#they always need a lil more cinnamon than the recipe calls for but that's just my attitude with all spices in general

[ghost-with-a-teacup]

𝟐𝐀𝐌 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬 ~ 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧 '𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭' 𝐑𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Summary: Everyone has their own coping mechanisms when dealing with stress, their way of simply forgetting whatever was happening in their life, at least for a moment. Yours happened to come in the form of baking in the late hours of the night as you tried to ignore your worries for Simon as he was on his mission.

OR

You bake at 2AM as you wait for Simon to come home.

Warnings: None! Only the fluffiest of fluff, you know the drill.

Pairing: Simon 'Ghost' Riley x Reader

Notes: This definitely didn't come to mind as I myself was baking at 2AM, no! Never! (side note, the cookies and cinnamon rolls came out great, hehe). Anyway hi, this is my first time writing for Simon, recently fell down the COD rabbit hole and all so apologies if anything is off. Aside from that, this is just a short lil fic that started off as a headcanon that spiralled out of control. Happy reading my lovelies!

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You're up late at night, again. Not that you could help it, thoughts were flying through your head at just about a million miles per minute. About how worried you are about Simon on his mission, about what could have happened to him, if he was uninjured, healthy, safe. It was like this every time he had a mission, and yet every time it became no less difficult. Being a part of an elite task force was an honour yes, but with honour comes the dangers of being placed on the most difficult of missions. And while even though you were at home, safe and sound, it scared you, the unknowing of what could happen to him. But more than that, you missed him. More than anything.

So to get your mind off of all the 'what-ifs' in your head, you bake. All sorts of things, cinnamon buns, apple pie, those lemon crinkle cookies you knew Simon adored so much. Following a recipe step by step to ensure a lovely end product managed to distract you at least for a bit, until you were left to your own devices once more after it was done. But it acted as salvation while it lasted, allowing an escape from the dark corners of your mind.

✧

Music fills the kitchen as you hum along, measuring and mixing ingredients as you swayed to the beat.

Your focus is entirely on what's in front of you, the task was for getting your mind off of Simon after all, so unbeknownst to you the door opens as the one person you were trying to distract yourself from comes home.

He walks in almost silently, there was a reason his callsign was Ghost, and drops his gear down by the entrance to go in search of you. It wasn't difficult, the lights acting as a pathway straight to where you were, the music going along with it. Stepping quietly, Simon makes his way over to the kitchen and for a moment he just stands leaning on the doorframe watching you flit about. An impossible fondness fills his eyes and chest as he does, you being so in you element always left him feeling that way. You doing anything really with him being there to witness it, because it means that he's finally home, at long last. But any place he could call home, so long as you were a part of it.

Once you finally stood still for a bit, mixing a part of the recipe, Simon makes his way over to you. Without a word he wraps his arms around your waist as you let out a gasp of surprise, tensing for a moment at the unexpectedness before relaxing once more as you realize who it is. In an instant the bowl is forgotten as you turn in his arms.

"Simon," you say softly, a smile overtaking your features as you return his embrace.

"Darling," he says, tone matching yours as he gazes into your eyes.

Nothing more needed to be said, he was home, and that was enough.

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Notes: And done! Just a really short fic, I think maybe even the shortest I've ever written, but sweet nonetheless. I hope you enjoyed!

[nobody-knose--archive]

Snickerdoodles!!

oh hell yes if i can get the good recipe from my grandma (where all the best recipies come from) then that’s what i’m doing

[ourchelseakitchen]

Not unhealthy pumpkin bread

This pumpkin bread is super moist and flavourful, without being too heavy for a regular weeknight snack. Perfect with a mug of hot cocoa and a Harry Potter marathon if you ask me and the hubby.

Any baked good that has the word “healthy” in the title is usually not a baked good I’m interested in trying. Look, healthy food is delicious. When I go for a doughnut, I’m not trying to pretend I’m going for a carrot. That said, I’m a firm believer in and advocate for baking recipes that find middle ground between doughnuts and carrots.

When I bake goodies for hubby and I to have on a weeknight or to pop in the freezer for regular, nothing-fancy-but-always-there-when-you-need-something-a-lil-sweet treats, I take a generic recipe and make reasonable swaps for less caloric ingredients. Side note: I definitely do not endorse the calorie as a measurement tool. Here’s a fascinating article by the Economist on the subject that I highly, highly recommend checking out. But I digress. 

So let’s take this pumpkin bread as an example. I don’t try and reinvent the wheel and go on a mad treasure hunt for usually prohibitively expensive ingredients that come together and resemble something more or less pumpkin-y and bread-y. Rather, I make simple, sensible substitutions. I swap nonfat greek yogurt for sour cream. Xylitol or Stevia for granulated sugar. Skim milk for whole. A bit less oil than called for. A bit less butter. Small amends, not radical alterations. You get the drill.

Lo and behold: a not unhealthy pumpkin bread. Just as delicious as regular pumpkin bread, but lightened up just enough to render it a regular in our weeknight bedtime snack and Sopranos habit.

Recipe adapted from The New York Times Cooking.

Ingredients:

65g vegetable oil

2 ¼ cups/285g sponge flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

¼ tsp cardamom

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 (15-ounce) can (about 2 cups) pumpkin purée

1 cup/200 grams xylitol sugar or stevia

½ cup/165 grams packed light or dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

¼ cup/60 milliliters nonfat greek yogurt

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ cup pumpkin seeds

handful demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Method:

Heat the oven to 175 C (350 F). Prepare a 8 1/2- or 9-inch loaf pan by greasing and flouring

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, pumpkin purée, xylitol or stevia, brown sugar, eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds and demerara sugar evenly overtop.

Bake until the loaf is puffed and set, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer the bread, in the pan, to a rack to cool for 20 minutes. Use a paring knife to cut the two exposed sides of bread away from the pan, then carefully transfer the cake to the rack. Let cool completely.

[ravenclaw-craftsgirl]

Heart’s Desire Pt. 1

Preface: SO I know i haven’t done a story in a while, and that is for good reason: Writers block mixed in with real world stuff. BUT i do have something super nice and sweet to make up for it. This story is a bit of fluff, so I am rather proud of it. There will be a part 2 and I do eventually plan on combining the two into a master post (possibly with other stories) once I have a cover photo for it. 

