in a variety of colors, and he was glad to see a dark blue one, which was close enough to his favorite color, purple. He settled it on his head, wincing slightly when the elastic band snapped his chin. He took the empty bags off of the table, and put them in the bag bag.

Diego snuck up behind him, and grabbed (not surprisingly) the yellow party hat. Then, he tapped Virgil on the shoulder.

It looks so cool in here! He smiled brightly, his eyes wide and almost amazed looking.

Thank you. He smiled just as brightly, before sitting down at the table to rest. Are Roman and Patton almost done? It was more of a curious question than a pointed one, and he tried hard to convey that by keeping his expression more surprised like rather than questioning.

Patton is waiting for the cake to cool so that he can put the icing on it.

Nice, what flavor? He knew that Logan didn’t like overly sweet flavors.

Marbled perhaps? I didn’t get a good look at it. He shrugged at the end of the statement, sitting down next to Virgil.

Eventually they were joined by Logan, who after having a conversation that Virgil couldn’t quite keep up with, was handed the silver party hat. He settled it on his own head, before leaning back in his chair and presumably turning his attention to Stella on the floor.

Meanwhile, Patton was adding the finishing touches to Logan’s cake. He had made a lemon cake, allowing for the frosting to be more icing like than anything, and it was decorated with candied lemon slices and pretty yellow flowers. He had written ‘Happy Birthday Logan’ in flowing Silver writing to finish it off. It was one of the only times his handwriting would ever look good.

Roman on the other hand, was just putting the finishing touches on his vegetarian lasagna. He sprinkled the cheese on top of it, before popping it back in the oven. He was very proud of this recipe, a mixture of mushrooms and black beans to create something akin to a meat texture (despite his other boyfriends’ embrace of the vegetarian life, he still indulged in meat every so often). As the cheese was melting, he stirred a little bit of ranch into the mashed potatoes, adding a little more creaminess to the dish. He also reached out to stir the pot of corn so that it wouldn’t burn.

Soon, the cheese had melted, and with a little bit of help from Diego, they carried all of the food out to the table. The festivities were in full swing, they all talked and laughed over dinner; they told stories about Logan, poking fun at him, reminding them all of his greatest days. It was exactly what a great birthday should be.

While they were chatting, Roman had dished up dinner, and now that it was on everyone’s plate, they all quieted down so they could eat. Patton took a bite of the lasagna and immediately his stomach turned, it was slimy, some of the filling was, the texture of what he could only guess was beans and maybe even mushrooms. His heart lurched, he had to forcibly grab the edge of the table to actually swallow down the bite had taken. He caught Virgil’s eye with a pleading look.

Virgil watched as Patton set his fork down and looked down at the ground, he had grabbed the table very tightly, before shooting him a pleading look. Virgil knocked on the table to get Roman’s attention. Ask Pat what’s wrong. His look was just as pleading.

“Pat, are you okay?” He turned to him, to see him hunched slightly over his plate, his knuckles white as he gripped the table.

“I’m fine.” He choked on his words, his gag reflex involuntarily reacting to what he had eaten. His mind was racing with the feeling the texture left behind, his mind blooming with all of the things the texture reminded him of, mud and snails and raw meat.

“Are you sure? You can tell me if something is wrong Patton.” Roman kept his voice as quiet as he could, maybe all the noise had upset him, or something had been said that startled him.

He started to cry as his mind almost hyper fixated on the taste in his mouth and the texture it represented and all the things that texture represented, his mind ran circles around it as tears streamed down his face. Not quiet, unfocused crying, but audible sobs and whimpers.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine, I’m fine.” He murmured over and over again, pushing the plate away from him in an actual show of what was wrong.

Roman felt a flame of something like anger, and he didn’t know why, but he was mad at Patton. He had worked so hard, had done everything he was supposed to, didn’t use meat because Virgil was vegetarian, didn’t make anything overly sweet because Logan didn’t like sweet, didn’t make any of the dishes that Diego had specified so he wouldn’t cause a switch in him, he had done everything and now this.

“Well if you don’t like it Patton you can just not eat it.” Something that could be said with a warm and caring tone, something that should be said with a warm and caring tone, was full of malice and bitterness. “I worked hard to make something good and if you don’t like it I’m sorry.” He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing in anger as he sat back down. Stupid Patton, why can’t you just like it, there’s nothing wrong with my cooking, you’re overreacting. It wasn’t that bad I tried it too, no one else seems bothered by it.

It reminded Patton of when his mother would get mad at him and send him to his room. And in his mind's eye, it was one and the same, Roman was his mother, hissing cruelly at him in french and sending him to his room for causing a problem at the dinner table. Despite the fact that Roman hadn't said it, he could still hear 'go away, go to your room.' in his voice. He got up, and fled from the table, moving as quick as he could without running, tears still streaming from his eyes

[pidgeon-brained]

Love Carries On: Chapter VI

TW: anxiety attack, sensory overload, angst

Virgil woke up, and immediately jumped up; today was the day, Logan’ birthday. five months of hard work, five months of life changing progress and now today was the day that Logan should get to relax. Virgil sat up out of bed and scrambled around until he found his hoodie, a gift from Roman. He pulled it on, his perpetually cold body reassured in the added protection of the jacket. He pushed his hair out of his face before heading out into the living room. The living room was entirely empty, which was to be expected. His boyfriends always liked to go really big on celebrations, birthdays, holidays, any chance they got to be extra they’d take. Logan had presumably been kicked out of the house until the party and the rest of them were probably in the kitchen preparing something akin to a feast.

Virgil smiled to himself as he walked into the kitchen to find Roman and Patton in matching flowered aprons. Patton was furiously stirring some type of batter, while Roman was building layers of something in a pan. Diego was nowhere to be found. He walked up to Roman and tapped him sharply on the shoulder, he received on finger held up to him, give me a sec.

After a few minutes of working and arranging, Roman turned around. What’s up Virge? He leaned forward, raising his eyebrow in a questioning way.

Where’s D? Virgil responded in likewise, his own question granting an eyebrow raise.

We sent him to the store so that he could get decorations and candles. He shrugged at the end of the statement, his eyebrows relaxing as he switched out of the question asking zone.

By himself? It was less a question and more an anxious and panicked statement.

No! Logan went with, as did Stella. Roman was surprisingly nonchalant, and his eyes were already wandering back to the pan full of food. He just wanted to cook with Patton and not be bothered by all these questions about where and who.

Virgil rolled his eyes before walking away. He couldn’t do anything right now, Logan and Diego were already gone, and he wasn’t a very good cook, or at least not Roman and Patton’s level. A brief thought of him helping Logan and D set up decorations shot through his mind and he nodded to himself in agreement. Seeing as there wasn’t much else to do, he settled himself on the couch and put on a documentary.

As much as he poked fun at Logan for liking documentaries, he liked them a lot as well, it didn’t require him to use his imagination and to understand what type of tone the narrator, or in the case of a lot of movies, character, might be using because they were just relaying factual information. It was comforting to read the subtitles and feel like he understood exactly what was going on.

Today’s documentary was on World War One, it seemed to be centered around one specific battle, but Virgil was just sort of watching the pictures on screen and halfway reading the words. It was comforting, to hang out and not have to do anything just yet. The black and white photography was just boring enough for his brain to focus on other things. He found himself pondering who’s car the boys had taken, what Roman was making, what Patton was making, how Stella was doing. His mind just drifted around, and it was comforting to drift, nothing to focus on, just allowing his mind to think and know things.

He spent what felt like hours doing that, but it was barely half an hour before the door opened and Logan and Diego came in. He didn’t hear the door of course, but he did feel the tap on the shoulder from Logan and he turned around to see them both standing there, bags in their hands.

“Want to help decorate?” Diego spoke slowly, allowing Virgil to read his lips.

Yes. He signed it, a quick knocking movement, before getting up off of the couch to help them put things away.

They set the bags on the table, and inside Virgil found an assortment of party goods, hats, banners and streamers, candles, a few bags for gift wrapping (which Virgil needed because he’d been hiding Logan’s present for months and now he needed a bag to put it in). He was impressed that they had managed to remember all of this, of course since Logan went along, it shouldn’t have surprised him at all.

He shot Diego a quick few signs, asking him if there was a plan. And when Diego explained to him that there wasn’t a plan, he was almost delighted. Virgil had been told almost all of his life that he had an eye for design, and even if that was something of a hidden talent, he thoroughly enjoyed designing things. He grabbed the streamers, (blue and silver) and started to layout in his head where he wanted everything to go. He dug around in the bag until he found a roll of tape. He grabbed a chair from the table and climbed up on it.

Then he paused, suddenly remembering the banner that said ‘Happy Birthday’ on it. He snapped to get Diego’s attention, pointing at the banner on the table, and wordlessly, he handed it to him. Virgil took a step back and looked at the arch, careful not to fall off of the chair, trying to figure out where the banner would have to go to be centered. He nodded his head unconsciously before turning back and snapping again. Diego looked up, and he signed for him to get Logan’s attention.

Logan was the tallest of his boyfriends, and he needed him to hold the banner while he ripped the tape to hold it in place. After Diego explained to him what Virgil needed, Logan came over to stand by him. Virgil guided his hand to where he needed it to be, before letting go so that he could tear the tape. He tore several smaller pieces, so that he could stabilize it, before pulling a long piece to put over the rest. Then, he pulled on the shoulder of Logan’s button up, trying to get him to move around to the other side. After a few seconds of being yanked on, he understood what he wanted, and after accidentally running into the chair that Virgil was standing on, he eventually made his way over to the other side. Once again, Virgil guided his hand into position before taping the other side of the banner in place.

As soon as he was done, he patted Logan on the head in thanks, and grabbed the roll of streamers off of the table. The blue roll was the one he had originally had in his hand, and now that the banner was up, he could see it that much clearer. He ripped off a piece of tape, and stuck just a little bit of it to the wall where he wanted the streamer to be. Then, he placed the streamer, before smoothing the tape over it.

Virgil turned around where he was, reaching out to grab the scissors off of the table as well. He cut the streamer and then stuck them into his pocket so that he’d have them on hand. He stuck the other end of the streamer centered in the middle of the banner. Then, he put the blue streamers in his other pocket to replicate the design with the silver streamers.

It didn’t take long for him to have every archway leading into the dining room decorated with streamers. Some of them were branched across the archway, while others hung down in colorful representations of celebration. He got down off of the chair, and turned it back to face the table, as he finished the archway leading into the kitchen. Then, he pushed it back, before turning away so that he could set all of the things out of his pocket on the buffet table in the corner.

He smiled, satisfied with himself, before going back over to the table and putting on one of the party hats. There were several of them, in a variety of colors, and he was glad to see a dark blue one, which was close enough to his favorite color, purple. He settled it on his head, wincing slightly when the elastic band snapped his chin. He took the empty bags off of the table, and put them in the bag bag.

Diego snuck up behind him, and grabbed (not surprisingly) the yellow party hat. Then, he tapped Virgil on the shoulder.

It looks so cool in here! He smiled brightly, his eyes wide and almost amazed looking.

Thank you. He smiled just as brightly, before sitting down at the table to rest. Are Roman and Patton almost done? It was more of a curious question than a pointed one, and he tried hard to convey that by keeping his expression more surprised like rather than questioning.

Patton is waiting for the cake to cool so that he can put the icing on it.

Nice, what flavor? He knew that Logan didn’t like overly sweet flavors.

Marbled perhaps? I didn’t get a good look at it. He shrugged at the end of the statement, sitting down next to Virgil.

Eventually they were joined by Logan, who after having a conversation that Virgil couldn’t quite keep up with, was handed the silver party hat. He settled it on his own head, before leaning back in his chair and presumably turning his attention to Stella on the floor.

Meanwhile, Patton was adding the finishing touches to Logan’s cake. He had made a lemon cake, allowing for the frosting to be more icing like than anything, and it was decorated with candied lemon slices and pretty yellow flowers. He had written ‘Happy Birthday Logan’ in flowing Silver writing to finish it off. It was one of the only times his handwriting would ever look good.

Roman on the other hand, was just putting the finishing touches on his vegetarian lasagna. He sprinkled the cheese on top of it, before popping it back in the oven. He was very proud of this recipe, a mixture of mushrooms and black beans to create something akin to a meat texture (despite his other boyfriends’ embrace of the vegetarian life, he still indulged in meat every so often). As the cheese was melting, he stirred a little bit of ranch into the mashed potatoes, adding a little more creaminess to the dish. He also reached out to stir the pot of corn so that it wouldn’t burn.

Soon, the cheese had melted, and with a little bit of help from Diego, they carried all of the food out to the table. The festivities were in full swing, they all talked and laughed over dinner; they told stories about Logan, poking fun at him, reminding them all of his greatest days. It was exactly what a great birthday should be.

While they were chatting, Roman had dished up dinner, and now that it was on everyone’s plate, they all quieted down so they could eat. Patton took a bite of the lasagna and immediately his stomach turned, it was slimy, some of the filling was, the texture of what he could only guess was beans and maybe even mushrooms. His heart lurched, he had to forcibly grab the edge of the table to actually swallow down the bite had taken. He caught Virgil’s eye with a pleading look.

Virgil watched as Patton set his fork down and looked down at the ground, he had grabbed the table very tightly, before shooting him a pleading look. Virgil knocked on the table to get Roman’s attention. Ask Pat what’s wrong. His look was just as pleading.

“Pat, are you okay?” He turned to him, to see him hunched slightly over his plate, his knuckles white as he gripped the table.

“I’m fine.” He choked on his words, his gag reflex involuntarily reacting to what he had eaten. His mind was racing with the feeling the texture left behind, his mind blooming with all of the things the texture reminded him of, mud and snails and raw meat.

“Are you sure? You can tell me if something is wrong Patton.” Roman kept his voice as quiet as he could, maybe all the noise had upset him, or something had been said that startled him.

He started to cry as his mind almost hyper fixated on the taste in his mouth and the texture it represented and all the things that texture represented, his mind ran circles around it as tears streamed down his face. Not quiet, unfocused crying, but audible sobs and whimpers.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine, I’m fine.” He murmured over and over again, pushing the plate away from him in an actual show of what was wrong.

Roman felt a flame of something like anger, and he didn’t know why, but he was mad at Patton. He had worked so hard, had done everything he was supposed to, didn’t use meat because Virgil was vegetarian, didn’t make anything overly sweet because Logan didn’t like sweet, didn’t make any of the dishes that Diego had specified so he wouldn’t cause a switch in him, he had done everything and now this.

“Well if you don’t like it Patton you can just not eat it.” Something that could be said with a warm and caring tone, something that should be said with a warm and caring tone, was full of malice and bitterness. “I worked hard to make something good and if you don’t like it I’m sorry.” He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing in anger as he sat back down. Stupid Patton, why can’t you just like it, there’s nothing wrong with my cooking, you’re overreacting. It wasn’t that bad I tried it too, no one else seems bothered by it.

It reminded Patton of when his mother would get mad at him and send him to his room. And in his mind's eye, it was one and the same, Roman was his mother, hissing cruelly at him in french and sending him to his room for causing a problem at the dinner table. Despite the fact that Roman hadn't said it, he could still hear 'go away, go to your room.' in his voice. He got up, and fled from the table, moving as quick as he could without running, tears still streaming from his eyes.

[purplesurveys]

792

Who was the last person you had an intelligent debate with?: I don’t really have debates with anyone other than Gab or Angela. I’ll have deep discussions with my other friends, but they never turn into a debate.

Who was the last person who cooked something for you?:  My dad. Technically he just reheated stuff tonight, but he was still also the one who cooked for us this morning for breakfast.

Who was the last person who you heard singing?:  My mom. She does karaoke by herself one or two times a week for funsies and will sing songs from her day for an hour or so, and she did it tonight.

Who was the last person you kissed and it meant something?: Gabie, but it’s been a whilllllle. 

