#spinach and cheese tartlets

[greekcookingmadeeasy]

Christmas Spinach and Cheese Tartlets with Short Crust Pastry

🥧

Christmas Spinach and Cheese Tartlets with short crust Pastry – Hristougenniatika Tartakia apo Trifti Zymi me Spanaki kai Tyria BY: Greek Cooking Made Easy SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/greekcookingmadeeasy

Check my YouTube Video: HERE

Κοιτάξτε επίσης την συνταγή μου σε YouTube βίντεο, το λίνκ είναι: ΕΔΩ

Makes 12 tarts Have you tried my super amazing Spanakotiropita aka Spinach and Cheese Lattice Pie with short crust? Then the recipe I show you today is a simplified version of that, in order to prepare it quickly in the busy month of December. The taste of the tartlets is gorgeous as usual, using fresh spinach, aromatic herbs, spicy Greek cheeses, wrapped in a small short crust tart. They are optionally decorated in a festive way to reflect the Holiday Season; of course, you don’t have to decorate them and you can make them all year round! Let me show you how to prepare these cute tartlets, a classic Greek dish in a new exciting easy-to-pick ‘jacket’ and ideas on how to serve it in the Holiday Season!   Suitable for lacto-ovo Vegetarians.

INGREDIENTS: • 280 gr / 9.8 oz Fresh (or frozen) Spinach, weighed boiled and strained • 640 gr / 1 lb 6.7 oz / 2 rolls ready Short crust Pastry (or homemade) • 2 Spring Onions, finely chopped • ½ bunch Fresh Dill, finely chopped • 200 gr / 7 oz Feta Cheese, crumbled • 100 gr / 3.5 oz Graviera Cheese, grated (altern: Kefalograviera, Gruyere, Gouda) • 120 gr / 4.2 oz Goat Cheese, grated • 2 tbsp. / 30 ml Olive Oil • 2 large Eggs at room temp. • 1 tbsp. / 14 gr / 0.5 oz Butter, melted • Ground Pepper only!

METHOD: A. Prepare the filling: 1. Boil spinach and strain it. Let it cool down completely. 2. Place it in a large bowl.

3. Add the grated Graviera and grated Goat cheese on top. 4. Crumble the feta cheese with your fingers and add it in the mix. 5. Tip: I have used a total of 420 gr / 14.8 oz of various cheeses. You can use other cheese combos (but always include feta cheese!). 6. Season it with plenty of ground pepper. 7. Add also the olive oil and chopped spring onions. 8. In a small bowl, crack the 2 eggs. Beat them with a whisk and pour them in the mix.

9. Finely chop the fresh dill with a mezzaluna (remove the twigs).

  10. Add the chopped dill into the mixture. 11. With a large spoon, mix all ingredients until well incorporated. 12. Reserve, covered, in the fridge for half an hour to set.

B. Prepare the short crust tartlets: 13. On a clean, flat surface bring a tin with 12-muffin cases and all the cookie cutters you need. Mainly a round cookie cutter of 10 cm / 3.9 in and then several small ones for Holiday decorating (e.g. I used stars, heart, bell, holy leaves).

  14. Brush some butter on the bottom and sides of the 12 muffin cases (use half of it, the rest goes on top of the tarts). 15. Using the round cookie cutter, cut 12 rounds from the short crust and place them in the muffin cases. 16. Press the rounds to touch the bottom and sides of each case. 17. Reserve the remaining short crust.

18. Next, with a spoon, place the spinach filling equally in all the cases. Level the top with your spoon. 19. Note: You may end up with a bit of leftover filling which you could freeze for future use.

20. Optionally, use the remaining short crust and the small Xmas cookie cutters, to cut small stars or other decorative shapes. 21. Place them on top of each tart.

22. With a brush, glaze each tartlet’s surface with a bit of butter. That will give it some golden glaze at the end of baking. 23. The Spinach and Cheese Tartlets are ready for the oven. 24. Tip: If preparing ahead, you can, at this point, freeze them covered with plastic wrap, for up to 1 month.

C. Baking instructions: 25. Bake the tartlets in a preheated oven FAN @ 190 ℃ / 375 ℉ for around 30'-35' or until the crust becomes golden (depends on the oven). 26. Then remove from the oven, and leave the tray on the kitchen bench to cool down and set.

27. When they have cooled down, take them out and place them on a nice Xmas platter. You could, optionally, sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top of them, for a snow/festive effect.

D. Serving suggestion: Here they are! Aren’t they so cute?!

These amazing Spinach and Cheese Tartlets can be served very hot or at room temperature. They can be eaten as fingerfood, or as 1st course.

  Crispy and super crunchy with a lush filling of fresh and tangy tastes!

  A cute, presentable appetizer but also perfect lunch for school/work and a great way to get your kids to eat AND love spinach!

  Here I have served them for a Christmas Day High Tea or Coffee Buffet together with my other beautiful Holiday Dishes: Melomakarona, Kourabiedes stuffed with Loukoumi, Gingerbread Cookies, Tsoureki stuffed with chocolate and white chocolate garnish (Greek style Brioche), Festive Souvlaki-Skewers with Keftedakia-Meatballs served with Yogurt sauce, Chocolates and last but definitely not least, my beautiful handmade Christmas House Cake creation.

Simply wonderful. Happy, blessed Holiday Season to you all and a healthy New Year!

Enjoy them!

E. Storage info: After they have cooled down, tartlets could be stored, individually wrapped, in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 1 month.

Check my YouTube Video: HERE

Χριστουγεννιάτικα Ταρτάκια από Τριφτή Ζύμη με Σπανάκι και Τυριά BY: Greek Cooking Made Easy SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/greekcookingmadeeasy Φτιάχνει 12 τάρτες Δοκιμάσατε την απίστευτη Σπανακοτυρόπιτα μου με τριφτή ζύμη; Τότε η συνταγή που σας δείχνω σήμερα είναι η απλοποιημένη εκδοχή της, για να την ετοιμάσετε γρήγορα τον πολυάσχολο Δεκέμβριο. Τα ταρτάκια έχουν υπέροχη γεύση ως συνήθως, χρησιμοποιώντας φρέσκο σπανάκι, αρωματικά βότανα, πικάντικα τυριά, τυλιγμένα σε μια μικρή τάρτα από τριφτή ζύμη. Είναι προαιρετικά διακοσμημένα με γιορταστικό τρόπο ώστε να στολίζουν το τραπέζι σας την περίοδο των Χριστουγέννων. Φυσικά, δεν χρειάζεται να τα διακοσμήσετε και μπορείτε να τα φτιάχνετε όλο το χρόνο! Ελάτε λοιπόν να σας δείξω πώς να ετοιμάσετε αυτά τα χαριτωμένα ταρτάκια, ένα κλασικό Ελληνικό φαγητό σε νέο συναρπαστικό «κάλυμμα» για να τα τσιμπάτε εύκολα και βέβαια ιδέες για το πώς να τα σερβίρετε την περίοδο των γιορτών! Κατάλληλα για χορτοφάγους.

ΥΛΙΚΑ: • 280 γρ / 9,8 oz Σπανάκι φρέσκο (ή κατεψυγμένο), ζυγισμένο βρασμένο και στραγγισμένο • 640 γρ / 1 lb 6,7 oz / 2 ρολά έτοιμη τριφτή Ζύμη (ή σπιτική) • 2 φρέσκα Κρεμμυδάκια, ψιλοκομμένα • ½ ματσάκι φρέσκος Άνηθος, ψιλοκομμένος • 200 γρ / 7 oz Φέτα, θρυμματισμένη • 100 γρ / 3,5 oz Γραβιέρα, τριμμένη (εναλλακτικά: κεφαλογραβιέρα, γκούντα) • 120 γρ / 4,2 oz Κατσικίσιο Τυρί, τριμμένο • 2 κ.σ. / 30 ml Ελαιόλαδο • 2 μεγάλα Αυγά σε θερμοκρασία δωματίου • 1 κ.σ. / 14 γρ / 0,5 oz Βούτυρο, λιωμένο • Μόνο φρεσκοαλεσμένο Πιπέρι!

ΜΕΘΟΔΟΣ: Α. Ετοιμάστε τη γέμιση: 1. Βράστε το σπανάκι και στραγγίστε το. Αφήστε το να κρυώσει εντελώς. 2. Τοποθετήστε το σε ένα μεγάλο μπολ.

3. Προσθέστε από πάνω την τριμμένη γραβιέρα και το τριμμένο κατσικίσιο τυρί. 4. Θρυμματίστε τη φέτα με τα δάχτυλά σας και προσθέστε τη στο μείγμα. 5. Συμβουλή: Έχω χρησιμοποιήσει συνολικά 420 γρ / 14,8 oz από διάφορα τυριά. Μπορείτε να χρησιμοποιήσετε άλλους συνδυ��σμούς τυριών (αλλά να συμπεριλαμβάνετε πάντα φέτα!). 6. Προσθέστε μπόλικο φρεσκοαλεσμένο πιπέρι. 7. Προσθέστε επίσης το ελαιόλαδο και τα ψιλοκομμένα φρέσκα κρεμμυδάκια. 8. Σε ένα μικρό μπολ σπάστε τα 2 αυγά. Χτυπήστε τα με ένα σύρμα και μετά αδειάστε τα στο μείγμα.

9. Ψιλοκόψτε τον φρέσκο άνηθο με μια μετζαλούνα (αφαιρέστε τα κλωνάρια).

10. Προσθέστε τον ψιλοκομμένο άνηθο στο μείγμα. 11. Με ένα μεγάλο κουτάλι ανακατέψτε όλα τα υλικά μέχρι να ενσωματωθούν καλά. 12. Βάλτε τη γέμιση, καλυμμένη με μεβράνη, στο ψυγείο για μισή ώρα να κρυώσει.

Β. Ετοιμάστε τα ταρτάκια από τριφτή ζύμη: 13. Σε μια καθαρή, επίπεδη επιφάνεια φέρτε μια φόρμα με θήκες για 12 μάφινς και όλα τα κουπάτ που χρειάζεστε. Κυρίως ένα στρογγυλό κουπάτ 10 εκ. / 3,9 ίντσες και επίσης αρκετά μικρά κουπάτ για τη Χριστουγεννιάτικη διακόσμηση (π.χ. εγώ χρησιμοποίησα αστέρια, καρδιά, καμπάνα, φύλλα γκι).

14. Αλείψτε λίγο βούτυρο στον πάτο και στα πλαϊνά των 12 θηκών για μάφινς (χρησιμοποιήστε μόνο μισό από το βούτυρο, το υπόλοιπο θα αλειφθεί πάνω από τις τάρτες). 15. Με το στρογγυλό κουπάτ κόψτε 12 στρογγυλά κομμάτια από τη τριφτή ζύμη και βάλτε τα μέσα στις θήκες για μάφιν. 16. Πιέστε τα για να ακουμπήσουν καλά στο πάτο και τις πλευρές κάθε θήκης.

17. Κρατήστε στην άκρη ό,τι σας περίσσεψε από τη ζύμη. 18. Στη συνέχεια, με ένα κουτάλι βάλτε τη γέμιση εξίσου σε όλες τις θήκες. Ισιώστε την επιφάνεια με το κουτάλι σας. 19. Σημείωση: Μπορεί να σας περισσέψει λίγη γέμιση, την οποία θα μπορούσατε να καταψύξετε για μελλοντική χρήση.

20. Προαιρετικά, χρησιμοποιήστε την υπόλοιπη ζύμη και τα μικρά χριστουγεννιάτικα κουπάτ, για να κόψετε μικρά αστεράκια ή και άλλα διακοσμητικά σχήματα. 21. Βάλτε τα πάνω από κάθε τάρτα.

22. Με ένα πινέλο αλείψτε την επιφάνεια κάθε τάρτας με λίγο βούτυρο. Αυτό θα τους δώσει χρυσή γυαλάδα στο τέλος του ψησίματος. 23. Τα Ταρτάκια με σπανάκι και τυριά είναι έτοιμα για το φούρνο. 24. Συμβουλή: Εάν θέλετε να τα ετοιμάσετε εκ των προτέρων, μπορείτε σε αυτό το σημείο, να τα καταψύξετε, καλυμμένα με πλαστική μεμβράνη, για έως και 1 μήνα.

Γ. Οδηγίες ψησίματος: 25. Ψήστε τα ταρτάκια σε προθερμασμένο φούρνο, στον αέρα @190℃/375 ℉ για περίπου 30'-35' ή μέχρι να ροδίσει η ζύμη (εξαρτάται από τον φούρνο). 26. Στη συνέχεια, βγάλτε τα από το φούρνο, και αφήστε το ταψί στον πάγκο της κουζίνας ώστε να κρυώσουν τα ταρτάκια και να σφίξουν.

27. Μόλις κρυώσουν, βγάλτε τα και στολίστε τα σε μια ωραία Χριστουγεννιάτικη πιατέλα. Θα μπορούσατε, προαιρετικά, να πασπαλίσετε από πάνω λίγη τριμμένη παρμεζάνα, για χιονισμένο/γιορταστικό εφφέ.

Δ. Πρόταση σερβιρίσματος: Εδώ είναι! Μα δεν είναι τόσο χαριτωμένα;!

Αυτά τα καταπληκτικά Ταρτάκια με σπανάκι και τυριά μπορούν να σερβιριστούν πολύ ζεστά ή σε θερμοκρασία δωματίου. Μπορούν να καταναλωθούν σαν μεζεδάκια στο χέρι, ή σαν 1ο πιάτο.

Τραγανά και σούπερ κριτσανιστά με μια πλούσια γέμιση φρέσκων και πικάντικων γεύσεων!

Ένα χαριτωμένο, ευπαρουσίαστο ορεκτικό αλλά και τέλειο μεσημεριανό για το σχολείο/δουλειά και ένας υπέροχος τρόπος να κάνετε τα παιδιά σας να φάνε ΚΑΙ να λατρέψουν το σπανάκι!

Εδώ τα έχω σερβίρει στο Χριστουγεννιάτικο μπουφέ μου για High Tea ή καφέ μαζί με τα άλλα όμορφα γιορταστικά πιάτα μου: Μελομακάρονα, Κουραμπιέδες γεμιστοί με λουκούμι, μπισκότα με τζίντζερ, τσουρέκι γεμιστό με σοκολάτα και γαρνιτούρα λευκής σοκολάτας, Γιορτινά Σουβλάκια με Κεφτεδάκια σερβιρισμένα με σάλτσα γιαουρτιού, σοκολατάκια και τελευταίο αλλά πολύ σημαντικό, την όμορφη χειροποίητη δημιουργία μου για Κέικ Χριστουγεννιάτικο Σπίτι. Απλά υπέροχα.

Καλές, ευλογημένες Γιορτές σε όλους σας και καλή χρονιά με υγεία! Απολαύστε τα!

Ε. Πληροφορίες φύλαξης: Αφού κρυώσουν, τα ταρτάκια μπορούν να φυλαχτούν, τυλιγμένα ξεχωριστά, στο ψυγείο για έως και 1 εβδομάδα ή στην κατάψυξη για 1 μήνα.

Κοιτάξτε επίσης την συνταγή μου σε YouTube βίντεο, το λίνκ είναι: ΕΔΩ

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

I don't know if is okay to send question, but i'm curious about something...

Does the Tsaritsa is at reader side? Like, Tsaritsa, not the fatui.

She knows about reader, but can't do nothing to help them, so she slowly would get rid of the fatui.

Like with Lovecraft and Dottore, like, she knew Dottore would go insane, and still let him go to get rid of him.

You know what i mean?

She is get rid of the "bad" fatuis

Unfortunately, Tsaritsa is on Fake Creator's side.

Fake Creator destroyed Celestia, and there is no need for Tsaritsa's rebellion. Before Fake Creator arrived, Tsaritsa expected, that her rebellion will be bloody.

Tsaritsa is grateful for that. She is as loyal to Fake Creator as she can be.

Tsaritsa was the one, who captured Reader. She was the reason for a week full of torture Reader have to go through.

And Tsaritsa is looking for Reader to appear again. She feels guilty because of Reader's disappearance during execution.

Tsaritsa is mad. She has lost two Harbingers (Dottore has lost his mind, Capitano is missing), and Reader wasn't re-captured.

______

A little oneshot about Reader's capture.

Self-Aware! Ivan Goncharov x GN! Reader

Warning: OOC. English is my second language. Mentions of drugs and drugging.

______

Ivan never called himself a genus. Yet, he was quite observant.

And he noticed, that you have gained a fear of tea parties.

Before you "went missing", you always joined kids during tea time. Sometimes, you managed to rope other adults into having tea with you and kids.

But, after you've returned, you started avoiding tea parties at all cost.

And, if you agreed to join... You act very strange.

You were sniffing your tea, refused to look away from your cup and plate. Moreover, you take cookies, candies and sandwiches only when you were sure, that others ate them.

Ivan didn't like, what he saw. You hardly spoke about your experience in Teyvat, and Capitano, who was still hold captive, didn't know everything about your "misadventures" in Teyvat.

Ivan was brewing cocoa. A different beverage, a different food.

He hopped, it will help you ease down and answer his questions.

******

You sat between Fyodor and Nikolai, sipping your cocoa. There were a few plates with tartlets on the table. All tartlets have different fillings. Ivan overdid himself.

You took a generous bite from the cheese and spinach tartlet, savoring the flavor.

"Delicious..." spoke you. You were slowly gaining back your feeling of self-worth and stopped always whispering.

Ivan looked at you with a kind smile.

"I am glad, that you liked it, [Y/N]."

You ate the rest of your tartlet, when Ivan spoke again.

"[Y/N], can I ask you something? You can stay silent, if you want to. Why have you become so afraid of a tea parties?"

You froze. One of the most unpleasant memories sank its teeth into your mind. You licked your lips and forced yourself to speak.

"Tsaritsa..."

_______

You silently sat on the opposite side from Tsaritsa, drinking tea she offered you. Cryo Archon found you in a cave, where you were hiding from Snezhnaya people. You feel happy, for the first time in the last three days. Ever since you left Fontaine, your life was in constant danger. You almost died a few times during your stay in Natlan. And, while the boat trip from Natlan to Snezhnaya went surprisingly well (you really liked one of the islands, where you spent a night), Shezhnaya was as unfriendly and dangerous as the rest of Teyvat.

And, finally, you found some help. Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon herself, offered to protect you.

You drank your tea and took another cookie from the plate. You felt sleepy. Your eyelids became heavy. Your mind became foggy.

'why... Tsaritsa wasn't eating or drinking...'

The last thing you have remembered, before loosing consciousness, was Tsaritsa's evil grin.

____

"I woke up in a dungeon... That's how "That week" have started..." You were nested against Nikolai's chest, sitting on his lap, covered with his overcoat. Nikolai squeeze you, while discussing something with Fyodor, Ivan and Alexander. Four of them were speaking very quietly in Russian (or both Russian and Ukrainian in Nikolai's case).