The original format is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_3tZlLjHtBtT7uk4maoZFMDtcCL96j7XZW3woMockNY/edit?usp=sharing

However i will also be formatting the story to tumblr as a bunch of you have expressed how you’re not able to view google docs links on your phone. 

Story under the cut 

The streets of London buzzed with traffic in the afternoon rush. Hundreds of Muggles going too and fro, rushing around in their cars as they race to work and home alike. Merula sighed wistfully, watching the Muggles drive around in their cars while she was still stuck at home. Despite everything, she did come here of her own free will, and she did have plenty of things to do while her girlfriend was out working. Even after living in the Muggle world for nearly six years, Merula still marveled at how quickly Muggles advanced their technology; Especially when she considered how far cars in particular had advanced. 

           A timer dinged from the kitchen, signifying that dinner was done cooking. Merula shifted Eleanor, Lilian’s black cat, from her lap as she moved to take the chicken out before it became too dry. A quick flick of her Pinewood wand sent the knife into a chopping the vegetables left on the cutting board earlier as she took out a skillet. A special recipe her mother had taught her before being locked up in Azkaban, one of the few good things that she remembered from her family. Once the knife had performed its duties, it quietly sat by the cutting board as Merula slid its contents into the oil and rosemary mix she had in the skillet. 

Halfway through frying the potatoes and asparagus, Merula heard the front door open and the sound of loud barking coming from the entryway. She smirked to herself, knowing Rook’s excitable nature and how no one could get past him when he was on watch. 

“Okay, okay! Bon garçon Rook. Good Boy.” The silver haired woman grinned as she took off her coat and hat, revealing a doll like arm and a pair of wireframe glasses over Amethyst eyes. Merula walked into the entryway, leaning against the door jam just to smirk at her girlfriend: Lilian Le’Reau. 

                              “You’re late, you know.” 

Lilian moved up to Merula with a smile on her face, as she leaned down to softly kiss her girlfriend. The two stood there for a moment in each others embrace, taking just a little extra longer to hold each other. “Pardonne moi, mon amour. The office was a little backed up today. Apparently attempting to convert mechanical energy into magical is something the engineering department advised the wizengamot against.” Lilian looked down to Merula and gave a defeated smile. “It looks like I’ll need to pull a bit more overtime over the week.”

Merula sighed and held Lilian closer. “All this overtime. I’m starting to think that you don’t like me, Le’Reau.” Lilian quickly sputtered as a slight blush came to her face. “NO! No its… There’s only one person I could love. This extra overtime is simply to make sure I have the entire week of christmas to spend with you.” 

Merula smiled before letting go. She was concerned for her girlfriend and all the overtime she was pulling. That couldn’t be healthy for Lilian, especially with all the added stress of being one of the wizarding world’s best prosthetic makers. Even though they had been dating for nearly Ten years, it was still unusual for Merula to admit she was concerned for someone other than herself. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” 

Merula looked up to Lilian with a small smile before putting up a mask of Bravado. “You had better be! You’re the one who dragged me out here to Muggle-Land so you should at least make sure to have time for me. Now come on dinner’s almost done, Lil. Make sure Rook and Eleanor have their food before we eat. We don’t need them begging for food at the table.” 

Once dinner was done, Lilian cuddled with Merula on the couch while they watched old christmas specials. Merula was still unsure of ‘television’ but like many other muggle items, it hadn’t been anything scary or lethal. During one such program, ‘Frosty the Snowman’ as the movie was called, the phone rang from the kitchen. “I’ll get it” Lilian said almost a little too quickly. Lilian returned with a big grin on her face. “Anything good happen, Lil?” 

Lilian smiled. “A surprise for in a couple of days, Merula.” With that, Merula wouldn’t be able to get anymore information on the matter. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week later, Merula and Lilian had gone to Lilian’s parents' home for a pre-christmas dinner, as her parents had planned on going on a vacation over christmas and new years. Merula sat on the couch, waiting for Lilian to get off work again as she talked with Lilian’s mother while they waited for everyone to get home. 

     “I never thought to ask, but how did you meet Lilian’s Father?” 

Celia smiled. “Oh that is rather amusing. I was on my way to the workshop I was supposed to start at when I see this curious man on the side of the road. His car was obviously dead on the road but the state of it was frightening. How he had managed to make it work in the first place is still a mystery to me.” Merula smiled as she listened about how Samuel had been stranded while trying to go to University. It was rather nice, knowing that she and Lilian weren’t so different after all. Love happening in the strangest of ways was apart of the experience.

        “After about a year or so, He finally proposed. He almost dropped the ring down the storm drain, but he’s always been nimble.” Celia finished. Merula couldn’t help but giggle a little bit at that. That sounds like something that Lilian would end up doing if she ever proposed. Just as she was thinking that, the door started to open, admitting Daniel and Lilian, as well as Abby and Rorick McKinley. 

“Hey lot!” Abby shouted with a grin before hugging Celia warmly. “How ya holdin, Auntie Celia?” 

Lilian silently sat beside Merula and gave a kiss on her cheek before unwinding her scarf. The family sat around, regaling each other with stories from throughout the year as dinner drew closer. Merula helped Celia place for the table when she noticed Abby and Lilian talking in the Living room. She finished and snuck over to try and catch a snippet of the conversation. 

           “-an yer sure of this. It’s a mighty big risk, even for you, Lil.”  

“Oui. I am sure. And I know that… I’m sure.” Lilian said with a smile.

Meula frowned. What were those two talking about? Was it related to Lilian’s unusual amount of overtime at the Ministry? She couldn’t help but wonder what all was going on and why all the secrecy was necessary. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merula woke up to the sound of her alarm going off. She looked up to see Lilian’s side of the bed empty. She frowned, turning to the calendar on the back of their bedroom door. 

           Only three days till christmas and still Lilian had been very secretive as to why she needed to work so much overtime. Merula couldn’t help but sigh despondently as she walked down to the kitchen. Her surprise was evident when she sniffed the air as she turned to see Lilian at the stove with her pajama pants and a loose t-shirt on as she cooked breakfast. And from the smell of it, it was Merula’s favorite. Cinnamon Oats with Bacon and Sunny side eggs.