Who was the last person you were upset with?:  This girl that I’m classmates with for a layout class, Mikee. Horrible work ethic. So just for context, I currently have a grade of INC (Incomplete) for the layout class I took last semester because my prof wasn’t satisfied with our final output, which are a class magazine and a class newspaper; and when you have an INC, you typically have a year to fulfill the missing requirement/s (except in our case, we only have half a year because we have graduating students in the class, including me). Now that we’re inching closer to graduation and the college is supposed to release the official list of graduating students soon, I have to make sure ALL my grades are in. Mikee volunteered to be the one to contact our prof for submitting our work, and even though we’ve finished up and polished our revised outputs, she is taking FOREVER to email the prof for whatever fucking reason. I’m getting antsy by the hour and am desperate for a bit of urgency on her end because if my name doesn’t end up on the list of graduates I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to lash out on her.

Who was the last person you danced with?: Angela, Gabie, and Hans. And some other ADMU dudes I’ve never hung out with other than at that party.

Who was the last person you felt awkward around?: My dad. He made pancakes from scratch earlier and I think his measurements weren’t 100% spot on, because they came out incredibly dense and bland. I was already cranky enough this morning – and I still hadn’t known he made them himself – so I scowled when I took my first few bites because I thought it tasted off and even asked if it was some kind of vegetarian pancake. Once he said he made it from scratch, I felt awkward, shut up, and wolfed my plate down to show him that I enjoyed it and to make up for my horrid behavior just seconds before.

Who was the last person who borrowed something from you?: My mom borrowed my car (which is technically my parents’ anyway because they bought it lmao) to go to work today.

Who was the last person who showed you how to do something?: My dad. I wanted to get reacquainted with making stuff in the kitchen so he showed me how to cook hotdogs properly. I was already making them before, but after one time that one of our stove burners emitted a huge flame when I turned it on, I stopped making any food altogether for a while.

Who was the last person you went shopping with?: My mom.

Who was the last person you had a crush on?: Song Joong Ki hahaaaaaaah.

Who was the last person who made you cry?: The amazing actor from Descendants of the Sun playing the troubled rookie doctor. I looked him up and apparently he’s also one of the lead vocalists of SHINee, so he must be talented as all hell.

Who was the last person you shared a bed with?: Kimi, 45 seconds before he jumped off.

Who was the last person you got drunk with?: Angela, Hans, Gabie, Aids...I don’t remember the others anymore but they were cool and funny people. Idk, we were a big group so yeah.

Who was the last person who touched your hair?: Just me.

What was the last pair of shoes you wore?: A pair of Nikes to walk my dog.

What was the last birthday party you attended?: My cousin’s, aunt’s, and grandma’s. Their birthdays all fall on the same week in December, so it’s tradition for us to go over to my aunt’s to celebrate.

What was the last thing you said to your mother?: Something about thesis. I was telling her that I included her and dad and my four grandparents in my acknowledgments.

What was the last song you listened to?: I was listening to Beyoncé’s Homecoming a few hours ago but I’m too lazy to check what song was it I paused.

What was the last thing you thought about before going to sleep last night?: I wasn’t thinking of anything, I was just focused on falling asleep.

What was the last fun thing you did with your family?: Video-calling other relatives.

What was the last thing you borrowed from someone?: My dad’s earphones...and I’ve kept them for the meantime too lol thanks dad.

What was the last vegetable you ate?: String beans.

What was the last thing you bought online?: A Hydro Flask and several necklaces.

What was the last thing you had to drink?: I don’t *have* to drink it but I did make myself a cup of coffee tonight.

What was the last reason you went to see a doctor?: Had to get my eye checked. Sucks that I couldn’t and can’t have a follow-up appointment especially since my left eye still acts up from time to time.

What was the last non-food item you purchased?: Soju lmaaaaaooo.

What was the last type of yogurt you ate?: I hate yogurt.

What was the last fast food place you ate at?: Jollibee. We didn’t eat inside though, we just got the food delivered to our home. I think the last fast food place I was actually inside of was McDonald’s.

What was the last thing that bothered you and kept you awake?: I haven’t been bothered by anything in a while. Caffeine is the only thing keeping me up these days.

When was the last time you embarrassed yourself? I had sort of a Eureka moment earlier tonight when I suddenly recalled my paternal grandparents’ whole names. I had opted to use their nicknames in my acknowledgments and didn’t think anything of it, but then I remembered what their actual full first names were and then felt embarrassed within myself that I submitted a final draft with their nicknames. HAHAHA it’s a good things are less chill with the lockdown in place so I was able to explain and resubmit with the necessary revisions.

When was the last time you watched a movie with someone?: January-ish. I watched Hello Love Goodbye with Gabie.

When was the last time you charged your phone?: A few hours ago.

When was the last time you were sick with a cold?: It’s been...a while. I rarely get sick with anything so I don’t get to keep track of whenever I do.

When was the last time you spoke to a family member on the phone?: My birthday when my lola called.

When was the last time it rained where you live?: A couple of days ago, I think.

When was the last time you laid awake, unable to sleep?: This afternoon. I wanted to sleep the heat off, but it was just so uncomfortable I just ended up twisting and turning and sweating more. MAAAAAAN I can’t wait for June.

When was the last time you met someone new?: A week or so ago when I went on a following spree on this blog and started talking to a couple of them. Lol following spree in the survey community means following 3 or 4 blogs, but still.

When was the last time you filled up your car with petrol/gas?:  Gotta be the first week of March as that was the last time I was able to drive a lot.

When was the last time you ate popcorn?: Some months ago, I’m guessing? There was a brief time that my mom bought popcorn kernels to make bowls of popcorn for us, but we got tired of it pretty easily so there was no reason for her to keep buying more packs.

When was the last time you went to a school event?  I went to the Lantern Parade last December, as is tradition for my school’s community. I was mostly alone because my friends had to leave early and Gabie was stuck in traffic all evening and didn’t arrive til like, 9:30 PM, which sounds sad for me lol but it was still a fun experience.

When was the last time you took the trash out?: My parents don’t give me that task.

When was the last time you did anything to change your appearance?: Fucking March, a week before the lockdown. Okodlkjfffjsj don’t remind me I’m still pressed about it. No one got to see my short hair and bangs grrrrrrrr

When was the last time you cooked at home?: A week ago. I reconciled with the kitchen and cooked a couple of hotdogs hahaha. They’re frozen and literally a child could make them, but egh, I wanna have my moment too.

When was the last time you had a sleepover?: Honestly can’t remember. Start of the year maybe?

Where did you last go shopping for clothing?: Feliz. It’s my favorite place to find new clothes so yeah, you’ll always be hearing about Feliz. Where did you last go on a date to?: A study date at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and dinner at Yabu afterwards.

Where was the last wedding you went to?: 2007, my uncle and aunt’s. I had plans to go to my cousin Joelle’s wedding in Texas this year, but I think they postponed it which highkey ended up working well for them because it wouldn’t have happened under current circumstances anyway.

Where did you last park your car, other than home?: Gabie’s place.

Where did you last leave your keys?: On top of the dining room TV.

Where did your last kiss take place? By Gabie’s front door, I think.

Where did you last go for a walk to?: In front of the house and just a little farther, with my dog. He’s getting older so he gets tired easily and can’t go on the same walks we used to have, but I still make sure he gets his exercise.

Where did you last take a vacation to?: We had a weekend trip to Tagaytay and Cavite but honestly it felt like a quick getaway more than anything else. The last trip that felt like a vacation was when we went to Bicol.

Where did you last go to celebrate your own birthday?: I celebrated it at home.

Where was the last place you had dinner at?: Just at home, again.

Where did you last go to exercise?: I don’t exercise. < Ha, samesies.

Where did you last take public transport to?: Jum and I were going to the Senate building for a journalism class. That was the first and last time I took legit public transport.

Where does the last person you hung out with live?: Upper part of the city.

Where did you last visit for the first time?: Uhhhh I think it was the salon I went to to get my hair done.

Where did you last take a photo?: On the floor of the dining area, to take selfies with my dog.

[notbecauseofvictories]

Re: your tags - Any tips on planning a good dinner party?

The first step is to decide what kind of dinner party you want to have. A dinner party where everybody brings something, potluck-style, and you sit on the floor eating off paper plates is still a dinner party! So too is inviting everybody over to an apartment-warming party so you can show off the fact that you have actual glassware now, like a real adult, or even putting in the table leaf and planning an elaborate menu so your mother will stop talking about your cousin’s dinners.

Deciding the kind of dinner party you’re up for requires stepping back and looking at how much time you have to plan it, how much money you’re willing to spend, and what your space can accommodate.

Time. Planning and executing a dinner party takes a truly ungodly amount of time. It takes time to pull together a guest list, time to collect RSVPs (whether that’s via text, fb group, invitation, etc.), time to plan and then shop for the menu, clean your space (not just the dining room, but also where your guests will sit, and the bathroom they’ll use), prepare your space for guests (set the table, clear away any clutter), and then actually cook the dinner you’ve decided on.

And that’s all before your guests show up. 

The more elaborate the plans (and the more people you’re inviting) the more time you’ll need to prepare. For a casual sit-down dinner party I’d want at least 5 days lead-in time to prep; probably more to give people a chance to block off that night in their schedule. For something more formal, I’d want two or three weeks. 

Money. Another major factor in deciding what kind of dinner party you’ll have is budget. An elaborate home-cooked meal for any size group of people is expensive—an American-style sit-down dinner is typically a salad, a main dish (usually a meat of some kind), and 2-3 side dishes. Ingredients for just that can cost around $200, easy, and without taking into account appetizers, dessert, or drinks.

If you’re working on a budget, hosting a potluck is the easiest way to share out the cost among you and your guests. I’ve also hosted appetizer parties to great success—people love bite-sized stuff, and you can use the same ingredients in several different dishes, mixing in impressive, costly recipes with easy, less expensive ones.

Finally, consider your space. If your table only sits two, or live in a cramped studio apartment, you should take into account those limitations. If people will be sitting on couches you need to consider your capacity and what kind of food that means serving; even if people will be sitting on the floor, you need to consider how you’re going to make that happen. People in any space want to crowd around each other in a vague circle shape, and I’ve definitely lived in apartments where you couldn’t make that circle comfortably.

Additionally, your space also means the stuff in it. If you only have two wine glasses for four people, serving wine is probably not a great idea. (Though, tip from someone who has been refurbishing their apartment, Salvation Army/St. Vincent de Paul/Habitat for Humanity resale stores have crazy amounts of very attractive glassware for extremely cheap.) 

Once you decide what the party will look like, then you can get onto the real business:

PLANNING THE MENU

The best part of a dinner party is, of course, the dinner. Whether you opt to go for something simple, lavish, or quirky, the menu is something of a centerpiece. 

The most important part is to take into account your guests’ needs. The best pasta primavera in the universe is still the wrong meal to serve to a gluten-free crowd. I have a steak marinade that’ll blow your socks off, but the vegetarians and the no-red-meat-thanks people will leave hungry and dissatisfied if that’s all that’s served. 

Still, the typical American formal dinner party menu does allow you to extend in several different directions, and hopefully please as many different palates as you can. For example:

Appetizers—Appetizers are by no means required, and it’s totally normal to have guests over for dinner without offering appetizers beforehand. However, I think this is a fool’s errand, because appetizers are super easy to make (e.g., baby carrots and veggie tip, olives, cheese and crackers) and if people eat them, they’re less hungry for the dinner. Which, depending on how you feel about your main course, might be a pro or a con.

Salad—First course, nowhere near as many people will eat it as you think, but vegetarians and the healthy people will. If you just want something to throw together, most grocery stores now sell bagged salads, complete with toppings and dressing. If you want to prepare something unique, more power to you.

Can also be substituted for soup, though people have stronger feelings about soup and you’re less likely to please everybody. Whereas salads are basically the same dead leaves, with different kinds of sauce.

Main Course—A typical midwestern main course involves chicken or beef of some kind. However, the main course can also be seafood, pasta, or really any kind of food “substantial” enough to be the main fixture of the meal. 

Depending on the size of the party, it may be worth it to make several options; barbecue for one half and grilled chicken for the other. People are always happier with a choice, even if they choose the one that would be have available anyway.

Side dishes—I think sides are the best part of a meal, and really the opportunity to expand the palate of the dinner. If you’re serving steak with a traditional marinade, then the sides are an opportunity to expand into vegetarian or vegan territory; if you’re serving a cayenne-rubbed whitefish, then serving it with mild roasted cauliflower will let people catch their breath.

It’s also an opportunity to make dishes that you know people will like. For example, I made waldorf salad for my mother’s birthday, and she loved that more than the steak—but it was because I knew she liked waldorf salad. Sides are a kind of deliberate gesture to the people you know will enjoy them. And also, pair well with whatever the main is.

Dessert—Much like appetizers, dessert is optional. It is especially optional given the fact that by the time you get to it, people have been eating for at least an hour, and are generally not hungry. Something light, even just ice cream, will usually work work well. And if your showstopper is a dessert, make sure you plan a lighter dinner, so people still have room for the “main event.”

……none of these needs to be homemade, mind you. I actually think that you’ll have the most success if you combine complicated recipes with simple ones; a frozen appetizer and homemade sides, or a pre-made dessert with chicken you baked yourself. That kind of combo allows you to balance your time better, and effectively carry out your dinner plan.

OTHER TIPS

Think about your guest list before sending out the invitations. A dinner party is an opportunity for your guests to talk and get to know each other, but that’s hard if you invite people who can’t, don’t, or won’t get along. When you’re planning your guest list, think about whether this group will gel, who knows who already, and whether you’ve invited talkative people to balance out the quieter ones. (A dinner party of introverts who don’t know each other is going to be awkward.)

Prep your space as much as you can ahead of time. If you do a really thorough cleaning of your space on Thursday for a dinner on Saturday, then Saturday afternoon you’ll just have to do some spot-cleaning and set the table. Buy groceries before the day-of, unless you’re cooking with something like fresh-that-day fish or just-baked bread. Do not just be planning a menu the day of the party, that way lies ruin and madness.

Prep as much of the food as you can ahead of time! Chop all vegetables the night before, make your marinades and casseroles, shred your cheeses, etc. and then store them covered in the fridge. Some things will have to wait—salads shouldn’t be tossed until it’s almost time to serve them; freshly-cut fruit bruises and browns pretty quickly; anything with a lot of milk in it will separate and have to be re-mixed in the morning; unless you’re dealing with a very tough piece of steak, you shouldn’t marinate overnight. However, do as much as you can ahead of time. This also helps cut down on mess the night of, because my next piece of advice is to…

Clean as you cook. I know cooking generates a lot of dirty dishes and pans, especially as you get into more complicated recipes. However, at the ideal dinner party, your guests should arrive to a clean and empty sink, where the only dirty dishes are the ones in the oven. The only way to make this happen is to clean as you cook. I always add in a couple hours’ lead-time so that I can have everything in pans and ready to pop into the oven even as I clean up the chaos.

Something will go wrong, just roll with the punches. You will realize an hour before the party that you forgot to get napkins, or burn a side dish, or awkwardly offer a drink to a friend who doesn’t drink. People may butt heads at the party, and require intervention. (I once went to a dinner party where the table broke. The host was mortified, but I have very fond memories of trying to rescue food and dishes from the wreckage. We sat on the floor afterwards, laughing and eating off paper plates.)Something will go wrong, so roll with the punches and don’t let yourself spiral over some little thing. You can use paper towels as napkins and apologize for any faux pas. Pizza delivery was invented for a reason. At the end of the day, the important part is to give your guests a nice night, some food, and conversation---and those will exist even if you’re sitting on the floor, eating off paper plates because the table broke.

[honeysucklepink]

Side Effects May Include (COMPLETE)

Summary: Five times Kurt took Ambien (and the resulting stories his friends tell), and one time he didn’t need to. A Klaine Advent 2018 adventure!

Final chapter! Thanks for reading! Most of this is going under a “Read More” … for reasons.

Also on AO3 (link goes to beginning)

Part 1 (Athlete, Bury, Camera, Deputy): Rachel’s Story

Part 2 (Exclude, Feed, Gradual, House + bonus Candle, Ribbon, Light): Santana’s Story

Part 3 (Incident, Joke, Kidnap, Language + bonus Cinnamon, Star, Eggnog): Sam’s Story

Part 4 (Momentum, Negligence, Orange, Pledge + bonus Festival, Ornament): Mercedes’s Story

Part 5 (Quantity, Realism, Stay, Transaction + bonus Snowman, Paper, Gift, Candy Cane, Turkey, Tree): Blaine’s Story

Part 6 (Understand, Vegetarian, Wire, Yoke + bonus Latkes, Chimney, Mistletoe, Stocking, Wreath, Nutcracker, Solstice, Carol, Gingerbread, Santa): Kurt’s Story (or how he realized he didn’t need the Ambien)

Six months later…

“Kurt? Blaine? Latkes are ready!”