You sighed. BSD Cast were discussing a potential punishment for Teyvat nations in the last few days. You were still hesitant. You don't think you were worth the effort in being avenged.

But, for BSD Cast, you were worth it. And, for Ivan, it was worth to learn more about some... Illegal substances. So he knew what to add to Cryo Archon's tea.

______

Tag list: @withered-blossoms , @myluckymoon @cocodrilofeliz @c4xcocoa @vvyeislazzy

[nati-sims]

Traduções dos mods de receitas das criadoras Somik e Severinka

Oi, pessoal! ✨

Para facilitar as nossas vidas, eu resolvi reunir aqui todas as traduções dos mods de receitas e bebidas das criadoras Somik e Severinka. Os mods estão todos em ordem alfabética e, através destes links, vocês acessam os links de download do mod e da tradução.

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Pancakes Stuffed with Meat

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Pies - set 2

Pies - set 3

Pomegranate, Fig, Avocado and Cerry

Product and Ingredient of “Tartlets” 💖

Punches (Non-alcoholic)

Realistic Cooking Mod v 5.4💚

Realistic Cooking Mod V 6.0💚

Realistic Cooking Mod v 7.0

Restaurant dishes - set 2

Salad Dressed Herring

Salad Olivier with red Caviar

Salad Vinegret

Salad with shrimp and orange

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Set of Rolls “Philadelphia”, “California”, “Canada"💖

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Tarts

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Esta lista será atualizada conforma novas atualizações estiverem prontas.

[noidabusinesssuites]

Gourmet Delights: Curating the Ultimate Hi Tea Spread

High tea, once a British tradition, has evolved into a sophisticated affair enjoyed worldwide. For businesses, organizing a corporate hi tea in Noida presents an excellent opportunity to impress clients, reward employees, and foster networking in a relaxed yet elegant setting. This blog explores the essentials of curating the ultimate hi tea spread, ensuring your corporate hi tea in Noida is both memorable and delightful.

The Essence of Corporate Hi Tea in Noida

Corporate hi tea in Noida is more than just an afternoon meal; it is an experience that combines elegance, relaxation, and gourmet delights. The key to a successful hi tea lies in the meticulous selection of teas, delectable savories, and indulgent sweets. Here's how to curate the perfect hi tea spread that will leave a lasting impression on your guests.

Selecting the Perfect Teas

The cornerstone of any hi tea is, of course, the tea itself. For a corporate hi tea in Noida, offering a variety of high-quality teas is essential. Consider including a mix of traditional black teas, refreshing green teas, and aromatic herbal blends. Popular choices include Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Chamomile, and Jasmine tea. To cater to diverse preferences, you might also include a few caffeine-free options.

Delectable Savories

A well-curated selection of savory items is crucial for a balanced hi tea spread. For your corporate hi tea in Noida, aim for a mix of classic and contemporary flavors that appeal to a wide range of tastes.

1. Finger Sandwiches

Finger sandwiches are a staple of any hi tea. Offer a variety of fillings such as cucumber and cream cheese, smoked salmon, egg salad, and roast beef with horseradish. Ensure the bread is fresh and soft, and consider using different types like whole wheat, rye, and brioche to add variety.

2. Quiches and Tarts

Mini quiches and savory tarts are perfect for adding a touch of sophistication. Options like spinach and feta quiche, caramelized onion and goat cheese tarts, and mushroom and thyme quiche are sure to please your guests. These can be served warm or at room temperature, making them versatile for your corporate hi tea in Noida.

3. Scones with Savory Toppings

While scones are typically served with sweet accompaniments, offering a savory version can add an interesting twist. Cheese scones with chive butter or sun-dried tomato scones with basil pesto are excellent choices for your corporate hi tea in Noida.

Indulgent Sweets

No hi tea spread is complete without an array of sweet treats. For a corporate hi tea in Noida, select desserts that are both visually appealing and delicious.

1. Classic Scones

Traditional scones served with clotted cream and strawberry jam are a must-have. Their simplicity and rich taste make them a favorite among hi tea enthusiasts.

2. Petite Fours and Pastries

Petite fours, macarons, and mini éclairs add elegance and a pop of color to your spread. These delicate treats are not only delicious but also make for beautiful table displays at your corporate hi tea in Noida.

3. Layered Cakes and Tartlets

Offer a selection of mini cakes and tartlets, such as lemon drizzle cake, Victoria sponge, chocolate tartlets, and fruit tarts. These bite-sized desserts are perfect for satisfying sweet cravings without being too heavy.

Presentation and Ambiance

The presentation of your hi tea spread is just as important as the food itself. For a corporate hi tea in Noida, aim for an elegant yet inviting setup.

1. Table Setting

Use fine china, elegant teapots, and tiered cake stands to create a classic hi tea ambiance. Fresh flowers and linen napkins can add a touch of sophistication. Ensure the table is arranged in a way that allows guests to easily access all items.

2. Themed Decor

Consider incorporating a theme into your corporate hi tea in Noida. Whether it's a vintage garden party or a modern minimalist look, themed decor can enhance the overall experience and make the event more memorable.

3. Comfort and Accessibility

Ensure that the seating is comfortable and that there is ample space for guests to move around and network. Accessibility is key, so consider the needs of all attendees when arranging your venue.

Conclusion Curating the ultimate hi tea spread for a corporate hi tea in Noida requires careful planning and attention to detail. By offering a diverse selection of high-quality teas, an array of savory and sweet delicacies, and creating an elegant ambiance, you can host an event that impresses and delights your guests. Remember, the goal is to create a relaxing yet sophisticated environment where attendees can enjoy gourmet delights and engage in meaningful conversations. With these tips, your corporate hi tea in Noida is sure to be a resounding success.

[briochedoree]

Liven up your afternoon with delicious snacks at Café Brioche Doré Bonjour, dear café lovers! 

Bonjour, dear café lovers!

At Café Brioche Dorée, we believe that every moment in life deserves to be celebrated, especially the cherished hours between lunch and dinner. Join us for an exquisite experience as we introduce you to our delectable afternoon snack offerings. Whether you're seeking savory delights or sweet treats, we've curated a menu that's sure to tantalize your taste buds and transport you to the streets of Paris.

1. Canapés:

Salmon & Cheese Canapé:

Indulge in the luxurious flavors of smoked salmon paired with creamy cheese, elegantly presented on a delicate slice of French baguette. A bite-sized masterpiece that will leave you craving for more.

Tuna & Mayo Canapé:

Savor the freshness of tuna salad combined with a hint of mayo, nestled on a crunchy cracker. This delightful canapé is a perfect choice for those looking for a savory bite.

Cucumber & Cheese Canapé:

Experience the crispness of cucumbers and the creaminess of cheese harmoniously blended atop a perfectly toasted slice of bread. A light and refreshing option that's perfect for a warm afternoon.

2. Bites:

Mini Croissant Sandwiches:

Our signature flaky croissants play host to an array of mouthwatering fillings. From ham and cheese to turkey and cranberry, these bite-sized sandwiches are the epitome of French elegance.

Mini Baguette Sandwiches:

A bite-sized version of our classic baguette sandwiches, these mini wonders are packed with flavors. Choose from options like chicken Caesar or roast beef with horseradish for an unforgettable experience.

Spinach Sushi Crepe:

For a unique twist on traditional sushi, try our spinach sushi crepe. Fresh spinach, rice, and a touch of sesame come together in this delightful fusion snack.

Mushroom & Cheese Mini Tartlets:

Indulge in the rich and earthy flavors of mushrooms combined with creamy cheese, all encased in a buttery, flaky tartlet. It's a savory treat you won't want to miss.

3. Desserts:

Mini Fruit Tartlets:

Experience a burst of fruity goodness with our mini fruit tartlets. These bite-sized delights feature a delicate pastry shell filled with fresh seasonal fruits and a hint of pastry cream.

Mini Cupcakes:

Satisfy your sweet tooth with our mini cupcakes, available in a variety of flavors. From classic chocolate to zesty lemon, these little cakes pack a big punch of flavor.

Assorted Mini French Pastries:

Indulge in the artistry of French pastry with our assorted mini pastries. From éclairs to macarons, this delightful selection showcases the best of French patisserie.

4. Beverages:

Fresh Orange Juice:

Quench your thirst with a glass of our freshly squeezed orange juice. The perfect accompaniment to your afternoon snack.

Detox Water:

For those looking for a refreshing and health-conscious option, our detox water infused with fresh fruits and herbs is a revitalizing choice.

Filtered Coffee:

Complete your snack experience with a cup of our rich and aromatic filtered coffee. The perfect way to unwind and savor the moment.

At Café Brioche Dorée, we invite you to elevate your afternoon with a delightful array of snacks that capture the essence of French culinary artistry. Whether you prefer savory canapés, satisfying bites, sweet desserts, or refreshing beverages, our menu is designed to cater to your every craving. Join us at our café, and let your taste buds embark on a journey through the flavors of France. Bon appétit!

Follow us on Instagram (@briochedoree.official) to stay updated with our latest offerings, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and exclusive promotions. Share your Café Brioche Dorée moments with us using #BriocheDelights and be part of our vibrant community of food enthusiasts. We can't wait to see you there!

[tinseltownevents]

                    INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION                                                       MENUS

FROM THE BAR

FEATURED COCKTAILS

Manhattan

Strawberry Collins

Ranch Water

Peach Berry Julep

Blue Hawaiian

Miami Vice

Sweet Tea Sangria

Long Island Iced Tea

Sex on the Beach

Kentucky Kiss

Lynchburg Lemonade

Summer Shandy Punch

Blueberry Lemonade Margarita

Blackberry or Watermelon Mojito

Red, White, & Blue Sangria

FEATURED SHOOTERS

Apple Pie

Firecracker

Alabama Slammer

Peanut butter & Jelly

Red Hot

Rocket Jell-O Shots

Lady Liberty

Watermelon Rum

Cherry Bombs

Salty Dog

Toasted Marshmallow

BEER

Busch

Coors

Miller

Keystone

Budwiser

Natural Ice

Yuengling Lager

Milwaukee’s Best

Pabst Blue Ribbon

WINE

Barefoot; Zinfandel, Chardonnay

Yellowtail; Merlot, Pino Noir

Sutter Home; Pino Grigio, Shiraz

APPETIZERS

Deviled Eggs

Fried Pickles

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Fried Green Tomatoes

Firecracker Shrimp

Cheese & Crackers Plater

Jalapeno Poppers

Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Corn Pups

Mac & Cheese Bites

Cauliflower Tots

Buffalo Wings

FROM THE GRILL

Hot dogs

Plain or Cheeseburgers

Impossible Burger

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Lobster Rolls

Homestyle Fried Chicken

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Steak or Chicken Kabobs

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Steamed Blue Crabs

Grilled King Crab Legs

Pinwheel Sandwiches

SIDES

Freedom Fries

Onion Rings

Grilled Vegetables

Baked Beans

Potato Salad

Macaroni Salad

Orzo Salad

Coleslaw

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Watermelon Salsa

Buttermilk Cornbread

Edamame & Bacon Succotash

DESSERT

Fresh Fruit

Angel Food Cake with fresh strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream

S’mores

Lemon Berry Tartlets

Amish Sugar Cookies

Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

Southern Peach Cobbler

Apple or Blueberry Pie

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Strawberry Shortcakes

Ice Cream Sundae Bar

Red, White, & Blue Ambrosia

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Pink Lemonade Bars

[fishnets-fingers]

Six Months - Part Eighteen

Summary - Layla desperately needs a vacation and her Aunt and Uncle come to her rescue. So, at twenty two, she packs her bag and jets off to America. Harry took a break from education and is now a full fledged content creator on OnlyFans. At twenty, he makes more money than almost all of his friends. What ensues when these two meet and realise the windows in their rooms face each other? How will paper airplanes bring them closer together?

PAIRING - camboy!harry x indian!oc

a/n -  not happy with how a lot of dialogue turned out. if you have any questions or thoughts about the series, please pop over to my asks. as always, like and reblog. feed back is not only appreciated but much welcome.  happy reading!

Word Count - 11.6 k

Warnings - smut (restraint, mentions of buttplug), angst if you squint, fluff.

Masterpost (find previous parts here)

“Say cheese, everybody!” One of Anne’s friends chirps from behind the camera.

Layla and Harry had set up a small photo corner at the nook of the drawing room, with hay bales and a backdrop that had clouds printed on them. The party had turned out well. Layla was sitting on the hay bale on the right, dressed in a dog’s costume, with a nose and whiskers she drew on her face with an eyeliner, and the biggest smile on her face. Harry was at the centre in his collared blue and white chequered dress, embellished with sequins that were stitched to look like strawberries. He even went out of his way to get a matching bow made that he used to clip his hair back. Earl was standing behind Layla in his adorable Cowardly Lion onesie and the nose Layla had drawn on with her eyeliner. Vasanth and Abi were on the other side. Abi dressed in a faux black leather long jacket and some striped green and black tights. Her bump was pronounced with the lights from the lightbox that Harry had set up earlier. She managed to match her eye makeup to her colour palette and made a long pointy hat made from black chart paper, serving every bit of Wicked Witch of the West. Behind her was her husband in his Tin Man costume, looking awkward because his niece and wife had cornered him and painted something gooey on his eyebrows which now made them stand out against his skin, a very metallic silver. Anne’s close friend, and book club member, Dana, was in a scarecrow costume, sitting on the other hay bale, opposite to Layla. Then there was the star of the show, Anne, who was pleasantly surprised when she walked in the door after work to them yelling happy birthday in costume. She was quick in getting into her puffy pink, Glinda the Good Witch gown. A tiara resting on top of her head and the wand she was holding in her hand had a glittery 52 cardboard attached to the top, her other hand coming to proudly link with her son who went to great lengths to give her a special birthday.

“Cheeeeese,” the group says in response as a flash from Harry’s camera blinds them.

“I think it came out well, you guys,” the older man behind the camera declares. His grey hair peppered with his strawberry blonde, made him look distinguished. His eyes a piercing blue - like it would cut right through your soul.

“Thank you,” Harry mumbles, coming to look into the screen of the camera, eyes assessing if everything turned out right.

The party was in full swing. There were all of Anne’s friends along with their plus ones. Some neighbours were invited. The playlist was tastefully curated by Harry, who weaved together soundtracks from the Wizard of Oz and other classic party hits. Hors d’oeuvres - shrimp tartlets, bruschetta, spinach and artichoke stuffed mushrooms - were placed in the dining room. Wine was freely flowing. Anne glided from one group to the other greeting her friends and making small talk. Vasanth and Abi were in deep discussion with a neighbour. Harry was busy taking pictures of the guests, who mostly came dressed up as Ozians and there were a few others that came in generic costumes.

“Earl, here,” Layla says, handing him a stuffed mushroom. They were both in the dining room. Layla had pulled out two of the chairs and placed them at the corner of the room, so the two could sit together and eat.

“Thanks, Layla.” He pops it into his mouth. Layla bites into her bruschetta, wiping down the juices that dripped from the corner of her mouth.

“Why aren’t you mingling with everyone?”

“Too many people.” She shrugs. “They’re all new. I really don’t care for small talk.”

“You did a great job with the food, honey,” he compliments, sipping from his champagne flute.

“Thank you. All I did was order and plate them,” she giggles.

“Will you ever learn to take a compliment?” He asks with a chuckle.

“Probably not.”

“Anne’s really loving this, huh?”

“Yeah,” she agrees. “She cried when we yelled out surprise. Auntie had to drag her upstairs to get her dressed up; she just wouldn’t stop hugging us.”

“Poor thing has been working so hard. She deserves this. When I was over at the hospital the other day, she looked down because it was her brother’s birthday and she misses her family.”

“Yeah. I think they’re going over for Christmas soon. So at least she has something to look forward to.”

Earl laughs. “Layla, how are you so clueless?”

“What?” She turns over to face him fully, eyebrows knit together, perplexed.

“Do you really think Harry would leave you and go back to England?” He asks.

“I don’t understand. He told me they always celebrate Christmas with the family,” she sips from her beer.

“Little lady, he’s fully planning to spend Christmas with you,” he tells her, pushing a rogue lock of her hair that peaks from her dog suit.

“Oh. I didn’t know,” she says, face flushing.

“Now you do, Lails. That boy over there loves you and I’d bet my fortune that you love him too.”

“I don’t know. I feel a lot of things. I don’t know if I want to put a label on them yet. I don’t want to say something before I’m certain,” she sighs. “But I do feel a lot.”

“I suppose that makes sense. Although back in my day, we were totally opposite. I told my wife that I loved her three weeks after I met her,” he winks at her.

“No way. Did she freak out? I would have.”

“She called me silly and took the rose from my hand and winked,” he chuckles.

“How cute.”

Daydreaming by Aretha Franklin starts crooning through the speakers. “Would you look at that,” he smiles. “She used to put this on and pull me in for a dance every time I got home from deployment.”

Layla could tell the smile on Earl’s face was bittersweet, reminiscing about all the dances he shared with the girl of his dreams.

“Would you do me the honour?” She asks, extending her palm out as an invitation as she stands up, cocking her head to the side.

“I’d love to, Lails.”

He soon takes her in his arms, he sways them both gently. Harry walks into the dining room in search of Layla when he sees them both dancing by the French windows. The moonlight casting a silvery glow around the two and they danced together, laughing. He immediately raises his camera, fiddling with the buttons to get it into video mode, wanting to capture this moment that the two would treasure.

////

“Kutti, look,” Abi says, catching her attention.

She was in the kitchen ripping open the foil from the containers of food. Layla follows her Aunt’s gaze to find Anne laughing with the man who took their group picture.

“Who’s that?” She asks.

“I don’t know. But he’s a handsome fellow, isn’t he?”

“Sure is. His eyes are so blue,” she emphasises the last word as she peels back foil from the baked salmon and fennel salad.

“I know right!” Abi picks up the big skillet of the seafood paella from the oven warmer.

“Hey, baby, the flutters are really bothering me.” Harry circles behind the kitchen counter to meet the two, rubbing his eye with one hand and a camera on the other. His right eye was red and watery.

“Don’t rub it in then,” she scolds. She comes over to him and adjusts the eyelash band that didn’t stick properly.

“Flutters?” Abi asks.

“She stuck these eyelashes in my eye and they’ve been poking me nonstop,” he informs her as Layla tears off a kitchen towel to pat dry the tears, hoping it won’t streak his makeup.

“Ah. I was wondering why your eyes look different. At least your mascara is waterproof, you don’t look like a raccoon.”

“Who is that man flirting with Anne?” Earl asks, walking in to join the trio.

“We don’t know if they are flirting. They’re just talking,” Layla says.

“Honey. They’re standing close to each other and smiling,” Earl states, looking at Layla like she’s lost her marbles.

“Well, the music is kinda loud and he could just be funny,” Abi says, glancing over to the pair in the living room.

