#that white stuff is grated coconut

[monggay]

Also! Trick or treat! If it's still Halloween for you ^.^"

have some kutsinta ^^ happy halloween!!!! :D

[v44v13nna]

bakery girl ★

angela girratana x fem reader

—————————

this is the worst monday angela has had in months. from the moment she woke up late, missing the time to go to the gym before work, to now, with her current realisation her lunch is definitely still in her car and is definitely inedible. not to mention the irritating itch under her skin, the tension in her shoulders and frustrating urge to be drumming her fingers or bouncing her knee or ANYTHING.

so now the only task on angela’s mind is finding something fresh to eat. rushing to leave the smosh building, she finds herself in a bakery. not a big bakery, or a cramped one, one with a soft muted colour palette with walls filled with beautifully hand written signs and drawings, it’s warm from the recognisable heat radiating from behind the counter and well lit from the sunlight. there’s a constant stream of white noise from the fridges and machinery. it’s nice. angela notes before subconsciously relaxing slightly, until she saw the displays.

rows and rows of pastries, rolls, danishes, anything. cookies, muffins, scrolls, scones, savoury rolls, braids, slices, stuff she couldn’t even name. her head was spinning. what the fuck do i even want to eat?

“too many choices?” huh?

angela looks up to the source of the voice.

“trust me, i think the same thing when i look at it” it’s a girl. dressed in a simple uniformed shirt, fitted apron and a hat. a pretty girl. “do you feel like something sweet or savoury?”

she’s asking me a question oh god. “i think savoury?”

the bakery girl smiles at her before taking a step back to look at the case of baked goods, assessing each product, looking for something, something that angela suddenly wishes to be privy to. bakery girl looks at what must’ve been a clock “is this going to be for your lunch?” angela nods not trusting herself to speak, bakery girl is looking back at her again “well the pizza rolls are a big seller but if i had to recommend anything, you should get the spinach and feta braids. i just had that on my break they’re perfect today, i promise you’ll love them”.

once again angela nods, and watches the girl grab the pastry and finalise the transaction, unexpectedly studying the way bakery girl moves.

after reaching the office, angela wanting to not waste any more of her lunch break, sat at an empty table and began eating the danish. bakery girl was right. angela thought going for another bite. soft butter pastry braided with crumbled pieces of feta and thinly cut spinach in it, truly perfect.

maybe it was the quaint corner shop bakery, or the pretty bakery girl, or the pastry, but this monday ended up being one of the best mondays she’s had.

-

a week later angela finds herself having déjà vu; paralysed in front of the overwhelming shelves of pastries.

“sweet or savoury today?” maaaajor déjà vu

“umm maybe sweet this time?” angela answers while looking up from the cursed case of food to see bakery girl. same uniform, same fitted apron and hat, same pretty smile, and as she steps back to examine the baked goods, angela can’t help but watch her again like last time, trying to find what it is that bakery girl can see that she can’t.

suddenly her eyes light up. “what about a raspberry coconut slice? its a shortbread base with layers of jam and coconut meringue, and then i grated a little bit of lemon zest on top.”

how could i say no? angela could feel herself relax completely. “how could i say no?” and now she could feel the urge to punch herself in the face.

thankfully, bakery girls laughs, a soft one but it’s more than enough for angela. she leans on the counter as bakery girl hands her the slices. “i hope you like them, they’re one of my favourites to make”

WOAH PAUSE

“you made them? you bake?” angela can barely get the words out, excited by the sudden opportunity to know her. she watches as she’s taken aback but the question, blushing softly.

“well a little? i’m usually just decorating the bigger custom cakes in the display fridge” she points to a seperate display of cakes “i used to bake, but the overnight shifts kill me”

-

“and so what did you say?” chanse says as angela retells this mornings interaction with bakery girl.

“well some other worker came up and asked her a question and so i just”

“you said nothing? angela really?” he cuts her off, knowing that she has zero rebuttal. in defeat she looks down at the last piece of the slice left, rethinking over the conversation. “do you know her name at least?” eyes snapping back to chanses face as she tries to recollect the small bits of info she does know about bakery girl.

“she doesn’t wear a name badge” i don’t know her name

-

every monday from that week on angela made it her mission to learn bakery girls name, and over the past seven weeks of spending the first part of her lunch break at the bakery, she still doesn’t know her name. angela is nearly at breaking point. seven mondays planning how to ask, and seven mondays of her leaving with a new fact about bakery girl, a new pastry to try, and a growing frustration at herself for never asking.

sitting at her desk on wednesday morning, angela indulges in her current favourite activity of pining over the nameless worker with mesmerising eyes and a knowledge of baked goods. after trying a new pastry each week, angela can’t help but think about the brownies she got on monday. dark chocolate brownies that was made by the girl.

well chanse and amanda wanted to try, it’s more for their benefit than mine. angela convinced herself as she approached the bakery. she might not even be there so it’s not like im being weird.

as she pushes the door she sees her. in the same spot behind the counter, with the same simple uniform shirt, fitted apron and hat and name badge talking to a customer.

SHES WEARING A NAME BADGE?!

she can’t believe it, shes still too far away to read it without her glasses but it’s clearly there pinned to her shirt and the closer angela gets, the stronger her hearts beating. this is the moment she finally gets to learn the name of the girl she’s been pining for.

the other customer leaves and it’s just her and bakery girl face to face again. since angela has stopped looking at the displays for the past few weeks she witnessed the signature smile she’s acquainted with form on bakery girls face.

but she doesn’t have to be bakery girl anymore, angela glances at the badge. BLARN.

blarn? is that her name

“i wasn’t expecting to see you so fast, monday must’ve come early this week” blarn (blarn???) comments, settling on her elbows as she leans on the counter.

angela laughs, feeling herself rapidly becoming flustered “those brownies you picked on monday were so good so i thought i should share them this time” she laughs at angela’s words and usually angela would be pleased but she can’t look away from the name badge. there’s so many questions.

is that her name? why doesn’t she wear it on mondays? why today?

she’s so absorbed in her thoughts she didn’t even see her grab the brownies ready for her to pay

“hey, you there?” she’s asking me a question oh god oh god

“your name badge” angela fights the words out of her mouth, already feeling herself cringe at her stuttering delivery, quickly tapping her phone to pay as if to try to move on from her comment. bakery girl looks down at the badge, almost as if she’s as equally shocked by the plastic

“oh yea my manager only works wednesdays with me, so when he is in, i have to have a name” she explains softly laughing at angela’s dumbfounded expression.

“ah” a beat.

don’t say anything stupid don’t say anything stupid ang don’t say anything stupid “so what do people call you every other day?” WHAT

she laughs, and angela can feel her internal battle melt away. “it’s (name), blarn is just a fake name”

(name). angela wishes she could tattoo it on her brain, but all she can do is laugh in response, but before she could respond (names) eyes are no longer looking at her, but at the customer that’s unknowingly broken the moment. angela watches as (name) sends her an apologetic smile before having to attend the customer.

usually angela would just head back to the office, but the second she stepped outside she knew she had to go back.

pushing open the door, she waits behind the customer, catching (names) eyes and smiles at her confused but happy expression. once it’s her turn, angela speaks first.

“i’m angela. i didn’t tell you it before but im angela”

“i’m (name)” she giggles “it’s nice to finally know your name”

angela feels like her chest is going to burst “it’s nice to finally know yours, (name)” (name). angela wants to scream her name from the rooftops, more so after seeing the blush gracing (names) cheeks.

feeling her phone buzz, knowing that it’s chanse asking her where she is she knows this is best time to ask.

“can i..” come on ang just ASK “can i get your number?”

“i was hoping you would ask”

—————————

a/n for someone to still think you’re pretty when you’re in your work uniform is the greatest compliment

sorry if this is long and written like a book, that’s what i’m used to 💔

[glamsmine]

The Final Ackermann

(Yes that is the fic name and that was the best i could do but it will all make sense PROMISE)

It was unspoken, as was everything else between the two, but this- THIS was something the both needed to confirm. How to go about it? Neither knew. They were so used to questioning each other on topics and arguing, but talking things out? Leaving everything in the open? That simply wasn’t how Kenny operated in any way, shape, or form. Uri was more adept in that area, but Kenny being the other part that had to contribute to the possible conversation made it more difficult for him to find a way to even bring it up. Uri wasn’t one to keep his thoughts to himself, and part of him has doubts that this may just all be in his head and that Kenny just acts as he pleases with whoever. He had no idea of knowing whether he was wrong or not. Kenny was stubborn and to the point, so he’d have mentioned at least once what it was they were to each other wouldn’t he? He wouldn’t, in fact, because this is about the only type of thing he has no experience in. The past month felt off, awkward, not in any instance like a regular evening they had or casual banter they exchanged like before. All because of the way the two gazed at each other sitting in front of the island’s shore one afternoon.

It felt instantaneous, feverish, a bit shy. Something so foreign to the two that they realized that in that moment, they could never look at each other the same way afterwards. So in the moment that they both had that disappointing realization that there might be more to this “partnership” that they developed under the intention of keeping a royal and loyal connection, they held their eyes for as long as they could; in fear that they would never have a moment exactly like this one ever again. The sea air felt soft and smelt of jasmine rather than the nasty smell Kenny first described it as. The light coming from the sun above seemed to graze Kenny’s face and capture it in a warm glow with an expression Uri could only think of as surprised. Truly a sight to see, Kenny never softened his face or let the furrow in his brows rest.

The light breeze picked at Uri’s hair, a picture wouldn’t do him justice. The technology on the island is too behind to allow for the invention of a camera, but Kenny was grateful he was able to capture this moment in his mind where he hardly had any real memories that made him comfortable or happy.