“Bonjour, Belle. I figured that you’d enjoy something to eat. It is my week off.” 

Merula’s eyes went wide at that statement. A whole week of Lilian to herself? That was probably one of the best christmas gifts she could get. “Well it’s about time, Le’Reau. Especially with all of the overtime you’ve been working.” The two ate breakfast, Merula trying to hide how much she loved Lilian’s cooking even if it was just eggs and oats. Maybe it was the fact that Lilian made them? Merula didn’t know, she just loved it. She actually once thought Lilian had somehow snuck love potion into her food just to get Merula to enjoy it, though it eventually ended when the two baked some cakes together. She thought of that with a laugh as the two went about cleaning dishes together. “What’s so funny Charmante?” 

Merula smiled and shook her head. “Just remembering how much of a goof you are. Like that time with the cakes.” 

“If I recall correctly, you were the one who dared me to send a golem with a cake to Mrs. Wilkinson across the way. You’re lucky we were still in the wizarding world back then or we would have been in some trouble.” Lilian replied with a smirk on her face now. The two giggled at their dumb ideas and fond times before going back to washing the dishes. 

Once they were done, Lilian began to put everything away when she began to speak.

“So I was thinking… what if I had reservations to that new restaurant in Diagon Alley on christmas? Would you like to go?” 

Merula looked up from her seat, curious and slightly confused. “What you mean like a date night? On christmas? What place is open on christmas, let alone for dinner?” 

Lilian smiled, causing Merula to squint suspiciously. “Well I did say that it was a new restaurant. It’s a fancy kitchen that’s open every day of the year, but only at night. Everyone says that it’s run by vampires, but I think those are just rumors.”

Merula smiled and nodded. “Well, so long as it’s with you, I’d love to. So when are you going to get the reservations?” 

Lilian grinned sheepishly. “Well, I made reservations a year ago. The waiting line is that long. But I hear their food is amazing.” 

Merula sighed and shook her head. “You know, for being such a beautifully smart woman, you really are dense. Something this important, and no doubt expensive, should be planned out and everything. What if I was making dinner or we were going over to someone's house. You’d have made those reservations for nothing.”

Lilian smiled. “I mean, we don’t pay until we’ve eaten, so there’s no harm in missing the time.”

Merula sighed and kissed Lilian on the cheek. “Still, I’d rather you not have to miss those kinds of things.” 

After several chores, the two sat on the couch for the rest of the day enjoying each others company. Merula was watching TV while Lilian was casually reading. The rest of the day was spent between the two silently enjoying each others company and occasionally laying atop each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merula stood in front of the mirror as she put in the two emerald ear studs in. The tiny gems glittered to compliment her simple black dress with green trim. Merula took a step back to look in the mirror, admiring her dress. Even though she had bought this dress back when she and Lilian had started dating, it hadn’t faded or lost any of it’s magnificence as the long dress stopped at her ankle; the straps crossing around her neck leaving her shoulder blades and shoulders exposed. 

“You look stunning.” Lilian said as she wrapped her arms around Merula’s waist.

Merula’s face screwed into an expression of joy and embarrassment mixed into one. She still couldn’t get over how Lilian always so easily made her flush and hot under the collar. 

“Well I would hope so. I bought this dress because it complimented my figure and looked amazing on me. Anyway… You look nice as well.” 

Lilian smiled. She was wearing the dress Merula had bought her after their first date. A simple Navy Blue dress stopping above her knee with long sleeves covering her arms. Lilian touched her forehead to Merula’s, closing her eyes as they stayed like that for the next couple of minutes. “I’m really lucky to have you, Merula. I hope you know this.” Merula couldn’t help but feel her heart skip a beat at that statement. “Well obviously, Le’Reau. Who wouldn’t be changed by dating me? And besides, It’s not like I had eyes for anyone else. You’re the only goofy nerd for me.”

The two stepped back and looked into each others eyes, smiling before Merula kissed Lilian softly on the lips. “Now I believe we need to go or we’ll be late for our reservations, Le’Reau.” 

Lilian smiled as she took Merula’s hand. “Don’t worry. I know a few shortcuts.” Soon they were out, driving in the car through the countryside, skipping past the city and it’s traffic to get to the restaurant on the other side of London. Merula looked out to see the stars twinkling alongside the city’s lights, a wonderful blend of warm and cool lights intertwined in a dance of colors. Merula smiled as the lights twinkled over the fresh dusting of snow over the grass, reminding her of her time at Hogwarts. The car ride went on for about thirty minutes, with only a few cars passing by on the road. It was rather peaceful, especially with the christmas bustle nearly settled. 

Soon the two pulled up to the restaurant, Lilian opening Merula’s door before handing the keys to the valet. “Shall we?” 

“You truly are a flirt, Le’Reau.” Merula said with a confident smirk as the two walked inside to be seated. Merula was enjoying everything about the evening, how cozy and intimate the venue was and how Lilian had set everything up. The snow, the lights, everything… It was amazing. 

The two left the Restaurant, walking over to the park nearby. Merula tugged her coat close as Lilian walked beside her hand in hand. 

Merula couldn’t help but notice Lilian was slightly squeezing her hand. They neared the lake and stopped, watching the lights dance on the waves of the water. The spot that they had first kissed. “It’s just how I remembered it.” Merula said, her tone wistful and reminiscent. 

“Yeah, it is.”

Lilian turned to Merula, letting go of her hand. “I was hoping to say something that’s been on my mind…” Merula turned to Lilian, her heart catching in her chest. What was Lilian talking about? Was this the reason she’s been out for so long? Merula’s heart began racing as she watched her girlfriends every move. “We’ve been together for nearly five years, and I’ve had feelings for since we went to Hogwarts… You’ve seen my every low, every mistake and crisis… You helped me when I lost my arm, never left my side. Through everything we’ve seen and been through, I wouldn’t want any other partner” Lilian said, looking down to her left hand with a wistful smile. Merula watched as Lilian twisted her prosthetic hand off before continuing. “You’re strong, beautiful and resourceful. A star guiding my steps every part of the way. I wouldn’t want to… I couldn’t love any other woman in this world or any other. Merula Snyde-” 

Lilian reached into her arm, pulling out a small black box. Lilian opened it, revealing an elegant yet simple ring with an Emerald in the intertwined bands of platinum, curled over the gem in an elegant setting.