Harry blinks a few more times, testing to see if the fake lashes irritate his eye and he smiles when they don’t. Layla had clearly fixed it. He pulls up a spoon from the drawer and scoops some of the risotto with carrots, corn and kale and pops it in his mouth.

He looks at his mum, past all the other adults in costume. He sees the man who took the picture place a hand on Anne’s arm. “Oh he’s definitely into her alright.”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Earl breathes out.

“What’s taking you all so long?” Vasanth huffs out. “We need to cut the cake and have dinner set up in the dining room for a buffet.”

“Anne’s talking to someone!” Abi exclaims.

“Oh you mean, Vincent Wagner.”

“How do you know his name?” Layla asks.

“Because I talked to him,” he replies, coming to boop Layla’s painted nose.

“Tell me everything. Is he sus or chill?” Harry grills him.

“I don’t know what sus means, Harry.”

“He’s asking you if he’s nice,” Layla explains.

“He seems nice. He’s Dana’s brother.” Dana was Anne’s close friend that she often meets for her book club. She was the one tasked to bring Anne home from the hospital, after Harry had dropped her off in the morning. “She’s brought him along. He works in the university hospital as a general surgeon.” Vasanth fills them in. Earl and Abi nod, clearly impressed by Dr. Wagner's credentials.

Harry whistles. “He knows his way around the camera too.”

“Okay. Let’s get to work, gossip queens. It’s time for some cake,” Vasanth declares, looking at the oven clock that said that it was half past seven. “Layla, Harry, give me a hand to put the food on the table. Abi, Earl, get the cake out and light the candles,” he says, like a man on a mission.

They all get to work immediately and when Layla comes around, Abi and Earl had lit up the candles on her Wizard of Oz cake that Harry had made from scratch. People start to gather around it.

“Give me the camera and go enjoy the celebration, would you?” Vincent says, extending his hand out for the camera from Harry.

He smiles at him as he hands over the camera and goes to stand next to Anne, whose tears threaten to spill over at the sight of her son’s handiwork.

“Oh, H. It’s beautiful,” she praises as she hugs him close.

The layered cake stood atop a circular disc that Harry had covered with a light green frosting. Yellow brick road on the other side , he made the brick patterns by scoring his icing with a knife to create small rectangles. The dark green bushes were cut and placed by the road and were dotted with red flowers and a small pair of glittery ruby red shoes that Layla had spent meticulously covering every centimetre with edible glue, the witches feet sticking out of the other end made her chuckle, looking over at Layla knowing very well that it was her artistry. The yellow brick road, complete with the red flowers and bushes, continues leading up to the emerald city that proudly stood atop the cake, complete with gold trimmings and flags. A white banner that had ‘Happy 52nd Anne’ scrawled in impeccable calligraphy.

“Thanks, mum. Hope you like how it turned out. Layla helped too,” he nods towards her.

“Oh it wasn’t a big deal,” she waves her hand.

Anne blows a kiss towards her and soon a chorus of happy birthday, from thirty people, fills the room. .

“Make a wish, mum,” Harry reminds her.

They all cheer when she blows out her candles with a big smile.

////

The lively house had gone quiet. Party streamers, confetti, and torn up wrapping paper were strewn on the pale cream carpet. Everyone had made their way home. Earl was slumped on the couch. Vasanth is massaging Abi’s feet on the loveseat. Layla was on the floor with her feet stretched out in front of her. Harry was beside her - face flushed from the wine he had consumed throughout the evening - head on her shoulder, drawing lazy patterns on her thigh, feeling the soft fur of the dog suit. All clearly pooped from the ordeal.

“Here you go, Earl,” Anne says, handing him a makeup wipe.

“Thanks, hun.” He pulls a towelette from the package and proceeds to wipe the nose Layla had drawn on him with an eyeliner.

She sits back down, picking up a box from Earl. She tears it open and lifts out a cheese dome.

“How cute,” Layla squeals. It’s ceramic and it has a tiny white mouse wearing a green apron perched on top of a mushroom looking dome.

“Earl, this would look wonderful in the dining room. Would really tie into my fairy garden. Thank you.” She says, passing it to Layla who’s making grabby hands at the dome, wanting to inspect it further.

Anne picks up the next box from Vasanth and Abi. She tears it open to find a colourful patchwork quilt. She runs her hand feeling the softness and admiring the different patterns in each square. “This is so beautiful. The material is so soft too. Thank you.”

“It’s bamboo cotton. Hope it keeps you nice and warm in the winter,” Abi says with a smile.

“I can’t wait to take this with me to the hospital and curl up in the nurse’s lounge during my breaks.” Anne folds it and drapes the comforter on the arm of her couch, moving it to the side so as to not wrinkle it.

She picks up the last and the smallest package of them all. It had Layla’s name on it. She unties the ribbon and opens the lid of the small cardboard box and gasps when she sees what’s in them.

“Sweetie, did you make them yourself?”

“Yeah. Hope you like it,” she says nervously, going to scratch the back of her neck.

“I love it! They’re so small. Wow.” She beams, pulling out two small origami dragons from the box. The paper had patches of sky blue, dark blue, red and had gold lines running through it. They were connected by small hoops on the body, so they can serve as earrings.

She gives her an awkward smile in return.

Anne passes the box with the earring around, so everyone who’s there can take a look at it.

“Oh kutti. I still have one of these,” she gushes, passing it over to Earl. “She made me these origami crane threader type earrings and I still wear them.”

“Didn’t you use to sell them in school?” Vasanth asks.

“Yeah,” she chuckles. “A nun busted my ass and ratted me out to my mum. I was so scared she was gonna beat me but she went home and laughed and told me to make them and give it to whoever I wanted free of cost.”

“Really? You paint your mum to be a voice of terror,” Harry tells her.

“She’s a pain in my ass most of the time but we have our moments. I was a very curious kid growing up and would get into everything and tear it open-“

“It drove us insane. We’d buy her a toy and she’d somehow managed to pry it open in a few days. Monkey hands, I tell you,” Vasanth interrupts, shaking his head, thinking back to all of his things she’d broken open.

“So, one day she came home with a book on origami and some colour paper and I just took to it very quickly.”

“Clever thinking on her part. She certainly harnessed your potential,” Earl observes looking at the tiny folded piece of paper in his hand, admiring the sharp crisp edges of the dragon.

“It’s beautiful, sweetheart. Thank you,” Anne tells her, reaching forward to squeeze her hand to show her appreciation.

“Thank you, Harry. I love that you did this for me. You made me feel so special. Thank you for the gift. I'm looking forward to it.” She tells him. Harry had given her two airplane tickets for a week in Seychelles during the summer, on their traditional birthday brunch. He’d told her that it’ll be an all expense paid trip and she could take someone or him; he’d be happy either way. “Thank you all for doing all of this and helping him surprise me. I feel very lucky to have you all in my life,” she finishes, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

They all murmur their appreciation of Anne and sit back in silence, assessing the mammoth task of cleaning up tomorrow.

“Well, looks like I should head home. It’s past my bedtime,” Earl declares, standing up.

“Let me drop you off,” Vasanth offers. He was the one who drove him there in the afternoon.

“It would be much of a hassle for you?”

“Not at all,” he responds, getting up to go get Earl his coat.

“Alright, kutti. Let’s head home and turn in?” Abi says.

“I’d like to stay here. Is that okay?” Layla looks expectantly at her Uncle and Aunt.

“Of course. Help Anne and Harry clean up in the morning,” Vasanth instructs and she nods.

“You have your clothes to change into? Do you need me to bring them over?” Abi asks.

“No. I’ll borrow some of his sweats.”

Harry goes over to see them out and locks the door. He comes back to find Layla and his mother scrunching up the wrapping paper and tossing it into a garbage bag. Once they’re done, Anne picks up the birthday cards she’d hadn’t gotten around to reading from the coffee table. “I’m heading upstairs to call it a night,” she announces. “Thank you, love,” she tells Harry once again, kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you too, Layla.” She pulls her in for a hug as well, kissing her cheek to show that she’d appreciated all that she’d done.

They quietly walk up the stairs and Harry shuts the door behind her and clicks to lock the door, as Layla kicks off her shoes.

“So, you wanna go wash off the makeup,” he cocks his head towards the loo.

“You are thoroughly mistaken if you think I’m gonna let you go without having the makeup run down your face, Dorothy.” Layla licks her lips and walks towards him, trapping him between her and the wall.

“I- I def- I would like that very much too, baby,” he whispers, feeling his body heat up in response to her words.

She gets on her tippy toes and tugs the white collars down, and crashes his ruby red lips to her own. They feel the tingles surge and Harry loops his arms behind her back, pulling her flush against him. He whimpers as she licks into his mouth, caressing his tongue.

“Do you still uh, have the buttplug?” She asks, pulling back, watching the emerald shrink as his pupils blow out in desire.

“No. I took it out after an hour. Felt uncomfortable.”

“Oh.” Harry could hear the slight pang of disappointment in her voice.

“But I can go and get it from the bathroom and we can try again,” he proposes, trailing wet kisses from the corner of her mouth up to her jaw.

“No no,” she coos, using her thumb to caress his swollen lower lip, messing up the smudged red lipstick in the process. Seeing his messy lips makes her press her thighs together. “Just want you to be comfortable, baby boy. How about we put those cuffs you bought to good use?”

“Yes, please, Lails.”

“Okay. Can you take them out and sit on the bed? Wait for me, okay?”

“Of course, baby.”

She chastely kisses his lips and then his nose and walks into the bathroom. She sees the silicone buttblug tossed haphazardly on his counter. She quickly unzips her dog suit and pulls out some tissues out of the box. She wipes down the sweat from her pits and her underboobs, she’d got quite hot in her ensemble as the night progressed. She then reaches for her cleansing balm, and warms it up between her palms, before rubbing circles on her face. She splashed some water on her face when she had effectively broken down her whiskers and eyeliner nose. She uses the towel to pat her skin dry before quickly peeing. This would do for now, she can cleanse properly later.

When she swings the door open, clad in her sports bra and mismatched granny panties, that had holes in them. Harry couldn’t help but breathe out, “My sweet beautiful girl.”

She strides towards him. He’s sat on the edge of the bed, with the cuffs laid out next to him - exactly as she’d asked. “Hi,” she coos, when she straddles him, nose coming to trace the angle of his jaw.

“Hi, baby,” he chuckles, bending down to kiss her forehead, hands playing with the flesh of her thighs.

“Thought it’d be weird to give you a blowie in whiskers,” she chuckles.

“I’m getting a blowie?” He asks, eyes wide in glee.

“Obviously. You can’t parade around in your red tights and bloomers and not expect a blowjob,” she likes his dimples.

“Let’s go then,” he says, as he rocks back and forth, so his red stocking clad thighs come to rub deliciously at the junction of her thighs.

“Are you okay with me restraining you?” She checks in, as she leans to the right to pick up his restraints.

“Yup.”

She quickly gets it open and Harry automatically puts both of his hands behind his back. She makes quick work securing his wrists and checks, if it’s too tight.

“Safe word?” She prompts.

“Periwinkle.”

“Good. Now let’s get this clip out of your hair. Really brings attention to your receding hairline,” she chuckles, getting his bow out of his hair.

“Gee, thanks. Honestly, do you have a list of insults written down somewhere,” he kisses the tip of her nose.

“No. I’m a natural,” she giggles. She smooths his hair, so it flops down his forehead.

“There’s my boyfriend,” she cheers, leaning in for a drawn out kiss. She runs her hands up his back as she starts kissing down his neck.

She wraps her lips around his nipple, tugging it with her teeth and he moans out loudly. “Again, please!”

“Thank fuck your room is soundproof,” she whispers tugging his other nipple into her mouth. Her fingers come to caress the other two.

She nips and suckles down, sinking down to her knees.

“Pillow?” He asks, cocking his head to the end of the bed, wanting her to be comfortable.

Her heart flutters, so fucking sweet.

“I’m good, babe. Thank you.” She rises up on her knees to sloppily kiss the corner of his mouth.

“More,” he whines and she obliges, letting him suck on her bottom lip as she awkwardly peels away his bloomers.

“Have I ever told you how fucking good you look, in these tights?” She says, sitting back on her heels, trailing kisses up his thigh, stopping when she gets dangerously close to his crotch and switching to the other thigh.

“I’m very hard,” he whimpers.

“Teasing is not so nice now, is it?”

“Touch me!” He demands.

“Okay. Hold on. Gotta get these off, Har.” She hooks her fingers at the hem of his stockings at the top of his thighs.

“Tear them off.”

“What?”

“Rip them. I’m not wearing briefs,” he tells her.

“Okay.” She hikes his dress up, so it bunches up at his love handles. She grits her teeth as she tears it open, surprised at the amount of strength it requires.

When that’s out of the way, she quickly takes him out and licks on his head.

“Fuck me,” he groans, throwing his head back, as she swallows around him.

It doesn’t take her much to take him into her mouth, sucking hard, one hand comes to roll his balls and the other soothingly rubbed at his stocking clad thigh.

He looks down to see her but is unable to make eye contact as she’s hidden under his dress but he could see her movements.

“Jesus shit,” he managed to get out as he hit the back of her throat.

“So fucking good you are, Layla.” Tears spring to the corners of his eyes both from the fire scorching in his belly and the frustration of not being able to cup her cheeks or thread his fingers in her hair.

She messily licks up the underside of his shaft, coming to suckle his tip groaning around him knowing the vibrations drive him mad.

“Gonna come,” he breathes out and she immediately pops off. Sitting back down on his floor again, wiping the mouth on his red thigh.

“I’m going to get on top okay. You can come then. But only after I get to come once,” she says.

He nods. She uses his knees to hoist herself up, wincing when she feels a pull down the back of her thighs.

“You okay, baby?” Green eyes inspecting her with alarm, snapping out of his fuzzy state.

“Just a cramp,” she groans, shaking her leg.

“Ugh. This is totally ruining the mood,” she rolls her eyes.

“No it’s not. I’m pretty sure I’m seconds away from blowing my load. How about I take over, hmm? We could use the restraints to the fullest another time.”

“Okay. You do that.” She tells him, bending down to unclip the restraints and toss it on the corner of his bed.

He gets up and rummages through his drawers for a condom and the lube. He rolls it down his length without taking his eyes off her as she’s taking off her bra and panties. He squirts some lube on his length as she bends over his bed.

“Want it like this,” she instructs, cheek on the mattress.

“Anything you want, my love.” He goes to stand behind her and spread her thighs apart. He spreads some lube and her wetness before sinking into her.

“Ah,” she lets out a soft moan, feeling full as he bottoms out.

“Okay?”

“So so okay. Move, Har.” She grunts and he starts to thrust shallowly into her, relishing how wet, warm and ready she was for him.

“Always perfect for me, my sweet girl.” He bends down to kiss her back, before pulling back slowly and sinking into her again.

She lurches forward when he thrusts in quickly, so he grabs on to her hips and starts building a steady rhythm.

“Ah. Right there. Don’t stop,” she pleads when he prods at her spongy spot.

“Not gonna. Gonna give it all to you,” he grunts in her ear, combing down so his chest is flushed with hers. Moans, heavy breaths, praises and skin slapping against each other fills the room. He burrows his face in her hair, feeling her contract her muscles around him making the two yell out profanities. Tears stream down his cheek by how sex makes his feelings for her intensify. He reaches out to weave his fingers into one of her hands and she brings it up to her lips, kissing the back of his hand.

“Coming,” she breathes out, burying her face in her pillow as she rides out her wave, body quaking as pleasure consumes her.

“Shit shit shit. I’m close,” he grunts, gritting his teeth at the way she’s clenched around him. Impossibly tight, like a vise.

“Come.” Her voice, muffled by his mattress. “Need you to, Har. Like you so much.”

“Can I- Christ.. can I come on you?”

“Yeah.”

He quickly slips out of her, peeling off his condom and tossing it on the floor beside his leg. His fist quickly works around him, and soon after he’s spurting ribbons of come down her ass and thighs with a loud whimper.

He stands there, trying to catch his breath as he blinks back the tears that had formed a thin film in his eyes.

“Hold on. I’ll clean you up.” He says, rushing to the bathroom to get a warm washcloth.

When he does, his reflection on the mirror was an absolute mess. Lipstick smeared all over his lower face, lips swollen and pink. A faint hickey on his neck, one of his flutters were coming off, and tear streaks all apparent with his red blush. She’d successfully messed up his makeup.

////

“What do you think about this one?” Layla asks, squatting down to inspect the pumpkin on the ground. “Are you even listening to me,” he grunts. They drove out to Tulle’s Farm and were in the middle of pumpkin picking. There was barely anyone around on Tuesday afternoon.

“Yeah. Yeah,” she replies, squinting her eyes as she lifts her head up to look at him, sun hitting her eyes.

“I’m just saying,” he continues, knowing that he has her undivided attention. “People look to tall people in situations of peril. We’re like the ozone layer of society.”

“Ozone layer of society!” Layla laughs, body rumbling that she loses her footing and plops on the ground. ”What eve-“ she sputters into a peeling laughter again, until a small snort escapes her, which only makes her giggle harder.

His scowl can’t help but turn upward at the adorable snort that escaped her mouth. “I don’t know why you find that funny,” he tries his hardest to be stern but the caters on his cheek and the tear that slowly escapes from his eye conveys the exact opposite.

“Because you aren’t as tall as you think,” she fires back with a playful smirk, bringing her hand up to wipe the tears from her eyes as well.

He gasps, eyes widening at her comment. “Bullocks. Now you’re just being a dickhead. I’m six feet,” he says proudly, bunny teeth coming to view as the corners of his mouth lift upwards.

“No. You’re not. I like you with my whole heart, babe. And that’s the only reason I’m telling you this. You’re like 5.10”, maybe 5.11” tops.”

“Slander,” he huffs out, crossing his arms over his chest protectively.

“No. You’re as tall as Auntie and she’s like 5.10”. Those Gucci boots and loafers you like wearing have heels to give you those extra inches.”

“I have bad posture! I’m taller than Abi.”

“Okay. Maybe by an inch but you're still not six feet,” she points out.

“Why are you breaking my heart like this, sweet girl?” He pouts, coming to crouch down to her level.

“I’m shouldering this huge burden of keeping your ego in check,” she mutters, coming to rub her nose against his. “Look at this way,” her hands come to swirl the ringlets at the nape of his neck. “You’re taller than me.”

“Everyone is taller than you,” he reminds her, coming to poke the dimple on her cheek.

“And I own the fact that I’m a shrimp. I think it’s high time you do too.” She teases him.

“You such a dickhead you know that.” He leans to press a small kiss on her lips, chaste but full of love.

“Too bad you’re in love with said dickhead.”

“Very bad indeed,” he agrees. “Why are you wearing this jacket again? Aren’t you sweating from walking around and picking pumpkins?”