Rachel had finally figured out how to cook a few things without burning down the loft, nearly all of them vegetarian, of course. After a few attempts at latkes that were more like burnt potato pucks, she had been determined to get them right in time for the first night of Hanukkah.

Well, at least she finally got them right under the wire, in time for the last night.

“It looks great, Rachel,” Blaine said, taking a seat at the table as Rachel brought out the bowls of sour cream and applesauce, while flipping an extra light with her elbow. It was already getting darker earlier as they approached the Winter Solstice.

“And the smoke alarm only went off once!” Kurt sat next to his fiance and admired the plate of fried potato goodness Rachel set before them. “Wow, Rach, they actually do look great!”

“And I will have you know they taste just as good, at least the one I bit into just now. Not quite like my dads’s but I followed the Bon Appetit recipe to the letter!”

They all served themselves and tucked in, conversation slowing to murmurs of “oh wow these are good,” and “holy crap I’m impressed” (and maybe an unspoken thought of “I hope she didn’t give us food poisoning”).

Rachel looked across the table and suddenly jumped up, her fork clanging off her plate. “Is that the time? Shoot!” She abruptly left the table and ran to her room.

“Rach, what is it?” Kurt was concerned.

“Rupert is having a holiday party tonight, and I lost track of time! He wanted to have a big get-together before the Boston tryout starts this weekend,” she said, poking her head out of the curtain while pulling her sweater over her head.

“But you went through the trouble of actually making dinner for Hanukkah!” Kurt said.

“He’s not exactly observant...or now that I think about it even Jewish,” her voice softened as she went back behind the curtain.

Moments later Rachel came out of her room in cocktail attire, hopping on one foot as she slipped on her other shoe. “Can you put the food away for me? I’m already dressed and I don’t want to get oil on my clothes; I know you understand, right Kurt? And don’t wait up, from what some of the cast whose worked with him before told me these things can run pretty late. Bye!” And with that she slammed the door of the loft, the wreath they had just hung swinging precariously close to falling off.

With that, Kurt and Blaine decide to finish what was on their plates. They ate in comfortable silence, then got up to clean up and put the leftovers away. Kurt was humming cheerfully under his breath.

“Kurt? Why are you in such a good mood? Normally you’d be pissed you had to clean up after Rachel.”

Kurt smiled. “Because with Rachel out at a cast party that she just said can ‘run pretty late,’ and Sam spending the night at Artie’s dorm for an all-night Call of Duty tournament, we have the loft to ourselves.”

“Oh my God, finally,” Blaine breathed and immediately surged into Kurt’s space for a heated kiss, dishes forgotten.

After several minutes of making out, Kurt was the first to come up for air. “So, what do you wanna do first?”

Blaine smirked. “Well, I know the original plan was to watch Yentl with Rachel, but I know something that will be much more fun to watch.”

***

“I can’t believe we’re watching cheesy Christmas porn,” Kurt mumbled into Blaine’s shoulder. They were sitting on their bed in their underwear, the laptop sitting on their outstretched thighs, logged onto PornHub and clicking on a link for Twas the Night Before XXXmas. It had either been this or a parody of A Christmas Carol, but the giant breasts on the thumbnail for that one were a red flag. As the video began to play, the narration revealed itself to be downright cringeworthy.

Twas the night before Triple X-mas, and all through the frat Not a creature was fucking, not even a gym rat Stockings were hung on their chimneys with care, In hopes that Stud Nicholas soon would be there

“Yeeeaaaah, those aren’t chimneys those stockings are hanging from,” Kurt said.

“True, but they are ‘hung,’ so to speak.”

The pledges cocks’ nestled snug in their bros’ behinds, And visions of go-go boys danced in their minds; While Devon in his harness, and I with my flog, Had just settled in with a lubed up Yule log.

“Why does that Devon guy look familiar?” Kurt asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Blaine said. “But that other one is Angel, I’ve seen him in some stuff. Reminds me of you...but not as hot.”

When out on the lawn, I heard the crash of a truck And I sprang from the bed and yelled “what the fuck?” Away to the door I ran with my nutcracker, Ready to dominate my coming attacker.

“Wow, they are trying to fit in every kind of Christmas pun, aren’t they?” Kurt snarked. The script was both atrocious and somewhat clever, but no one watched this stuff for the script.

A full moon reflected off the new-fallen snow And lit up another “moon” tangled in mistletoe, Face down, ass up, was a figure so amazing, It made my cock harder and got Devon salivating.

When he finally arose and I saw his huge dick, I knew in a moment it must be Stud Nick. The full view of his body; I very nearly came, And then he started to call out my bros by name;

"Yo, Brayden, hey, Cayden, hey, Topher and Brent! Get on Cody and Caleb, and on Dylan and Clint! Get down here this minute, if you want my advice; I’ll yoke you together and see who’s naughty or nice!"

“Plot twist--they’re all naughty. Very, very naughty,” Blaine drawled out to Kurt. But Kurt had stopped listening to the dialogue, which was honestly some of the worst writing he’d ever heard, even for a porn. But his dick...well his dick apparently had no taste. In spite of himself and the awful script he was getting extremely turned on, and his cock was swelling in his briefs. He pressed the heel of his hand to his groin, which apparently did not go unnoticed by Blaine.

“Kurt...is that what I think it is?” Blaine asked in a voice that Kurt knew meant he knew damn well what it was.

“Shut up, like your cock hasn’t been jostling the other side of the laptop.” Kurt picked up the device and moved it over, the beginnings of a Yuletide orgy emanating from its speakers. He crossed his leg over and nestled himself in Blaine’s lap, their cocks rubbing against each other through their briefs. “So, what are you in the mood for tonight?”

“I can’t really decide,” Blaine said, grabbing Kurt’s ass with both hands as Kurt gently rocked against him. “Is it greedy that I want a little of both?”

Kurt’s lips curled up, as he leaned in for a kiss and smiled against Blaine’s mouth. “I think someone has actually been very good this year. You may have landed on the Naughty List last year, but this time you are so on the Nice List. So yes, you can have both...if I get to choose who goes first. And I really wanna fuck you right now.”

“Yes, Santa,” Blaine said, reaching over to get the lube from the nightstand as Kurt put the laptop back on the desk. When he turned around Blaine had already stripped off his underwear, and was on his back with his legs spread. He looked so wanton Kurt thought he’d cum right there. Blaine offered up the lube, a silent ‘I’ll let you do the honors’ unspoken between them.

Kurt warmed the lube between his fingers and then circled Blaine’s hole with them, reveling in Blaine’s little vocalizations...his moans, his sighs, that little hitch and yelp when Kurt hit a particularly sensitive spot. His cock practically bounced in delight at those sounds, and soon Kurt’s mouth was watering. He leaned in, his thumbs holding Blaine open, and pressed in his tongue, breathing Blaine in through all five of his senses...tasting him, smelling him, the sight of his beautiful dark cock bobbling above him, the feel of his hole fluttering around his tongue, the sound of Blaine calling Kurt’s name, begging for him to fuck him already.

Kurt rose to his knees and lubed up his cock, then began to press into the tight heat of Blaine, assisted with lube and his own saliva. About midway in, he heard: “yeah, baby, shove that yule log up my chimney.”

Kurt stopped, to Blaine’s vocal protest. “What the fuck was that? Please tell me that was the video.”

“Um, yes?” Blaine said, his voice betraying his desperate need. Kurt quirked an eyebrow. “Okay, no. It was an improvisation?”

“Let’s leave the Christmas puns to the professionals,” Kurt said, feigning a semblance of control, as Blaine squeezed around his cock. “I just want to fuck my fiance’s brains out.” With that he plunged the last few inches into Blaine, drawing out a gasp followed by a long, guttural moan.

“Uh, God, move,” Blaine said, pushing at Kurt’s ass with the heels of his feet as his legs were wrapped around him. “I just wanna feel you for days after this.” Kurt rocked into him slowly at first, then steadily picked up speed as the pressure began to build deep down in his groin. They fucked like this for a good while, Blaine pulling at the sheets and at Kurt until he was brushing that spot deep inside him, more and more the sparks became flames, until--”oh God...oh God...K-Kuuuuuuurt! Ahhhhhh…” Blaine was cumming hard, jerking beneath Kurt as spurts of white shot across his belly and his ass clutched Kurt’s cock like a vise.

“Oh my God, Blaine!” Kurt shouted, as Blaine’s grip pulled his orgasm out of him, and he spilled into Blaine, holding tight against him and grinding into him until he was completely spent. He slipped out, smiling at the little bit of cum dribbling out of Blaine’s hole for a moment, before going to get a wet washcloth to clean them both up. The video had long ended and something called “Fisty the Snowman” threatened to cue up, so he closed the laptop.

When he came back he expected to find Blaine sleeping, but instead was surprised to see Blaine lazily stroking his cock to hardness again. “Blaine, already?”

“I told you I was greedy, Kurt,” he said, crooking his finger in a come hither gesture with his unoccupied hand. “Now come over here, it’s your turn.”

***

The next morning, Kurt woke up, feeling sore in all the right places but also refreshed, like it was the best, deepest, most solid sleep he had gotten in ages, since even high school. He looked over to his nightstand at the clock and realized he had slept exactly eight hours.

Blaine snuffled next to him and turned over, his eyes blinking open. “Good morning.”

“Good morning sleepyhead,” Kurt smiled, kissing Blaine on the forehead. “Want coffee?”

“We always want coffee,” Blaine said, starting to get up.

“No, you stay, I’ll make it. Funny enough though, I don’t feel like I need it this morning.”

Blaine sat up at that. “Kurt Hummel, not needing coffee? I am in the right universe, right?”

“Yes, you are,” Kurt smiled. “I’m gonna go make your coffee and then get dressed, I have a quick errand to run.”

And after he showered, and dressed, and kissed coffee-flavored lips with a whispered “See you later, love you,” he picked up the rest of the Ambien that had been gathering dust in the bathroom. He then walked down to Duane Reade to drop it in the “Safe Medication Disposal” kiosk, picking up a box of gingerbread cronuts for Blaine on the way back.

Kurt didn’t need the Ambien anymore. Having Blaine back in his arms and his bed was all he needed for a restful sleep.

[lovecharlottedupont]

DRESS belted blue midi dress (wearing size XS) // WEDGES white espadrille wedges (higher heel linked here) // EARRINGS white bridesmaid earrings // BAG straw crossbody bag (old Forever21, similar linked)

Dinner parties are one of my favorite ways to spend an evening. I love everything about them, including the planning, and I pay attention when I go to great parties so that I can improve my own. Once I was at a party with indoor and outdoor seating, and everywhere were these huge trays of minimeals—noodles and vegetables, salads, steak cut super thin. Everything was delicious. And it all felt informal and easy. Everyone was relaxed and happy, flitting around trying all these delicious foods and then lounging, chatting happily with their new friends. I took notes!

Of course, the first step to having your own party is to figure out who to invite. It’s key to get a nice, enlivening mix of folks. I always have to fight the temptation to reinvite the same gang who made for the last fun party. I’ll think, ‘That mix worked great, and it was a Friday night . . . I know, I’ll have the same people over again on another Friday!’

But you can’t have the same party twice. It’s never the same. Plus, unexpected surprises are part of the fun of hosting. You can’t rehash the same party theme or compare this year’s Christmas party to those of years past. You have to think of each new party as an opportunity to make new memories.

I tend to invite people who have something in common or know some of the same people, and I try to have a good mix of single friends and couples. Always invite at least one single friend! It makes conversation more lively. You also need a ringer or two, people who really know how to make things fun. I have a couple of friends who are my go-to guests, great people to keep the party hopping, like my friend Howell. Howell is from Nashville and can talk to anybody about anything for at least three hours—and have the best time doing it. I call him my all-purpose guest. He can chat just as delightfully with a five-year-old as an eighty-five-year-old.

When it comes to invites, I check people’s availability at least two weeks in advance, because people are really busy nowadays. When I get a time when everybody can come—and I usually go for a Saturday night, because people tend to be too tired on Friday after working all week—then I try to get everyone to confirm.

Now, this is my little public service announcement: If you get invited to something, it’s incumbent upon you to RSVP as soon as possible. A quick “no” is better than a long “maybe.” People go to a lot of trouble to plan a party, and it’s a big deal to open your home. What’s more, it’s essential to show up if you say you will. I have a busy life, but I still don’t cancel unless it’s a superduper emergency—I’m talking a hospital-visit, in-the-newspapers-the-next-day emergency. Being tired just isn’t a good enough excuse. C’mon! Make an effort!

One trick I use to determine whether or not to say yes to an invite is: Would I want to go right then and there? If the party were that second, would I get dressed and rush out of the house to go to the party? If the answer is yes, I probably do want to go, but if the answer is no, I don’t accept the invitation.

Once I know who’s coming to dinner, I start to think about food on the Wednesday before a Saturday party. I do shopping and prepping on Friday. I’ll get fresh produce, some good bread, almonds, and olives, and I’ll prep as much as I can. In my experience, it’s particularly nice to prepare a special meal in honor of someone—such as gumbo for a person from New Orleans or catfish for a friend from South Carolina.

A lot of people have moral or religious or health-based dietary restrictions, and a lot of people are just plain picky. That’s why I always include at least two dishes that are vegetarian, so no one feels left out and we don’t have to make a big deal out of it. They can just skip the meat and have the salad and vegetables, and no one even notices. In addition, I usually send out an email the night before, asking about allergies. That way, when I’m cooking I can keep the nuts or shellfish or whatever it is separate from everything else if need be.

Early on the day of the party, I’ll set the table, with the glasses and everything, because I hate stressing at the last minute about things I can do anytime.

Cooking a big meal is all about the timing. I will look at everything I’m cooking and figure it out like a math problem, what needs to go in the oven when. If you’re cooking or roasting chickens or potatoes, you know it will take a while. Start that bird first!

I often buy dessert, because making a cake in addition to a whole dinner is pretty intense, and I feel it doesn’t usually add so much. I’ll buy a cake, or I’ll just make something really simple, with store-bought ingredients.

When people arrive, the first thing I do is make sure they have a drink. You have to be mindful if someone doesn’t drink alcohol and have soda or seltzer for him or her. I usually have a nonalcoholic option like club soda with fresh-squeezed juice and a fun garnish such as lavender sprigs or fresh mint. A fake cocktail can be delicious and festive, and it’s more cheerful than a glass of water or a can of Coke.

For the drinkers, I always have red and white wine available, and a full bar. These days, it seems that the most popular liquors are vodka and tequila, so I make sure I’m stocked with those at the very least.

I make sure there’s something for people to snack on as soon as they arrive, because I’ve found most people show up really hungry at the 7 p.m. start time. You don’t want them all twitchy waiting for dinner to be served. I always set out cheese and bread, olives, hummus and crudités, or rice crackers - I love rice crackers.

At eight, once everyone’s had some drinks and snacks and settled in, I announce dinner, and we go sit at the table. I’m very proud of my dinner bell. It’s a pretty brass one I found at a thrift store ages ago.

Dorothea’s Seven Hostess Tips

My grandmother loved throwing dinner parties, and she was amazing at it. When I throw parties, I try to emulate her style. Here are some of the things she did that I try to do, too.

1. Invite people of different ages and backgrounds to make conversation more interesting.

2. Send invites (or save-the-dates) at least two weeks in advance.

3. Do as much in advance as possible (setting the table, prepping the food).

4. Decorate with fresh flowers and unscented candles.

5. Have a fully stocked bar, as well as lots of ice and sweet tea, and both red and white wine for cocktail hour and dinner. Keep everyone’s glasses full.

6. Serve dinner about one hour after the start time on the invitation.

7. Put on Louis Prima or Ella Fitzgerald and let the party begin!

Dinner parties usually follow a predictable arc. As everyone eats and talks and drinks, they get more enthusiastic and louder. Then people start getting tired, and usually the whole thing is wrapped up by 11:30 p.m. or midnight.