                                               “Will you Marry Me?”

Merula stared at Lilian, listening to her talk and pour her heart out for her. Merula hadn’t realized that she’d been holding her breath until this moment. She stared at her girlfriend, nearly dumbstruck as the snow lazily fluttered to the ground. Her face felt hot as something ran down her cheeks. She smiled, her tears curving down her face as she went to hug Lilian. 

The two knelt there, laughing and crying together. “Yes! Yes Yes a million times Yes you oblivious Ravenclaw! Of course I’ll be your wife!” Merula finally said as she held her fiance. Lilian couldn’t contain her joy and soon broke down into tears as well as the two held the hug. The two soon went back to their car, a new ring around Merula’s finger and a grin on her face. “So I’m going to assume this is why you’ve been working so much overtime. This ring had to have cost-” “An arm and a leg?” Lilian said with a cheerful grin. “Ugh you are the worst Le’Reau…” Lilian kissed Merula softly in front of their car. “Whatever you say, Ms. Le’Reau.” Merula’s heart skipped at that. Ms. Merula Snyde Le’Reau… This was definitely the best day of her life. 

Merula smiled before getting into the car with her fiance. The future was ahead for the both of them and, for better or worse, they’d face it together.

[cloudylovemuses]

Arcade (2)

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Reader, past!Natasha Romanoff x Reader, past!Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff x Sam Wilson

Summary: It's time for you and Bucky tell Sam and Wanda about your decision. Also you need to talk to Nick Fury and talk things out, hoping for the best.

Author's Note: Sooo, I tried to right a small chapter for the time gap between my first and third chapter. It's a bit awful and lazy, next week week (I'll give a lil spoiler) we'll meet the house and the neighborhood. I wasn't feeling really good to write something more, but hope you like it.

(1)

It's been 5 days since you accepted Bucky's offer, to start a new life with him. At first you and Bucky where discussing where will you live. You suggested to buy an apartment at Brooklyn, but he rejected the moment the suggestion hit the table. He didn't want to be back to the place where he grew up. He didn't want to return to his past. Didn't want to start his new life based on how he used to live.

"Can we have a house with a big kitchen? Ohh Buck, it'll be really nice to have a huuuge kitchen and try so many recipes freely, with so much space to work on." You said dreamily while standing on your elbows to watch Bucky. He turned his gaze from the ceiling to you with a smile in his face.

You were in his room daydreaming about your future life. You're laying next to him being excited about your plans. He laughed and pulled you out of your thoughts. "What? Why are you laughing?" You smiled at him.

"I'm just thinking that if Sam watched us cook with aprons. We wouldn't hear the end of it." He laughed.

"Oh my god, you're soooo right. He'll tease us 'till the day we die." You both laughed again and you suddenly stopped and gasped.

"OH MY GOD, SAM!"

"What about him?" He questioned, confusion covering his face.

"We need to tell him that we want to leave." His smile left his face and his eyes dropped to his hands. Even though the two boys were always fighting, they were the closest and best friends. Bucky didn't know how Sam would take it.

"We need to talk to him." He finally said.

"What? Like, right now?"

"No I think he is already asleep. Tomorrow morning. The sooner the better!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." you sighed and curled to his side.

"He won't be very happy, will he?" You both returned your gaze to the ceiling a worried look on both of your faces.