“Yeah but trust me I need it,” she tells him, pulling the oversized racing jacket around her frame. Her Uncle made sure to zip her up in his NASCAR Tide jacket before she stepped out. The jacket gave her outfit a pop of colour, something her Western outfits mostly lacked. She’d paired it with her Dad’s grey track bottoms and her black Panic! At The Disco t-shirt. Her little gold elephant sat in between her collarbones. She regretted her choice of white trainers, because it had become dirty walking through the uneven muddy ground. She was clearly swimming in her outfit.

“Do you want me to put this in?” He questions, pointing to the oblong pumpkin that Layla had deemed worthy.

“Yes please, my ozone layer of society,” she giggles again.

“Meanie,” he nudges her shoulder, going to pick the pumpkin up.

“How about this then, my incredibly strong tall boyfriend, can you place the pumpkin in the wheelbarrow because your frail girlfriend depends on you?” She smiles.

“You forgot handsome,” he nuzzles her nose.

“Okay, Harry, my strong, tall, handsome boyfriend, please put the pumpkin in the wheelbarrow.”

“That’s more like it, baby.” His ego inflates, grin widening, as he stands up with the pumpkin.

“Such a narcissist,” she mutters, looking at the way the muscles on his back flex underneath his tight white Kiss t-shirt. His floppy curls, that were quite greasy, were hidden under an emerald Green Packers beanie.

“Alright we got all the pumpkin we need, yeah?” He comes to clutch at the handle of the blue, which frankly was more rusty, as the paint had worn off, wheelbarrow.

“No. No. No.” She repeats, holding on to one of his pant legs to pull herself up, her knees cracking in protest. “You’ve got all the pumpkins you wanted for your pie. I want two more of these bad boys,” she pats on the waxy orange skin, pushing away the grime that was stuck to it.

“Why two?”

“I want to carve them and put them on the porch. I’m doing two classic faces and one ghost face. I found a stencil one and it looks fairly easy but might take a while though. And I want to do one of the Doors of Durin, so we’ve got to find a pumpkin that’s very oval. Come on, babe,” she says in a high pitched voice, skipping along to find a perfect pumpkin canvas.

Of course she’s gonna carve the Lord of the Rings into her Halloween pumpkins, he chuckles and follows her along with the squeaky wheelbarrow.

He finds himself kicking small rocks on the ground with his black Vans, observing the way she squats down to pick up each pumpkin and see if it’s to her liking. Normally he would hate waiting. His ex-girlfriends have dragged him out to stores, wanting his opinion in the changing rooms and he just stands there looking absolutely bored fiddling with his phone but he’s enjoying this. Which is surprising him to a great extent, because he’s no longer focused on the task at hand. His focus is on her. The way she sniffles and uses the back of her hand or her tissue to rub the tip of her nose. The way she’d push her bangs off her face at the slightest gust of wind, muttering how much she despises her mane. The way she had this compulsion to touch and inspect every part of the pumpkin that she’s planning to buy. The way he knows she is going to put up a scene of wanting to pay for their pumpkins, and pouting because he’s determined to win this time. It makes no sense for him not to spend his money and treat her but her streak of independence gets in the way sometimes. Harry hates the fact that she’s using the money she’s making off of selling her paintings on Etsy, the same savings she is planning to use to get herself a new laptop - something that he figured out when he’d unlocked her phone to read the email from the author, of one of the scales they were using, regarding the cross cultural validity and reliability of said tool and coming across the unclosed Safari window of second hand laptops as he was closing the background applications. He found it endearing but also stupid and stubborn. But he wasn’t going to bring it up at the risk of embarrassing her.

“Got it!” She squeals, bringing the pumpkin and placing it on top of the others in the wheelbarrow.

“Finally! Let’s head home.”

“Let’s. You promised to get the guts out of all these bad boys,” she reminds him, getting on her toes to push a rogue curl that had escaped from her beanie.

“Only if you promise to hold up your end of the bargain,” he retorts, getting his phone out and bringing his camera.

“I don’t remember what that is though,” she smirks, as he lifts his phone up, flipping to the front camera, getting them both in frame, with the pumpkin filled wheelbarrow taking up half the space.

“I’m sure you forgot. But I didn't. Back scratches and a blowie, in that order.”

“We’ll see,” she mutters, automatically throwing her left hand up in a peace sign, squinting a little as the sun assaults her corneas.

He notices that on camera, and moves the phone a little, hoping to relieve some of her discomfort.

“Baby, where’s your watch?” He asks with a straight face looking at the camera, after pressing the red button.

“What?” She feels her stomach drop to the ground and her throat tightening. She whips her head to look at the leather watch that’s supposed to be secured around her wrist. She feels the need to throw up until she finds the familiar yellow bear staring at her, the honeybees moving along the rim of the frame.

“Don’t do that again!” She hisses at him, nostrils flaring and he bursts out laughing, stopping the video from recording, bending down to clutch at his stomach.

“Idiot,” she huffs out. “It’s not funny. Anything but my watch.” She finds herself smiling despite the flicker of rage that had passed through her system.

“You should have seen your face,” he cries, throwing his head back in laughter.

“Asshole. Now shut up and take that picture.”

He takes in a loud breath of air, helping him calm down. “Sorry. But that was gold.”

He lifts his phone up again.

“Do that again and I’ll throw up in your precious Gucci loafers,” she threatens.

“Message received. Won’t try that again. Now come on, Adam Sandler, strike a pose for me.”

////

“Can’t believe you’ve brought me to a make out spot,” Layla chuckles.

“It’s not a make out spot,” he retorts defensively and Layla gives him a dirty look.

“Okay. This is a prime college make out hotspot but,” he pauses, looking around. “I haven’t even made a move to make out with you.”

“True. It’s nice out here,” she says, looking around. Harry had driven her out to a spot that overlooked Chapel Hill.

“You did tell me you were bored from painting from reference pictures of the internet. So, I had to bring you out to the best spot in a college town,” he shrugs.

The autumnal afternoon sun shines lousily. The skies were powder blue and a few white clouds dotted here and there. It was quiet. Just the vacuum of a secret spot, away from the hectic people and the town. Birds chirping, a dull buzz of crickets from the trees. From the elevated vantage of the hill and the additional boost, due to the two of them perched on the hood of the car, things seemed trivial. The buildings were mere white dots of colour, the people occupying them invisible.

“How’d you come to know about this place?” Layla asks.

“Oh uhhh…” A bright flush spreads across his face.

“Phoebe?” She suggests hesitantly. She’s not an idiot. Phoebe went to school in Chapel Hill and she must have been the one to show Harry this.

“Yeah. We’d uh- when she was living in a dorm with her roommate we’d umm…”

“Come here to hook up?”

“Yeah,” he mutters sheepishly. “Don’t be mad I’d rather be here with you right now in the sun rather than come here when it’s dark and-“

“Got it.” She stops him. She really didn’t want any details. “I’m not mad.”

“No?”

“No. Why would I? You didn’t even know me then. Besides, she is HOT!”

“What?” The surprise on his tone, evident.

“Please you have to be blind to not notice that she’s very very attractive. Light blonde, upturned button nose, legs that could go on for days. Please if you had passed up on that, I would smack you,” she laughs.

“Yeah. But it was just getting my rocks off,” Harry says.

“Okay. So?”

“Just letting you know that there wasn’t anything more than that.”

“Yeah. Yeah. You told me. Honestly Harry, no worries,” she reaches to scratch an itch on her temple, smearing some paint on there in the process.

“What do you have planned for the flower braiding ceremony for your Aunt?” He asks, wanting to move on from the subject.

“Not that much. We’ve ordered food from Chandru Uncle’s restaurant.” Nandhini Ganesan and her husband owned a number of Indian eateries in Raleigh, Charlotte, and in Chapel Hill. “I’m cooking two dishes with my Uncle. We’ve sent out the invites. Just gonna be their friends, you, Anne and Earl. That’s all. Oh, the other two Indian families on our street and also the Ganesans, cause duh. You need all the brown people you can get. We’ll get the stuff delivered soon. Mum and Dad shipped it a while ago.”

“What kinda stuff?”

“Oh, like prayer things, lamps, and utensils for the ceremony and all. My grandmum shelled out money to buy those in silver and it’s got an antique look to it. Pretty cool. She insists that we now use them for every little thing so she can justify the money she spent on it,” she chuckles.

“You want me to do something?”

“Yeah. Can you bring your camera to take pictures, please? They’ve hired a photographer for a maternity shoot soon. One of many I suppose. But can you make sure this is covered? Something tells me Uncle and I will be busy, that we won’t be able to take pictures.”

“Sure I’d love to. I’ll even swing by early to get pictures of all you guys before it starts.”

“Thank you,” she adjusts the knit blanket draped on her shoulders, so it didn’t fall on her gouache paint set. She didn’t have time to dress up, busy working on her lesson plan for her classes. Harry had just texted her out of the blue asking her to get ready for a date and to get her paints ready. She put on her leggings and his Harley Davidson t-shirt. She pushed her bangs back with one of his athletic headbands. She envied women who could work with their bangs but she needed her hair away from her face when she was studying and painting. Her hair was pulled back in a high pony. It was a good thing, Harry thought ahead and got them a blanket. She was also grateful that he’d made the snacks and filled up six water bottles. Layla had already chugged down two of them by herself.

“You know you can actually thank me by letting me see what you’re painting,” he smirks. Sliding his rectangle thick tortoise shell framed Gucci sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, his green orbs look at her with mirth. He’s leaning against the windshield of his car. Arms tucked behind his head as he soaks up the sun. Legs outstretched that his trainers hang from the hood of the shiny black metal hood.

“You can when I’m done. Can’t let people see the process,” she trails off as she swirls her brush to get rid of the brown. She picks up some red with her brush and mixes it with yellow ochre, on the lid of her gouache set, wanting to get the right colours for the leaves.

Truth be told Harry had already got a peak at her work when he was sitting up straight, feeding her carrots dipped in hummus when she became snippy. He couldn’t help it, she was tiny and he had a better vantage. He’d seen the outline of the town and the trees and a tiny bit of his car. What he didn’t get to see was her reaching for her pencil again to sketch him in the paper, lazily lounging on his car as he soaked up the sunshine.

“Harry?”

“Hmm…”

“I’ve found this jewelry shop in Chapel Hill that does repairs. Can we swing by there after this?”

“Why?”

“So I can fix the chain I yanked from your neck?”

“No.

“What do you mean no?”

“No going to jewellery shops. No repairing it.”

“Come on. Let me fix it for you.”

“You don’t have to. I’ve been thinking of upgrading to something else and I wouldn’t have thought about doing it if you didn’t do that. So in a way, you’ve helped,” he says, not wanting her to spend her money. Plus, he was looking into getting something in gold after seeing all the gold she wears.

“Can we at least swing by so I can pay for your new chain?”

“No.”

“Harry, don’t be a knob,” she huffs out.

“Okay. We can go, but you can drive us there and back home.”

“Are you nuts? I barely drive on the road without panicking about curbs and you want me to make the car go downhill. Fat chance.”

“So that’s settled then. We’re not going.” He smiles in victory.

“You win this time. But don’t think we're done with this topic completely.”

The two settle back into silence soon after. Harry liked that about the two of them. He always had this need to fill in uncomfortable silences. They most often felt awkward to him. But the silence with her was like falling asleep in the warmth of a sunbeam during the harsh winters. He was at ease. Although poets and movies described love as rainbows, a bolt of lightning, sparks flying, universe halting sensations, he came to the conclusion that the best kind of love was slow. Not like that fiery passionate displays of affection he was so used to watching in his precious romcoms.

What he felt with Layla was like watching the sky slowly become dark with the promise of flickering stars. Like they were stitched together at the seams of a universe that ultimately didn’t belong to them. Like watching a flower bloom. Or watching a pot of stew bubble at the stovetop. Slow. Gentle. Sure. Peaceful. Fervent. Steady.

“All done,” Layla declares. Thrusting her art board towards him as she drops the paintbrush into the mason jar with the dirty water, she twists her stiff body around. Groaning at the relief as her joints pop, blood flowing into the muscles of her back that were hard due to sitting up hunched over.

“Wow!” He exclaims. He couldn’t believe it. She’d painted him. He feels his heart soar. He occupied a third of the art board. She got him exactly right. He could even make out the small Gucci on the frame of his sunglasses. His soft brown curls, the mole near his mouth, the tattoos on his arm, the floral design of his Fleetwood Mac t-shirt, the black stipe that ran on his baby blue trousers, his rings, everything was there. Her attention to detail was incredible. She’d captured the bustle of the college town without actually experiencing it, all from a distance. “You’re so talented baby,” he coos.

“Yeah. Yeah. Whatever,” she dismisses his compliment, as she hops down to the gravelly ground. She pulls some tissues from his dashboard and uses it to clean the lid of the gouache paint set that served as her makeshift pallet. “I’m still learning how to paint with them. I would have done much better with the oils or the acrylics.”

“This belongs in a museum. Or even in those snooty art studios,” he tells her, peeling the masking tape she’s used to create a clean edged border. He liked peeling masking tape from her artwork and had done it a couple of times to know how to pull properly without picking up the paint.

“Yeah right,” she chuckles. Chucking the murky brown water onto the gravel, watching it turn a darker shade of grey as the stones absorbed the moisture.

“I’m serious,” he tells her getting off the car, putting the art board on the hood as she stands next to her. “I’m taking you to an art museum for our next date, so you can actually get it into your thick skull that you’re talented as fuck.”

“Suit yourself,” she smiles at him, opening the backdoor to put her supplies into a tote bag that had fallen from the seat.

“Come here,” he mutters, grabbing her waist and pulling her to his chest. She walks backwards, so she’s trapped between the cold shiny body of the car door and Harry. He leans down to press his lips to the top of her head, whiffing generously at the concoction that he was frankly getting addicted to - baby soap, coconut, cocoa butter and Charlie Red. “I love you.”

“Thank you,” she whispers, face flushing a warmth at his admission, it still somehow made her want to pinch herself.

His body reverberates against hers as he laughs, head thrown back. Boyish and carefree.

“What?”

“Thank you?” He sputters between giggles. “Who says thank you after someone else I love you?!?”

“Shut up!”

////

“Hello hellos,” Layla beams at the screen, as her friends' faces fill up their designated rectangles.

“Ladies,” Grace says.

Susan and Heidi were sitting next to each other in what looked like the inside of the train. Both had an earbud popped in place.

“Hi. Sorry, we actually are out to get groceries,” Heidi apologises.

“Don’t you guys go out for a grocery run on a Saturday?” Grace asks. It’s a no-brainer that the five women knew each other’s schedule. They texted or video called every opportunity that they got. Granted the calls were fewer but it didn’t stop them from sending random memes on the group every single day.

“Yeah. We actually threw a small party for passing my drivers test. Like five people and we got a little loud that our neighbour came over to ask us to keep it down. So we felt really bad. She’s been nothing but nice to us ever since we moved into the flat,” Susan explains, voice a little hushed than normal, mindful of the decorum of the public transport.

“Yeah. So we’re out to get her some chocolates and apologise.”

“That’s really sweet of you. Is it that middle aged Lebanese woman?” Layla asks.

“Yup.”

“Oh, by the way, Ramya texted. She said she would join us in a couple of minutes. She’s taking a dump right now.” Grace tells them and it makes the others giggle.

“Lails, when are you leaving for New Orleans?” Heidi arches her brow.

“Noon tomorrow. I’ll get to live out my Tiana dreams,” she sighs dreamily.

“Would you go to those voodoo places?” Susan questions.

“Have you met her? She’d probably be there before they open up,” Grace comments and it makes them laugh.

“Any requests for souvenirs from Louisiana?”

“We’ll send a list of the group. So it’s easier for you,” Grace suggests.

“Prefect. So, what’s up with all of you?” Layla asks.

“I applied to a couple of places. I got a call back from three of them. So, I’ll be going to interviews soon. One of them is a government job,” Grace fills them in.

“Nice. I hope you land it, bitch. This way when you tell your family about Jake, you can throw a government job at their faces,” Susan says.

“Oh yeah. Grandparents aren’t gonna approve of you dating a foreigner, I’m sure you landing that job would shut them up. I feel so bad for Aunty and Uncle. They’re gonna get their ass chewed out as well,” Heidi says.

“Oh yeah. My mom and dad were not looking forward to it. My mom said she could already hear her parents criticising her laid back parenting style.” Grace reaches for her juul and takes a big puff, letting out the smoke. “Amma (mum) was the one who suggested I wait to tell the grandparents after I get a job.”

“Smart,” Layla chuckles. She hesitates for a moment before she continues, “I don’t want to sound like an old geyser but jeez, Grace, that’s a lot of smoke.”

“Yeah. But at least this way my lungs won’t be fucked compared to cigarettes,” she replies.

“Not by much.” Layla reminds her. Layla often butted heads with anyone who smokes. It wasn’t her fault that she nearly collapsed the day she walked to the bus stand from college, past a group of men smoking on the sidewalk. Her asthma kicked up in minutes and it happened that she’d forgotten her inhaler at home that day.

“Okay okay. I’m gonna step in before this gets heated,” Susan steps in. “Layla, the smoke isn’t gonna hurt you. Grace, we’re proud that you’ve decided to leave cigarettes behind.”

“Sorry,” Layla apologies. “So how does that work? Electronic things?”

“Oh, so basically, there are these liquids you pour into this compartment.” Grace shows the juul to her friends.

“Liquid?” Susan asks.

“Yeah. It comes in loads of flavours and it’s basically vapour.”

“That doesn’t sound as bad as I thought,” Layla admits.

“Yeah. I also don’t use it as much.” The others hear some noise coming from Grace’s background.

“Babe!” Jake calls out. “I got the Maggi you wanted.”

“On a call,” Grace points out to him, face pointed away from the screen. “But thank you!”

“Girls?” He asks.

Grace nods. “You wanna come and say hi?”

Jake pops up behind Grace. Hands coming to rest on her shoulders, massaging them. “Hey guys!” He chirps with a big smile on his face.

“Hi Jake!” The three say in unison.

“Sorry to interrupt your catch up. This one,” he points to Grace, pressing a kiss on her shoulder. “Has been wanting Maggi for a while now.”

Heidi snorts. “You say Maggi weird.”

“What do you mean?” He asks, pushing the glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“I think it’s your accent.” Layla chuckles. “We don’t say Maggi like that. I guess it’s a kiwi thing.”

“This is how you pronounce it. Maggi.” He tells them. He stresses the g’s differently; it comes out as ‘ma-jeee’.

“No no. It’s Maggi,” Susan states. She pronounces it like the name ‘Maggie.’

“I’m pretty sure it’s not,” he tells them.

“I’m gonna Google it right now,” Heidi tells them, she fiddles with her phone and the rest wait for a couple of minutes as she raises the speaker of her phone to her ear. “Shit. He’s right.”

“Ha!” Jake grins. “It’s a Swiss brand. They pronounce it the way I do.”