Ideally, that is. I’ve found that sometimes it’s hard, especially when it’s a fun party, to get people to know when to call it a night. Once I invited a couple I didn’t know very well over for a brunch party with eight or so people. We had a lovely time. At around 2 p.m., everyone had gone except that one couple. They wanted to swim. Why not? Sure! So they stayed and swam. Then it was late afternoon, and they asked, “Do you have anything we can eat?”

Bold move, but not problem. I put out snacks. Snacks turned into dinner. Dinner turned into after-dinner drinks. I began to think ‘What do I do?’ They were very nice. But I started to think, These people are never going to leave. Maybe they just live with me now.’

It had been a really fun day. But I hadn’t planned on those last several hours. I had to make dinner out of nothing. Fortunately, I found some chicken and sausages and vegetables in the fridge and roasted all that together the way a girlfriend taught me. You end up with a lot of food, and you can just serve a salad with it.

Dorothea’s Seven Guest Tips

1. RSVP promptly. Everyone’s time is valuable, and it’s no joke to organize a party.

2. When in doubt about how fancy it is, dress up. Better overdressed than underdressed!

3. Bring something. You can’t go wrong with a bottle of wine.

4. Introduce yourself to everyone you meet—first and last name, please—even if you think they should know you already. And try to talk to everyone, especially anyone who seems a little lost or left out.

5. Offer to help the hosts carry trays, set out water, clear, or whatever else needs doing. Even if she says no, it’s nice to offer.

6. Leave at a reasonable hour. Never be the last person to leave a party. This is hard for southern ladies, because we’re taught to shake everyone’s hand and wish them a warm goodbye and thank them for the delicious meal and say how fun it was to see them and so on and so forth . . . It’s like the opposite of what they call an Irish goodbye or French exit. A proper southern goodbye can take hours.

7. To show you appreciate the hospitality, send a quick, genuine thank-you the next day—by phone, email, or, even better, handwritten note—and offer to reciprocate!

Happy Dining! Love, Charlotte

[omgkatsudonplease]

How about Michael Jackson's Thriller for Victor and Yuuri?

ohohooo hoohOHOhhohOHO who wants an izombie au? no one? cool, more zombies for me 👈😎👈 warning for some light gore, ofc

Yuuri isn’t exactly sure what he’d expected from his new roommate. Viktor Nikiforov is pale, a bit gaunt, with silver hair cut into a fringe across one of his eyes, both of which are very heavily shadowed as if he either had recently escaped from a dark basement with no food, or he’s just exceedingly into the goth aesthetic. 

He also has a residency at the local morgue, so the goth theory is probably very likely.

Despite the fact that they’re living together in the same apartment, Viktor very rarely seems to be around, and whenever he is, Yuuri rarely ever sees the man eat. He knows Viktor eats – he can hear him rummaging through the fridge at night when he’s cooped up in his own room FaceTiming Phichit to make sure he and Seung-gil are handling his move-in well. He tells Phichit about it, and Phichit laughs, saying that sometimes people don’t like to be looked at when they eat. 

Yuuri doesn’t blame his new roommate too much. Viktor seems to be having a rough time of it, considering how much he had emphasised his nonexistent social life when Yuuri had been interviewing him. Apparently he’d gone to exactly one party in this past year, and given that said party had been the Lake Paulsen Massacre, Yuuri is pretty sure the guy just has a severe case of post-traumatic stress or something.

Still, there’s something that Viktor’s hiding. Yuuri knows he shouldn’t pry, shouldn’t keep tabs on Viktor’s behaviours whenever he’s in the room, but it’s far too much of a curiosity for him to bear. Viktor seems to have a strong fondness for hot sauce, given all the new bottles of it that pop up. He also keeps a separate set of pots and pans, and sometimes the flat smells like heavily-sprayed Febreze when Yuuri returns to it. Under the Febreze there’s a distinct strong odour. Yuuri isn’t sure if he wants to know. Maybe Viktor just has a fondness for pungent food or something.

He’s determined to get to the bottom of this, though, if only for his own peace of mind. So one night, he broaches the suggestion to cook for Viktor.

“I know how to make pork cutlet bowls, if you’d like,” he says.

Viktor blinks at him from where he’s seated in front of the TV. “What’s that?”

“Breaded pork cutlet and rice?” asks Yuuri, frowning slightly. “It’s my favourite comfort food, and you look like you could do with some.”

“Oh.” Viktor nods. “I’m sorry, Yuuri, I have special dietary needs.”

“You’re a vegetarian?” asks Yuuri.

Viktor snorts at that, but then catches himself. “No,” he says. “It’s something else. Don’t worry about it, Yuuri, I can cook for myself.”

“I just wanted…” Yuuri trails off, feeling his cheeks flare. “I’m sorry if I come off as a bother. I just wanted us to get to know each other better.”

“You’re not a bother.” Viktor’s eyes are soft, gentle, slightly regretful. “I’d love to get to know you better, but maybe just not while cooking.”

Yuuri laughs at that, but he drops the subject. 

The thing is, Viktor is strange sometimes, and that’s even factoring in all the strangeness from before with his special diet (apparently replete with hot sauce) and his odd hours of eating. Sometimes he’s friendlier, sometimes he’s surlier. Sometimes he’s more outgoing, sometimes he’s reserved. Yuuri can’t seem to pin him down precisely, especially when Viktor pauses, and stares off into the distance for a moment before returning to earth, as if he’d suddenly had an epiphany of some kind and won’t tell anyone about it. 

Yuuri’s curiosity is rewarded, though, one night when he returns late from his shift at the Cherry Flip, his and Phichit’s small bakery. It’d been unplanned – there’d been a body discovered in the dumpster out back, and the police had closed down shop in order to take everyone in for questioning. Yuuri had stayed to make sure everything was all right and the police had all the answers (namely, that neither he nor Phichit knew how that body happened to end up in their dumpster), and so it’s past his usual dinnertime when he walks into his apartment and into the sight of Viktor Nikiforov biting into a piece of brain at the kitchen island.

“Viktor?” Yuuri asks, and Viktor looks up, face even paler than Yuuri remembers as he shifts to obscure his dinner from view. Slowly, Yuuri steps back out of the apartment, trying to blink away the image of the brain – at least, it looks very undeniably like one, albeit diced and seasoned – speared on Viktor’s fork from his mind’s eye. 

And then he opens the apartment door again and steps inside once more.

The kitchen island is now clean, obviously devoid of anything vaguely brain-like or food-like. Viktor is washing his hands at the sink, and when he smiles at Yuuri, it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. 

Yuuri focuses on the plate depicting a rooster right above Viktor’s shoulder. “So, uh, did you get that from work?” he asks.

The faucet stops abruptly. “What?” asks Viktor.

“The brain,” says Yuuri. “I saw you eating a brain, right?”

Viktor looks distinctly uncomfortable. “Maybe?” he hedges. 

“Maybe I’m just hallucinating,” says Yuuri, shaking his head as he tries to piece together the new crime scene in his kitchen. Besides the bowl and fork sitting by the sink and the bottle of hot sauce on the counter, nothing in the kitchen seems to indicate that Viktor had been eating anything at all. “But I’m pretty sure I saw you eating a brain.”

“It was… it was a pig brain,” says Viktor, though something about his voice tells Yuuri that he doesn’t believe his own story at all. 

“No wonder you have your own pots and pans,” says Yuuri, hesitantly crossing over to the fridge to grab a bottle of wine. “Do you usually eat at this hour?”

“You’re usually asleep by now,” says Viktor.

“And there’s something about pig brain that requires all this secrecy?” wonders Yuuri. “I’m… I’m not judging, I swear. I want to be a good roommate, even if it means putting up with my roommate’s weird dietary habits.”

Viktor opens his mouth, as if to point out that Yuuri calling his diet ‘weird’ is a judgement in and of itself, but then he clearly thinks better of it and closes his mouth. Yuuri goes to pour himself a glass of wine, offering Viktor a glass as well.

Viktor takes it with a wary expression. Yuuri sits down at the counter, noticing that it vaguely smells of bleach. 

“Are you usually this meticulous about clean-up?” he asks.

“Definitely,” says Viktor quickly. “I’m not going to be a bother, I swear. If you want me to leave –”

“No,” Yuuri says, to his own surprise. “And I know you said you wanted to room with me because I keep to myself and don’t ask questions, but… I think I’d appreciate a bit of forewarning about a zombie flatmate, you know?”

“Who said anything about zombies?” asks Viktor, clearly feigning innocence. Yuuri swallows. Maybe he’d gone a bit too far. Maybe ‘zombie’ isn’t exactly the politically correct term – maybe Viktor preferred ‘undead’ or ‘person of undeath’ or something. 

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It’s just that… you’re one of the victims of the Lake Paulsen Massacre, and my friend Phichit’s mortician boyfriend was the medical examiner that day and he’d noticed that some of the bodies had significant amounts of missing brain tissue, and… well. I don’t know if that’s pig brain or not, but I can make some guesses.”

Viktor worries at his lip, before taking a swig of his wine. “You got me,” he says after a moment, hanging his head so that his sunken eyes are hidden behind his curtain of silver hair. “I’m a zombie.”

Yuuri peers at him curiously, casting his existing knowledge of Viktor Nikiforov in a new light. “I’m… honestly surprised it took me this long to figure it out,” he admits. “You kinda look the part.”

Viktor laughs a little harshly. “Thanks,” he intones drily. “I swear I was a lot hotter when I was alive.”

“I didn’t – I didn’t mean that,” blusters Yuuri, feeling his cheeks heat up. “I just meant you look gothic and you have a job at a morgue. But I probably would’ve guessed vampire before zombie, then.”

“I think I’d rather be a vampire,” laments Viktor, taking a pointed sip of wine as he does so. “Much sexier. The hottest zombies have ever gotten are, like, as backup dancers for Michael Jackson.”

Yuuri laughs at that. “So the… brains thing?”

“I have to,” says Viktor. “Otherwise I get more… well, feral. You don’t want to see that. I don’t want to see that, at least ever again.”

“Ah.” Yuuri nods. “I’ll take your word for it. And the hot sauce?”

“I can’t eat anything without at least six chili peppers next to it on the menu.” Viktor drums his fingers against the counter. “And you’re… you’re fine with all of this, Yuuri? Like I said, I could move out –”

“No!” Yuuri shakes his head. “You can’t find anything in this city on such short notice, and since you already have your own kitchenware, I really don’t mind. Just, you know. Disinfect everything.”

Viktor chuckles. “Yeah, I know,” he says. 

Yuuri hums, before taking a sip of his wine. “Okay… and how did you get turned?” 

“The massacre,” replies Viktor. “I got scratched.”

“Oh,” says Yuuri simply. Viktor nods, and Yuuri heads back to the fridge to grab himself a slice of quiche he’d saved from the bakery.

He turns with the box of quiche, intending to set it on the counter, but suddenly Viktor goes very still, his gaze becoming unfocused. Yuuri recognises it – sometimes Viktor had done that in the past. Slowly, he puts the box down and waves a hand in front of Viktor’s face.

“Hello?” he asks. 

Viktor jerks himself out of his trance, his blue eyes wide and sparkling. “Oh my god,” he says. “I have to tell Yurio about this.”

“Yurio?” asks Yuuri.

“Detective Plisetsky,” says Viktor, already halfway across the living room in his scramble for the hall closet and the brown coat contained inside. “There was a case this morning, something about a Jane Doe found in a bakery dumpster. She was a customer at the Cherry Flip.”

“Oh my god.” Yuuri gasps. “You were eating her brain.”

“Yeah, when I eat one I get the person’s memories and stuff. It’s really weird.” Viktor’s smile is now reaching his eyes as he swings on his coat. “Yurio’s going to love this, I swear.” And then he’s gone, the door to the apartment slamming shut behind him, and Yuuri is left in a dim kitchen with one and a half glasses of wine for company.

He downs his glass, and sighs. Maybe he should get himself another one.

[topfygad]

The Best Foods To Eat In Montreal In 2019 (And The Best Montreal Restaurants To Eat Them At)

From bagels fresh from the oven, to warming pho and poutine with a twist, find out the best foods to eat in Montreal, and the restaurants to add to your hit list.

Oh look – I’ve been eating my way around another destination. It’s become quite the habit of mine! It’s all in the name of research though, so I can pass on some top tips to you guys, and encourage you to go on your own culinary adventures.

When it comes to food, Montreal has a reputation for being one of the best cities in Canada. There’s the fabulous mix of French and Canadian cuisine, plus plenty of multicultural dynamics, with Vietnamese, Mexican and Middle Eastern restaurants all making their mark.

There are stylish Montreal restaurants with Instagrammable décor,  food markets to buy Quebecois ingredients, plus places deserving of several Michelin stars, if the rating system was present in Canada.

Old Montreal

Montreal is a city that takes eating out seriously. In fact, after New York, it has more restaurants per capita than any other city in North America. It’s a city I’d 100% recommend you eat your way around, sampling a little bit of everything along your journey. So, take a look at the video, then scroll down to see a few of the best foods to eat in Montreal right now! 

The Best Bagels In Montreal – Fairmount Bagel At Crew Collective

Firstly, Crew Collective is an incredible place to stop for a coffee and a bite to eat. Housed in an old bank, you’ll find the counter area located where the tellers once were. The building is full of opulence, with high ceilings and grand staircases. It’s part café / part workspace too (hello dream freelance office!)

Crew Collective, Montreal

Secondly, Crew Collective serves up great coffee and bagels. I went for the Fairmount bagel, which was served with smoked sockeye salmon, cream cheese, capers, pickled shallots and fresh herbs. Photogenic and tasty, Crew Collective was a great place to soak up the relaxed Montreal vibes too. 

Fairmount Bagel at Crew Collective, Montreal

The Best Pho In Montreal – I Am Pho

There’s a huge Vietnamese population in Montreal. In fact, a lot of the restaurants in Chinatown are actually run by Vietnamese people. It’s a cuisine I absolutely adore. It’s so fresh and flavoursome, with its mix of raw and cooked ingredients, and kicks of chilli and lime.

After a day of snowy adventures on Mount Royal, we headed back to downtown in search of a warming bowl of pho. I Am Pho had excellent reviews, and we couldn’t wait to try it out. After some tasty summer rolls, we both enjoyed a huge bowl of beef pho, which came with all the extras, including lime, beansprouts and fresh lime and basil. It was more than either of us could manage, but it certainly revived us after our busy morning playing in the snow.

Pho at I Am Pho, Montreal

The Best Wine Bar In Montreal – Pullman

A few locals recommended we check out Pullman – a Montreal wine bar, which takes its food just as seriously. It’s a cosy spot, lit by a few flickering candles. There’s an enormous wine list, which at first was overwhelming to flick through, but thankfully the staff were happy to guide us to a bottle that suited our mood and palette.

The food was great too. They serve a menu of small plates, perfect for sharing, with local ingredients like Quebec cheese, and tasty combinations like beets with buttermilk and herbs. Our favourite dishes were the tuna tiradito, venison tartare, and the local cheese board.

Top Tip: If you’d love to try some great wines but often feel restricted by budgets, visit Pullman on a Sunday. The entire wine list is half price, so you can try some bottles that might otherwise have been out of your price range.

Walking by the clock tower in Montreal

The Best Smoked Meat Sandwich In Montreal – Main Deli  

Did you even go to Montreal if you didn’t try a smoked meat sandwich?! This is one of the city’s most iconic foods, and one you should definitely try on your first trip to the city. Montreal smoked meat is made from brisket, then layered up and stuffed between two slices of rye bread with a squirt of yellow mustard for extra flavour.

While everyone will tell you to go to Schwartz’s Deli on Saint-Laurent Boulevard (sometimes there’s a queue out of the door!) we’d had it on good authority that the sandwich at Main Deli opposite was better. It’s not a refined or pretty dish, but that meat sure is tasty.

Smoked meat sandwich at Main Deli, Montreal

The Best Peruvian Food In Montreal – Tiradito

Located close to Place d’Armes, Tiradito is a great spot for times when you fancy a cocktail and a bite to eat in a buzzy environment. It’s a trendy spot, with red neon lights and a young professional clientele.