It was just like that how their prolonged silence led to hushed nights hiding from palace guards and days where Kenny would stare up at the sky with nothing else but that white coconut head he had engrained into his eyelids. If only he wasn’t such a cowardly ass that didn’t give a damn of what others thought, maybe he’d be able to peck Uri without a single thought. Perhaps he might’ve even been able to keep that little Levi in his sights, properly raise him and prepare him for the world that he will let him see in the future. The underground was no place to live. He’d like to think that he’d have everything he ever wanted then. His family and love(maybe even more if he got the chance), but the dreams of an Ackermann can never come to fruition. He wanted to blame their heritage, maybe it was a curse because no Ackermann in existence has ever lived the life they’ve wanted, but he knew. This was just how the Ackermanns managed to survive this far, and he hoped that that wouldn’t reach Levi’s way of living. Yet he knew. This was just how things are, and how they always will be.

WOOOPWOOOPWOPPP. So this has been siting in my drafts for like, forever and I decided to finish it off just now. (I hate writing fr, why can’t I just write my stuff all at once so I don’t have to constantly revisit my drabbles when I finally have a transition point or more to add on.) anyways.

This is very much KenUri if you haven’t already noticed💀 I don’t wanna ruin the actual plot point that comes after this bc it would be a big spoiler for my fic, even though i have yet to write the whole thing🗿 but this will be an Armin-centric fic (ik. SURPRISING. Given that this is some real KenUri) but it will make sense when i actually write it🧍🏽‍♀️there’s a good foreshadow/ reference in here so maybe that is a tip-off. Anyways. This exists now…….

[prettyboykatsuki]

I’ll list some dishes my background is colombian/Venezuelan/Dominican:

- arepas rellenas (white corn meal + water + salt + queso fresco/the fresh white Mexican cheese works too. Mix into a dough. It should be moist and workable into like a disc shape. Fry in butter on the stove/griddle. Stuff them with anything you want— rice, beans, meats, leftovers, butter, cheese, anything. 🫶🏽)

- enyucado (grate yuca (casava) and coconut together + sugar + anise + butter + same cheese as above + coconut milk. Bake in oven @ 400 for 45 mins)

- pabellón (white rice + black beans + fried sweet plantains + shredded stewed beef)

- habichuela con dulce (weirdest thing ever. Apparently it was a Turkish thing and made it’s way to DR??? Anyway. Red beans + milk + coconut milk + sweet potatoes (if you can find the specific green sweet potatoes sold in Spanish markets that’s the one to get) this one look up a recipie but it’s kind of like a bean soup that is sweet and you drink it??)

Anyway that’s a few hehe 🫶🏽

these sound DELICIOUS??? i know of arepas and i saw recently that my local national grocery store carries corn meal... am i strong enough to try and make them?? no idea but i am certainly putting it on my radar.

these all sound very good actually i have never hear of enyucado but i LOVE yuca and that sounds so DELICIOUS and it may very well be the first thing i try... i want to try all of these but i love sweets so much.... and it seems like something my parents would like

ALSO A RED BEAN DESSERT IS AN IMMEDIATE INTEREST AS WELL.... i keep saying this but these all sound so GOOD like so so so good....i think there is a dominican grocery store in our downtown so im lowk...peeping with my eyes to see if i can make the trip up there..

THANK U FOR THE RECIPE IDEAS ALEKS!!!!!

[madmitha]

Mushroom Recipes:

Certainly! Here are some delicious mushroom recipes that showcase the versatility and flavor of mushrooms:

1. Classic Sautéed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 cups of button or cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes or until they are golden brown and tender.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Serving Suggestion: Serve as a side dish, or on top of steaks, burgers, or pasta.

2. Creamy Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth, kept warm

1 cup mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, or a mix), sliced

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic, cook until translucent.

Add mushrooms and cook until softened.

Stir in arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes.

Add white wine and cook until absorbed.

Gradually add warm broth, one ladle at a time, stirring frequently until the rice is creamy and cooked through.

Stir in the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with parsley before serving.

Serving Suggestion: Enjoy as a main course or side dish.

3. Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:

4 large portobello mushrooms

1 cup cooked quinoa or rice

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Remove the stems from the portobello mushrooms and scoop out the gills.

In a bowl, mix quinoa or rice, spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Stuff the mushroom caps with the mixture.

Place mushrooms on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.

Serving Suggestion: Serve as an appetizer or a light main course.

4. Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb (450g) mixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, etc.), sliced

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic, cook until translucent.

Add mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and start to brown.

Add broth and thyme, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches using a stand blender.

Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper.

Serving Suggestion: Serve hot with crusty bread.

5. Mushroom and Spinach Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1 cup mushrooms (button or cremini), sliced

1 cup fresh spinach

1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or your choice)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tortillas

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add mushrooms and cook until softened.

Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a separate skillet over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle half of the cheese on one half of the tortilla.

Spoon half of the mushroom and spinach mixture over the cheese, then fold the tortilla in half.

Cook until the tortilla is golden and the cheese is melted, flipping once.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Serving Suggestion: Cut into wedges and serve with salsa or sour cream.

These recipes highlight the versatility of mushrooms and their ability to enhance a wide range of dishes. Enjoy experimenting with these ideas in your kitchen!

[gennie123]

“5 EASY AND HEALTHY RECIPES FOR MAKAR SANKRANTI 2023 | JAGGERY/GUD”

YOU CAN LISTEN THIS BLOG ON

Makar Sankranti is observed in the month of January each year. The significant pan-Indian solar festival of Makar Sankranti is celebrated on the same day but goes by several names, and occasionally on several days surrounding Makar Sankranti. In Andhra Pradesh, it is known as Pedda Panduga; in Karnataka, Telangana, and Maharashtra, it is known as Makara Sankranti; in Tamil Nadu, it is known as Pongal; in Assam, it is known as Magh Bihu; in parts of central and northern India, it is known as Magha Mela; in the west, it is known as Makar Sankranti; and in Kerala, it is known as Makara Sankranti or Sankaranti.

Festivals mean new clothes, delectable sweets, family reunions, and unlimited fun. There is no better occasion than a festival to make sweets. In general, we use refined sugar for sweets, which has several negative health consequences. So instead of that, we can use jaggery or gud. It's common to hear claims that jaggery is "healthier" than refined sugar or white sugar. It is also good for weight loss also.

Benefits of jaggery/Gud

What if you can find organic jaggery or gud? It will improve the taste and health of the dish. In addition, jaggery contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Jaggery is also a great plant-based source of iron. One serving could provide around 10% of the daily recommended iron consumption. Supporting healthy blood cells requires iron. You may have less fatigue and have better muscle performance if you consume adequate iron.

Festivals would not be complete without a tray of ladoos, barfis, halwa, and other treats! But have you ever considered how the making of sweets in different regions of India reflects the diversity of Indian culture? Every region in India enjoys showcasing its distinctive culinary inventions. With Makar Sankranti quickly approaching, we thought it would be a good idea to collect a few traditional sweet jaggery recipes with multiple health benefits from around the nation.

Follow our simple instructions to make a variety of desserts to enjoy this Makar Sankranti with your loved ones!

1. Jaggery Roti

Jaggery roti is a delightful and simple-to-make sweet roti prepared with whole wheat flour and jaggery. These sweet (meethi) rotis can be prepared for breakfast as well as an evening or after-school snack for children.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions:

1. Mix grated jaggery, elichi powder, and til.

2. Make them into equal-sized, tiny balls. Now, only enough dough (pedas) needs to be rolled out to stuff and fold in the jaggery.

3. Roll it once more into a ball, gently. Roll out the dough thinly to resemble a paratha when dusted with flour.

4. Using desi ghee, fry the rolled-out bread on both sides on a hot tawa. Cook until both sides are browned. Remove and serve hot.

2. Til Gud Ke Ladoo

Made with white sesame seeds, jaggery, peanuts, and desiccated coconut, this laddu is nutritious, one of the healthier recipes, delectable, and nutty. A sweet treat made especially for the Makar Sankranti celebration that is vegan. These sesame seed ladoos are a tasty, comforting winter treat.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions:

1. Roast sesame seeds (til) over a low flame. Stir occasionally till the sesame seeds pop open and change color. This takes two to three minutes on low heat. Don't let them burn.

2. Add a teaspoon of cardamom powder and mix thoroughly. Place aside.

3. Take 12 heaping cups of grated or powdered jaggery and place it in the same pan or kadai.

4. Pour in 3 teaspoons of water. Cook until the jaggery solution reaches the soft-ball stage and keep stirring continuously.

5. Make small balls. Your Til-Gud Ladoo is now ready to eat.

3. Peanut Ladoo

Jaggery and roasted peanuts are the only two ingredients in this simple yet delicious recipe for ladoos. At room temperature, these peanut ladoos last approximately a week, and in the refrigerator, they keep for 15 to 20 days. These ladoos can be served simply or even as a sweet snack in a tiffin box and are considered healthy recipes for kids.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions:

Jaggery is simply melted and combined with roughly crushed peanuts in the peanut ladoo recipe. Later, it is formed into rounded balls that can be used as protein balls or ladoos.

4. Strawberry Jam

This is a simple and delicious recipe for strawberry jam that is made without preservatives. Instead of using sugar to sweeten the jam, jaggery is used. The jam keeps well in the refrigerator for around two months.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions:

1. First, place 750 g of strawberries and jaggery in a big kadai. If you don't care about your diet, you can add three cups (750 g) of sugar.

2. Stir thoroughly until the sugar dissolves while keeping the flame on medium.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice now to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Stir thoroughly, then boil for five minutes.

4. To protect the strawberries from burning, stir them occasionally. Boil the strawberry for a further              

                                                                           10 minutes, or until it becomes soft.