"I don't know, doll. I don't know."

~~~~

The next morning you knocked on Bucky's door, still worry over your features. He opened slowly having the same emotions as you. "Ready?"

He softly sighed "as ready as I can be."

"We have to, Buck." You took his hand on yours and pulled him out of his room.

"I know, I know." He sighed again and you started walking towards the living room.

"Sam!" You shouted and he popped his head from the couch.

"Hello Cinnamon, hello Tinman. What's up?" You giggle at your nickname while Bucky glared at him. Sam liked to call you Cinnamon because you putted cinnamon everywhere, from aromatic candles to coffee dressing.

"We um...wanted to talk to you about something." You said hesitantly.

"Of course, what is it about?"

You moved further and sat down next to him and Bucky sat behind you, staying close to you. "Me and Bucky were thinking umm...we were umm...thinking..." You nervously said playing with your fingers not wanting to look into his eyes.

"Guys. You are worrying me, what's wrong." Sam said worry all over his face.

"No, no nothing is wrong...we just kinda thinking..." Bucky trailed off and then you took over.

"Me and Bucky were thinking about to retire and live a normal life." you stated with one breath closing your eyes and opening them to see a bit confused Sam.

"What do you mean?".

"Sam, we won't lie to you, we're both really tired of this Avenging life. And after our losses we are falling apart more and more. We appreciate all your and Wanda's help, but unfortunately is not enough. We are trying really hard to recover. But all this fighting is keeping us behind. Reminds us -and most certainly me- of the past. We can't keep living like this. We LOVE working with everyone here but it's not doing us any good. We would really, REALLY, appreciate it if you at least consider our retirement and talk things out with Fury."

You were staned by Bucky's words. You didn't expect him to take control of the conversation. And it was a really happy surprise.

"Wow, Buck. I forgot you could talk so much" Sam laughed. "Guys, I understand that your mental health is not stable and of course I noticed your struggle at your latest missions. I'll admit I was thinking to tell Fury give you some days off and retirement hit me like a truck." You both looked at his smiley face, when he turned his gaze behind you and you saw Wanda, who was coming slowly and was smiling too.

"I told Sam that you two needed some time off. But if you feel more comfortable with retirement we are both going to support you." she said while sitting next to Sam grabbing his hand into hers. "Also, let me tell you, I'm gonna help to convince Fury to give you what you want." She smirked, that knowing smirk which said yes, I'm going to manipulate him for you.

You were nearly in tears. You didn't believe that they accepted your decision so quickly and without hesitation. "You guys, you don't know how much this means to us." you teared up, standing to hug them both.

"Thank you so much. Both of you." Bucky said softly trying to keep himself from crying.

You pulled away and looked into their eyes. "When are we going go talk to Fury?"

"How about tomorrow?" Wanda questioned.

"Ok, tomorow then." Bucky said.

"Shall we go make some dinner? I'm starving!" Sam whined and you all laughed.

"Let's go" Wanda laughed and dragged you all to the kitchen.

After two burned steaks, 1 burned apple pie and somehow a burned salad from the boys, who wanted to show off to you, you and Wanda took over.

The dinner was so peaceful. So beautiful. They were your family and you really loved them. So much.

"Oh, guys, have you decided were are you going to live?" Wanda asked at some point.

"Y/N told me about her grand-grand mother's mansion in Magnolia Springs. She said that it's very big for two people, but it'll be big enough to build spare rooms and rooms for us to spend our time. I haven't saw it yet, but I trust her."

"Wait. Did you just say 'build'?" Sam said confused.

"Yeah well I thought it'll be nice to create a home with our hands." You answered.

"It sounds really sweet, but what about the money?" Wanda asked.

"Stark left to much money, for us to use. So we think its the best way to use them." Bucky said.

"Yeah, Tony left a lot money to everyone and I still don't know why." You giggled.

"He's dead and he still makes us happy."

You all smiled at that and fell into silence. Memories from Tony making you all smile. Bucky smiled on the stories you all said about him. His smile fell from his face. He wanted to say he is sorry. For his parents for the mess he created between Tony and Steve. Oh, how much he wanted to apologize.

"Um, I'm finished does anyone want desert?" Bucky asked after a while. You all raised your heads and looked at him.

"Yeah, I do. I'm coming to help you." Sam said and they both left for the kitchen.

"Are you sure?" Wanda asked a minute after the guys left.

"For our decision?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, yes I am. Bucky is an amazing guy and he is in the same boat with me. If we start over together it will be just a little bit easier."

"But sharing a home is a lot more than a start over, you know that."

"Wand me and Bucky are friends and we can do this. This will just be an adventure for us. We'll have fun, building our own house. Living a new life. Sure it'll be sometimes a little difficult, but we'll do this."

"I'm happy for both of you. I believe in you. And me and Sam will help you with what ever you need." She reached for your hand and held it.

"Thank you Wanda."You smiled at her. A smile which turned onto a smirk after a moment "oh and since you mentioned it. What's going on with you and Sammy?"

She left your hand and blushed like crazy. "Nothing, we're just friends"

"Yeah, yeah I believed you now Wands" you laughed.

"Shut up" A crimson color took over her cheeks and you laughed again.

-Meanwhile in the kitchen-

"Bucky, are you sure you wanna do this?"

"Yes, Sam, I'm 100% sure." Bucky sighed, cutting a big slice of cake for you.

"I mean you two don't know each other so long, to start a life together." Sam said with a concern voice. Bucky dropped slowly the knife and his head. But he immediately looked at him again.

"Sam, I trust her. She's been there for me in ways I couldn't even imagine. She never gives me an apologetic smile or looks at me with pity eyes. She is comforting in her own way, and she helps me when I need it even when I don't ask. I don't say that you or Wanda don't help me, it's just...she is...She's different and I like it. She makes me feel good."

"If she makes you happy, of course I won't get in the way. I just want to make sure that you're ok with that decision. I want the best for you bud." Sam admitted softly patting Bucky's shoulder. Bucky turned and hugged him tightly, not letting Sam breath for a bit.

"Ok, ok I need to breath now please." Bucky let him go and they both laughed.

"Ohh, bird brain I didn't ask you before." Bucky smirked without looking at him.

"What's it this time Tinman?" Sam rolled his eyes and said with an annoying voice.

"What's going on with you and Wanda?"

Sam choked on air while Bucky hit his back, still smirking.

"Nothing's happening."

"Yeah, yeah sure bird brain."

"Fuck off, asshat"

"Idiot."

"Let's go the girls are waiting."

They came after a while with four plates of chocolate cake. Your and Wanda's favorite.

"Here you are ladies." Sam excitedly said.

"Thank you boys" you smiled at both of them and continued your lovely night.

The dinner was over and you all were at your rooms waiting for sleep to take you. When a soft knock at your door, caught your attention.

Bucky opened further the door and whispered, "Doll, are you asleep?".

"No Buck, come in." He closed the door behind him and took small steps towards your bed.

"Hey" he waved at you.

"Hi" you chuckled.

"Can I please stay with you tonight?"

"Of course you can Buck." You pushed your covers and he laid beside, pulling up the blanket.

"Doll, am I the only nervous for tomorrow?"

"No, not really. I think I'm a bit nervous too. I mean we are going to tell Nick Fury that his last two super soldiers are going to retire and they're going to live like two farmers but yeah, no I'm not THAT nervous about that." You joked and he let a heartful belly laugh, that made your stomach feel weird, in a really good way.

"Yeah, way so nervous? It's so normal!" He laughed again and you followed.

"Seriously now Buck, Fury won't be happy. I'm slightly afraid that he'll refuse to retire us."

"Honestly, doll? I don't know what will happen tomorrow. Part of me hopes for the best but another part is just pessimistic."

"What will we do if he says no?"

"We'll see." he sighed.

"Ok" you said a lil' disappointed.

You curled closer to him and moved your gaze from the ceiling to his face. He found your eyes and spoke again softly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful silence, "come here, I don't mind." he smiled.

You pressed your body on his and wrapped your hands around him. He hugged you too and put a soft kiss on your head.

God only knew how much you both loved to be on each others embrace.

~~~~

When morning came, the nervousness came along with it. All your mind was thinking about rejection and Fury. You almost cried when the time for the meeting arrived.

Bucky came to your room to take you and went together, sharing some of the anxiety.

Before he opened the door, Bucky hugged you tightly and you hugged him back the same. You breathed and opened the door.

You greeted Fury and moved to sit down, next to each other, not wanting to let go the others side.

"Mr.Wilson informed me about your thoughts and decisions and of course the state of your mental health, and I have to say I'm surprised that you want to do such a thing together."

You looked at each other with a smile at your faces and a giving an actual loving gaze, and turned to Fury again and said and awkward yeah.

"So, where did that came from?" He said and confused you.

"What do you mean, sir?" Bucky said.

"Where that idea came from? How did you think such a thing? What brought you to that decision?"