The passion fruit sour (a twist on the Peruvian pisco sour) was absolutely delicious – sweet, tangy and oh so boozy! Meanwhile, the food was colourful and elegantly presented too. The tuna tiradito was a huge triumph, along with the crab tostadas. I could have happily eaten my way through the entire menu!

Toastadas at Tiradito, Montreal

Cocktails at Tiradito, Montreal

The Best Restaurant With A View Of Montreal – Les Enfants Terribles

We visited Les Enfants Terribles on our final evening in Montreal, and it felt like the perfect spot to reflect on our time in the city. They have a few restaurants around the city, but the star of the show is their 44th floor venue in Place Ville Marie. It’s one of the tallest buildings in the city, and THE place to enjoy lunch or dinner with a view of the city.

In London, restaurants with views as good as this one would come with an enormous price tag. However, the food and drinks at Les Enfants Terribles are surprisingly reasonable, for example mains are between £10-£15. Food was good, although I think this is somewhere you come more to enjoy the experience and the twinkly city lights than anything else!

Dinner at Les Enfants Terribles, Montreal

The Best Value Steak Frites In Montreal – Brasserie T  

Have you heard of Toque! –  one of the best restaurants in Montreal? Well, Brasserie T is its less formal sister restaurant. The ethos is the same though, so expect great ingredients and chefs who know how to really work some magic in the kitchen.

We enjoyed salmon tartare and steak frites, washed down with some delicious red wine. I thought the steak was excellent; juicy, medium rare as requested and served alongside a mountain of perfectly cooked chips. The restaurant was a nice weekend spot, with the buzz of a Parisian brasserie!

Brasserie T, Montreal

Steak frites at Brasserie T, Montreal

The Best Trendy Bar In Montreal – Bar Furco

After dinner one night we were looking for somewhere to go for a drink. Someone recommend we check out Bar Furco, a local bar, housed in a former fur factory. Along with all the usual drinks, Furco has an interesting cocktail list, plus craft beers and organic wines.

We visited on a Saturday night, and I couldn’t help but enjoy the eclectic crowd, which included students in their early 20s, couples in their 50s, and a few big groups of girls in their 30s. There was also a DJ spinning some tunes, creating a bit of a party vibe to welcome in the weekend.

Bar Furco, Montreal

READ MORE: Top Things To Do In Montreal In Winter

The Best Vegan Food In Montreal – LOV 

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, this is one of the best places to eat in Montreal! While most restaurants in Montreal cater for both, LOV was the only place we visited that was dedicated to the cuisine.

We visited the branch in Golden Square Mile, which is beautifully stylish with giant lampshades hanging from the ceiling and plush booths in green and white stripes. The ladies toilets even had a mini urban garden, with a plant growing out of an unused toilet!

The menu at LOV is great fun too, with lots of choice including pasta, tacos, pho, salads, burgers, banh mi and even a vegan poutine. Is it the best poutine in Montreal? Nope, but it’s not far off! Well, when in Quebec…!

Vegan poutine at LOV, Montreal

LOV, Montreal

The Best Poke In Montreal – Le Poke Bar

We rocked up at Le Poke Bar after an intense travel day. Long haul flight + 5 hour time difference + a packed day in the city… we were tired, had eaten lots of carbs and were craving something healthy and delicious.

We were so happy to stumble upon Le Poke Bar. They have several poke bowls on the menu, or you can build your own (as we did). We enjoyed a salmon, kale, edamame and rice creation, which was super fresh and tasty. It was massive too, so if you’re visiting as a couple, I’d recommend ordering one to share. 

Le Poke Bar

The Best Coffee In Montreal – Nous Sommes Café

This is a tough category to judge based on my experiences in the city, as other than a watery Tim Hortons when we were in a hurry, we had a lot of excellent coffee in Montreal.

My favourites were at Pigeon, L’Editeur and Nous Sommes Café. The latter is run by a lovely guy from South Korea, and located in the colourful Plateau neighbourhood. The coffee was great, décor was simple and the metallic cups were next level cool – just check out those reflections! 

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                        A post shared by NOUS SOMMES CAFE (@noussommes.cafe) on Nov 16, 2018 at 5:17pm PST

The Best Burger In Montreal – Verses Bistro

After a morning at Bota Bota (Montreal’s spa boat) we were ravenous and in need of big feed! Verses Bistro is a charming spot in Old Montreal, serving up a reasonably priced and varied menu.

The burgers were excellent, stuffed with bacon, brie, pickles and salad. Plus the portion was enormous – I mean, I actually had to admit defeat (which is very rare!)

Burger at Verses Bistro, Montreal

The Best Restaurants In Montreal… to be continued!

And finally – while I feel like I ate my way around Montreal, there are plenty of restaurants I’d book a flight back to try! It’s a city made for food lovers, so if you get the chance, try these and let me know how they are…

Pastel – Innovative tasting menus from top chef Jason Morris.

Europea – A Theatrical culinary odyssey that you’ll never forget (think Heston Blumenthal, but Canadian!)

Monarque – Seasonal ingredients, interesting menus and a great space, complete with a view of the kitchen.

Un Po’ di Più – Exceptional Italian food in a relaxed setting in Montreal’s old town.

Toque! – No.2 on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants 2018, Toque! takes fine dining to the next level.

Elena – Sleek Italian serving some of the best pizzas in Montreal.

Dinette Triple Crown – Authentic Southern BBQ. They’ll even pack your food into a picnic basket so you can take it to the park!

Macro – One of the best seafood restaurants in Montreal.

Le Blueboy – Playful ice creams for the biggest kid you know. 

Finally, if you want to learn more about the city’s cuisine, I’d recommend taking a Montreal food tour. We really enjoyed the one we did with Local Montreal Food Tours, which introduced us to some great restaurants in Montreal Old Town.

I hope you’ve enjoyed eating your way (virtually) around Montreal with me! Big thanks to Destination Canada, Quebec Original and Tourisme Montreal for inviting us to explore this beautiful city. Lots of great info on their sites if you want to find out more. As always, all opinions are my own.

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[hannawilliamson]

Lifest - Party with a Purpose (2019)

On Black Friday 2018 as the deals rolled in I snagged up two tickets to Lifest 2019 at 50% off. Another year I would find myself in the crowds listening to Christian music on various stages in the summer sun, with nights of concert headliners. Sydney from church decided to tag along this year and I couldn’t be more excited. Since solidifying my faith in college, it has not wavered. I started attending church in October 2017 at Central Christian in Beloit, WI. It wasn’t until May 2019 that I had a shift. I questioned if my lack of attendance was in relation to a friend’s passing, but I didn’t doubt my God or His love. Unclear for the reasons behind my drastic lack of attendance in the month of May, June and July I was hesitant heading into a Christ filled weekend. I dove into prayer asking for a weekend of rejuvenation, a flame to return full into my faith and connection with others in Christ. 

Day 1: Thursday July 11, 2019 

Sydney and I departed around 12:30PM for a weekend away in Neenah, WI. It was quite a travel, which provided a good opportunity for us to catch up on the changes of life over the last several months apart. We arrived to our AirBnB in the mid afternoon to find the air conditioning cranked, which provided some reassurance for a hot weekend ahead. It was a quaint older home, simple in many ways with it’s own quirks here and there. We claimed our personal bedrooms and headed to the store for some supplies. 

One of my favorite things about Sydney is her love for food, alternative options and basic cooking methods. Sydney has been vegan for the last several years of her life. I was raised in a home where it isn’t a meal with some sort of meat on the table. Each time I am with Sydney I soak up information about alternative meal options, food benefits and the health behind what we take into our bodies. I was lucky enough to go grocery shopping with Sydney for the first time. We went through the aisles that are unusual for me, filled with organic, vegetarian and vegan options. I love to see and try these options, and typically end up incorporating pieces of the meal into my own life. When we returned home Sydney whipped up a great meal of  homegrown lettuce salad, baked potato and Boca Spicy Chik’n Veggie Patties. Can you tell that I am a huge foodie?

After filling out stomachs we got around and headed to Lifest in Oshkosh, WI. One of my favorite things about Lifest is the organization of the parking, golf cart transportation, police officer supervision of the cross street and the entry process. We arrived first at the Cafe stage direct to the main entrance. We met up with my friend Sarah and her son Carter to finish off the HappyFunTime comedy show. As they grabbed some dinner we couldn’t resist the dough shoppe. Sydney tried the Vegan Chocolate Chip and I had the Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate. Oh how thankful I am for the invention of raw cookie dough as a treat. 

We headed over to the Grandstand to catch the last half of Kari Jobe singing. It was wonderful to see her in person with her husband alongside sharing some of his own songs. Soon after For King & Country came onto the stage. I first saw them last year at Lifest 2018. For King & Country is a group of truly incredible performers with a great message to their audience. A music group that I would pay to see in concert each and every year (that’s a lot coming from a girl who isn’t crazy about loud music & crowds). We spent the entire concert standing up by the stage, which lead to a swollen knee on my end and very tired feet. Upon arrival at home we recognized the television wasn’t working, a late night as is we both headed to bed. 

Day 2: Friday July 12, 2019

We woke up to have a good ol’ bowl of peanut butter cereal and chai tea lattes. A vegan breakfast that again, I ended up loving. 

Once finished we headed out for the day, with the destination of a local coffee shop. Easily distracted we walked ourselves through a local natural product shop and reused bookstore to finally arrive at Timshel Cafe. (Timshel: http://timshelcafe.com/menu-1) Sydney ordered the Vegan Sunrise Wrap and Vegan Chili. I selected the half/half Pesto Chicken Sandwich and Harvest Salad. We chatted, munched and spent some time in our own worlds. Sydney chose to read out of her bible and work on a study, while I worked on my business of Lemongrass Spa. After a few hours out we returning home in the late afternoon for a nap before a long night ahead. While some may say “lazy”, we call it  “relaxed!” 

As we headed into Lifest we grabbed some french fries and headed to find seats for an evening of listening to Casting Crowns. Not one to recognize a song by the artists name I was pleased to see how many songs I did know the words to. Sitting in the back on the bleachers gave us the time to witness families of all ages gathered together for a weekend of God, music and family. It is a beautiful thing to watch the gaps between generations come together in the name of Jesus. As the day came to an end we spent some time with a glass of wine at home before crawling into our beds.

Day 3: Saturday July 13, 2019

Sydney Snapchat Saturday! I woke up to snaps of Sydney's face encouraging me to wake up for the farmers market. It doesn’t take much besides the word “market” to get me up, her face and farmers were a bonus though. We got around for the day before heading out to the local market. Walking up I was impressed it was more than five stand, a little disappointed with the repetitive selection. Please understand our standards are high when it comes to farmers markets as we are spoiled by living in/near Beloit, WI where we have one of the best in the state. We did stop and enjoy some Honey Land Juice Co pressed juices. Sydney tried Mean Green (apple, cucumber, kale, celery, lemon and ginger). I picked Sweet Green (apple, pineapple, cucumber and mint). There on the side of each bottle was a subtle bible verse, adding just a touch more love into our days. 

Straight off to Lifest we went. Upon our arrival we toured around the stages and went through the inside building to tour the various stands of Christian schools, organizations and products. Sydney and I spent some time at a picnic table again enjoying some friends together. We weren’t thrilled with any music going on and decided to head home for some rest before another big night. On our way out my not so hungry self couldn’t resist from bakery treats. I picked up some cream puffs in order to help Sydney live vicariously through my not so vegan choices. It was a good choice indeed! 

After a nap at home, Sydney again cooked an amazing dinner. Today it was her Papa’s famous wine pasta. Sydney added tofu to hers, and my not so adventurous self returned to my Boca Spicy Chik’n Veggie Patties to mix in.  We spent the late afternoon eating, watching television and chatting. During our time at home I received several messages from an old friend from home, talking about life and plans to catch up. She mentioned her love for watching my faith journey and interested in attending a church service in the future. I kept saying in my head, “God I hear you, thank you for listening to my prayer to call me home”.

Photo: Sydney called her Papa to make sure she had the right steps for the recipe.  

Eventually we got ourselves around and headed on back to Lifest. As we approached the Cafe stage Sydney encouraged that we stay to watch Jamie Kimmett singing.  I was surprised I recognized a song, and pleased to find a new artist with a transparent passion in their music. As I silenced myself to my surroundings and honed my listening into his music I got goosebumps as you can feel his love for Christ and passion to share that with others. (His Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXi_fTB0BBU). 

After deciding comfort was the way to go we returned home for a quick change of clothes. Sydney made herself a chai tea latte in a coffee mug for on the go. As we got into the car I questioned her driving and drinking out of a mug, with not confident reassurance on her end we were off. Please note we arrived in one piece with no chai latte casualties on the way. We returned in time to catch the end half of Danny Gokey at the Grandstand. Never before had either of us have seen him in concert. He’s a common name in Christian music these days, so it was incredible to see his stage presence and reliability. Headliners of the night was the American Christian rock band Skillet. I am not one for rock music but I can tell you these people have a stage presence, there is no doubt about that. It was a night filled with flames, smoke and lights. We returned home for our last night in the area. 

Day 4: Sunday July 14, 2019

A few days prior Sydney and I looked online for a local church similar to our own. After looking at various options, she trusted my opinion in which I selected MillCity Church in Neenah, WI. On Sunday morning we woke up, got dressed, ate quick and checked out of our AirBnB before heading to the morning church service. After a few missed turns we arrived at MillCity Church in Neenah, WI. Upon walking in we recognized it was much smaller than both of us intended, but stayed for the sermon which covered a section out of the Bible. I went in to use the bathroom at a small gas station before we left town, only to be surprised by raccoons in the ceiling. I’ve been in plenty of old farmhouses to recognize the sound but never in a tiled room with the fear of one falling in on me, so I scurried on out before one had the chance. We took a long ride home judging the height of farmer’s corn, discussing the week past and week to come.

It was quite a weekend, filled with a lax game plan for the days, Christian music at night and beautiful sunsets. I returned home with the itch for worship, to be present in God’s house surrounded by people that made me feel at home. I was looking forward to returning to my church the next weekend ahead. 

[thrilla-in-mcgilla]

THE FINAL POST

To everyone who thought that this blog was dead, you were mistaken. Yes, I have risen from the emotional shambles that was moving out of residence, and as I [start to] write this post I will be sleeping in my bed in BDot for the first time of the summer. Essentially, with this post, I’m hoping to hit some of the highlights of the year, but mostly it’s just going to turn into one long [and I mean looooong] sappy post dedicated to all of the friends that I’ve made along the way. So buckle your seatbelt ladies and gents and let me walk you through my first year of university.

One of the things that always gave us something to look forward to was going to Arvind’s concerts. If you remember, Arvind is my friend who is in the music program at McGill, and he plays the flute [most of the time at least]. The first concert of his that we went to was on November 2nd, but we went to many more throughout the year. In second semester, Arvind wasn’t placed in one of the major ensembles, which was very upsetting, but also meant that we got to see him perform in the university chorus, yes that means singing. All of us marked it down in our calendars, and I thankfully captured the song with hand motions on video [Come Sweeeeeeeet Death]. Despite being constantly challenged by his teachers, Arvind definitely pushed through first year and is no doubt on his way to becoming the best flutist at McGill. 

Towards the end of our first semester, we started having frequent game nights, where uno was by far the most popular pick. Through our game nights, many new catchphrases were created, such as: “oh is that not good for you?”, “cAn’t gO?”, “don’t trust Michael, don’t trust Michael [to the tune of frere jacques]”, “eeYEAHHH”, and many more that I’m probably forgetting. This was especially helpful to help us all deal with the stress of final exams, and “uno in 503?” was a question that would often appear in our group chat [503 was Anna and Sayaka’s room number]. I know, I know, really? You guys stayed in to play uno instead of going out to some party? Most of the time, yes. I can’t believe it either.

Soon after first semester was over, the Owl’s Nest realized that our residence’s dining hall was just not going to cut it for the rest of the year, and we started eating at other dining halls much more frequently. Speaking of food, group outings became a defining feature of my friend group, and we would often plan dinners or brunches at our favourite restaurants weeks in advance [so that we could save our money haha]. Universel was definitely our favourite breakfast place, and I’m pretty sure all of us took our parents and friends there whenever they were in town. Fisshu, although we only went twice, was a delicious sushi restaurant, oh my goodness I can taste the maki from here, yum. Moving on to the more classic university experience, late night trips to Tims, or orders from  Chef on Call [their veggie burger gets an A+ from Michael, Sena and I], were probably a little too frequent than we’d like to admit. Yes, that’s right everyone I am still not eating meat, and I’m quite proud of that fact so please try not to eat chicken wings in front of me or I might cry (I won’t eat them though, Michael stop judging me). 