5. The strawberries should be well mashed to achieve a smooth consistency.

6. Cook the mixture over a medium flame until it thickens, and the foam totally vanishes.

7. Dip a cool metal spoon into the mixture to test the consistency; the mixture shouldn't fall off.

8. Put the jam in a glass jar and allow it to cool fully. Enjoy your homemade strawberry jam with jaggery.

5.Murmura Ladoo

A quick and simple recipe for puffed rice ladoo that is crunchy, crisp, light, delectable, and ready in a few minutes. You can substitute puffed poha (flattened rice that has been puffed) for the puffed rice in this recipe. They are also called "puri unde" or "murmura ladoo." This is one of the healthy recipes to lose weight.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions:

1. Dry roast 3 cups of murmura in a pan over a low flame until crispy. Set it apart.

2. Add 1 cup of jaggery and 1 tsp of ghee to the pan now. Stir continuously over a medium flame until the jaggery dissolves completely. Jaggery syrup should be boiled on a low flame until glossy and thick.

3. Drop some syrup into a bowl of water to test the consistency; it should form a hard ball.

4. Turn off the gas and add the roasted murmura to the jaggery syrup. Make sure the jaggery syrup is thoroughly coated; mix carefully. Roll the ladoos right away, using slightly wet palms. Be prompt to prevent the mixture from cooling off and making ladoo               rolling difficult.

5. Once it comes to room temperature, you can store it in an airtight container. Enjoy this winter delicacy made with simple home ingredients.

 The food eaten on Makar Sankranti is of great significance since it represents completion and productivity. We should always prioritise foods that help us live a healthy lifestyle while also adding flavour to our lives.

Please give these recipes a try and let us know how they turn out. We would love to hear your experiences. Upload your videos while you make any of the above-mentioned sweets, and don't forget to tag us. We will select one video, and the winner will get a surprise gift from Team SABEZY.

If you are looking to buy organic, chemical-free jaggery or gud powder for your recipes, then click here. For more healthy food products, visit https://www.sabezy.com/healthy-foods

We wish you a wonderful day ahead and a prosperous new year 2023! And enjoy your Makar Sankranti 2023….

WATCH THE VIDEO OF THIS BLOG ON

[isabellabrodar]

Rely on You✖️JJ Maybank✖️

word count: 1573

warnings: mentions of alcohol and drugs, death/loss

JJ Maybank x Reader; JJ Maybank x John B’s sister

Everyone in my family has left me at some point. My mother ditched us for Colorado when my brother and I were only three years old. John B took that pretty, hard but I knew we were better off without her. Caring for her children wasn’t really a strength of hers anyways, so we barely talk about her now.

Then our dad went away to find the lost gold on the Royal Merchant and never came back. This time the loss of a parent broke me. I didn’t dare hope that he was just stranded somewhere, slurping on a coconut and waiting until someone comes to get him and although his body never was found, John B and I silently agreed on moving on. Accepting that your dad died isn’t the easiest thing for two teenagers to do. So I tried to lose myself in school stuff and John B took over our household. I think it was just his way of coping with the situation, but it became annoying pretty quickly. Every time our friends came over, it seemed like he was trying to prove that he was taking care of me.

And then he died. Or at least we all thought he and Sarah did. But turns out they were alive the whole time and now everything can go back to normal. But losing almost everyone that you have learned to rely on hurts you in a way that cannot be undone.

I was gripping the red plastic cup tightly as I tried to make my way through the dancing and drinking crowd. My eyes were moving rapidly over every face nearby, searching for my brother’s hazel eyes and curly brown hair. But I didn’t see him. So I pushed further into the mass of people until I passed a group of Kooks, standing on the edge of the boneyards, seeming to be staring at a girl dancing her heart out only a couple of feet away. I usually would’ve said something to them but I just walked by, my breathing becoming quicker as I whispered John B’s name over and over again.

When I felt a strong hand grab my shoulder, I turned around in a quick motion.

“John B?” I said before I looked into clear blue eyes.

“No, Y/N. He left about five minutes ago with Sarah. They’re fine.” JJ’s voice was calm but his look was drenched with worry and his grip didn’t loosen up as my breathing slowed down a bit.

“Sorry, J. I…I just didn’t know where he was. I was…I am sorry.” I felt a small tear of relief roll down my cheek as the panic started to die down and JJ moved to put a strand of my dark brown hair behind my ear.

“It’s okay. No need to apologize, smarty. We’ll go home yeah? I’ll get Kie and Pope.” I could hear a slight slur in his words, probably coming from more than just a couple of beers. Other than that he sounded tired and I knew that was my fault.

“No, J. I can get home by myself. Let them enjoy themselves, I don’t want to ruin the whole evening.” I put the empty cup on a rock wall next to me and straightened out my white summer dress. JJ looked me up and down once and then shook his head. I knew he wasn’t going to let me walk home alone after that panic attack.

“I’ll tell Pope that we’re going home. Meet you at the truck.” And before I could argue once more, JJ was already on his way over to our friends who were chatting with some other Pogues that I had seen before at school. So I went back into the crowd and saw that one of the Kooks from earlier was now dancing with that one girl and his friends weren’t staring anymore but looking around for something or better someone else to watch. I made my way over to my old truck, dodging several elbows and spilling drinks, while thinking about all the other times the panic had taken a hold of me and JJ had been there to help me.

Our friendship used to be very easy, I would say. We met through John B in third grade and have been inseparable ever since then. With the others we would go surfing almost every day but when it came to talking about serious matters, JJ and I usually kept to ourselves. Occasionally I had noticed the forming bruises on his cheeks or ribs whenever he came back from his house, but he always said it was nothing or an accident and I didn’t pressure him into telling me more, although I made it a point to come with him to his house as often as I could, so his dad wouldn’t get a chance to touch JJ.

And in return JJ didn’t ask about my nightmares that would wake me up every night after we thought John B and Sarah died. He’d move closer to me on the mattresses that we put into the living room for us four to sleep on. Kie and Pope mostly slept at their houses though, which was good, because then I didn’t have to explain myself to even more people. The problem is, that even after my brother and Sarah came back, the nightmares didn’t stop and I started having panic attacks when I felt like I lost them again. Just like at the party. And since JJ was the only person who knew about that, he felt obligated to take care of me.

This is pretty far away from us calling each other smarty and pretty boy, reducing each other to what people mostly noticed about us and never talking about anything besides parties, surfing and how many grams of weed we would need to get for the next tour on the HMS Pogue.

I grabbed a hoodie from the passenger seat of my truck and closed the door again when I heard footsteps approaching.

“You know I am fine. No need to deprive all these pretty girls from their favorite pretty boy.” I said in a mocking but tired tone whilst nodding my head towards the dancing crowd. JJ was now standing next to me, smiling.

“They can wait ‘till the next party. Let’s go home.” He held out his arm for me to loop mine around and then we started walking through the Cut. This kind of intimacy between us had become normal, but it never seemed to be anything besides friendship and we were both grateful for that. The summer air was cold on my legs and small goosebumps started to form on my skin.

“You really need to wear more… I don’t know, fabric I guess.”

“You sound like my dad. Or worse, like John B.” A small laugh escaped his lips as we made our way further along the street, arms still intertwined.

“I think you should talk to him about your nightmares.”

“And I think you should tell your dad he can rot in hell.” He let go of me and put a little distance between us.

“Damn, Y/N, I get it. Don’t talk to John B then.” It always came to this. Both of us telling the other what to do and to confront their problems, but we couldn’t do it and then we would get pissed off at each other, but that’s just the way our friendship worked.

We got to John B and I’s house a couple minutes later, which we had spent in silence. I opened the door and went straight towards John B’s room. The light was turned off already and I saw him and Sarah sleep peacefully. That’s when my heart beat finally went completely back to normal. When I stepped into the living room I saw JJ sprawled across one of the big mattresses. He was still wearing his clothes but that didn’t seem to matter to him.

“I’m going to sleep in my room today, J.”

He mumbled a quiet “ok” and turned his back towards me as I stepped past him.

I was standing on the beach and watched John B and my dad go into the waves on a small boat. Then thunder started and the heavy rain made it hard to see anything out on the ocean. There was lightning and then suddenly the sound of the thunderstorm stopped as I saw the lightning hit the boat that my family was on. Then they were just gone.

I woke up, breathing heavily with sweat on my forehead. My room was dark but I could hear quiet steps coming towards my bed. I scooted over to the side and started to relax as JJ planted himself next to me, still fully clothed. I laid back down and closed my eyes as the boy next to me but his arm over my side and started to calmly breathe onto my neck. This is something that has happened a lot the past two months. Always the same dream, the same horror in which I woke up and then JJ being there and helping me back to sleep just by getting closer. But this scared me. How can I let myself rely on him when everything that causes me pain comes from the people that I am closest to disappearing, getting hurt or leaving?

✖️Soo, I usually don’t write but I just wanted to try it. I know this is not a complete story or whatever and it’s kind of all over the place, but if you guys like it, then I might rewrite it or add more:)

[womenofwonder]

Option on RWBY ships:

Btw, I don’t usually ship characters. Romance is usually the least interesting part of the story for me so expect a lot of meh.

Arkos: obviously I love this, it’s perfect

Blacksun: ehh, it’s cute. I started out feeling kinda meh, it was sweet but not really interesting, but now it’s growing on me. Ironically the same thing is happening with Bumblebee, although I still like Blake and Yang better platonically

Bunanas: so this is a ship between Velvet and Sun, and it’s honestly really cute to imagine even if it is completely random. I like it better then Blacksun…I think?

Candy Cane: this is just weird. I can’t imagine Nora being anything but a older sister to Oscar. The age gap makes it creepy too, not the four years is much of a gap, but when your teenagers it’s a big gap.

Chocolate Arc: this is hilarious to imagine but obviously yeah, Coco isn’t going to fall for someone like Jaune

Cinnabun: I barely know anything about Yatsuhashi but he and Velvet are cute, I guess? Still like her better with Sun

ClockRose: heck no!