“Well, there are more Indians than Kiwis. So by majority, we’re right,” Layla quips.

“Can’t argue with that,” he laughs. “I’m gonna go do the dishes. See you guys later.” He waves and walks off the frame.

“So, how’s everything going with you two?” Heidi asks Grace.

“Good. He’s actually trying to actively not game the whole evening. He’s been present with me and all. It’s going well. We went to his high school football field two days ago and It’s was nice to be under the moon, just talking.”

“Good.” Susan breathes out.

“He also fingered me right there in the open. There was no one there but still,” Grace grins proudly.

“Speaking of fingering,” Layla clears her throat. “Harry fingered me the other day and I squirted.”

“No way!” Heidi exclaims, but quickly quietens down muttering out an apology to the others on the train. “Spill!” She whispers.

“So we did it in front in a mirror, so I was watching him and his fingers-“

“I love watching myself when I have sex. It’s so,” Susan kisses her fingers. “The sex is good because of it.”

“I wasn’t really looking at myself though. Just him and the way his fingers moved and I’ve had quite a few orgasms before. I don’t know if it’s because of that but I just felt this pressure, like I needed to pee and I just orgasmed. It wasn't very cool either. It was just a few drops, like when you accidentally sneeze pee a little.”

“And?” Grace prompts.

“I was just super tired later. Everything was super sensitive down there after. I freaked out a little thinking that he came to the conclusion that I peed or something.”

“What did he do?” Heidi asks.

“He thought it was super hot. He was very smug about it an-“

“Of course he did. Probably did wonders to his man ego,” Susan chuckles.

“I also managed to rip out the necklace from his neck. He was in dude heaven because of his job well done,” she laughs and the others join in too.

Another rectangle pops up and situates itself at the bottom of Layla’s screen. Ramya smiles at them.

“Hi! What did I miss?” She asks.

“Harry finger banged Layla and made her orgasm so hard that she squirted and ripped the chain he was wearing,” Grace laughs.

“Oh wow!” Ramya giggles. “Might have to text him for advice. Need all the tips I can get so I can have the ladies crawl back with me.”

“Shut up. You literally have sex until one of you taps out. With dudes it's over after he comes. Like if Jake comes too soon, he fingers me but he’s the only guy that’s ever done that. The other dudes I slept with just come and collapse without a care about you,” Heidi explains.

“Not Harry. I literally have to push Harry away when he’s going down on me,” Layla says with a smug face.

“Lucky bitch. You lucked out with a great partner with your first,” Susan grumbles.

“Hey. It’s not my fault that you decided to have sex when you were sixteen and your ex didn’t know what he was doing,” she laughs.

“That’s why you sleep with women. You literally will not have any of these problems,” Ramya adds.

“Or, you be like me and wait till marriage.” Heidi chirps in.

“It’s okay, Suz. At least our horrible experiences taught us what we like and don’t,” Grace steps in trying to reassure Susan.

“Thank fuck for that,” Susan breathes out. “Ey, Ramya, what'd you wanna talk about, hmm?”

“Oh yeah. That,” she sighs.

“Oh shit. What’s wrong?” Asks Heidi.

“Is everyone alright?” Layla questions.

“Yeah yeah. Everyone is fine and all. Do you guys remember the poetry slam gigs I go to every weekend?”

Grace nods, prompting Ramya to continue.

“Well… There were these couple of people who kept showing up regularly and naturally we became friends over time. They’ve been inviting me to a kickback they go to as a group at their friends house and I tagged along there..” She trails off.

“Oh no. They didn’t force you to take drugs, did they?” Heidi asks, sitting up straight.

“No. No. You know I don’t do that. I just awkwardly sat with a coke and a packet of Kurkure while they were doing hookah. So, the person who conducts it, her name is Krishna. She’s an architect and she’s just this gorgeous person you know. She’s this hard core queer activist, she is a professional kuchipudi dancer, and she’s very humble. Doesn’t talk much but when she does open her mouth… so much substance comes out you know,” she sighs dreamily.

“So… basically me. Only intelligent things come out of my mouth when I talk,” Heidi pipes in.

“Please… you are such a chatterbox,” Susan says, making Heidi gasp and look at her offensively.

“I’m simply injecting charm in the flat, Ms. I sleep all day,” Heidi nudges Susans shoulder playfully, making them all laugh.

“Ramya, go on,” Grace urges as the laughter dies down.

“She’s just so aargh. Like I’ve never met something that fascinating. I like her a lot,” Ramya says.

“Do you like her or do you like the idea of her?” Layla questions.

“Both. I’ve been crushing on her quite hard and she came over to my house, along with her friends, when my parents were at work and we somehow ended up in the kitchen and I just kissed her.”

“Shit. When was this?” Susan asks.

“Three weeks ago,” Ramya answers, face flushing a soft pink.

“Does Meghana know?” Heidi inquiries.

“Yes. I um, I was so guilty that I told her and um… She um,” Ramya’s voice breaks.

“Oh, honey. Are you two seperat-”

“No,” Ramya, interrupts Grace.

Layls’s AirPods go off in her ear, indicating the low battery percentage. She immediately pulls them off her ears and slots them into the case, turning back the attention to the screen promptly.

“Meghana says she wants a break for a while,” Ramya continues. “She wasn’t mad or anything. She’s just sad.”

“What’s going on with Krishna?” Layla arches her brow.

“She seems to be pretty interested in getting together with me but…” Ramya trails off again.

“But what’s the matter?” Heidi probes.

“I’m just scared that I’ll have to choose and I don’t know.”

“Babe, we’re so sorry that you’ve found yourself in this confusing situation,” Grace coos.

Heidi pipes up. “Yeah, Ramya. I mean we’re all just figuring it all out right. Mistakes are bound to happen.”

“I don’t want to choose,” Ramya states.

“What do you mean?” Layla inquires.

“Why can’t I love both Meghana and Krishna?”

“Like you want the two of them to be in your life or like…” Susan prompts with her brows raised.

“Well, I think I might be polyamarous. I’m not just saying things because I can’t choose. But I’ve been the kid who had so much love to give to others. I’ve tried the monogamy route with Meghana and you guys know, it’s something I don’t side with. Meghana gets jealous when I talk or flirt with others but I’ve never really cared when she does it, even if the flirting leads to more. So yeah, I know you bois don’t agree with-“

“Just because we don’t side with something doesn’t make us any less proud and you any less loved,” Grace reassures.

“Yes, bitch. Go be yourself unapologetically. That’s all we want for you,” Layla chimes in.

“You have no idea how happy we were that you’ve come to this conclusion,” Susan adds and Heidi nods in agreement.

“Thanks ladies.” Ramya wipes her nose with the back of her hand. “I was just scared you guys would be disappointed in me.”

“Never. But it doesn’t make what happened with Meghana right. Maybe try apologising for hurting her feelings,” Layla says softly.

“Yeah. I think I just might and tell her that I might be poly also.”

Layla notices something moving and finds a paper airplane flying into her room and landing softly at the foot of her bed.

“Layla, what are you smiling at?” Ramya asks.

“Oh. Sorry. Harry just sent me a paper plane. Sorry, I’ll read it later,” she tells them sheepishly.

“Um no! Go open it!” Heidi urges.

“No no. I'm spending time with you al-

“Just go open it and read it to us will you. We didn’t know he sent you messages in paper aeroplanes,” Grace breathes.

“Yeah. We’ve been doing that a while.”

“This is so much better than texting. Honestly, it’s so absurd that the one random person she mastrubated happened to live right next door, that too with a bedroom window facing each other,” Ramya chuckles.

“Yeah. What are the odds,” Layla agrees, face flushing with warmth.

“Yeah. Now go read the letter out for us,” Susan demands.

“Okay okay.” Layla grumbles, putting her phone down on the mattress, that makes the other see her fan whirring in the ceiling. She crawls back in place after she gets the paper airplane unfolding it hastily.

Will you be able to come over and spend the night with me??

You won’t be here for five days and I just want a good cuddle that’ll keep me going that long.

I’ll even throw in a shoulder massage and let you scratch my back to help you doze off.

Pleaseeeeeeeee…

xox

“He’s just um,” she smiles, as she picks up her phone, looking at the expectant faces of her friends. “He wants me to spend the night with him because I'm going to be away for a week.”

“Aiyo! How precious!” Heidi squeaks, with her hand on her chest.

“Go on then. We’ll catch up later,” Grace says.

“No no. I’ll stay until we’re done,” Layla tells them.

“Bitch, go!” Ramya and Susan speak in unison.

“Okay. Okay. I’ll go once Ramya’s done.”

“I’m telling Meghana and Krishna that I’m poly and asking them if that’s something of a deal breaker for them. If it is, then, I might be sad and mope around but I’m sure I’ll find some girl that’s okay with it. If it’s not, then, let’s see what happens. Happy?” Ramya finishes quickly.

“Very,” Layla smirks.

“Now go and cuddle that poor boy,” Heidi says with a giant smile on her face.

////

“Do you really have to go?” He mumbles, with a childish pout.

“Yeah,” Layla chuckles, tucking her face in the crook of his neck.

These are Harry’s favourite types of mornings. When he wakes up to see his sweet girl deep in slumber beside him. She woke up with a jerk today and rolled over to his side, and he took that as an opportunity to ink some kisses on her skin. Secretly, he prefers morning sex. As much as Layla pouts to go brush her teeth beforehand, there’s something about the lazy, uncoordinated, unhurried gentleness of it all. He noticed that she was very reactive and sleep warm in the mornings, from having burrowed under the covers all night long. That’s how she ended up on top of him now, catching their breaths, basking in their post-coital bliss. Both bodies covered in a sheen of sweat they managed to work up. Harry found having her full weight on him to be comforting, like having his personal weighted blanket that was warm - her ice cube feet and hands being the only cons.

He sighs heavily, the hand that was not holding onto the meaty part of her thigh came to scratch her scalp. She mewls in response, feeling the tip of his fingers drawing circles, right behind her ear. “It’s just that… it’s your first Halloween and it just sucks that we’re not going to be spending it together.”

“Har,” she props her head up, so she can look him in the eyes. “Please don’t make me feel guilty for wanting to experience things.”

“I didn’t mean for that-“

“No, listen to me. I’ve dreamed of going to New Orleans ever since I watched the Princess and the Frog. We got to planning the trip, way before I booked my plane tickets for spending time with Auntie and Uncle, I just knew that Halloween and New Orleans together were right up the things I love. I mean think of me going cemetery tours at this time of the year and watching the Halloween parade at the French Quarter. Plus, the food. Ever since Earl and I made that gumbo from his wife’s recipe book - I was in love. I would love for you to join us. I really do. I had so much fun at the Smoky Mountains and Vermont but we’ve booked this months in advance.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel guilty and take away from an experience you’ve been wanting to be a part of. It’s just that…” he trails off looking off to the side.

“What is it?” Layla asks, hands coming to cup his cheek, thumbs moving back and forth on his cheeks. “Talk to me, babe.”

“The grill bar downtown is hosting a horror movie trivia contest and I just thought about how much fun we would have. With you as my partner, I’m sure that coupon gift has our names on it. And there’s the town’s fall fair in Chapel Hill. It sucks that you’re not here, that's all,” he tells her. His accent was much thicker with his sleep raspy drawl, it never failed to make Layla melt.

“How about we have a trivia contest of our own? We could do it with Mitch and Sarah when we FaceTime again. We could do boys versus girls or couple versus couple. It could be fun,” she proposes.

“We could, I guess,” he replies, warily.

“Why do I have a feeling this is just not about the trivia contest?” She sighs, pushing a brown ringlet that stuck to his forehead because of the sweat.

“I just stupidly thought that we’d spend all our time together because you’ll be leaving in a soon,” he mumbles.

“It’s not stupid. I do really want to spend all my time with you too,” she reassures him. “I promise once I’m back from this trip, I’m all yours.”

“I’m sorry that I’m going to be leaving soon,” she continues. “I told you this before, let’s take it one day at a time, yeah?”

He nods. “I’m going to miss you so much, baby.”

“I’m gonna miss you too,” she coos, as she closes the distance between their lips.

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK SO FAR!

[chaoticplagg]

“I’m getting real tired of these fucking tartlets,” he complains without any sort of hello or lead-in. Not that Dani should be surprised, considering how much Plagg bitched and whined about cheese on the regular. In truth the tartlets at this event were much better than the ones at the winter festival, but still not nearly cheesy enough for his liking. “They put feta in the name first - implying that it’ll be the main flavor then the fucking spinach comes and takes over the entire thing.” @dragcndani​

[greenlife2020-blog]

10 green ingredients for st. patrick’s day.

St. patrick’s day is sort of here and my kids couldn’t be greater excited. last 12 months a bit leprechaun snuck into our house and became our toiled water green! they may be still speaking about that little journey and wondering what tricks could be pulled this year. I realize traditional st. patrick’s day meals are Irish, but there’s no way I’m making corned beef and cabbage. I don’t like corned pork (long story) and that I doubt it might be very high on the family’s list of gotta have ingredients both. so rather conventional I concept I would 

make a green meal. the extra I was given to thinking about it, the harder it sounded.

I don’t love meals dyes and that I hardly ever use them for more than dying bathroom water, making play-dough, and for sugar cookie icing at Christmas. if I’m able to avoid including dye to our weight loss plan I’m able to. as I searched for obviously green foods I discovered I had quite the listing while I was completed, so why no longer proportion with you.

Whether you have got a dislike of food dyes or no longer, those recipes appearance first-rate and would be fun to strive. it looks like spinach, avocado, and pistachios are a common topic here – greater electricity to the energy foods!

Glad st. patrick’s day and revel in this listing of 10 naturally green ingredients!

1 Strawberry Kiwi Tartlets from Love and Olive Oil

2 Apple pie spinach smoothie from wholefully

3 Spinach ice cream from around my family table

4 Avocado deviled eggs from this mama cooks!

5 Avocado mac-and-cheese from  peas and their pod

6 Complete wheat spinach bread from bless this mess

7 Pasta with avocado cream sauce from very culinary

8 Fresh mint ice cream from bless this mess

9 Pistachio pudding from devouring your coronary heart out

10 Spinach hummus from fantastic meals

And wouldn’t something rainbow be perfect too?! I assume this rainbow sherbet punch might be so amusing!

Mmmm. see I instructed you it turned into a very good listing! now off to the shop to pick out up greater spinach.

Thank you for studying.

[greekcookingmadeeasy]

Marvellous Christmas Day Greek Themed “High Tea” or Coffee

🤶

Marvellous Christmas Day Greek Themed “High Tea” or Coffee – Fantastiko Xristougenniatiko “High Tea” i Kafes BY: Greek Cooking Made Easy SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/greekcookingmadeeasy

Check my YouTube Video: HERE

Κοιτάξτε επίσης την συνταγή μου σε YouTube βίντεο, το λίνκ είναι: ΕΔΩ

Serves 8 persons For Christians, the Holiday Season is that special time of year when families gather to be together once more, and celebrate the birth of Jesus and the end of the year. Some people travel from far away just to be reunited with their family on these special days. Kitchens are usually quite busy and ovens work non-stop; everyone tries to prepare special dishes to show their love and care for their loved ones. In Greece, a lot of people traditionally celebrate with a dinner on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day, by either preparing turkey or pork. My idea today is to show you how to serve special dishes for the afternoon of Christmas Day by serving “High Tea” or Coffee for family and friends. All of the dishes could be prepared ahead of time and just be decorated on your festive table. So check all of my separate recipes on how to prepare them yourself. I hope you will enjoy my Holiday Season ideas for a wonderful Greek themed Christmas “High Tea”. Merry Christmas to all!

Let me introduce you to my special dishes: Savoury Dishes: 🎄Festive Souvlaki-Skewers with Meatballs 🎄Yoghurt Dip/sauce 🎄Christmas Spinach and Cheese Tartlets with short crust pastry

Sweets and Desserts: 🎄Christmas Fairy Tale House Cake 🎄Tsoureki (Greek Brioche) stuffed with Chocolate and garnished with white chocolate 🎄Kourabiedes stuffed with Loukoumi – Xmas Greek Butter Cookies 🎄Melomakarona – Xmas Honey Cookies 🎄Gingerbread Men Cookies 🎄Christmas Chocolates 🎄Drinks: Tea and/or Coffee

METHOD: A. Prepare the Meatballs-Keftedakia Souvlaki-skewers and Yoghurt Sauce: Ingredients for the skewers: • 150 gr. / 5.5 oz Minced Beef made into 12 small Keftedakia • 12 Christmas Mini-skewers/toothpicks • 12 Mini Tomatoes • 12 Green Olives, pitted • Some Rosemary twigs for decoration

1. Yoghurt Dip/sauce can be prepared the day before and be stored in a small bowl, covered, in the fridge.

Yoghurt Dip Recipe HERE

2. Prepare a smaller portion of Keftedakia mix by using my basic recipe HERE.

3. Shape them into 12 small meatballs. 4. Fry them the day before. 5. Let them cool down and store them in the fridge. 6. Before your guests arrive, make the skewers. Use small skewers with a Christmas decoration. 7. Start with piercing a mini tomato, then a green olive and finish with a meatball. Place the skewers on a large round platter on a circle.

8. In the midst of the platter, put the small bowl with tangy yoghurt dip/sauce. 9. Optionally, decorate some rosemary twigs between them. 10. Ready for serving.

B. Christmas Spinach and Cheese Tartlets with short crust pastry: 11. They can be prepared many days before and stored uncooked in the freezer. They freeze well. Bake them directly from the freezer.

12. Place them on a nice Christmas plate and sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top for a snow effect. Serve them warm or at room temp.

Spinach and Cheese Tartlets Recipe HERE

C. Christmas Fairy Tale House Cake: 13. My special, fairy tale, Christmas House Cake in the woods could be prepared a few days before and stored in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. 14. Take it out and decorate it on your High Tea table, 2 hours before serving. It’s best at room temp. And what a surprise when you cut it!!

Christmas House Cake Recipe HERE

D. Tsoureki stuffed with chocolate: 15. My Tsoureki can also be made ahead of time. Freeze it for up to 1 month. 16. Take it out on Christmas morning and just garnish it with white chocolate glaze.

  Tsoureki Recipe HERE

E. Kourabiedes and Melomakarona: 17. Make Kourabiedes and Melomakarona many days before. 18. They can be stored in an airtight container for 1 month! Place 12 pcs. from each on a festive 3-tier platter.

Kourabiedes stuffed with Loukoumi Recipe HERE

Melomakarona Recipe HERE

F. Gingerbread Men Cookies: 19. Make the classic Gingerbread Men cookies a few weeks before and store them in a cookie jar. Optionally, you could dip half of them in melted dark chocolate. 20. Serve them by decorating them in the same 3-tier platter together with Kourabiedes and Melomakarona.

These are my classic Gingerbread Men cookies dancing Sirtaki 😅! 