As I mentioned in my last post ions ago, I was a part of Hall Council this year. After the Halloween event, we had many more successes. We hosted two coffee houses [like mini talent shows], a winter formal, another beer pong tournament, a residence wide month long elimination game called Gotcha, a free food event, and a “Flashback to Frosh” event. I’ll insert videos of my friends and I performing at coffee house, I have some talented pals let me tell you! While hall council meetings were almost always a little bit chaotic, and we had our fair share of drama, I wouldn’t give up my experience on it for the world. We had so much fun running events for our peers, and I got to spend so much more time with my friends doing things that we love [i.e. being in charge haha]. Our council advisors said that we were one of the most cohesive councils that they’ve ever worked with, and I think that our ability to work well together really showed. Even though we were a group of almost 30 people, which was challenging at some times, we really made things happen. Between running our own events, and going to the events hosted by other councils, we all had a really good time within the residence community and I’m really thankful for that. 

(Sena helping me set up the photo booth for the winter formal)

(A VERY low quality photo of Sena, Anna, Myself and Emma [wolves], at IRC’s Blackout, Whiteout event)

(Kaya and I tabling for ERC’s sustainable eating initiative)

(Anna and I at the Flashback to Frosh event)

(Emma [wolves], myself and Anna at IRC’s Wine and Cheese night)

(My delicious beverage and I at our final council outing)

(The entirety of Hall Council at the Halloween event)

(Coffee House performances)

Moving on to RezWarz, which I mentioned in one of my very first posts, there were several events throughout the year that contributed to the accumulation of RezWarz points. The first notable one is the IronChef competition. A team from each of the residences [or most of them], competed against each other in a cooking competition, where they had to cook both a protein and a vegetarian plate within a time limit, making sure to incorporate a few of the mystery ingredients. My friend Anna [who you should recognize from previous posts] competed alongside my friends Himanshu and Flemming, and they WON! It was very exciting for everyone involved, other than them who were actually competing because they didn’t even want to win! The winners of the first round would represent McGill in the next level, which was taking place at the University of Massachusetts. While they were very reluctant at first because of the time commitment that competing would mean, they decided to go, and they even got third place! Winning the IronChef competition was pretty remarkable for a few reasons. For one thing, C4 does not have any kitchens for students to use, so Anna, Flemming and Himanshu had to practice for RezWarz in another residence’s kitchen, and only for a few hours. Additionally, winning the IronChef competition meant a TON of RezWarz points, putting Carrefour Sherbrooke in FIRST PLACE. But this was not the last competition, so we had to fight really hard to try to stay on top. 

(Anna, Himanshu, and Flemming holding their prizes!)

Our final RezWarz challenge was to create a lipdub, which, if you’re unfamiliar, is basically a crazy upbeat video where a bunch of people dressed in funky outfits lipsync to the camera in one take. C4 had managed to hold its lead in RezWarz up till this point, but it was really important that we made a really awesome video in order to secure the win. I had always wanted to make a lipdub video, so I kind of made this project my baby, with the help of wolves [that’s what we call my friend Emma if you haven’t caught on by now]. After making the track that we would be lipsyncing to, creating a shotlist of where each song would take place, and assigning the people who would “sing” each part, it was time to film. Filming, while very tiring, and not quite as crisp as I would’ve liked it to be, was a success. I then poured the rest of that night into editing and after probably around 15 hours total working on the lipdub, it was complete. The winners of RezWarz were to be announced in a couple of days at council dis-orientation, as well as the highest scorers for the lipdub. As it turned out, we won the lipdub, and as a result, WON REZWARZ! I’m sure it doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, but it really was for us. This was so ridiculously exciting for myself, all of my friends, hall council, and C4 as a whole. I hope I haven’t talked it up too much, but attached below is the C4 Lipdub. I know that this will be something that my friends and I can look back on for years to come, so I’m really happy that it turned out so well. 

Next up on my list of bullet points, birthdays! The Owl’s Nest knows how to celebrate a birthday. After Emma and Michael’s birthdays which I already mentioned, we celebrated 4 more birthdays throughout the year [Sorry Arvind and Sena who have their birthdays over the summer]! We celebrated Anna’s birthday on November 15. Anna booked us an airbnb for the night, so that we could cook ourselves a meal, and bake some desert to boot! Overall the night was a lot of fun, between screaming the lyrics to every ABBA song, to Michael blaming the tomatoes for the mediocre pasta, to eating a delicious brownie with ice cream, to playing board games, to trying to make eggs in a pot in the morning, we had a blast. Next up on the 30th was Jonathan’s birthday. For his birthday I collaborated with his girlfriend to hold a surprise party for him in my room while she was in town. We went out and bought all the decorations: streamers, a banner, balloons, noisemakers, glow sticks, the whole nine yards. I spent a couple of hours setting everything up in my room, and I gotta say it looked pretty good considering it was just me [for the most part, that’s right Michael, you barely helped]. I swear he almost peed his pants so it was all worth it! 

The next birthday was actually none other than yours truly! As you might have seen on facebook, for my birthday I decided I would like to go skating in old Montreal. But first, we stopped at A&W so I could grab the beautiful beyond meat burger with sweet potato fries hehe. After a treacherous walk in the cold we finally made it to the rink, which was stunning. I had to reteach myself how to skate for the first while, but once I got it, all was good. The walk back was much less pleasant, all of the owls had to defrost when we got home, but it was worth it [right guys?]. Writing this has reminded me that I’m the old lady of the group, and now I feel weird, but that’s alright, admire the photos.

Finally, the last birthday that we celebrated of the year was Sayaka’s! For her birthday we all went out to a Japanese restaurant [she’s the tiny Japanese one if that wasn’t obvious], and then we came back to rez and had a little party. By little party, I mean we got a little too drunk in my room, but that’s fine. We already have plans to visit Sena and Arvind for their birthdays so they won’t feel left out, don’t worry! 

Before I move on to the really sappy stuff, here are some various photos of various fun things from throughout the year that didn’t really fit with the topics above.

(Myself, Michael, Sena, Anna, Arvind and Sayaka after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, heading out to the Irish bar)

(Wolves, Michael and I went to the Montreal Youth Climate March that was observed by hundreds of thousands of students around the world)

(Wolves, Anna, Sena Lili and I at our first [and only] frat party)

(Sena, Michael, Arvind and I before heading to upper rez for a party with Michael’s friend from home)

(A photo taken on the walk home from karaoke. It was around -25 degrees and also the middle of a snowstorm [and also the night that Arvind and I ended up taking Michael to the hospital for a stomach bug])

(You can’t really tell, but a few of my friends from rez went across the street to protest the protestors who blew airhorns everyday at 10am and 3pm for months)

(From when Sena, Michael, Arvind and I met up in Toronto over the Christmas break)

(A picture of Arvind, Sayaka, Jonathan, Anna, Michael and I with the head chef of our dining hall at the holiday banquet)

(Self explanatory)

(Sena and I counting worms for our biology project)

(An awful photo but an incredible night. We had just had “camp council” which is basically just code for hall council getting drunk with the floor fellows. We were going to go out to a club or something, but instead we ended up having a massive snowball fight on McGill’s lower field, which was definitely 1000x more fun)

(From the night I climbed Mont Royal to take some photos)

(Michael and I at what turned into our favourite bar, McKibbins)

(Taken on one of our last nights together in Rez)

(It’s always snuggle time)

(My roommate Delal and I, right before I moved out of residence)

Okay here comes the really sappy emotional stuff, so feel free to skip ahead if you’re not up for it. I want to write little open letters to the people who made my first year away from home so incredible. So here it goes. 

To Sayaka:

Our little Japanese! It’s so hard to believe that at one point you were just the crazy roommate of twin #1 that was moving into 503. You are definitely nothing like what those twins said you would be. What we gained instead was a caring, sweet, GIGGLY new friend that we could adopt into the owl’s nest. Whether it was scream-laughing too loud in the dining hall [I can still feel Ahmed’s intense gaze], or singing a little tune, or looking at anyone with those big eyes, you’ve always had such a positive attitude, and I think we could all learn from that. I will always remember standing in line for warehouse and you asking if you could touch my hair hahaha. A few things to clarify: no you are not 6 feet tall, I live east of you not “up”, the easter bunny has nothing to do with jesus, and so on. However, if you ever need anything, I will always be around to support you, how could anyone abandon the little one and make her japaNESE MAD. I have lots of love for you, and you don’t have to ask to pet my straight hair anymore, I give you eternal permission!

At the end of all these little open letters I’m going to say the song that reminds me of each of the owls, and since musical theatre is something we could always bond over, the song that makes me think of you is Poor Unfortunate Souls. While I was barely in The Little Mermaid AT MY HIGH SCHOOL, I’m so mad I missed you performing as Ursula. Although, I totally cannot imagine little ole you performing as the big nasty sea witch. I guess that’s just some Disney magic for ya. 

To Jonathan:

Obviously, our friendship started with quite a few boulders to overcome. It definitely was not easy all of the time, but I’m really glad that we both stuck to the nest, because it just wouldn’t have been the same otherwise. We all know you as drunky jack, or white bread, and I truly hope those nicknames stick around, they’re just too funny lmao. You were one of the first people that I ever felt comfortable around in residence, ever since that night that you, Arvind, James and I walked around in search of an SAQ before we landed in Tims. From the way that we stayed up just talking for hours that night, there was absolutely no way that we wouldn’t remain friends. Don’t lose your spirit. Sometimes throughout the year it was clear you were a little down, but whenever the white boy dance moves were busted out, everyone had the chance to smile for at least a second. Try not to be a stranger. 

A song reminds me of you [and obviously first year in general], is Body. There was something about drunky jack in the first week of school that just screams body, so I think it’s a perfect fit [the video of you at beach day, yikes].

To wOlves:

I remember thinking that I would never even get the chance to meet you. What crazy struggles getting that study permit (or whatever it was hehe). I also vividly remember meeting you for the first time and thinking “damn it this girl knows more memes than me”. You literally started flossing in the middle of the room and I just - wow. And you already know how impressed I was that day that you gave that man directions, not in french, no, in SPANISH. We definitely got a lot closer throughout second semester because of our favourite men [who helped us find the aREa of the potatOID]. I see a lot of myself in you, from our taste in bOys, to our taste in music, to our taste in sporcle quizzes, we’ve got a lot to talk about. You’re always there to laugh at my sarcastic side comments, and let me tell you I will always be there to laugh at yours. Some days I swear our minds are linked together. You overcame a lot this year, and I’m proud of you for that. As soon as we get back to Montreal, you, Sena and I must have a cuddly movie night, okay?? I absolutely loved screaming harmonies with you every chance we got, we gotta jam more now that Shelby is fixed and ready to play more Billie. I swear we’ll give you a better birthday party this year, but come on, we tried. One day, ONE DAY, you will perfect the mOve, and I will be there to capture the moment in all of its essence. We have many more inside jokes to create [haha eh :P] so I don’t know what you were planning buuuut you’re not going anywhere. You’re also the only one in the nest who’s movie taste I trust [come on Sena, you want to watch an action movie again??]. We need to do a day where we watch each others favourite movies, even if it’s a lot of them! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our movie dates over text message and we better keep doing that all summer, it makes me feel less lonely! I love you like you’re my child and I will keep screaming at you not to eat timbits during shabbat [shabbafe bampus hehe]. I swear one day we will run into linear algebra boy and simultaneously confess our love for him, but until then we can only dream. Don’t forget your worth. I love you so much my little wolf.

Sis, you already know what your song is. No Flex by our favourite boys TMG. I feel like this doesn’t need any more explanation. [my body count up in the double digits (11), I got a TEXT, that’s all, no further comments thank you].

To Avinash Arvind Krishendeholl [the Indestructible Lotus]:

Wa-ow, what a year it’s been eH? First of all, thank you for being everyone’s emotional support dog, you’re probably one of the most dedicated friends that I’ve ever had. I probably would have cried myself to sleep many times this year if it weren’t for you. I don’t know what it is about you, but I think that everyone can just automatically sense that you’re trustworthy even when they first meet you. I felt instantly heard by you, and that’s a very special quality to have, and I mean it. I know we kid all the time, but I actually want to take the time to be completely honest with you in this little message because I feel like I don’t tell you enough how much I appreciate you. Arvind, you’ve really felt like my partner through the year and I know that a lot of the nest feels the same way. You’re the safety patroller 1 to my safety patroller 2, and I feel like it works for us. That first crisis really bonded us, I think it became evident to both of us that we are both the type of people who won’t just go to sleep if we feel that any one is in danger that we can help. We’re problem solvers my dude. I know everyone says they don’t know what they would do without you, and that’s just become something that people say casually, but seriously. You were a grounding force for all of us, someone that we could go to for actually anything. Whether it be conflict within the group, conflict with someone else, just a bad day, a big paper due, or even wanting a good laugh and a bite to eAT, you were there. You were there if I just wanted to sit in a room with someone else, or if I wanted a shoulder to cry on, and I hope you feel that I can be the same for you when you need it. Beyond all of this sappy crap, you’re seriously a force to be reckoned with. I know this year was tough for you in music [seriously why would they put a flutist in a choir, Schulich wyd??], you have the ability, and the perseverance to do absolutely anything that you want. I actually can’t wait to see what the future holds for you because whatever it is you end up doing, you’re GOING to dominate, no doubt in my mind. Your section would be incomplete without a mention of all of your catchphrases so here we go: what are we gonna eat NOW, wait why’d the mood change, L-O-L, sAAAd, I have received communications from Mr. McIntosh, you want some cUHrry, im JOKING im joking, gUUUYS, senAAAAAAH, waaow, in FAAAACT, the power of seven theorem states, that’s a fallacy, what’re you gonna do gIRL, OPE, wait why’d you look down, I’m on a diet, let’s get the gOO, knowing me knowing you ahah, chef?, I’m in mUsic, now wHaaat are you doing, bwaaaaaah, ooooozgayyy, weeeeeelll??, heeeeet [hoot hoot], schWWIIING, the sweet meats, motion, notice, stOP gUYS, eeeeeYeaaah, Kaaaaaasssidyyyy Michael saaaaaiddd, heLLO, just a petit quelque chose, I am holding a notice in my left paw, proceed in B flat minor. Nest don’t punish me for forgetting a bunch, he’s a very quotable boy. 

Your song was already mentioned in this post, and I believe it is very fitting Knowing Me, Knowing You [ahaaaah]. Anything ABBA will remind me of you and Michael instantly, for obvious reasons, but I chose this song because it became one of your catchphrases and I think it suits the two of us the best [you know me all too well]. 

To Shishtar:

I get to tell you all of the things I love about you everyday next year in our cute little apartment hehe. But of course I will give you your space here as well. I am proud to be the first fluent speaker of Sennish [other than the creator herself]. I know Arvind and Michael give you a hard time, but they just don’t get you like I do. I hope you don’t mind that I totally latched to you during frosh, but I think it worked out well for both of us, what do you think? If you go back and read some of my first posts, it was all Sena all the time. I can’t wait to live with you in just a few months. It going to be like having slumber parties every night, and oh my the DECORATING! I had so much fun every single time we went out together [that might be trouble hehe] you’ll always be my best dance partner. I know that no matter what I’m feeling I can go to you and trust that you’ll feed that emotion back to me. If I want to laugh, you’re in, if I want to cry, you pull up the audition videos, it’s really a good set up we’ve got going. I want you to know I will always always always be here for you. If a shishtar is in need, a shishtar is here for her, those are the rules. I just know we have so much in store for us and our friendship and I can’t wait to do it all. I feel like you’re the friend that I can adventure with, you’ll never turn down a good time [unless you’ve already drank too much and can’t make it out lmaoooo]. I’m so happy that we raised our worm babies together, even if that experiment was VERY questionable! I wonder how they’re doing now actually, probably thriving. Let’s not carry soil back from across the city again though, that was not too much fun. I will now go into some roommate vows. As your roommate I pledge to always repeat myself when you say wait..WHAT?, and only get annoyed at it sometimes. I promise to cook you breakfast when I get the chance, and more importantly, teach you to cook some things other than “thin meat” and “cubed chicken” because that has to be a crime. I promise not to force you to every bafe tuesday [only some], and to help you study when you need it. There’s more, but I’m sure we’ll cross those bridges when we come to them. I can’t wait to take the next step in our friendship, even if our landlords are trash. We’ll manage. [AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THE JONAS BROTHERS WHAT THE HECK]

The song that I chose for you may be surprising, because it is not a Sena song. I picked Electric Avenue, because of that one Cafe Campus tuesday that we went to. One of the first songs that came on that night that got us bopping was electric avenue [which I captured on video]. I just know that I’ll never be able to hear that song without thinking of you and that night, even if it ended with us running full speed in the wrong direction! 