Coconuts: again, can’t see Sun doing anything but annoying Coco. I really don’t like the whole ‘badass jerk of a girl falls for goof ball trope.’ It always ends up feeling sexist in several ways

Combat Boots: honestly outside of an AU I can’t see Yang ever forgiving Mercury much less falling in love with him. Also Mercury just doesn’t deserve her

Combat goggles: I feel like Yang and Neptune would have fun causally dating each other and slowly realizing they actually like (Blake/Sun/Jaune/whoever) and become each other’s wingmen. That fanfic better be lying around somewhere

Crimson Lotus: okay, if I didn’t love Renora and Rosegarden so much I’d probably ship this. It’s really cute

Crimson Sun: this feels like an excuse to write lemons of the two hottest characters

Crimson wings: look I understand most of the shipping heroes with villains because they’re both hot and the villain/hero dynamic is always fun. But Cardin…he’s not even hot. He’s not even interesting. And yet people ship him with Ruby? Why?

Daddie Issues: you know I see where this is coming from but they would just end up murdering each other.

Dairy Farm: obviously this is downright creepy in cannon, but in an au where Neo isn’t evil and both are closer in age, this would be adorable. I feel like Neo’s main problem is she’s incredibly lonely—other then Roman no one bothers to understand or talk to her. If Oscar reached out to her, and she began to protect him…it would be perfect. In way even better then Rosegarden because I think Neo would still be a bit of pycho even when good, and it would be fun to see her lose it when Salem hurts him.

Ilia/Adam: I just want to say I am forever grateful the show went out of its way to avoid this obnoxious, cliche ship from being canon

Dragon slayer: I see why people ship Jaune and Yang, I really do. They’re both the team mom/dad of their team, they’ve got the whole goofball/badass thing going (which is a trope I do like when the badass isn’t a jerk), they both have a good sense of humor, etc. But I just can’t see them as romantic. It feels really weird. I can’t even explain why. I understand shipping them but I really can’t ship them myself.

Emercury: I really love this ship, but I also don’t mind at all if the show decides to make them platonic. I enjoy their relationship in general and it works either way.

Oscar/Emerald: again, feel creepy. I love the idea of a sibling relationship and can’t see them possibly being romantic even without the age gape.

Cinder/Qrow: yeah again. Both are sexy and good for angsty lemons. I’m not into that stuff so I don’t ship them

Fall Stinger: I just don’t know why anyone would ship Tyrian with anyone. Unless it was Salem and even that is super creepy

Firerobber: I like villain relationships but Roman already has Neo and Cinder is a hot mess. Literally

Firewall: I don’t know why anyone would ship Watts with anyone. He’s even worst less ship-able then Tyrian

Footloose: I don’t actually ship it but just imagine Mercury and Melanie bonding over weaponized feet.

Freckles: Yeah this is just painful. The two most adorable characters (Penny and Oscar), who go through the worst things imaginable. It’s endless fluff, angst, and whump, and I love cute romance and tragic romances, so this is definitely something I ship.

Frostbite: seriously, this is so weird and toxic. Having Adam fall for Weiss or vice versa. Maybe it would work in an AU or something but it’s just too creepy

Funky Beats: it’s cute, I ship it.

Gelato: yeah I love healthy villainous relationships! Neo and Roman are freaking adorable, and I’m sad that we didn’t see more of them together.

Grandmasters: I obviously don’t ship Salem and Ozpin because that’s just creepy, but I do like their romance. I like tragic romances, and this probably the most tragic one in existence

Greek Lotus: I don’t see the chemistry and crashes two of my favorite ships so…

Green Knight: well, she kinda helped kill his last girlfriend so…unless it’s AU this isn’t going to work. Even if it is an AU. This feels like another ship made solely for lemons

Velvet/Cardin: yeah, a bigot changing his mind when he falls in love with a minority isn’t cute. Isn’t sweet. It isn’t romantic. I don’t even excuse lemons that use this trope. Even porn ought to be above that

Weiss/Cardin: WOULD EVERYONE STOP SHIPPING CARDIN WITH PEOPLE

Hummingbird: it’s hard to ship something when you only know one character, but I was interested in the theory that Qrow was actually Ruby’s father. But then in season 7 Qrow’s description of Summer made me rethink it, and it didn’t sound anything like how you’d describe a romantic relationship. So I don’t really like that theory anymore

Iceberg: this is just cliche and boring. I get them dating but it wouldn’t last that long

Flynt/Weiss: I really love this one, it’s my favorite ship with Weiss. I don’t want it to actually happened in cannon because that would be random, but I feel like it would be fun for both their characters. And they both share an interest in music. I’m imagining an AU where he gets her into jazz and she starts singing it at all her concerts to the horror of Jaques.

Iron Maiden: honestly what. Why. Gross

Iron witch: well I definitely see why people like it. I actually wouldn’t mind it being cannon, It’d be a good combination of funny/tragic and I’d like to see Glynda mentoring Winter

Jailbirds: this just feels forced and also Qrow is probably too old for her. I like their relationship and don’t want it to be romantic

Knight fall: lemon ship. Moving on

Knight Life: I feel like Jaune just gets shipped with everyone but this is cute I guess

Lancaster: it’s cute, but I can’t ship it because it feels cliche. I was worried that Jaune was going to be her love interest when they first met and was relieved to see him with Pyrrha instead. It just feels forced and boring to have him end up with Ruby

Pyrrha/Mercury: this really popular for some unfathomable reason. I like Mercury but Pyrrha deserves better

Marrowgold (May/Marrow): I just don’t see it

Nikong: Pyrrha and Sun would be cute together, but I don’t really love this ship. It’s kinda meh.

Nora’s Arc: no. Just no. It technically would work but their platonic relationship is way too good to lose

Old Silver: this is Maria/Pietro, and I think it’s adorable. They both strike me as really flirty for their ages and both are very good mentors. They can be the crazy grandparents of the team

Ozglyn: just don’t see it

Phoenix: yeah Raven was a horrible girlfriend/wife. I don’t ship her Taiyang

QuickSilver: Ruby deserves better than Mercury.

Rehab (Qrow/Glynda): the fact that this is called rehab explains why I don’t ship it

ReNora: yeah, this is probably my favorite ship. I don’t think I have to explain why.

Robotic Knight: I briefly shipped this but now disagree

Rosegarden: I really love Rosegarden, they’re just too adorable together, though the whole Ozpin does make it a little awkward

Rosewick: I can’t see this happening, even in an AU

Coco/Fox: I don’t know enough about Fox to really ship them, but the fact that Coco canonically slaps his butt during battle definitely makes me want to

Mercury/Neo: I could see this working. It would be pretty cute

Silent Knight: again, it would have to be an AU and even then I don’t see it working

Snowbird: so at first I really liked the idea of Qrow and Winter being ex’s, but now that I think about it he has to be at least twenty years older then her. Also, I have to say that while they have chemistry I think they would just end up killing each other

Speakeasy (Flynt/Coco): I got to say I like this ship and could see them having a lot of chemistry together

Strawbanna: I just can’t see Ruby and Sun together. It feels weird

Sunflakes: Can’t see it working

Sunflowyr (Ren/Yang): don’t see any chemistry. Again this just seems random

Tauradonna: this is obviously as toxic as you get.

The Hunt (Cardin/Blake): stop shipping Cardin with anyone!

Mercury/Cinder: Mercury is way too young, and even if he wasn’t this would be really weird. Also Cinder makes him look like a stable, peaceful person, so also no.

Toxic Petals: I swear I’m done with this. No more Cardin, Tyrian, or Watts ships. They too gross

Velveteen Knight: Aw, they’d be cute together

White Knight: I really hate this ship. It’s so obnoxious and boring, and nearly falls into the jerky badass/goofball trope I hate

Winter Soldier: ew, no, Ironwood is like her dad

Wise Dragon: anyone care to explain why this is so popular? Sage barely has any character to him, I can’t ship him with anyone

Yellow rose: Yeah, I kinda ship this, but again, it’s difficult when you barely know one character

IronQrow: I understand why you would ship this but I just don’t see it. Guys can hug without being gay you know

Martial arts: why?

Noah’s Arc: why?

Sea Monkeys: again I understand why you could ship it but I don’t. They’re obviously just friends to me

Shovel Knight: like most Oscar ships it feels weird. Jaune is obviously a big brother to him

TaiQrow: As funny as it is for Tai to sleep with every member of his team, I don’t ship it.

Fair game: I really can’t stand Clover so again, don’t ship it

Achilles heel: Cinder literally kills Pyrrha, why would you ship them?

Baked Alaska: lemon ship

Black glass: annnd, another lemon ship.

Blood Mint: yeah I don’t see Emerald and Ruby ever being a couple

Catmelon: I found Ilia’s crush on Blake kinda cringy and I can’t see them being a couple

ColdMurder (Weiss/Cinder): even in an au I don’t see it working

Cold Steel (Penny/Winter) eeewww, they’re practically sisters

Cream Machine (Neo/Penny): I mean…if she wasn’t evil…and wasn’t so much older…it might work? Maybe?

Crosshares: cute but I feel like Velvet is too much of a doormat for Coco

Digital Clock: Ciel obviously didn’t care much for Penny, and she was barely a character at all. I don’t see it

Pyrrha/Nora: don’t see it, and also can’t stand the idea of breaking up the two best ships

Falling Petals: I get that Cinder is hot, but can we stop shipping her with the kids she’s trying to murder? Because I can see several things wrong with that

Freezerburn: again, for no reason that I can think of this ship just doesn’t work for me. Much like Dragonslayer it just feels weird

Gingersnaps (Penny/Nora): that would be chaotic. I can’t really see them romantically though like most Penny ships it would be cute

Guilty Conscience (Bree/Winter): oh please no. They really don’t have any reason to be together

Ladybug: I just can’t see Blake with Ruby at all. Blake feels way to old even though she’s only older by two years.

Milk and Cereal (Ruby and Pyrrha): I guess it would work but I just don’t any chemistry

Mint chocolate (Emerald/Coco): if Coco managed to forgive her for everything that happened at Beacon I could maybe see this happening. There is some chemistry

Mommy issues: Nah, can’t see this working out.