Recipe HERE

G. Other items: 21. Decorate the festive table with Christmas chocolates & candy canes. 22. Don't forget cups and saucers, cutlery, plates, Christmas crackers and napkins. 23. At the last minute, make coffee/tea.

Feel happy and touched as you see your loved ones picking up goodies from your Buffet!!

Share the Magic of Christmas and show your love to your family and friends!

Other special ideas to serve at Xmas time? Check:

Christmas Day Surprise Brunch HERE

Special Greek Christmas Buffet HERE

Wishing you Happy, blessed Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year!

Check my YouTube Video: HERE

Φανταστικό Χριστουγεννιάτικο «High Tea» ή Καφές BY: Greek Cooking Made Easy SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/greekcookingmadeeasy Σερβίρει 8 άτομα Για τους Χριστιανούς, η περίοδος των Γιορτών είναι η πιο σπέσιαλ εποχή του χρόνου, μιας και οι οικογένειες μαζεύονται πάλι μαζί για να γιορτάσουν τη γέννηση του Ιησού και το τέλος της χρονιάς. Μερικοί άνθρωποι ταξιδεύουν από μακριά μόνο και μόνο για να βρεθούν κοντά στην οικογένειά τους αυτές τις ιδιαίτερες μέρες. Οι κουζίνες είναι συνήθως πολύ απασχολημένες και οι φούρνοι λειτουργούν ασταμάτητα. Όλοι προσπαθούν να ετοιμάσουν ξεχωριστά πιάτα για να δείξουν την αγάπη και τη φροντίδα τους για τα αγαπημένα τους πρόσωπα. Στην Ελλάδα, πολύς κόσμος παραδοσιακά γιορτάζει με δείπνο την παραμονή Χριστουγέννων αντί για ανήμερα Χριστούγεννα, είτε ετοιμάζοντας γαλοπούλα ή χοιρινό. Η ιδέα μου σήμερα είναι να σας δείξω πώς να σερβίρετε ξεχωριστά πιάτα για το απόγευμα της ημέρας των Χριστουγέννων σερβίροντας «High Tea» ή καφέ για οικογένεια και φίλους. Όλα τα πιάτα θα μπορούσαν να ετοιμαστούν εκ των προτέρων και απλά να διακοσμηθούν στο γιορτινό σας τραπέζι. Ελέγξτε λοιπόν όλες τις ξεχωριστές συνταγές μου για το πώς να τις ετοιμάσετε μόνοι σας. Ελπίζω να απολαύσετε τις ιδέες μου για την γιορταστική περίοδο για ένα υπέροχο Χριστουγεννιάτικο «Τσάι» με ελληνικό θέμα. ΚΑΛΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΑ ΣΕ ΟΛΟΥΣ!

Ελάτε να σας παρουσιάσω τα σπέσιαλ πιάτα μου: Αλμυρά πιάτα: 🎄Γιορτινά σουβλάκια με Κεφτεδάκια 🎄Ντιπ γιαουρτιού/σάλτσα 🎄Χριστουγεννιάτικα Ταρτάκια με σπανάκι και τυριά από τριφτή ζύμη

Γλυκά και επιδόρπια: 🎄Χριστουγεννιάτικη Παραμυθένια τούρτα Σπιτάκι στο δάσος 🎄Τσουρέκι γεμιστό με σοκολάτα και γαρνιρισμένο με λευκή σοκολάτα 🎄Κουραμπιέδες γεμιστοί με Λουκούμι 🎄Μελομακάρονα 🎄Μπισκότα από τζίντζερ Gingerbread 🎄Χριστουγεννιάτικες σοκολάτες 🎄Ποτά: Τσάι ή/και Καφές

ΜΕΘΟΔΟΣ: Α. Ετοιμάστε τα σουβλάκια από Κεφτεδάκια και τη σάλτσα γιαουρτιού: Υλικά για τα σουβλάκια: • 150 γρ / 5,5 oz Κιμάς, φτιαγμένος σε 12 μικρά Κεφτεδάκια • 12 Χριστουγεννιάτικα μίνι σουβλάκια/οδοντογλυφίδες • 12 Μίνι Ντομάτες, μακρόστενες • 12 Πράσινες Ελιές, χωρίς κουκούτσι • Μερικά κλαδάκια Δεντρολίβανο για διακόσμηση

1. Το ντιπ/σάλτσα γιαουρτιού μπορείτε να το ετοιμάσετε την προηγούμενη μέρα και να το φυλάξετε σε ένα μικρό μπολ, σκεπασμένο, στο ψυγείο.

Συνταγή για ντιπ Γιαουρτιού ΕΔΩ

2. Ετοιμάστε μια μικρότερη δόση μείγμα για Κεφτεδάκια χρησιμοποιώντας τη βασική μου συνταγή ΕΔΩ.

3. Πλάστε τα σε 12 μικρά κεφτεδάκια. 4. Τηγανίστε τα την προηγούμενη μέρα. 5. Αφήστε τα να κρυώσουν και φυλάξτε τα στο ψυγείο. 6. Πριν φτάσουν οι καλεσμένοι σας, φτιάξτε τα σουβλάκια. Χρησιμοποιήστε μικρά καλαμάκια ή οδοντογλυφίδες με χριστουγεννιάτικη διακόσμηση. 7. Ξεκινήστε τρυπώντας πρώτα μια μίνι ντομάτα, μετά μια πράσινη ελιά και τελειώστε με ένα κεφτεδάκι. Τοποθετήστε τα σουβλάκια σε μια μεγάλη στρογγυλή πιατέλα σε έναν κύκλο.

8. Στη μέση της πιατέλας, βάλτε το μικρό μπολ με το ντιπ/σάλτσα γιαουρτιού. 9. Προαιρετικά, διακοσμήστε μερικά κλαδάκια δεντρολίβανο ανάμεσά στα σουβλάκια. 10. Έτοιμα για σερβίρισμα.

Β. Ταρτάκια Χριστουγέννων με σπανάκι και τυριά από τριφτή ζύμη: 11. Μπορούν να ετοιμαστούν πολλές μέρες πριν και να διατηρηθούν άψητα στην κατάψυξη. Καταψύχονται καλά. Ψήστε τα απευθείας από την κατάψυξη.

12. Τοποθετήστε τα σε μια ωραία χριστουγεννιάτικη πιατέλα και πασπαλίστε από πάνω λίγη τριμμένη παρμεζάνα για χιονισμένο εφφέ. Σερβίρετε τα είτε ζεστά ή σε θερμοκρασία δωματίου.

Συνταγή για Ταρτάκια με σπανάκι και τυριά ΕΔΩ

Γ. Χριστουγεννιάτικη Παραμυθένια τούρτα Σπιτάκι στο δάσος: 13. Η σπέσιαλ, παραμυθένια, τούρτα Σπιτάκι στο δάσος θα μπορούσε να ετοιμαστεί λίγες μέρες πριν και να φυλαχτεί στο ψυγείο, καλυμμένη με πλαστική μεμβράνη. 14. Βγάλτε τη και διακοσμήστε τη στο τραπέζι για το High Tea, 2 ώρες πριν σερβίρετε. Είναι καλύτερη σε θερμοκρασία δωματίου. Και τι έκπληξη μόλις τη κόψετε!

Συνταγή για Χριστουγεννιάτικη τούρτα Σπιτάκι ΕΔΩ

Δ. Τσουρέκι γεμιστό με σοκολάτα: 15. Το τσουρέκι μου μπορεί να ετοιμαστεί και καιρό πριν. Καταψύξτε το για έως και 1 μήνα. 16. Βγάλτε το το πρωί των Χριστουγέννων και απλώς γαρνίρετε το με γλάσο λευκής σοκολάτας.

Συνταγή για το Τσουρέκι μου ΕΔΩ

Ε. Κουραμπιέδες και Μελομακάρονα: 17. Φτιάξτε κουραμπιέδες και μελομακάρονα πολλές μέρες πριν. 18. Διατηρούνται σε αεροστεγές δοχείο για 1 μήνα! Βάλτε από 12 κομ. από το καθένα σε μια γιορταστική πιατέλα 3 επιπέδων.

Κουραμπιέδες γεμιστοί με Λουκούμι Συνταγή ΕΔΩ

Μελομακάρονα Συνταγή ΕΔΩ

Ζ. Μπισκότα με τζίντζερ Gingerbread: 19. Φτιάξτε τα κλασικά μπισκότα Gingerbread λίγες εβδομάδες πριν και φυλάξτε τα σε βάζο για μπισκότα. Προαιρετικά, μπορείτε να βουτήξετε τα μισά σε λιωμένη μαύρη σοκολάτα. 20. Σερβίρετε στολίζοντάς τα στην ίδια 3ώροφη πιατέλα μαζί με τους κουραμπιέδες και τα μελομακάρονα. Αυτά είναι τα κλασικά μου μπισκότα Gingerbread που χορεύουν Συρτάκι 😅!

 Gingerbread Συνταγή ΕΔΩ

Η. Άλλα πράγματα για το τραπέζι: 21. Στολίστε το γιορτινό τραπέζι με χριστουγεννιάτικες σοκολάτες & άλλα ζαχαρωτά. 22. Μην ξεχάσετε τα φλιτζάνια και πιατάκια καφέ, μαχαιροπίρουνα, πιάτα, χριστουγεννιάτικα κράκερ και χαρτοπετσέτες. 23. Την τελευταία στιγμή φτιάξτε τον καφέ/τσάι.

Νιώστε χαρούμενοι και συγκινημένοι όταν θα δείτε τους αγαπημένους σας να σερβίρονται καλούδια από τον μπουφέ σας!!

Μοιραστείτε τη Μαγεία των Χριστουγέννων και δείξτε την αγάπη σας στην οικογένεια και τους φίλους σας!

Ψάχνετε και άλλες σπέσιαλ ιδέες για τα Χριστούγεννα? Τσεκάρετε:

Μπράντς Χριστουγέννων Έκπληξη ΕΔΩ

Σπέσιαλ Χριστουγεννιάτικος Μπουφές ΕΔΩ

Σας εύχομαι Καλή, ευλογημένη γιορταστική περίοδο και ευτυχισμένη νέα χρονιά!

Κοιτάξτε επίσης την συνταγή μου σε YouTube βίντεο, το λίνκ είναι: ΕΔΩ

[weeddegree17]

Budget Soup Recipes

This recipe is as near my mother's commonplace Sunday soup as I could discover. The remark about it being too much tomato received it totally wrong. Most veggie soup doesn't have enough tomato. I make it for teams with cornbread they usually all flip. I would possibly go overboard on the veggies typically, but hey. Soto is a traditional Indonesian soup made with turmeric, galangal, and so forth., usually incorporates both beef or chicken. Snert is a thick pea soup, is eaten within the Netherlands as a winter dish, and is traditionally served with sliced sausage. Maryland crab soup is made of greens, blue crab meat, and Old Bay Seasoning in a tomato base, from Maryland. French onion soup is a transparent soup made with beef broth and sautéed onions. Faki soupa is a Greek lentil soup, with carrots, olive oil, herbs and possibly tomato sauce or vinegar. Egusi soup, a standard soup from Nigeria, is made with vegetables, meat, fish, and balls of floor melon seed. One person made it in a crock pot and mentioned it was bland. The directions say to simner it and reduce the broth by half. No wander the broth was bland, the crock pot still had all that further liquid in it. This is a HUGE recipe though - I do a lot of cooking, and I wouldn't have a pot large enough for this stock! I used each of my soup pots, and that worked. Next time I would use only two cloves as an alternative of three, I would replace the green peppers with yellow or orange ones, and I would not add extra turnips than called for. Menu These smoked salmon tartlets are bursting with flavour and so easy to make. There are very easy to adapt too so when you wished to make them vegetarian simply swap the salmon for roasted butternut squash. Coleslaw is a staple of get together spreads whether they're outside BBQ's or indoor affairs. Below, are all tried and true one pot wonders and I’m engaged on more. Mexican Chicken and Zucchini cooked in a single skillet with black beans, corn, recent herbs, taco seasoning and melted cheese on high. It is one of high three healthy dinner recipes here on the blog. Chicken potstickers aren't just meant to be eaten as an appetizer! Pair these potstickers with contemporary greens and a salad, and you'll easily add them to your record of healthy lunch ideas. "Black beans can be utilized in a ton of different lunch-time combos," says Carroll. Whether they love lox or favor peanut butter, there's certain to be one thing for everyone at the bagel bar. A salad bar is a fabulous wedding ceremony buffet thought for all the veggie lovers on the market. Place your basics, such as spinach and romaine, alongside toppings like rice, fruits, vegetables, and dressings. Sophisticated, scrumptious and a breeze to prepare - our filo smoked salmon canape is one of the tastiest, easiest recipes you can find. If you’re having a White Christmas, you’ll love this cosy menu! The number of mains you might have will rely upon how many people you’re serving. If you’ve got a small group, maybe just opt for one main. Fifty Five Birthday Dinner Ideas That Can Make Their Day Buy these from the shop and oven cook them before serving with marinara sauce or other dipping sauces. Or make cheese sticks at house using store-bought cheese strings. If you’re on the lookout for low-cost foods for a teenager’s party, you can’t go incorrect with snacks like pretzels, chips, and snack mixes. When catering for numbers, the old adage 'less is more' is value bearing in mind. A well-planned easy chilly fork buffet may be more appetising than a lot of totally different contrasting flavours and meals. Read on for top ideas from catering experts Anna Duttson of Anna Duttson Events and Lin Neillands ofFood Unlimited. We do a metal reduce oats breakfast bar with contemporary berries, milk and almond milk, sugar, honey, syrup and nuts. It’s nice to have on the counter and as individuals rise up breakfast is prepared. Catering seems really troublesome and type of expensive. Don’t forget about lunch if you plan your next event. Before leaping straight to dinner, contemplate the meal within the center as it could be the best match on your occasion. Peppery arugula is the proper vessel for this savory-sweet combo, and also you simply can't beat ripe, juicy peaches come summertime. We love this with funky blue cheese crumbles, but you ought to use feta too should you choose. This carrot-and-raisin salad will get an improve with a barely spicy, barely candy, and very addicting sauce. It brings out the sweet freshness of the carrots and makes the entire dish sing. We are tempted to pour it over all of our salads from right here on out. Watermelon + cucumbers is among the most refreshing combos of all time. Throw in some mint, pink onion, and feta and toss all of it with a very simple French dressing (just olive oil + red wine vinegar), and you might have got yourself a mean summer season salad. Company Assembly & Event Catering For instance, well-liked themes include the next with a variety of appetizers, entree, and dessert options related to any of those and different buffet themes. A good catering company will work with you, and that includes your specific needs and budget. Tacos full of eggs, bacon, sausage, chorizo, salsa, cheese, and another toppings you can think of will remember to bring a smile to your employees’ faces. It takes a lot of effort to kind by way of options and select lunches for everybody at your company. It’s easy to get caught in a rut, even when there are tons of potential corporate caterers out there. Luckily, many meals truck operators will be open to the concept of taking their truck on the street and stopping at your attendees’ workplaces or homes. This is both a catering option and an occasion experience for friends who're foodies and love to cook dinner. If you’re seeking to put a spin on breakfast catering, try a espresso or sizzling cocoa bar. It’s a fresh alternative to serving up store-bought pastries and filter coffee for events that happen early within the morning, or on chilly or wet days. Depending on how busy your company event schedule is, you’ll have to decide if a self-serve buffet or a full service ready staff is required to serve and take away plates. If the focus needs to be on the company speaker and you’re trying to save time, a full service wait employees retains attendees in their chairs longer. If you’re seeking a way to break up the day, schedule a buffet lunch that permits attendees time to mingle. 10 Things Your Wedding Guests Don't Care About Lisa Gorjestani, owner of Details Event Planning, used a gentle color palette and twinkle lights to accent the country features of the home’s barn-like foundation. Embracing the distinctiveness of your surroundings is a great way to verify your wedding ceremony day imaginative and prescient comes to life. When making a ceremony backdrop in the backyard of this personal residence, Beth Bernstein, proprietor and occasion director at SQN Events, envisioned the willow tree as the inventive focal point. Not certain where to start, or are you deciding if a food truck matches your big day’s vibe? Zola has you coated with the necessities that you have to know, plus all the pros and cons of meals truck wedding ceremony catering. Our new venue, One South, offers a beautiful view of York’s Continental Square from the allure of a historic building. Chat With Strangers-The New Way to Meet People Online.In this point in time, there are numerous methods to speak with different folks and even those that are on the opposite side of the globe. With the development of technology, avenues have been opened left and right to permit individuals to do extra things than they've ever imagined. For the previous decade the World Wide Web has developed into one of the most revolutionary methods to make life simpler for everybody and open countless opportunities for more individuals. The web is a good place to fulfill new individuals, make new pals and join with old ones as well. However, some personal clubs require membership or sponsorship by a member to book events — discover out the necessities earlier than falling in love with a personal facility. We use our culinary expertise and artistry to make your event magical. Your visitors won’t neglect their night time after experiencing what our workers can do. If you've an event in Central Park or larger NYC, together with Manhattan, Long Island, Hamptons, Yorktown, and Brookville, contact Elegant Affairs right now. If your home’s location is as special as the house itself, ensure to embrace any one-of-a-kind views all through your ceremony or reception. Plated Sit Down Dinner Menus Consider fewer appetizers and a buffet dinner as well. The extra formal the occasion, the more applicable a served meal is for the event. If friends are expected to wear jackets, ties, and cocktail or night robes, the expectation will be for the dinner to be a desk service meal. PROS – Guests are served at the identical time, allowing you to better manage the time allotted for dinner service. You can also collaborate with our catering staff over menus, providing you with larger control over food costs. As humans, we now have an innate want to connect with one another and spend time with the individuals we care about. Explore the method to stretch your dollar any time of year and the latest seasonal meals and beverage developments that won’t break the financial institution. Prepare for a catering event by prepping your grocery shopping, meals, and catering van or car forward of time. Create a fundamental packing listing that includes clear pots, pans, utensils, dish garments, gloves, and security products similar to a first assist equipment and gloves. Those meals usually aren’t meat heavy and may embody scrumptious produce like recent berries, grapefruits, and bananas. Buffet catering service is made up of varied self-serve stations. Choose this cost-effective possibility to keep away from wasting purchasers money on event employees and speed up food production by refilling large dishes all of sudden as a substitute of constructing food to order. A sit-down meal requires extra servers, both for lovely plating in the kitchen and to serve the meal to every visitor. USDA Choice slow-roasted prime rib crusted with roasted garlic, cracked pepper, and rosemary. Butternut squash ravioli, asparagus spears, sundried tomatoes, basil leaves, and asiago and parmesan cheese in a garlic cream sauce. Penne noodles tossed with zucchini, mushrooms, seasoned hen, prosciutto, and sundried tomatoes in a garlic cream sauce. Grilled rooster breast, topped with roasted grape tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, fresh basil, and parmesan cheese. It's fantastic to serve rooster at weddings as lengthy as the dish has character, like Chicken Francaise. The Importance Of Cleanliness In A Restaurant This can include restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, amongst others. Restaurants, catering and food servicehave a significant position to play in reducing food loss and waste – from how they supply produce and develop menus to how they handle left-overs and buyer plate waste. Our partnership with Goodr allows our well being system to create equitable and constant food distribution points with wholesome options. Fatty acid or carboxylic acid sanitizers were developed within the Nineteen Eighties. Typical formulations embody fatty acids plus different acids . These brokers also have the twin perform of acid rinse and sanitization. Profitability from Recyclable and Compostable Waste – This is the method of generating profit from the business occasions in a agency. The tool to increase the entire profit by any methodical plan. Efficient and efficient knives are an absolute necessity for all cooks. Reducing waste and reducing our environmental impression by recycling, saving energy, and cutting the utilization of transportation and packaging. As world leaders in business cleaning and hygiene, we are devoted to the well being, security, and well-being of your individuals, guests, and clients. Support patients and their households on their road to recovery with clear, protected hospital environments. With healthcare housekeeping and medical equipment cleaning, our trained personnel are personally invested in serving to your patients get nicely fast. To reduce the burden, we created this restaurant cleansing checklist that your workers can use to keep monitor of the cleansing duties that need to be completed. Pair this industrial kitchen cleaning guidelines with our wide number of restaurant cleansing provides. A variety of instruments and resources have been developed to help mills together with food donation best administration practices and different matters. 200 Occasion Catering Ideas 2019 Version This is a nice gentle breakfast in a enjoyable edible bowl. Serve it with a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of coconut or honey. These artistic “pineapples” produced from kumquats, type a perfect drink topper when positioned on a brandy snifter. Fill it with a tasty beverage or some other treat. Check out what this occasion did with its seafood options. Best of all, there’s plenty of room in a ship for ice. Ice sculptures have been round for a while however today’s ice is also useful. Some events are additionally using ice shoots as we confirmed in a special example. 外燴 flowing over ice cliffs, and ice bowls are additionally in style items. Using ice sculptures today is all about type and function. You might discover that one of the best service style for your next event is definitely butlered hors d’ oeuvres. It’s a flexible choice that leaves lots of wiggle room to provide your attendees what they need. If it’s a multi-day event, host a dinner away from the venue. It’s usually cheaper to hire a restaurant and you won’t pay for set up.