"We just had a conversation together, after a tough night and we realized we can't do it any more."

"We want a new life. Bucky is really tired fighting and holding a gun on his hands and I'm really tired fighting too. But we don't have a problem helping whenever it's needed."

"We have a lot to discuss." Fury said with a frown.

After 2 hours and a lot convincing Fury agreed. He said that he will first check the house, the neighborhood, the neighbors' past, just to be sure. He said that he'll put Friday and a security system in the whole house. You hadn't disagreed of course. He also said that you'll get paid for whatever job you do for him, you'll still be his employees no matter where you live or what you do.

You didn't really care what jobs he'll give you eventually, you just wanted to live as far from this life as you could.

When you signed the papers, Fury dropped his serious face and said "I'm really proud of both of you" and left.

You turned and looked at Bucky, who just smiled. You smiled back at him and left, to start making plans for your new house.

[uniqueleewritten]

C is for “Cornered Chef”

A lot has happened, which is why this one is being posted late but it’s all fun things! This one is a cute one if I say so myself so give it a read. And as always you can get early access to over on my Ko-fi for only $1

Ko-fi

The other stories

Story Under the Read More

"Thanks again for helping close, Ellie. I really appreciate it."

"No problem boss. It's the least I can do since I'm off for a week."

"The least!? Girl, if you don't start using your time off you're gonna have a year of it saved."

"It's not that bad."

"Not yet!" He laughed as he finished locking the last of the doors. "But it will be soon. Now, you get your butt on home and enjoy the time off with those girlfriends of yours. And make sure to give Maya all of my love."

Once Maya had learned how much Dequan had helped Ellie out over the years she started doing the man's taxes for him every year. Along with creating business strategies, budgets for marketing, and reorganizing his entire payroll system plus more. After all of that Maya had stolen his heart, not that Ellie could blame him. Maya was damned good at her job.

Ellie waved him goodbye before starting the trek home, excited to have a whole week off. While it wasn't as bad as Dequan made it out to be, it had been a while since she took so much time off. The last time had most likely been when one of them was sick. She was looking forward to it. 

She daydreamed about their little vacation as she was walking home. Going over the list of boring stuff before focusing on the fun things. She knew it was going to begin with her cooking the chicken she had taken out that morning. 

Maybe she would make fried rice with it. Or have it with some pasta. There was still a bag of frozen broccoli, maybe they still had a jar of alfredo sauce. She was not in the mood to make it from scratch tonight. Or maybe-

She was brought out of her thoughts by a car horn honking behind her. She turned around, afraid, but relaxed when she saw Maya's ravishing red pulling up next to her. 

"Hey cutie," Maya called, through the window. "Need a ride?"

Ellie giggled, deciding to play along by twirling a piece of her hair while also twisting in place.

"I don't know if my girlfriends would like that very much."

"Aww come on now, what they don't know won't hurt 'em."

Ellie fell into a fit of giggles as she reached for the car handle and easily slid inside. 

"You're ridiculous," she told Maya before giving the other woman a kiss. 

"And you love me for it."

"I thought it was because you save me from having to take the subway."

Maya laughed sardonically before pulling back into the lane and the two driving off. The ride was quiet, the light sound of Maya's music playing along, a low hush, barely above the rush of traffic. 

Maya hating having the music on too loud when driving, another difference between her and Sugar-who believed in only loud and bombastic bass playing as she drove down the streets. Ellie didn't mind listening to either as they drove around. Since she didn't drive she felt she had no real right to tell them what to do with their cars.

There were no other cars in sight as Maya pulled into the building's parking garage and let Ellie get out first. Maya always did so, even though Ellie never went upstairs without her. Sheb would though. Sugar Honey-Bee Lovely didn't believe in standing around waiting on people if she didn't have to, but Ellie thought it was nice to go up with someone. 

She stood there to wait for Maya when she saw the nice elderly couple from down the hall bring down a bunch of luggage. She quickly offered to help them. 

As they all walked the 5 feet to their car, the couple informed Ellie that they were going to visit the grandson who lived out in the country for a few days. Ellie told them about her own vacation plans. 

Ellie liked the couple, if only because they were cute and kind. When the three had first moved in together many of their neighbors had tried to get them kicked out but the Masons had told them to ignore everyone else. All that mattered was that the three of them were happy. 

Afterward, Ellie and Mrs. Mason traded recipes all the time and took time each week to visit each and other and trade some more. The woman made a mean peach cobbler that can only come from being raised in the south. 

Maya joined Ellie and the couple in standing around and making small talk. When Mr. Mason noticed the time he urged the girls to go on with their day so he and the Missus could hit the road. Mrs. Mason promised to bring back the homemade cinnamon raisin bread recipe from her grandson's wife. 

Ellie and Maya waved goodbye to the couple before getting on the elevator and hitting the button to head on up. Maya casually grabbed Ellie's hand and held it the whole way up and down the hallway to their condo. It was sweet and rare that Maya showed affection in such a way so Ellie reveled in it the whole walk home. 

"Sugar! We're home!" She yelled as they slipped off their shoes and Ellie hung up her bag. 

Maya tossed her keys onto the hook without looking. It was an absolutely stunning display of skill that left Ellie shocked and feeling a bit flushed. Maya enjoyed showing off the particular skill of hers, tossing something and watching it land where it should, astounding everyone who saw. Sheb hated it.

"I'm in the bedroom!" Sheb yelled out to them.

"Our's or your's," Maya said mostly to herself, not truly asking.

"I heard that!" Sheb yelled back. " And it's not funny!"

"I'm a comedian so I don't know what you mean," Maya told her as they stepped into the room. 

Sugar was packing one of her suitcases, it was already filled with clothes, the bright pastels she allowed herself to wear on weekends when she was away from the office catching Ellie's attention. Ellie also noticed the some of Maya's bright red shirts were also packed inside and a few of her own pale pink shirts. 

"Sugar?" Ellie asked, too concerned and curious.

"Mm? Yes, Love?"

"Why are you packing a suitcase?"

"Because flower of my heart, we're going away for our vacation."

"I thought we were staying home this time. Sheb! I didn't plan anything! There's food in our fridge- I took out chicken this morning!"