Monochrome: Blake and Weiss have never had any romance chemistry despite plenty of opportunity to have it, so again, I see them as strictly platonic and shipping them feels almost like incest. I know that doesn’t make sense

Nordic Winter: I can’t see Weiss handling Penny, but again, any Penny ship is pretty cute

Nuts and Dolts: I would ship, but I like them together platonically too well. Definitely understand the ship, though I find it funny that Ruby, who insist she likes weapons better then people, would fall in love with a personified weapon. I know that’s probably racist against robots

Overheating (Penny/Cinder): I take back what I said about every Penny ship being cute

PennyWeiss: but this one is pretty cute

Pink Lemonade: can you imagine the chaos of Yang and Nora dating each other? They both need someone with a cooler head to keep them in check

Scheenoks: with Weiss’s fangirling I can definitely see were this is coming from, but Weiss is too mean for Pyrrha

Steadfast: I really don’t ship any of the ace-ops with anyone. I found them all boring and annoying except for Marrow

Strawberry Shortcake (Neo/Ruby): not seeing it

Sugar Rush (Ruby/Nora): Again, too much chaos. They both need chill partners. And I love Rosegarden and ReNora too much

Thunder cat (Blake/Nora): don’t see any chemistry between them

WhiteRose: I can see why this is shipped and I don’t dislike WhiteRose shippers. I just prefer Rosegarden, and find Weiss and Ruby working better together romantically

Bumblebee: again, I see this working better platonically, not romantically. It kind of annoyed me at first, but it is growing on me, much like Blacksun. I still like Blacksun better though

Enabler: No.

[bumblebear30]

The heights you take me to.

Rita Calhoun x Casey Novak

Established Calvak

Warnings: Discussion of fears around heights, No smut but allusions to. Language. Casey Novak being so fucking adorable she’ll steal your girl and you’d still thank her.

The heights you take me to.

Not that anyone ever did ask, but if anyone had ever been brazen enough to raise the issue, Rita would categorically deny that she was scared of heights.

And she would win that argument. Even a polygraph test on the subject would be passed with flying colours. She was entirely content on those shallow balconies at the opera, mezzanine floors in apartments in Paris posed no hindrance and, thankfully, even the thought of flying in planes didn’t bother her. So truly heights weren’t the issue.

If you were going to get technical about it, maybe, possibly, perhaps, she had a mild concern – an often valid mild-concern – about falling from unstable platforms. Honestly it just seemed common sense to avoid such scenarios. An intrinsic urge of self-protection that had served her well through life so far. So much so, the issue very rarely came up at all.

And yet, somehow Casey, so typically enthusiastic, utterly wonderfully childlike in her glee and adoration of things somehow put Rita in a situation where she had to confront that maybe she should have voiced her concerns much earlier in their relationship.

It had all come about because Casey had won their most recent head-to-head case and they'd long since set up and agreement that after a case where they been up against each other whoever won got to choose whatever date it was that they went on as soon as they could.

Sometimes it was as mundane as choosing which wine and takeaway combo would go with whatever mindless TV or comfort film they'd watch as they settled back into their domestic selves, or something like Casey making Rita join her on a walk around the park when the seasons were changing so she could point out the beauty of the leaves changing colour or the blossom scattering the footpath. She was always such a romantic; as much in love with the natural world around her as with the woman stood next to her holding her hand. Despite her apparent grumbling Rita actually loved those walks, just getting to have a glimpse of how Casey saw things always made her fall for the redhead even more.

Other times, if she'd won, Rita would go all out spoiling Casey with a quick weekend away, or lavish meal out – not to gloat, never to gloat - but to simply spoil her girl as she deserved to be spoilt.

One time Casey had made Rita go camping... Despite the defence attorney trying her best to cope with it all after several tantrums Casey learnt quickly that camp life did not hold the same joyful relaxation for the brunette as she’d hoped, and had hastily found them a glamping resort nearby to save the long weekend.

But, given the nature of some of the cases, and just how passionately Rita would defend her client and Casey would fight for justice for the victim, sometimes there simply had to be a cooling off phase of a couple of days before either one was quite ready to think about indulging the whims of the winning party.

The longest they'd gone through such a détente had been ten days. It had just clocked over to the eleventh when Rita had woken to the sounds of Casey sniffling, trying to muffle her tears on the couch where she'd been sleeping, self-imposed it had to be said. Wordlessly Rita had left the warmth of their bed and padded across the apartment simply to cuddle up with the redhead: wrapping her arms around her and cradling her head into the crook of her neck. The unspoken love and comfort in the gentle touches, the light peppering of kisses against her hair, had initially just made Casey sob even harder. It was exactly what she'd needed ten days ago but her own smarting pride and anger at the world's injustices had meant she denied herself from seeking out from the one person who could truly console her. Rita had continued to just hold her though and rub her back, letting Casey get it all out without judgement.

Exhausted Casey had eventually fallen asleep, utterly spent after finally letting the emotional dam burst. With great care Rita had slowly manoeuvred them (an impressive feat she was quite proud of really) so that she could lie down on the couch properly with Casey draped comatose over her hip, her face pillowed on Rita's chest. She knew she'd inevitably end up with a drool mark on her satin sleep shirt but making sure Casey was comfortable was far more important - and for the first time in weeks, fell asleep holding her love.

Waking up being held so tenderly by Rita, who had spent the night on the couch with her simply because Casey had needed her, almost made Casey cry again. Although this time because her heart was so full. She'd laid there for a little while completely content to just listen to Rita's soft snores (she only ever did when she slept on her back, Casey always thought they were adorable), until she could resist no longer and started to trail her hand across the top of Rita's shoulder and down her arm a little.

So absorbed in the sensation of the satin under her fingertips, and the incomparable softness of Rita's skin where it had slipped more open on her chest, Casey hadn't realised the gentle snores had stopped till she felt an answering hand come up to run across the back of her head gently. Looking up she had been greeted with such a soft sleepy smile from her girlfriend that Casey just wanted to remember it forever.

The woman was just so perfect for her. Rita would of course argue with a smirk across her face that she was perfect, full stop, but Casey always simply pointed out that she loved Rita’s imperfections just as much anyway. It usually earned her a sweet kiss, or three. But that morning it was Casey who poured as much love and gratefulness into the kisses she pressed to Rita’s cheek before offering to cook one of Rita’s beloved egg-white omelettes.

At this precise moment in time though Rita wished with every fibre of her being that she was back in their apartment, safely sat on the couch which was so securely resting on the ground.

Casey had won their most recent professional battle – Rita was secretly relieved, the guy creeped her out too – and the redhead had promptly declared that she wanted to go to Coney Island. Initially Rita thought she was joking, and had laughed in her face. She thought it went without saying that fair ground rides, fried foods and screaming children were not her idea of a fun evening with her girlfriend. But upon seeing the puppy dog worthy pout that was now gracing said girlfriend’s face she had immediately relented, although only once securing a promise that she could wear Casey’s clothes. She’d be damned if her designer wardrobe was going to be sacrificed along with her professional court win-rate. Chanel and cotton candy did not mix.

So, a few days later she’d subsequently found herself dressed in Casey’s jeans and old softball team hoody. When she’d left the bedroom and when Casey had caught sight of how her ass filled out the jeans let alone seeing Rita with ‘NOVAK’ emblazoned across her shoulders? She was reduced to an absolute puddle of adoration and affection.

Rita had recognised the gleam in her redhead’s eyes and it had buoyed her confidence, loving to have the chance to flirt and spoil Casey to her heart’s content. Although really with the small fortune she’d spent on letting Casey try to win at the coconut shy she would’ve expected a higher quality prize than the little plush tiger the redhead eventually chose. But when Casey had then only slightly bashfully presented it to her, saying that it reminded her of her courtroom persona Rita surprised herself with how much she immediately treasured it, able to picture where it would rest 'on-guard' on top of her jewellery box on the dressing table.

She’d tried to counter how the moment got to her by quipping that she’d need to work harder if Casey saw her as soft and cuddly in court, but Casey had simply rolled her eyes and laughed, quickly tugging Rita towards her to press a quick kiss to the side of her head before leading her further down the boardwalk and onto the next distraction.

Rita had been all too happy to follow. With the quite fierce and regal looking little tiger securely tucked under one arm, and her free hand safely and lovingly entangled with Casey’s whenever possible – only releasing her when Casey wanted to play a stall, or to tsk as she had to untangle Casey’s hair as it got caught on whatever food stuff the redhead kept on encouraging her to indulge in, Rita actually found herself not just tolerating the date, but actively enjoying it.

Cotton candy tasted sweeter when stolen off of her girlfriend’s stick of it. The gleam of Casey’s eyes in all the bright lights made the neon flashing bearable. The screams of hyperactive and wayward children were relegated to the background as Casey laughed and joked with her, muttering sweet nothings into her ear as they watched the sunset, and decidedly naughtier comments when they indulged in ice creams and hotdogs. It had all been going just swimmingly. But then Casey had legitimately squealed and bounced like an excitable golden retriever as she bounded towards the one thing Rita had been determinedly ignoring:

That fucking Ferris wheel.

As she covered her unease – all those different treats suddenly bubbling inside her stomach suddenly felt like such a bad idea – with an attempt at an indulgent smile and joined Casey in the queue, Rita couldn’t help but consider how they’d managed to get so far into their relationship without the discussion about Rita’s concerns – definitely not fear, Rita Calhoun was not scared of anything or anyone thank you very much – but unease, about being up on something so rickety and unstable that just went unnecessarily high and when was it last inspected and god did the damn seats have to sway so and oh shit was it just a bar across their laps that was meant to protect them? She was Rita fucking Calhoun, surely there was something more robust and reliable than a single metal 2x4 to stop her from plunging to her imminent dea-

Oh.

Rita glanced down at where Casey had taken her white knuckled grip from the metal safety bar and now held her hand in both of her own in the warmth of her lap,

“Babe, you should’ve just said if you didn’t want to go on the ride.”