To Michael:

We all know how much I love you, but I guess I’ll try to scratch the surface with words. Not that your ego needs to be stroked any more than it already is, you are definitely one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. You somehow just know so many things and you are able to talk intelligently about virtually anything. I don’t know why, but you seem like a completely different person now than from when I first met you. I still remember us wandering around together at RezFest, going back up for more samosas [eyeeeah], but to be completely honest I didn’t think that we would really become friends. That day I kind of felt like I was a placeholder until you found the people who you actually wanted to be friends with, which sounds sad as I write it, but I was happy to be that. Much to my surprise, you stayed with me the whole day, and we hung out with almost everyone who would soon become the nest [first the dean’s list though hehe]. I’m absolutely honoured to be your friend, and honoured that we’ve shared so much with each other starting with beach day. You’re passionate. That’s something that I really admire. Even if nobody wants to hear it sometimes, there’s not a chance you’re shutting up about wave particle duality, and that’s something I respect [even if sometimes it drives me crazy] about you. You don’t give up easy either. Not getting into McGill didn’t stop you from coming here [yes I had to bring it up hahahaha], and that mentality drives you, which I have mad respect for. The fact that you can’t sing doesn’t stop you from spewing nonsense about the circle of fifths [hehehe right @Arvind?]. In all seriousness, you are more than aware that you mean so much to me, and I appreciate that you standby for my moments of existential crisis. You don’t give up on me even when I act insane and I am very thankful for that, because lots of friends would take a step back, but you persist. Your sarcasm and sass makes me laugh like no other. I know you’ll never stop making fun of me for knowing so much about astrology, but that’s so libra of you. Try not to be as much of a doormat living with Arvind as you were living with Grant [yes, you were a doormat, even at the end], although I’m sure Arvind won’t try to see how high he can pile his clothes, so you’re already ahead of the game. Oh I almost forgot! Thank you for helping me in my pescatarian adventures. Having someone else so close to me live the same lifestyle really helped me out, especially every time Arvind ordered chicken wings. Along the same lines, thanks for always backing me up on my environmental speeches to not only the nest, but in council too. Just like I said with everyone else, I can’t wait to make even more memories with you, and I hope that you’re in my life for a long long time, because I don’t know what I would do without you!

No surprises here, the song that reminds me of you is The Chain, although this might as well be any Fleetwood Mac song. This is unrelated but just so you know, my gramma just said “there’s chippy” as a chipmunk ran around the backyard and I thought that that was an odd coincidence. But yes, listen to the wind blow [insert incredible bass line]. 

To Anna:

My dear sweet Anna. I’m not crying you’re crying!! You have kept my life interesting from literally the moment I met you. Please go back and read one of my first posts from the first night when you went on about your boy troubles, what a night. From that moment on you’ve filled my life with so many interesting and emotional moments. I think that everyone remembers the night that you said that this friendship probably won’t even last a month, and look at us now baby. We all have gone through so much this year as a group, and I know that a lot of that had a huge impact on you. You may be small, but by god are you tough girl. The amount of bullshit that you have gone through this year is remarkable, but you’ve never given up on any of us. You and I have gone through our fair share of trouble, but never once did I question that we would resolve whatever it was and be stronger than ever. We both confront problems the same way, so that means that whatever the problem is, it will be solved in record breaking time. You’re the one person who I always go to with the hot gossip and I feel like we could actually talk for hours about nothing. But for real back to the toughness thing, you endure so much. You’re very independent by nature, but it always surprises me that you are able to stay alone so far away from everyone. You have done so much for me this year and I doubt you even know it. I feel like you always understand whatever it is that I’m going through better than anyone else. I won’t forget the time in my room that we literally just read each other our poetry and cried on each others shoulders. You can sniff out when I’m upset and you’re so good at comforting me and making me feel loved. Okay I was joking before, but I seriously am crying now. It was so hard for me to leave your room particularly because I feel like I was safest to be myself in there. We spent so much time in 503 that it was my home away from home. You also always gas me up?? Like thank you girl because you know that sometimes I need that validation! I always trust you for that fashion advice because you shop so much that you must know what looks good by now [hehehe]. For real though, you’re so incredibly beautiful inside and out and I’m so proud to call you my friend. You’re simultaneously like my daughter, sister, sometimes my mom and always my best friend and that’s quite remarkable I’d say. Stop doubting how smart you are! You are doing great just where you are, you’re meant to do this, don’t let anyone tell you different. You’re strong. I literally can not wait to share every single little thing with you the moment it happens, so if you don’t mind, I would love to do just that for a long long time. 

My song for you is one from our girl dodie, it’s Human. Every time I hear this song it brings me back to the two of us sitting in your room just feeling the feels. The lyrics are true. Paint me in trust, I’ll be your best friend. Love you so much my tiny little friend. 

Okay that concludes the sappy letters to my best friends. I’m sure you’re tired of reading at this point, and I’m tired of writing, so to finish off this blog post I thought I would let a video fill in the blanks. For those of you who don’t know, I have been taking a one second video every day since October of 2017. This has turned into an amazing way for me to look back on the memories made throughout the years. So here is my collection of one seconds for my year in Montreal, starting with move in day!

Thank you for keeping up with me this year, even though I totally slacked on writing these posts. Long story short, I’m absolutely in love with Montreal, and with McGill. So thank you for caring and staying tuned for the Thrilla in McGilla, catch ya next year!

[je-wally-wallace]

all

//Whoever sent this in, your mom’s a hoe. Just kidding, I love you. This was a little extra, but I still love you.

1. What’s their full name? Why was that chosen? Does it mean anything?

His full name is Jacob Ellington Wallace. Jacob after his grandfather, Ellington after jazz musician Duke Ellington. “Wally” is a nickname that he got in childhood that’s stuck with him throughout his life. Very few people call him Jacob. 

2. Do they have any titles? How did they get them?

He has no titles. 

3. Did they have a good childhood? What are fond memories they have of it? What’s a bad memory? 

He had a good childhood up until age nine. Everything went to shit after he lost his home. His best memories are of when his mother would cook and his family ate dinner together. His mom worked a lot, so she didn’t always get to cook, but when she did, it was always spectacular. His worst memory is of the day of Hurricane Katrina, when he saw his entire neighborhood engulfed in water while sitting on the roof of his childhood home. At the time, he thought the world was going to end. He, his mom, and his sister were stuck on that roof for three days before a rescue helicopter arrived. 

4. What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents? 

Wally never knew his father. He was just a random guy from a sperm bank. His mother, when he was young, was his favorite person in the world. As he grew older, however, she grew more distant. The last time he spoke to her was when he was being arrested at the age of sixteen. She told him that he was no longer her son and to not come home. 

5. Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults?

He has a younger sister, Diamond Leanne Wallace. She is two years and a day younger than him; they always had conjoined birthday parties, as their birthdays were a day apart, March 15th and 16th, respectively. Growing up, the Wallace siblings were thick as thieves (pun intended) and remained close until he was sent to adult prison. He hasn’t seen her since he was put in jail; not being welcome in his mother’s home meant being unable to contact her. Losing her hurt more than losing his mother. 

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

He did fine in school up until he lost his home. After that, he often cut classes, getting sent to juvie twice for truancy. When he did go to school, he enjoyed his band class; playing the trumpet was really the only thing that kept him going in his early teen years. After being sent to prison, his education was completely lost. He was never able to make it past the 11th grade. The adult prison he was in also didn’t offer him any opportunity to earn a GED, so he remains without a degree to this day. 

7. Did they have lots of friends as a child? Did they keep any of their childhood friends into adulthood? 

Wally has always been able to make friends wherever he’s gone. Being forced to move a lot didn’t allow him to keep friends for long, but he was always able to make new ones. The friends he had in middle and high school weren’t good influences, and he’s glad to no longer associate with them. 

8. Did they have pets as a child? Do they have pets as an adult? Do they like animals? 

He had a cat as a child, Muffin, but he ran away and drowned in the storm. He hasn’t had a pet since.

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals? 

Upon being arrested, a police dog was sicked on him, so he has a strong fear of dogs. For some reason of cruel irony, dogs want to interact with him whenever he’s in a space with them, but he never wants to interact with them back. Other than dogs, he gets along with most animals. 

10. Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect?

He likes children, and children generally like him, but he doesn’t want any of his own, not now at least. He would never willingly allow a child to be born into homelessness. 

11. Do they have any special diet requirements? Are they a vegetarian? Vegan? Have any allergies?

Wally will eat anything and everything presented to him, even if it’s not a food he particularly likes. 

12. What is their favourite food? 

Jambalaya. It’s a dish comprised of rice, meat– chicken, sausage, seafood, or a combination of the three– vegetables, and spices. You can’t forget the spices. 

13. What is their least favourite food?

Cabbage. Fuck cabbage. 

14. Do they have any specific memories of food/a restaurant/meal?

He has many fond memories of his mom’s cooking. He used to say that she made the best jambalaya in all of New Orleans and would fight anyone who disagreed with him. 

15. Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

He has absolutely no idea how to cook for himself and wouldn’t know where to begin. He can use a microwave, that’s about it. 

16. Do they collect anything? What do they do with it? Where do they keep it? 

He doesn’t collect anything. He’s not big on material items. 

17. Do they like to take photos? What do they like to take photos of? Selfies? What do they do with their photos?

He doesn’t take photos, as he has nothing to take them with. 

18. What’s their favourite genre of: books, music, tv shows, films, video games and anything else.

He’s not big on reading or video games, and hasn’t seen a TV show or movie in several years. Music, however, is something that he can’t live without. He finds beauty in any and every genre. 

19. What’s their least favourite genres?

The last question kind of answered this one.

20. Do they like musicals? Music in general? What do they do when they’re favourite song comes?

Musicals, no. He couldn’t afford to see a Broadway show even when he wasn’t homeless. But music, yes. He loves music. When he really likes a song, he closes his eyes to fully take it in. 

21. Do they have a temper? Are they patient? What are they like when they do lose their temper?

He tries to be patient with people, but once his temper is lost, he becomes hyper aggressive. 

22. What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

He’s not particularly creative when it comes to insults. Most of his insults are based on the surface, or about how annoying a person is. He’ll talk about people to their face, and behind their back if they especially bother him. 

23. Do they have a good memory? Short term or long term? Are they good with names? Or faces?

His memory is average. He’s better at faces than names, but if someone leaves an impression on him, he’ll never forget their name. 

24. What is their sleeping pattern like? Do they snore? What do they like to sleep on? A soft or hard mattress?

He’s always been a light sleeper. If he hears any sort of noise in the night, he’ll immediately wake up. He sleeps an average amount, not too much or too little. Over the years, Wally has learned how to fall asleep on any surface. Most nights, he sleeps on floors. If he has a choice with a bed involved, however, a soft mattress would be preferred. 

25. What do they find funny? Do they have a good sense of humour? Are they funny themselves?

Wally finds a great amount of amusement in dumb humor. He’s not the most comedic, but he does what he can to try to make his friends smile. 

26. How do they act when they’re happy? Do they sing? Dance? Hum? Or do they hide their emotions? 

He can often be found humming a tune when he’s in a good mood. His face is very expressive, so when he’s happy, his face will show it with a grin. He tries to be as optimistic as he can, mostly for the sake of everyone around him. 

27. What makes them sad? Do they cry regularly? Do they cry openly or hide it? What are they like when they are sad?

The thing that makes him the most upset is seeing the people he cares for suffer. Most of his friends, like him, have no home to call their own, so suffering is expected. He tries his best to make them as comfortable as possible, but he knows it’s never enough. He keeps quiet when he’s especially sad. 

28. What is their biggest fear? What in general scares them? How do they act when they’re scared?

Wally is scared of two things, rain and dogs. Whenever either of those things are present, he is extremely tense. He tries not to freak out, but his face tells all. 

29. What do they do when they find out someone else’s fear? Do they tease them? Or get very over protective? 

For the most part, he’ll try to not bring it up. If someone else teases someone over their fear, he gets overprotective. 

30. Do they exercise? Regularly? Or only when forced? What do they act like pre-workout and post-work out?

If running away from cops and angry pickpocketing victims counts as exercise, then yes, he exercises quite often. 

31. Do they drink? What are they like drunk? What are they like hungover? How do they act when other people are drunk or hungover? Kind or teasing?

Wally’s never been drunk or under the influence of any drug. He’s seen plenty of others do it and he doesn’t see the appeal. 

32. What do they dress like? What sorta shops do they buy clothes from? Do they wear the fashion that they like? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear makeup? What’s their hair like?

His clothes are all second-hand clothes that he gets from donation centers or thrift stores. His wardrobe is really nothing to behold, and he doesn’t care about appearances except when it comes to his hair. His hair naturally grows into an afro and he tries to maintain his nice curls.  

33. What underwear do they wear? Boxers or briefs? Lacey? Comfy granny panties?

He primarily wears boxers but has nothing against briefs. 

34. What is their body type? How tall are they? Do they like their body?

Wally is 5′10″. He isn’t quite sure how much he weighs, but he’s definitely underweight. He’s fine with his body. 

35. What’s their guilty pleasure? What is their totally unguilty pleasure? 

He doesn’t believe in guilty pleasures. Either you like something or you don’t. Why make yourself feel guilty about it?

36. What are they good at? What hobbies do they like? Can they sing?

He doesn’t have many hobbies, any really, but back in the day he was good at

37. Do they like to read? Are they a fast or slow reader? Do they like poetry? Fictional or nonfiction?

Answered in question #18. 

38. What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?

He admires when people are both knowledgeable and passionate about things. He doesn’t wish for a particular talent, but he wishes he had more knowledge. 

39. Do they like letters? Or prefer emails/messaging? 

He doesn’t do any of that. 

40. Do they like energy drinks? Coffee? Sugary food? Or can they naturally stay awake and alert?

He’s naturally able to stay awake. He thinks energy drinks and coffee taste like shit. He doesn’t dislike sugary food, but doesn’t have any intense craving for it either. 

41. What’s their sexuality? What do they find attractive? Physically and mentally? What do they like/need in a relationship?

He doesn’t have a label for his sexuality, but he’s felt attraction to men and women. He doesn’t do romance, but is quite sexually active. In terms of the physical, he tends to go for people who are smaller than him and have soft facial features. He doesn’t like facial hair, but has no issues with hair in other places. He likes head hair that he can pull on. In terms of the emotional, he likes people who are passionate, not only in the bedroom, but in their daily lives. He tends to gravitate towards people who’ve faced hardship in some way, shape, or form. He has been in love before, but doesn’t like to admit it. 

42. What are their goals? What would they sacrifice anything for? What is their secret ambition?

His number one goal is survival. He doesn’t care what it takes, even if it means breaking a law or two; he gave up on following the rules a long time ago. His secret ambition is to get off the streets and make an honest name for himself, but he doesn’t see that happening now or ever, as he has no education or financial resources, so for now he’ll continue living as an outlaw. 

43. Are they religious? What do they think of religion? What do they think of religious people? What do they think of non religious people?

Wally was raised going to the local Protestant church every Sunday. Even when he had no home, his mom would still drag him to church. The church was very generous to him and his family, so he has a generally positive attitude towards religion. He thinks it’s strange that people could believe in nothing, but at the same time, he has trouble understanding why God would let his life be so shitty. 