"Don't worry about it, Lil is coming over to take care of Princess so I'll let her know to cook it up and eat here. Just her." Sheb reassured, quickly remembering the last time Lil had watched their condo. "She knows what to do. And you are going to enjoy a nice relaxing week at a hotel, where all of your food is going to be cooked by someone else."

"Sugar! Maya!"

"Oh no, don't turn that cute voice on me. I'm agreeing with her on this." Maya said from the chair she was sat in, Princess already in her lap.

"I don't understand," Ellie said as Sheb moved her to sit down on the bed. 

"You took such good care of us last month while we were running ourselves ragged with the planning and the campaign and when you were already so overworked at the cafe, we just want to give you something back as well."

"It wasn't a-"

"Don't!" Maya scolded. "Don't you dare tell us that it wasn't a lot of work. You barely got any sleep at all last month, less than we did because you got up and fixed us breakfast and lunch and came home from your busy day and made us dinner and Ellie-"

"Eloise." Sheb started again, taking Ellie's hands in her own. "We love you and we care for you so much that we want to give you something back for all the good you've done for us. Let us give you this. If you really hate being in the hotel and being waited on then we can cancel it early and come back home. But I want you to try and enjoy it. Please."

Ellie's resolved wobbled at that, it was rare that Sugar begged or said "please". She was convinced it was too much on her pride, and Sugar Lovely was nothing if not prideful. 

Ellie frowned before sighing, defeat in the sound. She simply nodded her head and allowed Sheb and Maya their joy at winning. It wasn't as if Ellie was losing anything really. She was going to what was sure to be a 4-star or more hotel with her lovers, who would pamper and spoil her all week long while eating delectable food and probably enjoying a spa. 

She could handle a week of being off her feet, of not worrying about an oven or worrying about getting burned. As she continued to talk the idea up in her mind she realized that it sounded wonderful. Her vacation would be spent away from home, it was decided. 

[perfectirishgifts]

New York City Restaurants Continue To Get Creative As They Face A Potential Indoor Dining Shutdown

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/new-york-city-restaurants-continue-to-get-creative-as-they-face-a-potential-indoor-dining-shutdown/

New York City Restaurants Continue To Get Creative As They Face A Potential Indoor Dining Shutdown

Lil’ Sweet Chick introduced breakfast service for the first time in October.

Restaurants throughout the country are bracing themselves for a rough winter as concerns for public health and safety could lead to further restrictions on an industry that’s already been hard hit since March.

Operators in New York City, where restaurants can currently seat guests at 25% capacity indoors with a 10 p.m. curfew on dine-in service, fear they will have to close their interior spaces again.

An end to indoor dining grows more likely each day. There has been a rise in Covid-19 infections nationwide, with a daily average of over 190,000 new cases reported to the CDC. In the Big Apple alone, confirmed cases have totaled over 14,000 over the last seven days, according to data from NYC Health as of 10 a.m. on December 7.

Elected city and state officials have already called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to declare New York City an orange zone—a designation that would force restaurants to halt indoor dining and transition back to only offering takeout, delivery and outdoor seating. 

But dropping temperatures and a potential indoor dining shutdown haven’t stopped New York City restaurants from making the most of what they have and adapting in creative ways.

Sweet Chick rebranded all of its locations, including this one in New York City’s Lower East Side, … [] to Lil’ Sweet Chick.

John Seymour, founder, and Kyle Martin, COO, had to let go of all of their employees and close their Sweet Chick locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens in March. When thinking about ways to adjust their operations upon reopening, the restaurateurs decided it was time to try something they had considered even prior to the pandemic—a shift from full service to quick service.

Their concept opened back up in May with a lot of the original staff members and a new moniker: Lil’ Sweet Chick. All of the locations have rebranded and switched to a quick-service model with a new menu focused on more grab-and-go-friendly items such as fried chicken sandwiches.

Customers can order breakfast items such as buttermilk biscuit sandwiches at Lil’ Sweet Chick every … [] day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Seymour and Martin then set their sights on launching a breakfast menu for the first time but only if they could come up with biscuits that were up to their standards. “We started with the fried chicken sandwiches, really went full force with those, and then always wanted to do more of a breakfast program,” Martin says. “We took a while to get the biscuits right.”

In October, Seymour and Martin debuted breakfast service at all Lil’ Sweet Chick locations. Every day, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., New Yorkers can order savory items such as buttermilk biscuit sandwiches, chicken and waffles, and hash browns. For a sweet start to the day, there are options like the Blueberry Muffin Waffle, a Belgian waffle topped with cinnamon crumble, blueberries and lemon glaze.

The Blueberry Muffin Waffle is a Belgian waffle topped with cinnamon crumble, blueberries and lemon … [] glaze.

According to Martin, a few breakfast items that have been most popular among customers are the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Buttermilk Biscuit (a biscuit version of the classic New York bodega breakfast sandwich with thick bacon, egg, cheddar cheese and a side of housemade tomato jam) and the vegetarian-friendly Impossible Sausage, Egg and Cheese Buttermilk Biscuit.

When looking at Lil’ Sweet Chick’s operations for the near future, Martin says he and Seymour are just focusing on “hopefully getting through the winter.” They anticipate business will get slower during the colder weather months and plan on “using that time to come up with new ideas and new dishes” for the spring, according to the COO.

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Flushing has adapted its operations and is experimenting with new menu … [] items.

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Flushing has also been experimenting with its operations and menu. After closing its doors for less than three weeks during the pandemic, the restaurant, well known for its xiao long bao (soup dumplings), reopened and started selling frozen products for customers to make at home.

The dining spot also implemented “safety protocols including booking nearby hotels and shuttle cars for staff, installing hand sanitizer stations, and creating contactless order and payment systems,” Eddie Zheng, general manager, said in a release.

The new pan-fried cheese and shrimp dumplings at Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao

In addition to releasing new bites such as pan-fried cheese and shrimp dumplings, Nan Xiang launched a limited-time xiao long bao set—the Three Treasures XLB—last month during a one-year anniversary celebration of its new location. The restaurant is hoping the special will draw in diners looking for “Instagram-worthy” dishes to post on social media.

The new soup dumplings have skins with colorful swirls inspired by watercolors. Each color corresponds with a particular filling that contains a Chinese delicacy: green (braised abalone); black (spiny sea cucumber); and red (Chinese-style dry-cured and smoked ham).