Rita was glad that Casey was so close and so beautiful, it meant she could safely focus on her rather than how the ground, nice safe terra firma, was getting smaller and smaller the higher up they went. She made herself focus on the brightness of her eyes – how they seemed to radiate such love and warmth at her, to take in how there were a few more smile lines at the corner of those eyes than there were when she’d first found herself getting lost in them.

She dropped her gaze (oh god, wrong choice of word she chided herself), to the top of Casey’s cupid bow lip, able to instantly conjure the countless memories of how that lip felt pressed against her own, tracing down her throat and across her body drawing out and bringing her such pleasure. Right now though, the corner of those lips were curling up in one of those soft, ever so slightly teasing smiles that still made Rita’s heart beat faster despite how long they’d been together– although she was glad to notice that actually this time it actually slowed her racing pulse, letting her breathe deeply once more,

“I’m not scared,” she finally huffed out, even though she tried to shuffle closer to Casey in the same moment and instantly froze wide-eyed as the seat seemed to swing at her movement. With a roll of her eyes Casey lifted her arm to come round the back of Rita’s shoulders, encouraging the brunette to cuddle into her side,

“Of course not darling. I never said you were.”

Rita’s sigh this time was in apparent exasperation but truly, she felt inexplicably safer with Casey’s arm wrapped comfortingly around her. She finally felt brave enough to look past Casey’s face, being pressed so closely against the crook of her shoulder she could smell the distinctive scent of Casey’s perfume from where she’d applied it to her pulse point. It made her smile. She’d bought the redhead the bespoke scent for their second Christmas together, and it had been her go-to ever since. With the familiar hints of bergamot, blood orange and nutmeg swirling through her senses and Casey’s low voice pointing out the different sights that surrounded them Rita actually felt herself relax and begin to enjoy the experience.

Until the blasted wheel groaned and ground to a stop just as they came round to the top once again,

“Fuck! What’s happening? Is it breaking? Casey!”

With a gentle chuckle Casey ran her thumb over Rita’s knuckles and the back of her hand to calm her,

“Sorry sweetheart, I didn’t know you were going to be not scared so I slipped the operator an extra $10 so we could stop at the top for a bit.”

Rita turned to face her aghast,

“And why would you do such a thing!?!”

“Maybe because I wanted to look at all the different sights with my girlfriend,” she reached out to tuck some of the fly-aways of Rita’s classic half-up do back behind her ear, “Or maybe I wanted to make out with the love of my life on the Ferris wheel like a horny teenager…”

The wickedly teasing smile and gleam to her eyes elicited the exact knowing and playful laugh from Rita that Casey knew it would,

“Well, when you put it like that darling,” Casey loved how Rita’s usual confidence seemed to exude from her once the redhead had focussed her attention, already leaning forward as Rita beckoned her with her fingers curling under her chin, “C’mere you.”

So maybe Ferris wheels weren’t so bad after all.

In fact, sharing such sweet kisses that tasted like candy as the fair lights flashed, oblivious in their own world as children screamed and parents yelled all around them, meant Rita thought she could just about say she was a fan of the mechanical monstrosity.

Just.

[sorenmarie87]

It smells so good

Summary:  While sorting out your laundry, you find that some of your clothes smell different.  

Square Filled: Scent Marking (ABO)

Pairing(s)/Character(s): Alpha! Dean/Omega! Reader (eventually),  Rin (OFC)/Ash

Word Count:  656

Warning(s)/Rating: Teen+ | Secret keeping from reader, reader has an admirer.  

A/N:  This was written for @spnabobingo.  The photos I used for my aesthetic came from Pinterest.  

Beta’d by the lovely @iflostreturntosteverogers

Part 1 of 2

—

You eyed the overflowing laundry basket in the corner and sighed. You needed to do your laundry. Hell, you needed to do anything that wasn’t laying in your bed and scrolling through TikTok. You checked your phone battery before locking it and tucking it away in your pocket.  

You hauled yourself up and out of the bed.  As you shuffled across the room, you threw the clothes that didn’t reach your basket onto your bed.  You snaked your hand around the plastic handle of the basket and pulled it over to your bed.  

You dumped the basket out and started sorting them.  Your familiar scent of coconut, aloe, and mint was all you were smelling until you got to your favorite shirt.  

Bringing it up to your nose, you sniffed at it and your nose scrunched up at the vaguely familiar scent.  

“What are you doing?”  You peered over your shoulder to see your roommate standing in the doorway with her phone in one hand and a gift bag in the other.  

“I know this might sound like a weird request, but will you smell this?”  You held up the shirt and waited for Rin to approach.  

“For the record,” Rin answered with a chuckle as she rested her chin on your shoulder and got a good whiff of the shirt in question.  “This is normal compared to the other stuff you’ve had me do.”

“Rin….”

“When were you around an Alpha?”  She asked in all honesty and you shrugged.  You had no idea.  

"I haven't-"  You paused and shook your head.  "The last Alpha I was around was your boyfriend."

Rin snorted.  "Dean is not my boyfriend."

"He's not?"  Your inner omega was practically leaping for joy with this information.  

"Dean's hot but he's not my type."  

"I forgot that you like them average sized, soft and with a kickass mullet"  You snorted out a laugh and tossed the shirt in your hands onto the bed with your other dirty laundry.  

"Damn right I do."  Rin grinned as she dropped the gift bag she was holding into your lap.  The same scent entered your nostrils and you raised an eyebrow at the gift.

"It's the same, I'm sure of it."  You muttered to yourself.  "It smells so good."  

"Well open it!"  You peered into the bottom of the bag, grateful that whoever sent you this gift hadn't loaded it down with tissue paper.  

The first thing you pulled out was a simple white card with a picture of a sunflower on it.  You opened the small card up and read the simple message inside.

I hope the next time we meet you'll be wearing this.  Maybe by then, I'll have the courage to show myself. - D.W.

You made a note to try and figure out who D.W. was later.  For now, you reached into the bag and pulled out what looked like a black shirt until you unfolded it.  This was the dress I was looking at last week…

"Ohhh that's super cute!  You gonna go try it on?"  Rin asked curiously as you rubbed the fabric of the dress between your fingers.

"I should, right?"  Rin nodded in agreement.  "Will you finish sorting these for me then?"

"Of course!"  

--

To Rin - I've been thinking about it since I left, but scenting their clothes wasn't too much, was it?

To Dean - Oh not at all.

To Dean - I have it on good authority that "you smell so good."  I think it's safe to say they love your scent.  

To Rin - Have they by chance tried on the gift I left?

To Dean - They have!  They looked so cute too!  I'll have to send you the picture I took before they left.  They don't smile in pics that often but your gift made them light up.  You know what you need to do next right?  

To Rin - Yeah don't worry, I got it covered.

—

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[sophrosyneadrift]

Soup’s Up: Electric Boogaloo (Dal Masala)

With this recipe, we are moving fast into Stew Territory. Dal, should you not be acquainted with it, is a general term in much of India for lentils and the soups made from said lentils; masala is a general term for curry/spice mix; this is a spicy red lentil stew. It is my favorite thing to eat…possibly ever.

Now in the interest of full disclosure, I’m going to say now that this recipe is NOT in any way traditionally Indian, but instead a bastardized American version that was passed down to my mother by our white-as-fuck friends who made it in their pressure cooker. It is based heavily on one particular spice packet: this one. Shan Daal Masala spice mix. You can get it online, or at your local Asian/Indian/Arabic food market, should you have such a thing. Amazon periodically has it in stock, even, although (surprise surprise) it’s usually more expensive there. You can also definitely make your OWN spice mix, and that is well and good and noble, but it will be more expensive than a spice packet you buy for $2 that will make several batches of arguably the tastiest thing you’ve ever had.

The recipe that follows is largely on the back of the spice mix box, should you want to just follow that. My own personal differences:

- I only use red lentils

- Slightly less garlic (sacrilegious, I know, but my own taste buds say 10 cloves is a BIT much for just one batch of this recipe)

- I use none of the other add-in leaves or spices, because I never have them

- Less peppers, more spice mix

Anyway—full recipe for dal masala, imho the BEST comfort food that takes a bit of time, below the cut:

- 1 onion, chopped. The finer you chop the faster it cooks. Be careful with onions nowadays.

- Garlic, minced. If you’re mincing your own you’ll need about 4-5 cloves. If you’re using the stuff in a jar (or a squeeze bottle) then a couple of good dollops will work.

- 1–2 jalapeños or other peppers of your choice, chopped as fine as you like. How many depends on how much spice you like. I’m not a mild person but I’m also not a SPICY person and I usually use one, bc the spice mix also adds quite a punch on its own. But sometimes I like to tempt fate and use two.

- 3-ish tablespoons spice mix. You can put in more or less depending on how sensitive you are to spice. If you are HIGHLY sensitive to spice I...do not recommend making this recipe, alas

- 1 large tomato, chunked. You can also open a can of Rotel and use half. Keep your pepper proportions in mind here.

- 1 cup red lentils (masoor dal)

- Bonus: whatever extra no-taste, non-starchy veggies you happen to have in your crisper drawer that you’ve been meaning to use but have gone by enough that you no longer want to eat them except having undergone complete transformation. Eggplant is wonderful for this, or zucchini or summer squash or sweet peppers or carrots or...yeah.

BEFORE YOU START: my recommendation is to prep all your ingredients in advance. This cooks SUPER QUICKLY once you start and if you, like me, have a funky grasp of time and aren’t fast at chopping you will be grateful for this prep later.

Put a GOOD dollop of your cooking oil of choice in a large saucepan. You can use butter or olive oil or the traditional ghee or whatever the fuck your want. I use coconut oil, because I enjoy the different depth of flavor it gives the dal. Heat for a little bit over medium heat.

Put in your onions and cook them however you like to cook onions. I caramelize the shit out of onions, always, no matter what dish, because extreme oniony flavor gives me migraines sometimes. Ymmv.