[fridaybagel2]

What's Your Party Style? Plated Dinner

Before you meet together with your caterer or chef, make sure you know your budgetary limits and have a good suggestion of what number of visitors you'll find a way to count on. When you’re upfront with this info, the caterer will be ready to work with you and give you artistic options that suit your fashion – and your pocket. Planning forward is key when it comes to catering on your guests’ allergy symptoms and dietary requirements. Most caterers are able to adapt menu objects or present separate dishes for these friends. Even if you aren’t having a fall-themed wedding, choosing seasonal ingredients on your wedding ceremony menu is all the time a good idea. Seasonal fruit and greens style higher and, if the produce is regionally sourced, it’s environmentally pleasant too. Add sudden pops of shade on to in any other case plain dishes, similar to rosemary sprigs in a bowl of mashed potatoes. Consider your color palette if you create your menu too – the more variety the better! Have plenty of spices, contemporary herb sprigs, flowers, chopped nuts, and sprinkles on hand to embellish plates with. Layer plate objects rather than place them side by facet and drizzle sauces with a cleaned out spout bottle for a more professional impact. Select your theme based on the occasion kind, your client’s objectives, and the venue itself. For example, pulled pork sliders, spice cakes, cinnamon rolls, or cider donuts paired with a scrumptious cider cocktail. Personal touches are what make a marriage actually distinctive, so why not apply that principle to your marriage ceremony menu? Look for inspiration from your family recipes, heritage, locations you love to eat collectively, your first date, and so forth. Or, if you’re a PSL fanatic, why not serve Caviar & Bananas pumpkin spice macarons with coffee? For 13 years, American Glory has been doing amazing and memorable Rehearsal Dinners and Post Meet & Greets, you won’t be let down... Our most popular, and highly recommended choice for after the rehearsal, especially for events larger than visitors. Three hours of scrumptious substantial appetizers , with a Beverage and full-service staff to take care of your every want. A three-hour sit-down dinner with a self-serve buffet and full-service staff to attend to your every need and to serve drinks primarily based on consumption or open bar. Have you ever looked at a menu and thought to yourself, “I may get a whole bunch of appetizers and side dishes, and skip the entrée! Scorching 外燴 From The Most Effective Catering Firm In Philadelphia Guests can have it their very own method with a grilled cheese bar. The lovely wisteria-covered trellis makes a romantic backdrop for this food table. But to tie all of it collectively, the occasion organizer included flowers alongside the food displays too to tie collectively the skin catering ideas. We’ve all been to events with the same old boring choice of sandwiches. Our berry swirl cheesecake bites have a warming ginger biscuit base, topped with a cream cheese and creme fraiche cheesecake topping. Studded with mixed berries and infused with lemon zest. Who stated having a gluten-free food regimen has to be boring? These smoked salmon tartlets are bursting with flavour and so easy to make. Whip up this easy salad for a side dish that has plenty of seasonal accouterments. Is there something more festive than cranberry? These crowd-friendly appetizers come collectively easily. A classic potato salad is a must-have at every picnic and barbecue. This one is creamy and tangy, with slightly bit of crunch from the onion and pickles. Healthy Mango Salad with Spinach, ready Mediterranean-style with pomegranate arils and recent herbs, and tossed with contemporary lime juice and further virgin olive oil. Easy Catering Recipe Concepts It's an funding that it is feasible for you to to use over and over! We put together our meals following procedures to forestall allergen cross-contact, but products containing wheat, egg, soy and dairy are all made in our kitchens. Please consult the components of every product previous to consuming. The Fourth of July means household, pals, fun, celebration, and best of all – food! If you’re having a social gathering for Independence Day, Executive One Catering suggests filling your whole yard with refreshing... They are made with some almond flour and oats to create the proper texture to be rolled into bite-sized portions. If you’re a fan of savory breakfast items, then this might be the proper option for you. These scrumptious miniature breakfast burritos are crammed with beef, onions and refried beans… and may be dipped in something from salsa to guacamole. Trottole noodles and shrimp in garlic cream sauce topped with lemon, parmesan, and bread crumbs. Penne noodles tossed with zucchini, mushrooms, seasoned hen, prosciutto, and sundried tomatoes in a garlic cream sauce. Lightly breaded hen breast with capers and zucchini in a lightweight lemon cream sauce. It's a fantastic winter-inspired dish for a comfortable Christmas Eve dinner. We do a steel reduce oats breakfast bar with recent berries, milk and almond milk, sugar, honey, syrup and nuts. It’s great to have on the counter and as individuals get up breakfast is ready. 25 Party Meals Ideas To Please A Crowd The key to getting even bites is roll the wraps tightly after which place five toothpicks, spaced evenly, on the roll so you know the place to chop. As humans, we now have an innate want to connect with one another and spend time with the individuals we care about. The last a quantity of months have been challenging for us all on many fronts. Cheeseburgers may seem informal however not whenever you add some presentation to it. If Parks and Recreation is to be trusted, they are an simple favourite. The key to bringing out the luxe with cheeseburgers is the miniature choice. Instead of large, sloppy burgers, these miniature cheeseburgers are clean, portable and practical. And with this design, they’re straightforward to do inside or out. It’s a good idea to include fruit in your dessert choices for individuals who prefer one thing with much less refined sugar. But throwing the fruit in a bowl with some prongs is so very boring. Instead, have a look at this dramatic presentation utilizing a tree. You can use quite so much of different string or ribbon that goes alongside along with your theme. Invite visitors to tug or snip the candy treats they need from your tree. The Place To Eat In Philadelphia's Chinatown The historical past of Taiwanese delicacies started with the delicacies of aboriginal peoples on the island of Taiwan, which existed within the ancient times with out written information. From the Ming dynasty in 16th century, a lot of immigrants from the southern provinces of China, especially the Hoklo folks, brought the rich Chinese culinary tradition to Taiwan. At the same time, Hakka individuals from Fujian developed a separate cuisine tradition from Hoklo people. Taiwan additionally imports massive quantities of sake from Japan. It's proximity and the quantity of the commerce permits merchants in Taiwan to inventory fresh and restricted production sake which isn't widely out there elsewhere outside Japan. Taiwanese tea is taken into account among the many finest in the world and the nation has a novel tea culture. Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor is likely considered one of the hottest brands of kaoliang liquor in Taiwan. As its name indicates, it's produced on the island of Kinmen. The mainstays of the vary are the standard 58 percent and 38 p.c alcohol bottlings. A bowl of ramen will fulfill most diners, but if you are especially hungry, it's typical to order a aspect of gyoza or rice to accompany the ramen. Many eating places additionally provide a alternative serving of noodles for 100 or 200 yen. Convenience shops sell a plethora of meals, snacks, and beverages. Italian Catering Pizza Truck The man discovered that the boy appreciated football and that he had been within the automotive with his older brother earlier than the person discovered him. Everyone is properly conscious of the phrases gluten free and celiac illness, however that doesn’t mean everybody really understands them. All third-party websites aren't underneath the control of Ms. Cheezious. Ms. Cheezious can not guarantee the same accessibility experience on third-party websites. As social media director for the brand, Fatima manages the voice of the Ms. Cheezious® on-line presence. Fatima has cultivated a fun and fruitful relationship with the web viewers. Instead of coping with that, you presumably can select The Copper Key to deal with every thing in your behalf. We work hard to make sure our shoppers are blown away with each occasion we create. If you need a caterer for occasions that may go the extra 100 miles, name The Copper Key. We know the tiniest particulars make an event come to life, and those details are our passion. Let us assist you to create a shocking event for you and your guests. Uncle Gussy’s meals truck serves the finest, freshest, and fast-casual Greek meals made with elements imported from Greece. Food is certainly one of the most essential assets you may want to supply for staff, emergency personnel, and people who have been affected by the disaster. Read on to learn extra about how Cotton Culinary’s turnkey emergency food companies may help in these drastic instances. Our government occasion catering chefs curated custom-themed menus for each of the 4 nights of the tournament. Cotton Culinary kicked off evening one with Western fare that included a grilled beef filet and halibut. What's An Banquet Occasion Order Beo? To assist find wines you’ll enjoy ingesting, flip to a great wine store where educated staff members can level you towards bottles that suit your finances, meal and taste preferences. Look for the importer’s stamp on the back of the label or ask the shop employees for help. A banquet is a nice way to acquaint new folks, but trusty friends are indispensable. The clients additionally rightfully query if the food or beverage they consume at the F&B Services outlet is healthy, secure, and recent. In this kind of service, the guests enter the dining area and select food objects. They go to meals counter and give the coupons to avail the chosen meals. The visitors are required to take their very own plates to the desk and eat. We take delight in understanding one of the best of your gastronomic desires and plan an unparalleled occasion to execute the same meticulously. We continuously enrich ourselves with pleasant evaluations and deal with suggestions because the areas demanding extraordinary improvisation. If you are reviewing what the previous clients had to say a couple of caterer, you may be on the proper path. The caterer who strives to generate illustrious examples through a immediate service will surely get the right evaluations. Most reviewers pay gratitude to the specificity of the service supplier. Caterer For Company Occasions & Lunch If you need more lunch catering concepts, why not move the torch off to your catering company? The competition within the New York/New Jersey space is fierce, with caterers from all around the world vying for your consideration. Over the years, we’ve fed thousands of workers at firms of all shapes and sizes. This will add some persona to your inside or external occasions. If you're serving tons of , you'll want to contemplate acceptable meals, service options, and price points. Don’t overlook the benefits of merely bringing premium espresso in for office catering. Our florists can make customized floral arrangements, set an attractive holiday desk setting and far more! If planning a vacation get together seems like a lot of work, that’s as a end result of it is. While all your friends are out having a good time with one another, you don’t want to be stuck within the kitchen or dashing to get the meals in order. With our vacation get together delivery service, we will relieve you of this stress and provide you with more time again to take pleasure in one of the best components of the vacations. It means somebody can create their own in-person conference lunch menu, or order their favorite snacks for a digital lunch and learn. This means there’s loads of flexibility inbuilt, so you ought to use Hoppier for any kind of occasion catering expertise. This is both a catering option and an event experience for friends who are foodies and love to prepare dinner. Whether you make Italian fare, Korean dishes, or Thai delicacies, this works best as a VIP expertise or inside occasion, the place you'll have the ability to construct relationships and laugh at your makes an attempt together.

[fishnets-fingers]

I know I'm late but it's better late than later, right?? (lmao sorry I know it wasn't good hahah) But n e ways, please welcome, the feedback of, one and only: paaaaaaaaaaaaart? *drum roll* 18!!! - - -

[Behind her was her husband in his Tin Man costume, looking awkward because his niece and wife had cornered him and painted something gooey on his eyebrows which now made them stand out against his skin, a very metallic silver.] LMAOO

[Then there was the star of the show, Anne, who was pleasantly surprised when she walked in the door after work to them yelling happy birthday in costume. She was quick in getting into her puffy pink, Glinda the Good Witch gown.] aaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[her other hand coming to proudly link with her son who went to great lengths to give her a special birthday.] I didn't wanna say it again but AWWWWWWW

[His eyes a piercing blue - like it would cut right through your soul.] dayumm

[The playlist was tastefully curated by Harry, who weaved together soundtracks from the Wizard of Oz and other classic party hits] we absolutely love 'The Wizard of Oz' <3

[Hors d’oeuvres - shrimp tartlets, bruschetta, spinach and artichoke stuffed mushrooms - were placed in the dining room.] .....I know some of these words!

[Harry was busy taking pictures of the guests, who mostly came dressed up as Ozians and there were a few others that came in generic costumes.] good good!

[“Too many people.” She shrugs. “They’re all new. I really don’t care for small talk.”] I knew she was the one for long conversations <3

[“Thank you. All I did was order and plate them,” she giggles.] someone tell her to let the compliment sink in or I'm going over.

[“She cried when we yelled out surprise. Auntie had to drag her upstairs to get her dressed up; she just wouldn’t stop hugging us.”] aawwww

[“I don’t understand. He told me they always celebrate Christmas with the family,” she sips from her beer.] omg omg omg I KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING OMFG

[“Little lady, he’s fully planning to spend Christmas with you,” he tells her, pushing a rogue lock of her hair that peaks from her dog suit.] YASSSSSSSSS!!!! HAHAHA OMG YASS!! *SCREECHING* *SCREAMING*

[“I don’t know. I feel a lot of things. I don’t know if I want to put a label on them yet. I don’t want to say something before I’m certain,” she sighs. “But I do feel a lot.”] *smiles*

[“How cute.”] agreed.

[Harry walks into the dining room in search of Layla when he sees them both dancing by the French windows. The moonlight casting a silvery glow around the two and they danced together, laughing. He immediately raises his camera, fiddling with the buttons to get it into video mode, wanting to capture this moment that the two would treasure.] *grins*

////

[Harry blinks a few more times, testing to see if the fake lashes irritate his eye and he smiles when they don’t. Layla had clearly fixed it] *smiles alongside*

[“Because I talked to him,” he replies, coming to boop Layla’s painted nose.] heheh

[Earl and Abi nod, clearly impressed by Dr. Wagner’s credentials.] same.

[Abi and Earl had lit up the candles on her Wizard of Oz cake that Harry had made from scratch. People start to gather around it.] not bad eh

[He smiles at him as he hands over the camera and goes to stand next to Anne, whose tears threaten to spill over at the sight of her son’s handiwork.] not me tearing up too

[a small pair of glittery ruby red shoes that Layla had spent meticulously covering every centimetre with edible glue, the witches feet sticking out of the other end made her chuckle, looking over at Layla knowing very well that it was her artistry.] whoop whoop

[“Make a wish, mum,” Harry reminds her.] I, too, have to remind my whole family that. It's like they don't believe in it but they can't really expect me to give up this beautiful tradition can they?

////

[Vasanth is massaging Abi’s feet on the loveseat.] awww

[She sits back down, picking up a box from Earl. She tears it open and lifts out a cheese dome.] darn THAT'S CUTE!!!

[Anne picks up the next box from Vasanth and Abi. She tears it open to find a colourful patchwork quilt.] prettyyy!!

[She unties the ribbon and opens the lid of the small cardboard box and gasps when she sees what’s in them.] what is it? what is it? I wanna see it too!1\

[She beams, pulling out two small origami dragons from the box.] AWWW!!!!!!! ah, anything made out of origami sheet is so nostalgic haha

[“She’s a pain in my ass most of the time but we have our moments.] same.

[“Thank you, Harry. I love that you did this for me. You made me feel so special. Thank you for the gift. I’m looking forward to it.” She tells him. Harry had given her two airplane tickets for a week in Seychelles during the summer, on their traditional birthday brunch. He’d told her that it’ll be an all expense paid trip and she could take someone or him; he’d be happy either way. “Thank you all for doing all of this and helping him surprise me. I feel very lucky to have you all in my life,” she finishes, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.] Did I pinch away my tears cause my parents are sitting in front of me who think I'm writing some sort of essay? yeah.

[“I’m heading upstairs to call it a night,” she announces. “Thank you, love,” she tells Harry once again, kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you too, Layla.” She pulls her in for a hug as well, kissing her cheek to show that she’d appreciated all that she’d done.] smiles.

[“You are thoroughly mistaken if you think I’m gonna let you go without having the makeup run down your face, Dorothy.” Layla licks her lips and walks towards him, trapping him between her and the wall. - “I- I def- I would like that very much too, baby,” he whispers, feeling his body heat up in response to her words.] hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[When she swings the door open, clad in her sports bra and mismatched granny panties, that had holes in them.] I hadn't read anything this relatable in a while

[“No. I’m a natural,” she giggles. She smooths his hair, so it flops down his forehead.] you have no idea how hard it was for me cover up the chuckle that left my mouth

[“Pillow?” He asks, cocking his head to the end of the bed, wanting her to be comfortable.] absolutely expected this <3

[“Tear them off.” - “What?” - “Rip them. I’m not wearing briefs,” he tells her.] I-

[“You okay, baby?” Green eyes inspecting her with alarm, snapping out of his fuzzy state. - “Just a cramp,” she groans, shaking her leg. - “Ugh. This is totally ruining the mood,” she rolls her eyes. - “No it’s not. Stop. I’m pretty sure I’m seconds away from blowing my load. How about I take over, hmm? We could use the restraints to the fullest another time.”] Guess who had to say, "Nothing, just a joke came up in my mind" as an excuse for why I just screeched internally so hard that ended up giggling out loud

[“Always perfect for me, my sweet girl.” He bends down to kiss her back, before pulling back slowly and sinking into her again.] I'm always looking out for this nickname everytime these two are having sex. Well, that sounded creepy but you get the point lmao

[Tears stream down his cheek by how sex makes his feelings for her intensify. He reaches out to weave his fingers into one of her hands and she brings it up to her lips, kissing the back of his hand.] I'm just gonna go and sit in my room instead cause aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh MY HEART JUST FLEW OUT OF MY CHEST

[“Need you to, Har. Like you so much.”] I AM SO GLAD I MOVED IN MY ROOM CAUSE I AM THROWING HANDS NOW. NO ONE TOUCH ME.