44. What is their favourite season? Type of weather? Are they good in the cold or the heat? What weather do they complain in the most? 

Sunny weather is the best weather, in his opinion. To him, summer is the best season. Spring can be good at times, except when it rains. Even though North Carolina summers can be brutal, but he’s used to it. 

45. How do other people see them? Is it similar to how they see themselves? 

It honestly depends on who you ask. People who don’t really know him or the things he does would probably say he’s a nice guy. People who see past his bright grin and know about the things he’s done would probably call him a piece of shit. He’s more inclined to agree with the latter sentiment. 

46. Do they make a good first impression? Does their first impression reflect them accurately? How do they introduce themselves?

He tries his best to make good first impressions, but the first impression he gives doesn’t paint the full picture of who he is as a person. 

47. How do they act in a formal occasion? What do they think of black tie wear? Do they enjoy fancy parties and love to chit chat or loathe the whole event?

He can’t remember the last time he went to a formal event. He likes black tie wear on other people, but can’t afford a nice suit of his own. If he were to go to a fancy event, he’d chat up as many people as he could (and steal their wallets when they’re drunk and distracted). 

48. Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise the party or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want to go but were dragged along by a friend? 

It would be the same if he was invited to a formal event. He wouldn’t plan a party of his own, he wouldn’t know where to begin. If a friend dragged him to a party he didn’t want to be at, he’d grin and bear it for the friend’s sake.  

49. What is their most valued object? Are they sentimental? Is there something they have to take everywhere with them?

He doesn’t like to get attached to material objects, but he has one that he can’t live without, his iPod shuffle. His iPod has been with him since he was in elementary school. He wouldn’t know what to do without it. 

50. If they could only take one bag of stuff somewhere with them: what would they pack? What do they consider their essentials?

There isn’t a hypothetical for him, he does have a bag like that. The backpack that he got from the Salvation Army contains his clothes, a bus card, a gym membership card, a refillable water bottle, an assortment of snacks, his iPod shuffle, and varying amounts of cash. 

[biofunmy]

They Were Victorian Dandies Who Made Art. Now They’re On the Outs.

Once in the late 1970s, somebody insulted David McDermott’s mother at a party, so he went to Tiffany & Company and had a note engraved: “Mr. David Walter McDermott is pleased to announce the elimination of _______ from his guest list.”

The note, which was mailed out to the offender’s friends, now hangs on the wall of Peter McGough’s apartment in Greenwich Village. “Now, that’s pretty brilliant, to insult someone at such a high level,” he said, laughing at the memory.

But it is now Mr. McGough’s turn to be disinvited.

Half of the Victorian-inspired art duo McDermott & McGough, Mr. McGough has written a memoir about his partnership with Mr. McDermott, “I’ve Seen the Future and I’m Not Going,” in which he recounts their bizarre journey as time-traveling artists known as much for their retro lifestyle as for their pseudo-historical art.

They dressed in Edwardian clothes, drove a 1913 Model-T Ford and eschewed modern conveniences. As lovers, they shared an apartment on Avenue C that lacked a telephone, television or electric lights.

But they have not had a cordial conversation since last spring, which not only makes it awkward for Mr. McGough to promote his new book, but also practically impossible for him to finish a series of drawings based on their paintings from the 1980s.

“He’s very angry with me,” Mr. McGough said, in his walk-up apartment stuffed with artwork and bric-a-brac. “We fight about money, and he blames me for a lot.”

Mr. McDermott is said to be living in Ireland, having left the United States after the Internal Revenue Service seized the couple’s upstate house and other assets because the men didn’t pay income tax (he later renounced his United States citizenship).

As the more doctrinaire of the two, Mr. McDermott never joined the digital age. He has no smartphone or email, Mr. McGough said, and it’s not clear if he has even heard of Facebook and Twitter.

Contacting him is not quite as antiquated as sending a messenger on horseback, but close. Mr. McGough has to first send a text message to a man named James, a friend of Mr. McDermott’s in Ireland. If James happens to be in Mr. McDermott’s presence, he passes on the message, at which point Mr. McDermott may or may not agree to speak.

If Mr. McDermott is not in the room, it’s unclear if the message is ever conveyed. “He’s been fighting with me for a year,” Mr. McGough said. A recent attempt at détente was met with silence. “He didn’t want to talk to me. He said he’s not in the mood.”

Instead, Mr. McGough received a letter from Mr. McDermott, sealed in black wax, with the lyrics to the old song “Thanks for the Memory.”

Old-Fashioned Party People

That certainly would not be their most epic fight. Their roller-coaster partnership began in 1980, shortly after Mr. McGough, then 21, moved to New York City from a suburb of Syracuse, N.Y., seeking glamour and excitement.

One night, while attending a New Wave Vaudeville show at Irving Plaza, he met Mr. McDermott, who was 27 and a downtown club performer. A few weeks later, he went to a dinner party at Mr. McDermott’s apartment on Avenue B and became fascinated with his 1920s-era lifestyle.

“He is incredible how his brain works — that’s what fascinated me,” Mr. McGough said. “I found most people were nice and fun, but it never went anywhere. But with him, it went someplace.”

The two became inseparable, not only as lovers, but also as artists who collaborated on paintings, photographs, films and sculpture. Mr. McDermott brought time and history to their work, and Mr. McGough brought homoeroticism and sexual politics.

“A Friend of Dorothy,” perhaps their best-known painting, features slurs like “queer” and “mary” written in antique typeface on a sunny yellow background.

The men spent their 1980s in downtown Manhattan dancing at the Mudd Club, attending openings at Fun Gallery, dining with the Schnabels at Indochine. And as their art career took off, they attracted people into their fantasy world, a candlelit “Barry Lyndon” on the bombed-out Lower East Side.

Their 18th-century house in upstate New York had a hand pump for water, a hearth for cooking and tin tubs for laundry.

When they dropped by Andy Warhol’s Factory wearing top hats and dress shirts with detachable collars, the receptionist would announce, “Those old-fashioned people are here again.”

“It was this mania for fun,” said John Patrick Fleming, a fashion designer who has known both men since their days partying at Danceteria. “Lots of important, successful people got lured into the McDermott and McGough fun train. One time, they had Bianca Jagger upstairs, wooing her with vegetarian food.”

Burning Through Money

The partying, however, was not sustainable. “With David, there was never any control,” Mr. Fleming said. “He was not controllable when he had a penny, and he was not controllable when he had millions. There was never any reasoning. There were no boundaries.”

In the book, Mr. McGough, who is more compromising in temperament, recounts how Mr. McDermott fought with gallery owners, alienated their friends and burned though a fortune to build his antiquated world.

There was the 1930 Graham-Paige automobile and the Model T; the $7,500 monthly rent on a Brooklyn studio in a former bank, where the duo once hosted a costume party inspired by Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Egyptian Fete of 1913; the team of assistants; the rooms of period antiques; the construction of a $50,000 stone wall at their circa 1790 house in Oak Hill, N.Y.

When Mr. McDermott became enamored with a young man that Mr. McGough calls “Bastian” in the book, the pair moved him into Oak Hill and made him a living doll. They bought Bastian two Morgan horses, sent him to train as a carriage driver at a Virginia farm and dressed him in old-fashioned riding gear.

Although Mr. McDermott and Mr. McGough ended their romance around 1985 (Mr. McGough said that Mr. McDermott had multiple affairs that precipitated the breakup), they continued making art for decades after.

Their works were included in three Whitney Biennials, and were exhibited by prestigious galleries including Cheim & Read in New York, Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont in Paris and Bruno Bischofberger in Zurich.

But in 1992, the I.R.S. showed up at their studio. The couple owed six figures in back taxes, having ignored all their bills. The government seized the Oak Hill property and auctioned off its contents. The Brooklyn studio was soon gone, as were the Model T and Graham-Paige touring car.

Mr. McDermott was devastated by the losses and moved to Ireland in 1994. Mr. McGough joined him, but he missed New York and his friends, and moved back to Manhattan in 1998. (Mr. McGough was also suffering from AIDS, which he learned he had in 1997.)

By the mid-2000s, McDermott & McGough were again riding high. But earlier mistakes were repeated, and the couple burned through more money. Mr. McDermott “lost this big mansion in Ireland and he blamed me,” Mr. McGough said.

(Several attempts to reach Mr. McDermott through his friend James were unsuccessful. James eventually responded to an email query, apologizing for taking so long to reply, but follow-up emails went unreturned.)

In writing the memoir and telling his side of the story, Mr. McGough could be seen as evening the score, since Mr. McDermott’s erratic behavior so often derailed the duo’s career. “Isn’t this his ‘Mommie Dearest’ moment?,” Mr. Fleming said.

Mr. McGough downplayed any psychodrama behind the memoir. The motivation was simpler, he said: “I thought maybe there’s money in it, because I was broke.”

‘Odd Bookends’

These days, Mr. McGough seems to have settled into a scrappier bohemian life in the Village. If he is no longer rich, he is still making art and grateful to be alive.

“I get out of bed, I stand up and I say, ‘You made it.’ And I immediately get in a good mood,” he said on a Thursday afternoon last fall.

He was perched with his Chihuahua, Queenie, on a French divan upholstered in green velvet. He wore pale-blue trousers with a pin stripe, which he had custom made in the wide-legged, high-waisted style of the 1920s. His thick, steel-gray hair was swept back Gatsby style and lacquered with what looked like pomade.

He still lives like a man out of the past, though he has moved up in period and incorporated semi-modern conveniences. “My cooker is from 1930, and the kitchen sink and the bathroom are 1930,” said Mr. McGough, who was charming, fun to talk to and utterly un-self-serious. “I like to think I’m a bohemian living here during the Depression.”

Perhaps out of habit, Mr. McGough seemed to want his partner’s opinion of his aesthetic choices, since Mr. McDermott had never visited his one-bedroom railroad apartment, which he began renting three years ago.

“If he comes here, what would he like and not like?” he said.

Pointing to a side table of his own creation, affixed with large graphic phalluses, Mr. McGough said, “He’d probably think the table is vulgar.”

Despite an ocean separating them and Mr. McDermott’s unresponsiveness at present, Mr. McGough still sees himself, and perhaps always will, as one half of McDermott & McGough. “We’re so bound together,” he said. “We are odd bookends that held up a life and a career. I can’t imagine my life without him in it.”

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[merzelifestyle]

Keep It Simple: An EASY Menu For Your Open House

Who has the time to make a great meal and entertain a large group of people at an event in your home? I know I don’t!

I love hosting parties but to be completely honest, in the past, I often made more work for myself than needed. I always stress over my dinner because I thought that cooking an amazing meal for my guests would require much added effort. It has always been just that important to me, but these days, my meals must be both quick to make and delicious when entertaining.

""Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.""  -- Coco Chanel

OK, so let’s talk food first!

After many years of entertaining, I have come up with a few easy tips on what to serve. I have found that it isn’t quantity that matters but quality of the dish. I now serve one or two meats or a combination of meat and fish, one or two vegetables, a starch and lastly a green salad. That’s all!

the meal you serve should always depend on who your guests are. If you have children coming to your home, it may be wise to serve them some mac n cheese or simple pasta with a butter sauce. But, if you have all adults and you are having an open house with chafing dishes, food such as a roast beef tenderloin would be a great option. It is easy to make and quick. Really!

Of course, if you have vegetarians or vegan guests, you should always try to accommodate them as well. There is nothing worst then having a guest leave your home hungry because what you served isn’t on their diet. Believe me, it happens!

Tip: It is always so important to know what the diet restrictions are for those who are coming to your home for dinner. As an example, I have friends who have severe Celiac Disease, are lactose intolerant and who are allergic to nuts. Yes, at times they all come to my house at once and I must take all their dietary restrictions into consideration when planning my meal.

I rarely serve a dish with cream sauce. Why? Although many people love them, so many more either can’t eat it or prefer a healthier option. I can’t eat cream anything and so, in my house we omit those dishes.

So, how do I combat the need for a richer dish? I add a deeply rich and flavorful sauce like a yummy bordelaise or bearnaise sauce. I will add some on top of my roast when I serve it and have some additional sauce on the side for those who want more. This year I added a bordelaise sauce to my beef tenderloin that was super delicious and made from a deeply full-bodied red wine.

Hint: Did you know that you can often find these sauces already made and ready to serve especially during the holidays? Some are so good that you really shouldn’t make it yourself. This expedites your meal plan and you are no worst for buying it. Just a thought! I have done that a few times myself and it saved me so much time.

Here’s the menu I created for my last open house

Looks easy doesn’t it?

Beef Tenderloin with Bordelaise Sauce

Baked Ham with PINEAPPLE and Maraschino Cherry’s

Roasted Red, Yellow and Purple potatoes cooked in olive oil, garlic and rosemary

Green Beans with Almonds and Lemon Butter Sauce

Bow-tie Pasta with Home Made Wine Infused Pomodoro Sauce

Arugula Salad with Strawberry’s, Pistachios and Roughly Graded Parmesan Cheese. (strawberry dressing on the side)

Rolls and butter

Each dish was amazingly easy to make and quick! Together, the meal looks appealing and was perfect for addressing all the food groups,

Hint: When planning your meal, look for a combination of colorful vegetables that you can serve together. Here, I used multiple colored potatoes as well as vibrant green’s and reds in the other dishes. It looks visually appetizing to the eye. Use herbs such as rosemary or parsley to garnish your dishes. It’s just one more layer that is so important in the presentation of a meal. It’s really designing for the senses.

DID YOU KNOW THAT A BEEF TENDERLOIN IS THE NAME OF THE LARGE CUT OF BEEF BEFORE IT IS SLICED INTO STEAK? ONCE IT IS CUT INTO STEAKS, THOSE STEAKS ARE KNOWN BY THE FRENCH NAME,"FILET MIGNON. IN FRENCH, THIS CUT IS ALWAYS CALLED FILET DE BŒUF.  

How to make Beef Tenderloin for your Holiday party?

Beef Tenderloin Roast and Bordelaise Sauce

This recipe is from the William and Sonoma Website.

Click Here> Beef Tenderloin and Bordelaise Sauce

Prepping the tenderloin is really very easy. I purchased a tenderloin that already was prepared for the oven and so it was a breeze. I also added sprigs of rosemary, thyme, sea salt and pepper.

I used a Stainless-Steel Roasting Pan with a rack so that the roast could cook evenly, and the dripping could be captured at the bottom.

How Long to Cook Beef Tenderloin Roasts?

Follow your recipe for roasting methods however, this is generalized for temperature, weight and time.

For roasts that are 2 to 3 pounds, roast at 425°F for 35 to 40 minutes for medium rare, and 45 to 50 minutes for medium done.

For tenderloin roasts weighing 4 to 5 pounds, roast at 425°F for 50 to 60 minutes for medium rare, and 60 to 70 minutes for medium.

The best way to know you’re cooking beef tenderloin to the desired doneness is to use a meat thermometer. Insert an oven-going meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast. When the thermometer reads 135°F, your roast will be medium rare; when it reads 150°F, your tenderloin will be medium.

Now, A little on design!

When setting up an open house, be sure that the flow from one room to another is not obstructed. Place your buffet, open bar, and desserts in places where they are easily ACCESSIBLE to your guests but not in the way of traffic.

Place flowers where you know guests will venture such as the living room, dining room, kitchen and even a small bouquet in the bathroom.

I love scattering small candles of all kinds around as well because it sets the mood for a dreamy environment but, be careful of little ones. If you have children at your open house, you are better off not having them at all or putting battery operated ones in place of the real candles.

Tip: As with everything, children should always be considered when you have them at your home. Open flames, alcohol, sharp objects, flowers…all should be considered. I once catered an event where a child was walking around eating the flowers, we used for decorating our cheese patters. Thank goodness they were edible. By the time anyone noticed, she had eaten at least a few orchids. This same child had her hands in the chocolate fondue all day long….I mean both hands…oh she loved chocolate! I was thankful that the chocolate wasn’t hot enough where she would have burnt herself. All lessons learned!

My hope is that these little tidbits of event planning and styling are helpful in your next party. The menu is really very simple and can be done either the day of or before a party. It’s totally up to you.

As with everything I post on my blogs, please feel free to comment or if you have any questions, please email me through my contact page. I welcome it anytime!

Happy entertaining my friends!

Mary