Once you onions are well on their way to how you like them, add your jalapeños and cook until they’re a little wilty and toasty. At the same time, you can also add your other vegetables, if you’re adding them, and get them wilty and toasty too. Then add your garlic, and stir to toast a little bit. 

This next part will get quite potent, so my recommendation to you if you are at ALL scent sensitive is to turn your oven fan on, if you have one. Or, you know. Crack a window if it’s not colder than a witch’s tit outside:

Add your desired amount of spice mix. Stir like your life depends on it.

After this gets good and golden brown and toasty (and any semblance of congestion you had before has fled your sinuses in fear), add your tomato. Continue to stir like mad until the tomatoes create a kind of gluey mass with the rest of the contents in the pan (~30 seconds). Add your lentils. Continue to stir like mad.

Once your lentils are a little softened, add 6 cups of water. Stir everything up. Bring to a boil, then, depending on how much you want to babysit your fledgeling dal, either leave it at medium (more supervision) or turn it down to medium low (slightly less supervision).

Cook until lentils become…vaguely sludgy, stirring every couple of minutes or so. This can take anywhere from half an hour to two hours, depending on how low you turn the heat down, what kind of stove you’re using, and what kind of pan you’re using. I learned how to make this in a pressure cooker first, which definitely speeds up this cooking time to about 10-15 min, but I find the stove method a LOT less stressful and more pleasantly nutty and toasty.

Whatever cooking choice you make, there’s going to be a bit of a wait. In this downtime I like to clean the kitchen and make rice to serve the dal over. Depending on how much I feel like I can manage another fast-paced dish I might make rice with turmeric and potatoes, or just plain basmati.

You could also serve this dish over…pretty much any grain you could imagine, or with pita, or naan, or regular bread. Or, honestly, you could eat it straight out of the pot, which I have done in a number of dark and hungry moments. It’s quite versatile. My wife once ate it over egg noodles and pronounced it Good.

Anyway. As with all my recipes, this one feeds at least four hungry people. BUT this one will be equally as good—if a little spicier!—for a couple of days afterwards.

[butmakeitgayblog]

Gorramit that Ranya bit was beautiful. Maybe not a neat, nice, simple happily ever after for them, but it was theirs and it was beautiful. Do we see the Clexa wedding at all in the epilogue or just the proposal? Any little details about the wedding that you've headcanoned? How does Clarke react to Lexa's brush with death in her car accident? Thanks for doing this!

Thank you 🥺 I'm glad you liked it. I'm sure some people will hate it 😅 but they just have their own path and it's imperfectly perfect for them.

And honestly it's strangely a relief to get it out? Like. I've had these thoughts rattling around in this meat coconut for ever, it's nice to just get it out lol son thank y'all for reading them

Anyway

The wedding is in the epilogue but I haven't written it yet because I'm

But here's two things I can give you

Lexa's engagement ring

Raven absolutely hates it 😂 tried to talk Clarke out of it and says it looks like an old lady ring. But Lexa loves it and that's all Clarke cares about. Her wedding band is just a simple white gold band that matches it but she has it inscribed with a heart and their wedding date in Clarke's script.

Clarke goes with something a lot more simplistic, it just makes her life easier with the constant handwashing and changing of gloves. Plus, wearing a fat rock on her finger around tiny humans who are prone to projectile vomiting on her at times is just a recipe for disaster

Clarke's ring

As for the wedding itself, it's a small affair just like Lexa promised Abby it would be. And Clarke's grateful.

Ok I have to go do stuff but remind me to come back to this topic and the car accident like tomorrow or something because I have more but gotta bow out for the night

[summoner-chan]

Tanngrisnir!

Skksksksks I make quite a few dishes but majorly I assist in helping my mom to make them usually since I barely know any recipes so yep! Not really a cooking person, unless you're counting in instant noodles 😂😂

That aside, I can make carbonara macaroni, fried chicken with tumeric powder seasoned with salt, pepper and etc and some good white sauce!

I CAN list other things but like I'm not sure how to translate them into English and that it was directed by my mother (she said the instructions and I just do the cooking, that sort of stuff) so sorry though! 😭😭

But the only thing I'm proud of is getting to master how to make our local delicacy which is Onde-Onde!

Onde-Onde is a snack of sweet rice cake balls filled with molten palm sugar and coated in grated coconut and are usually green in colour! (You can change the colours to whichever colour you like!!)

The texture is very chewy and once you get to the middle, you'll be met with sweet liquidy syrup or sweet crunchy cubes! I'd like mine to have a little bit of both! One note is that, it's better to devour it whole instead of taking a bite of it! I once did that and I was immediately surprised by the sweet liquid gushing out on my chin! 😂😂

Here is how they look like by the way!!

Thank you for sending in!! I appreciate it and I love it when you guys ask me things!! Don't be shy to ask again too!!

[copperbadge]

ifiknewiwouldtellyou replied to your post “This is notepad.exe erasure”

I don't see "multiple scraps of paper, napkins, and receipts that must be pieced together five years later when you find them while moving"

I think that makes you the DM. :D 

needsmorecrazy replied to your post “SAM. SAM. SAM. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. I CAN'T LINK THINGS IN AN ASK...”

i need this and need this NOW i don't care if they have to film it over zoom in their prospective kitchens and eliot's hair is actually a mop on top of his head I NEED THIS!

Honstly I’d pay cash dollars to see Christian Kane play Eliot in a wig fashioned from a mop. I was never even fond of the long hair, I much prefer it when he wore it short, but I know that Eliot’s Hair is extremely important to fandom and it did reach a certain peak of gloriousness that has rarely been rivaled in television history. 

arukou-arukou replied to your photo “ALL. THE. CRISPS. @underanothername let me know there was a large...”

I don't know why I'm so suspicious of the Lamington crisps, but I absolutely am.

kholden83 replied to your photo “ALL. THE. CRISPS. @underanothername let me know there was a large...”

@arukou-arukou​ because lamingtons are cake? Which is a weird thing for chips to be flavoured with. I don't recall seeing those ones in stores, but I wouldn't have bought them anyway because I don't like coconut

bluroux replied to your photo “ALL. THE. CRISPS. @underanothername let me know there was a large...”

I have heard from several Aussies and a few Kiwis that the Lamington crisps are an abomination, and proof that Australia has gone very, very wrong somewhere along the line...

I love this whole exchange but I feel compelled to add also that as a flavor it’s very confusing to Americans, who have generally not encountered a lamington. I don’t know if Aussies are aware of this but lamingtons look a little like small dark-rinded cheeses so I assumed from the photo, which I saw before the text, that it was some kind of smelly-cheese flavored crisp. Biting into a lamington crisp while expecting, say, gorgonzola, would have been an interesting experience. 

brilliant-starlight replied to your photo “Found the most hipster of hand sanitizer at the hardware store...”

I think this is significantly less hipster now than it would be if you found it before the pandemic since a lot of distilleries have switched production over to sanitizer. Seems only fair they still get to brand stuff.

I have to say I’m dying for the Malort hand sanitizer bottle. I’ll take it empty, I just want the bottle. 

larathia replied to your post “SAM. SAM. SAM. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. I CAN'T LINK THINGS IN AN ASK...”

yah but it seems Noah Wyle will be doing Nate's job, and to paraphrase Nate, the point in that conversation where I punch Noah Wyle in the throat nine or ten times would come up FAST. I really did not like him in Librarians *at all*. He could really, really fuck up the role of Mastermind here.

He was a lot in The Librarians, but that was also heavily contextual. I’ve seen him in roles where he didn’t chew the scenery like that, and I suspect he really cut loose in The Librarians because the movies were super cheese fests so he knew he could get away with it, and also he’s meant to be the slightly undependable swashbuckling geek dad. He put a bit more manic energy into Flynn than I think most people would have, and more than he put into the movies previous, but his character in Leverage will be in a very distinct context from that -- if he IS an experienced crook like the others he’ll still be a newcomer to their established group, and if he’s a white hat like Nate was, all the more so he’ll be the student, not the teacher. Like, I have reservations about it too, but I’m willing to give him a very generous benefit of the doubt, especially having been a fan of his from ER. 

I wish I had the show runner’s ear, I’d pitch Bobby Dismas to them as another addition. :D Hacker, hitter, grifter, thief, mastermind, data nerd. 

swingprince replied to your photoset “Post office bounty! I posted this image yesterday but fucked something...”

What does one need to do to get people to send them stuff?

I mean, there’s no way to say this that doesn’t make me sound like I’m being an asshole or think you’re one, which I don’t because I get the drift of the question, but I think you can’t really start from a place of “I want to get people to send me stuff.”

It wasn’t something I set out to do, but after many years in fandom someone said I should get a PO Box, and I did, and posted it in my tumblr, and people sent me stuff. It’s a slightly strange experience for me not because I think it’s weird but because I sometimes wonder why people would bother to send gifts, but I remind myself that people are generous and want to reach out, and sharing a connection over crisps or cat toys or salt and pepper shakers is a fun way to do it. I always make sure I post photos so people know I’m grateful and enjoying their gifts and letters, and when I know someone and know they’d like a thing I’ve found, I sometimes send packages or letters out myself. It’s less a transaction than it is a gesture of friendship or affection -- it’s a strengthening of a relationship that was already there.

[kingofdirtandnothing]

@wemultitudinous I slipped, fell and this came tumbling out of my pockets

This isn’t exactly his best idea. Or his most well thought out one. But John can’t stand another second of watching Alexander walking around like a china doll, fragile and hollow and utterly removed from himself. 

He’s been quieter than John has ever known him, ever since the plane left the ground in New York, and it had been a shock to the system to step out into this riotous green and beautiful place and watch all the color drain from Alexander’s face. 

She was holding me bounces around like a loose pinball in John’s mind. 

They’ve been to two different big meals, table laid out with a mouth watering array of food, and kind hearted people patting Alex on the shoulder as they told stories about his brother. A guy that John hadn’t even heard of until Alex got the news. And he hadn’t said a word about him after. Everything John was learning was secondhand, from the people here. 