[She’d successfully messed up his makeup.] hahaha

////

[“People look to tall people in situations of peril. We’re like the ozone layer of society.”] LMFAO WHAT

[“Ozone layer of society!” Layla laughs, body rumbling that she loses her footing and plops on the ground. ”What eve-“ she sputters into a peeling laughter again, until a small snort escapes her, which only makes her giggle harder.] I completely understand her lmfaooooo

[“Everyone is taller than you,” he reminds her, coming to poke the dimple on her cheek.] LMFAO

[“Yes please, my ozone layer of society,” she giggles again. - “Meanie,” he nudges her shoulder, going to pick the pumpkin up.] lmaoo

[His floppy curls, that were quite greasy, were hidden under an emerald Green Packers beanie.] I swear to god his green beanies are so underrated.

[Of course she’s gonna carve the Lord of the Rings into her Halloween pumpkins, he chuckles and follows her along with the squeaky wheelbarrow.] duh

[Normally he would hate waiting......at the risk of embarrassing her.] Absolutely wrecked by now. Sobbing on the floor.

[“Baby, where’s your watch?” He asks with a straight face looking at the camera, after pressing the red button. - “What?” She feels her stomach drop to the ground and her throat tightening. She whips her head to look at the leather watch that’s supposed to be secured around her wrist. She feels the need to throw up until she finds the familiar yellow bear staring at her, the honeybees moving along the rim of the frame.] You have absolutely no idea how immediately I stopped breathing and got scared that it's gone.

[“Message received. Won’t try that again. Now come on, Adam Sandler, strike a pose for me.”] It's hard to laugh after the paragraph but okay, this was funneh

////

(I am so sorry but I'll submit the rest in, tomorrow (Monday)!) <333 (Also, I don't know why the format won't change back to normal..)

Thank you for these reactions! <3 @0oolookitsme really appreciate you for your support.

The whole birthday party idea came to me when I saw Dorothy prancing on stage telling everyone he feels cute lmao.

If you were sobbing on the floor during the waiting paragraph, wait for another one in the scene right after where you stopped ;)

[sexydeathparty]

The Best Valentine's Meal Deals From Supermarkets For 2022

Finally, we’re allowed out and about to celebrate Valentine’s Day but dine-at-home meals are still very much on the menu. The HuffPost UK Life team snuggled up with our better halves and friends to find the best meal for the big day.

We’ve reviewed them for taste, ease and value for money and ranked them by hearts out of five. Here are our favourites. 

Waitrose’s £20 dinner for two

❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Everything in Waitrose’s £20 dinner for two was perfectly fine and that’s sort of the problem. A Valentine’s meal should be special and pre-prepared food, no matter how fancy, doesn’t exactly say “I love you”. Granted, you could say this about every meal in our taste test, so let’s talk about the food.

Simple and satisfying, our two smoked and poached salmon terrines were close to the perfect starter. Along with a couple of glasses of San Leo Nerello Mascalese Rosato, they made for the best part the meal. (If you prefer a very dry fizz, go for the Calle d’Oro prosecco.)

The main required a bit more effort. With only buttered greens as a side, the sea bass fillets with a roasted tomato and olive filling needed some company and the addition of a bed of brown packet rice made the dish look prettier and fuller. Finally, gooey chocolate puddings from Waitrose’s luxury No.1 range were an indulgent but slightly floury end to our meal. They need a scoop of real vanilla ice cream with them.

Despite these shortcomings, it’s hard to knock the value for money from Waitrose’s extensive range. Treat yourself. Harry Slater, Deputy Editor. 

Sainsbury’s £15 meal for two

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 

I love a good supermarket meal so I’m excited Sainsbury’s Valentines offering. Their options include a starter, main, dessert and bottle of fizz for £15. 

We start with the the Scottish mussels in white wine, which were creamy and filling. Next, we tuck into Higgidy’s spinach, red pepper and feta quiche. It’s well seasoned and the feta is delicious. Sainsbury’s doesn’t include a side in their meal, but we can’t resisted their truffle mash. It’s rich and buttery and pairs well with the quiche. Finally, Gü’s salted caramel cheesecake makes for a fantastic finish. Can you ever go wrong with salted caramel? Our sparkling rosé is the only let down. It’s too dry for my taste. Habiba Katsha, Jnr. Life Reporter. 

Co-op’s £15 meal with alcohol (or £12 with a soft drink)

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 

Co-op’s Irresistible range for Valentine’s Day is fantastic and extensive. We started with a drool-worthy portion of their Camembert with garlic and parsley sharing bread. Although we found the bread a little dry, the cheese is so rich and creamy we didn’t mind. x

Their standout main is the steak and scotch eggs, which is sure to be a partner pleaser. I can’t eat meat, so instead tried the sea bass with a side of steak chips and Mediterranean-style veggies, and of course cute heart-shaped butter pieces on top. 

Lastly, the melt in the middle puddings could melt your heart. They were a truly indulgent chocolatey, gooey bite heaven – but a 500 calories a pop, I can’t imagine having them often. And the prosecco didn’t disappoint. Faima Bakar, Life Reporter.

Tesco’s £15 meal with fizz

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 

Tesco’s deal has an impressive 32 products (including a number of vegan items), allowing shoppers to choose from more than 76,000 combinations, so you’re bound to find something you like. 

We opt for the feta and red pepper tartlets to start, which are surprisingly light and moreish, but do look a little plain on the plate without the addition of some rocket (which I bought separately).

The main of duck breast with a raspberry hoisin sauce, alongside a trio of greens and heart-shaped herby potato croquette, feels like a real treat and something I wouldn’t usually cook. The duck is fairly small and does shrink quite considerably, though, so I graciously give my husband the larger potion and settle for a piece resembling a large, red slug. Still, it tastes delicious. 

The chocolate and orange pots are the real stars, though, with the bottom layer reminiscent of the world’s most delicious Calippo. We practically lick the sides clean. For 15 quid – with a bottle of very quaffable fizz – this meal is great value. Rachel Moss, Life Editor.

Asda’s £15 meal for two

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 

Asda’s Valentine’s meal offers plenty of choice with meat, fish and vegan options, and hearts thrown-in for good measure (reader, you’ll see). 

We  for the tempura prawns followed by the sirloin steak, triple-cooked chips with honey baby parsnips and Chantenay carrots. It’s all relatively easy to put together, even if the starter and both sides all go in the oven at different times. But thanks to the bang-on cooking instructions – especially for the steak – you’ll end up serving a meal that looks restaurant-quality.

The tempura prawns, with its chilli-by-name-not-necessarily-by-heat dip are nice enough but not memorable. The juicy steak is notable though. It’s made all the more succulent swimming in the melted (originally heart-shaped) peppercorn butter and complemented with the dreamy, soft and crispy chips. For that added crunch, I suggest a few extra mins in the oven.

The honeyed baby parsnips are worth fighting anyone for, less so with the chantenay carrots. Even after 40 mins oven-baking, some were still hard. 

It’s much relief that the sticky toffee pudding isn’t another oven job. After 90 seconds of microwaving you’re pouring sweet toffee sauce onto its chocolate-embossed heart (yes, another one). Our rosé pinot grigio helps cut through the saccharine flavours (or you could add a dollop of crème fraîche or cream). 

The box of Lily O’Brien’s chocolates is perhaps best saved for after you’ve had your other dessert…Melanie Grant, Audience Editor.

Related...

What's All This About Champagne Shortages On Valentine's Day?

18 Valentine's Day Cards That Will Make Your Crush Blush

16 Lush Sex Toys You Won't Regret Buying (Or Trying) This Valentine’s Day

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[livingcorner]

10 Terrific Ways to Use All Your Summer Tomatoes

When I was a kid, I would not eat tomatoes. I swore I hated them. Sure I would eat ketchup and tomato sauce, but not actual tomatoes. When I became vegan, everything changed. Suddenly, I learned to love lots of foods I wouldn’t eat before, and tomatoes were one of them. Currently, I eat tomatoes every single day in one form or another. They are one of the foods I cannot run out of or I feel lost and deprived. Summer is a great time for tomatoes. This is when they are at their best – deep red, juicy and intense in flavor. There are Beefsteaks, Roma Plums, Vine-Ripened, Grape, Cherry, Heirloom, and so many other types of tomatoes. Each has their own flavor and personality and each can be used in multiple ways.

You're reading: 10 Terrific Ways to Use All Your Summer Tomatoes

If you grow tomatoes, you will probably be swamped with them by the end of summer. Maybe you are the lucky recipient of someone who has too many to use or maybe you are indulging in the bounty of the farmers market. However you come by your tomatoes, now is the perfect time to try new and exciting things with them. Of course, you know you can use fresh tomatoes to make tomato sauce or salsa, and you know they taste great in salads and sandwiches. Well, here are 10 different ways to use all those beautiful summer tomatoes.

1. Make Homemade Bruschetta

Heirloom Tomato and White Bean Bruschetta

Tomatoes can have no better friends than fruity olive oil, savory garlic, and crispy bread. Bruschetta is a favorite appetizer or hors d’ouvres. I make a Garlic Tomato Bruschetta that is so good, that and a glass of white wine is all I need for dinner. Here’s how I make it: Preheat the broiler. Place thin slices of Italian, Ciabatta or French bread onto a baking sheet.

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over them and broil for just 3-4 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven and set them aside. In a skillet, heat a spoon of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook for a minute until the garlic starts to soften. Add 1 pint of halved grape tomatoes and toss in the seasoned oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes soften. Season with salt and pepper and spoon the tomatoes onto the toasted bread. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and vegan grated parmesan. Make a lot. This is addictive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Read more: 10 Vegetables to Plant in the Fall and Winter That Will Withstand the Cold

2. Make Soup – Raw or Cooked

Gazpacho is a Spanish soup that is served cold. It’s also easy to make – just blend ripe tomatoes with any other produce you desire onions, cucumber, bell peppers and even watermelon. Chill it and enjoy it. It couldn’t be easier. This Raw Tomato Red Pepper Soup combines meaty tomatoes, sweet bell pepper and spicy chipotle for a refreshing and beautiful soup. If you prefer your tomato soup hot, try this traditional Quick and Rich Tomato Soup or this creamy Tomato Coconut Soup.

3. Make Stuffed Tomatoes

Usually, when we make stuffed dishes, we put tomatoes into the vegetable we are stuffing but how about stuffing the tomatoes themselves? All you have to do is hollow out the tomatoes and replace the pulp with your favorite fillings. Toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes, and then stuff them with your favorite spread or vegan cheese. Broil them until the cheese melts and the tomatoes soften about 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs and impress your guests with this beautiful appetizer.

Larger tomatoes can be stuffed to make a healthy and delicious entrée or side dish. I hollow out large beefsteak tomatoes and stuff them with a mixture of sauteed mushrooms, spinach, quinoa and the pulp from the tomatoes. Place them in a baking dish, sprinkle a few bread crumbs atop each one and bake for 30 minutes. For a lighter dish, stuff the tomatoes with your favorite summer salads like this Chickpea Waldorf Salad or this Tempeh “Tuna” Salad. It’s refreshing and you get to eat the plate!

4. Make Your Own Dried Tomatoes

I love sun-dried tomatoes. They add a tangy flavor to dishes and make a great snack too. You can buy sun-dried tomatoes in the store but why not make your own? Whether you use a dehydrator, your oven or the sun, it’s easy to dry foods yourself. To make your own oven-dried tomatoes, halve ripe tomatoes lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and toss the tomatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set your oven on its lowest temperature (150 degrees) and let the tomatoes cook for eight hours or until they have shrunken. Then use your self-dried tomatoes to make Raw Lasagna with Cilantro Pesto, Sundried Tomatoes and Marinated Veggies, Quinoa with Secret Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes and this beautiful Sun-dried Tomato Tart with Zucchini Hummus.

5. Make Fried Green Tomatoes

Red tomatoes shouldn’t have all the fun; green ones deserve love too. Unripe green tomatoes are the star of the southern dish, Fried Green Tomatoes. Because they are unripe, green tomatoes are firmer with less moisture which means they hold up to frying better. You could fry red tomatoes but if they are juicy, it could get messy. Simply slice the tomatoes, bread them and fry them. Try these Fried Green Beer Tomatoes which are coated with cornmeal and dark beer or my Cajun-flavored Fried Green Tomatoes with Red Pepper Aioli.

6. Make Roasted Tomatoes

Tomatoes are sweet but when you roast them, they get this intense, rich flavor that is savory and succulent. Roasted tomatoes are delicious on their own as a side dish or used in other recipes. Just place halved tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and your favorite herbs and spices. You can roast them fast in a 425-degree oven for 20 minutes or slowly in a 250-degree oven for a couple of hours until they are collapsed and softened. Then enjoy them in dishes like this bowl of Miso Roasted Tomatoes with Spiralized Carrot Noodles and these Grilled Avocados with Roasted Tomatoes.

7. Make Pickled Tomatoes

Pickled and fermented foods are delicious with their unique tang and saltiness. We eat pickled cabbage as sauerkraut, pickled onions, carrots and other veggies as kimchi and pickled cucumbers as…well, pickles. So why not pickle tomatoes? It’s easy, they can last a long time, and you can eat them on sandwiches or in salads or on their own. To make pickled tomatoes: cook your favorite spices such as garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger, cumin or mustard seeds in some olive oil for just a minute or two to deepen their flavors. Add one cup of your favorite vinegar and ¼ cup sugar to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. This is the brine. Add some salt and let the mixture cool. Take a sterilized jar and fill it with peeled, ripe tomatoes cut into wedges or whatever shape you desire. Pour the brine over the tomatoes. Be sure to leave about ½ inch of room at the top. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. The longer you let the tomatoes pickle in the brine, the better they will be.

8. Make Homemade Chile Sauce

Chile sauce is amazing. It’s rich, sweet, spicy and tangy all at the same time. It’s used in lots of recipes, especially Asian ones. You can buy bottles of chile sauce but some have ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup and others can be expensive. When I ran out of chile sauce in the middle of making a recipe, I couldn’t substitute anything else so I learned to make my own. It was much simpler than I thought it would be and now I always make it myself.

Let me share my recipe with you: Combine 2 cups of fresh, pureed tomatoes (plums have the best flavor), ¼ cup tomato paste, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 chopped jalapeno peppers, 1 tsp. each garlic powder and chile powder, ½ tsp. each dry mustard powder and onion powder, a pinch of allspice, and 2 Tbs. vegan Worcestershire sauce in a food processor. If you don’t have vegan Worcestershire sauce, you can use 1 Tbs. each tamari and balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want extra heat. Process until smooth and taste for any seasoning adjustments. Keep in a jar in the fridge and use it in recipes such as Braised Seitan Short Ribs in Spicy Chile Sauce, Mississippi Comeback Sauce and Sesame Tofu.

Read more: Create a Beautiful Garden Bed with These Edging Ideas

9. Make Tomato Desserts

Yes, desserts. We use spinach, avocado, and zucchini in desserts so why not tomatoes? After all, tomatoes are a fruit and with more recipes mixing sweet and savory tastes, tomatoes are a perfect ingredient for desserts. The next time you go to make your own ice cream or sorbet, consider giving tomatoes a try by either adding one or two to the recipe or going totally tomato-flavored. Add some little tomato wedges to fruit cocktail or these Raw Fruit Tartlets.  Their gentle flavor mingles well with strawberries, watermelon, pineapple, mango, pears, melon and berries. Garnish your tomato dessert with fresh mint or basil leaves.

10. Freeze Your Tomatoes

Even though you can buy tomatoes year round, they are only in season for a short time. Or perhaps, you grew so many tomatoes, you can’t possibly use them all, no matter how many tomato ideas and recipes I give you. Well, the good news is that you can freeze tomatoes so you can enjoy them all year long. Tomatoes can be frozen with their skins or peeled, raw or cooked, whole, chopped, sliced or pureed. If you make tomato soup or sauce, you can also freeze the prepared foods.

To freeze tomatoes, select ones that are ripe and firm. Wash them gently and blot them dry. Prepare the tomatoes by cutting them into the desired shape and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer. After they are frozen, transfer the tomatoes to freezer bags or sealed storage containers. When you need them, just thaw them out and use them in any cooked recipe (thawed tomatoes will be too mushy to eat like you would a fresh tomato). Frozen tomatoes can last up to 8 months so you can be enjoying summer tomatoes in the middle of a winter snowstorm.

There is no food more versatile than the tomato. Sweet or savory, raw or cooked, alone or as part of a recipe, tomatoes are nature’s candy. I hope you have fun trying these ways of using your summer tomato bounty and if you have any bushels leftover, send them my way.

We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App , which is available for iPhone , and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook . The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

For more Vegan Food, Health, Recipe, Animal, and Life content published daily, don’t forget to subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter !

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Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/10-terrific-ways-to-use-all-your-summer-tomatoes/

[labeardedlady]

Mini Rosemary & Sage Tomato Tart w/ Sautéed Spinach & Onions, Blue Cheese, & Sweet Potato Crust I have been getting asked about the recipe for the sweet potato crust so here she is! I hope you like it as much as I do! Thank you again to my sister, Jenny, for sharing this with me! If you would like the FULL recipe, DM me with your email address and I will send it your way! INGREDIENTS 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & grated 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely diced ½ tbsp fresh sage, finely diced 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp sea salt ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional) 1 large egg DIRECTIONS Set oven rack in the middle level. Preheat oven to 450°F. In small batches, place the grated sweet potato in the middle of a large piece of cheesecloth. Gather the four corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze as much of the moisture out of the sweet potatoes as possible. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, rosemary, sage, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes. Add the sweet potatoes and mix until well combined. Press the sweet potato mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan forming about a ¼-inch layer. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tart pan. Set aside. . . . Captured w/ @canonusa EOS 80D Edited w/ @adobe @lightroom . . . #labeardedlady #tomatotart #tart #sweetpotato #sweetpotatoes #tartlet #heirloomtomatoes #tomato #tomatoes @litehousefoods #bluecheese #rosemary #sage @thefeedfeed #feedfeed #canonusa #canonphotography #spinach #bonappetit #bonappetitmag #f52grams #healthyeats #vegetarian #cheese #mealprep #foodporn #foodprep #foodphotography #foodstylist #foodstyling #foodphotographer #easyrecipes (at Easton, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJoQtbZjO8_/?igshid=1g4v0umwmynnx