He doesn’t push. Hell, John finds himself following Alex through these “celebrations of life” like a polite, friendly shadow. Just making sure that no one pushes too hard, that no one says anything that sets Alex off. John could feel how close to falling apart Alexander was, and he knows his friend won’t want to do that in front of people. 

So he dips into conversations when things get tense, or the silences go on too long. He introduces himself with handshakes and all that business acumen and southern charm he learned from his father. He asks questions about the people he’s talking to, 75/25 rule all the way, to keep the conversation from Alex’s newly frail shoulders. 

Their hotel room is beautiful, because John asked his sister Mary to book something for them, had just murmured ‘my buddy’s brother died’ and Mary did the rest. Their father didn’t care that Mary had settled for being a travel agent, because her husband was on track to make partner at his law firm. 

The big windows at the far end of the living area open up on the ocean, and it’s the kind of place John thinks he could lose a couple weeks exploring, if it wasn’t the place where it felt like Alexander had shriveled up into something small and hard, a plant trying to survive the harsh winter. 

John checks his watch, and looks to the bedroom door. It’s just after three in the afternoon and Alex had told him in a low voice that he was going to go lay down. There’s quiet on the other side of the door, and all John can hope is that he finds some respite in sleep, that maybe he won’t dream. 

Thankfully, the delivery guy follows instructions and he doesn’t knock, he texts John who opens the door to their room quietly to get his mountain of bags. He tips good, usually. John’s a 25% or more guy. But he gives the delivery guy 50% because something about his eyes remind him of Alex. 

The kitchenette in the hotel room isn’t really made for this. So John had to improvise. He pulls his hair up, looping it around to a bun low on the back of his neck so that it’s out of the way, and goes about opening up packages. 

Two instant pots, put on two separate counters. John is pretty sure they wouldn’t blow the breaker on the same plug, but better safe than sorry. He’s got instructions open on his phone and on his ipad, oscillating between them. 

Pouring the beans into the first pot turns out to be the hardest part, because John doesn’t want to make noise. So he ends up adding the dry beans handful by gentle handful, and using a cup from the sink to cover them in water and get them under pressure. 

The produce is crazy fresh, and John gets the peppers, onions and coconut milk in the other instant pot before he pours in the rice, up on his toes so that it doesn’t have to fall far into the metal pot and make noise. 

With both pots going, it’s time to get to the hard stuff. 

Lard is weird, but the recipe is fucking insistent about it, so John spends a few weird minutes mashing lard into flour and salt and baking powder, until his dough looks kind of like the one on the website with the lady’s life story before the recipe. 

He’s never more grateful to have just ordered everything off all the recipe lists until he has to start rolling out the tortillas, because this shit would be a nightmare without wax paper. 

The tortillas are lumpy, and they’re ugly, but they cook up on the hot plate pretty good and have those nice brown spots like they do from the good Mexican place they order from sometimes. John gets three of them done and under a washcloth pretending to be a tea towel before he wipes his floured forearm against his sweaty forehead, leaving a white streak. 

Now was the moment of truth. 

For all the dinners they’d been to, all the plates that had been pushed into Alex’s hands, John had only seen him eat enough to be polite. 

John raps his knuckles gently against the closed bedroom door. 

“Hey Alex.” He keeps his voice low, in case Alex is still asleep. “You hungry?”

[womenoffatorda]

9 Must-Try Goan Dishes and their Recipes

Goa is a world-famous tourist destination. Every year, lacs of tourists flock to Goa to experience it’s blue beaches. Goa’s sunny weather is a perfect getaway during winters for these tourists to escape the harsh winters of their countries.

In addition to it’s tourism, Goa has also garnered popularity for it’s food dishes. Goan foods are a fusion of Portuguese and Konkani cuisine.

Here are a the names and recipes of 9 Goan dishes that must-try:

1. BANGDA RAWA FRY

Take 1 kg of Bangda (Mackeral) gutted and thoroughly cleaned. Season it well with salt and pepper and leave it aside for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

Apply the Green Raechado masala both on the inside and outside of the fish generously and again leave it aside for another 10 minutes.

Coat the fish with Rawa (semolina) or breadcrumbs by rolling the fish in it. Heat 2-3 tbsps of oil in a frying pan and shallow fry until the fish is firm to the touch.

Serve hot with fresh mint or coriander chutney, and slices of fresh lime. You can also use pomfret or even sardines, and depending on your preference, you can shallow fry, deep fry, grill, or even steam. You can also use this as a marinate for small fish and even meats.

2. MUTTON BIRYANI

Boil 1 kg of basmati rice and keep it aside.

Marinate 1 kg of mutton on the bone, cut in bite-sized pieces, with 1/2 a cup of curd, lemon juice, and salt, and keep it aside for at least 2-3 hours.

In a kadhai, add 5-6 tbsps of oil, 2 tbsps of ghee, and fry 3 sliced onions. Add the puree of 2 tomatoes and cook until the oil separates.

Add all the Goemchi Biryani masala and cook for 2 minutes. Now add the mutton to the masala and cook until the mutton is well cooked.

Add rice into the kadhai and mix well. Garnish with fried onions and coriander leaves.

You can substitute the mutton with chicken too.

3. MUTTON CURRY

Fry 1 kg of mutton, cut into bite-sized pieces in 6 tbsps of ghee, in a frying pan until it turns slightly brown. Set aside.

In the same pan, heat 3 tbsps of oil, fry 4 finely sliced onions until they turn golden brown.

Add two tablespoons of Chandrawado Mutton masala and saute for 2-3 min, then add the mutton, and salt.

Fry for 7-8 min, add 1 cup of water and cook until meat is tender. While on the gas flame, add 1 cup of unsalted curd or yogurt, and mix well to combine.

Simmer on low flame for 5 min. Garnish with chopped mint or fresh coriander and lightly roasted cashews.

Serve hot with rice or poi (Goan bread).

4. TISRYO MASALA

Clean and wash about 40 to 50 Tisryo (clams), cut in two or shelled. In a vessel, add 2 to 3 medium onions, finely chopped, along with the clams and add 2 cups of water. 

Bring to boil and continue cooking until the onions are tender. Add 2 to 3 tbsps of Kunbi Xasti masala, 1/2 a cup of grated coconut, chopped coriander leaves, and salt to taste. 

Stir well, and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from fire and serve with rice or Poi (Goan bread). It’s advisable to soak the clams in some salt water to remove all traces of sand. 

Fresh clams will open up when cooked. You can substitute crabs for the clams, in which case you should take 2 to 3 medium sized ones.

5. STUFFED FISH IN BANANA LEAF

Take 2 medium sized seerfish, scaled, gutted and the fins removed. Using a pairing knife, make three slits on each side of the fish and then marinate them inside and outside throughly with lemon juice and salt. 

Stuff the fish with the Fisherman’s Barbeque masala. Oil one side of the banana leaf and wrap the fish in it, securing with butcher’s twine. Repeat with the other fish and grill them on a barbecue grill over medium heat for 10 minutes each side. 

Remove and let it rest for 5 minutes. Open the banana leaves and serve the fish with a dash of lemon and chopped mint. You can try this with other popular Goan fish like Chaunak (Giant Sea Perch) or Pomfret.

6. MORI AMOBOTIK

Take half a kilo of fresh Mori (shark), clean well, and cut into bite-sized chunks, season with salt, and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat 2 to 3 tbsps of oil in a Tawa and fry 1 finely sliced onion until it turns brown.

Add 2-3 (add more for more gravy) tbsps of Aamso-Tiksso masala paste and fry for another minute.

Add a cup of water and allow it to come to boil. Add the shark and cook over a low flame until the fish turns firm to the touch.

Adjust salt, garnish with fresh coriander leaves, and serve with steamed rice or poi (Goan bread). Though traditional Ambotik is made with sharks, you can use also Rohu, Catla, Catfish, or any fish that has chunky flesh.

7. CHICKEN SHAGOTI

Clean 1kg of chicken, cut into bite sized pieces and season with salt. Marinate with 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste, 1 tbsp of coriander paste (from coriander leaves) and set aside. 

In a frying pan, fry 2 large onions, thinly sliced, until they turn translus- cent. Add the chicken and cook on high heat until the water begins to evaporate (about 3-4 minutes). 

Mix 2 to 3 tbsps of the Pedne Shagoti masala with 1 cup of coconut milk and add to the chicken and cook for 10 minutes. 

Stir well and cook for another 15 minutes till the gravy reaches the desired thickness. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Poi (Goan bread) or rice.

8. SWEET POTATO BHAJI

Take 1 kilo of sweet potatos and cut them in bite sized pieces. Cook until three-fourhs cooked. 

In a pan, fry 2 finely chopped onions and 2 tbsps of ginger-garlic paste until the onions become translucent. 

Add 2-4 tbsps of Gavli Bhaji masala and fry for a minute. Add 1 finely chopped tomato and cook until it becomes soft. (at this point you can make this a mixed bhaji by adding a cup of chickpeas to the mixture) If not, add 1 cup of coconut milk and bring it to a simmer on a low flame. Add the sweet potato and salt to taste. 

Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the gravy reaches the desired consistancy. Serve hot with rice or Poi (Goan bread). You can also use potatos or yam.

9. PRAWN WITH OKHRA

Heat 4 tbsps of oil in a kadai, and fry 1 finely chopped medium sized onion until it turns pink. 

Add 250 grams each of the prawns (cleaned and deveined) and the okhra (lady’s fingers) and sautee for about a minute. 

Add 2 to 3 tbsps of the Soongta Hooman masala along with a cup of thick coconut milk. 

Stir well. Add salt to taste and cook until the prawns and the okhra are done––the prawns should not be overcooked––and the gravy reaches the desired consistency. 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves and serve hot with steamed rice or poi (Goan Bread). A variation on this is substituting okhra with white radish.

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