The Three Treasures XLB contains delicacies: braised abalone (green), spiny sea cucumber (black) and … [] Chinese-style dry-cured and smoked ham (red).

Nan Xiang plans on seeing how popular these eye-catching soup dumplings are with its customers and possibly introducing different versions with new luxury ingredients in the future.

Huertas experimented with selling wines at retail price. At a recent sale, $5 from every bottle sold … [] supported the Georgia Fund.

The end of indoor dining in New York City is highly likely, according to Jonah Miller, chef and owner of Huertas, an East Village spot for Basque-influenced cuisine. In preparation, he has invested in outfitting his outdoor space with heaters to keep diners warm. But given the expected decrease in foot traffic during the colder weather months, Miller also has another strategy: trimming down the restaurant’s existing inventory.

Recently, Huertas held its own wine sale, featuring bottles from its back room at retail price. $5 from every bottle sold supported the Georgia Fund from Dine for Democracy for the upcoming Senate runoffs in January.

Miller is also collaborating with Table 22 to create subscriptions for curated goodies from Huertas at varying membership levels. These subscriptions are monthly and can be gifted to others in three-month or six-month allotments.

Conservas are tinned seafoods commonly enjoyed in Spain and Portugal.

The Conserva Club tier, priced at $30 per month, is available locally for pickup and delivery and nationwide with free shipping. It includes two conservas (tinned seafood), two accompaniments such as chips or crackers, and an exclusive monthly at-home recipe from Miller.

There are also one-time gift bundles from Huertas through Table 22, such as the Vermouth & Conservas Bundle, priced at $50. It features a bottle of housemade vermouth, three conservas, hot sauce and herb salt. This package can be picked up or delivered for free in New York City, or shipped nationwide for an additional $10.

UNITED STATES – DECEMBER 7: Plates marked with the names and stories of restaurant workers who have … [] either been laid off or are in fear of losing their jobs lay across the East Lawn of the Capitol as part of a demonstration to urge Congress to pass the RESTAURANTS Act in Washington on Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. (Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The creative efforts New York City operators are putting in to keep their restaurants going and their staff employed are commendable; however, in the face of further restrictions as Covid-19 cases continue to rise, additional federal support is ultimately what many restaurants in the city and throughout the country need to sustain themselves.

The outlook for restaurants is more dire than ever. 17% of restaurants, which accounts for more than 110,000 eateries, across the U.S. have closed completely as the industry continues to struggle with an “economic free fall as a result of mandated closures and capacity limits due to the coronavirus pandemic,” according to a letter sent to Congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy and Chuck Schumer from the National Restaurant Association (NRA) on December 7.

The letter lists other results from the nationwide survey the trade association recently conducted among its members. Roughly one in every six restaurants have shuttered its doors over the past nine months, and a vast majority of these establishments had been considered fixtures within their communities. Less than half of the owners of these closed businesses expect to stay involved in hospitality in any form in the coming months or years.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 07: A man walks past shuttered outdoor restaurant seating … [] decorated with American flags on the first day of new stay-at-home orders on December 7, 2020 in West Hollywood, California. Under state order, 33 million residents of California have entered into regional shutdowns in an attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus as ICU capacity has dipped below 15 percent in most regions of the state. Barbershops, hair and nail salons, museums, zoos, movies theaters are closed while restaurants are open for takeout or delivery only. In Los Angeles County, outdoor dining was shuttered nearly two weeks ago amid a surge of coronavirus cases there. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

“Efforts in Washington to find the ‘perfect’ solution are laudable, but the lack of progress in the meantime has led too many operators to give up on the government and close down for good,” Sean Kennedy, NRA executive vice president of public affairs, wrote in the letter.

Talks over the passage of the RESTAURANTS Act, a relief bill from Congress, continue to stall—leaving operators are unsure if they can survive through the winter.

As Kennedy put it in the NRA’s letter to Congress, “the restaurant industry simply cannot wait for relief any longer.”

More from Dining in Perfectirishgifts

[goddammitlance]

Like A Moth To Flame (Or some other stupid sort of pun)

This is my secret santa ( @voltron-ss ) gift to @meteorysh!!

I hope you like it!!! (Thank you to @littlepennycandy for beta-reading this for me! <3)

rating: T+ for mild swearing

pairing: Sheith! with a tiny lil bit of Thulaz

AU: Soulmates!!

WC: 1806

Read It On AO3

Contrary to later renditions of this story… they were snickerdoodles.

Shiro would say some dumb shit like “He knew I was coming, so he started making a gourmet meal in preparation.” And then Keith would smack him upside the head for being dumb, because that was very much not how the story went.

Well. All good stories need an introduction, Keith thought, so…

You know all about soulmates, of course you do. It’d be terribly, terribly odd of you to not know the deal with soulmates. You know, of course, that all throughout your life, you’ve got a certain smell in your nose. Not quite there, but always in the back of your nostril. Like… a distant memory, your olfactory sense kicked in and it was giving you hints as to your soulmate.

It was a weird, weird, system, but whatever. Keith didn’t have the time to delve into his personal opinions about the whole thing, so he’ll digress.

Back to the point; you know the exact smell that you take in in the moment that you meet your soulmate.

It’s weird to say - it just sounds kind of weird, just said like that. But whatever. More to the point.

Keith’s scent was this weird smokey-pepperminty number with odd undertones that he could never really put his finger on. He always figured his soulmate would be some delivery boy coming into his bakery, where the peppermint treats were a winter staple, and smoke was an occasional trial. His soulmate would sweep in, a package in-hand as he came to steal Keith’s heart away - as it turned out, it was something completely different and totally embarrassing and awful, but goddammit, he had his dreams, didn’t he?

It was a night in late December. They were just coming up on Christmas, and Keith was home for the holidays. The bakery was closed up tight for the week (a fact that had most people up in arms, trying to tell him how to run his business, saying that he was losing profit, closing up on one of the busiest weeks of the year, blah, blah, blah. Cue the eyeroll. Buy your cannolis and cream puffs and leave already.), and Keith made his way southwestward.

Keith loved staying with his parents. They’d lived in the same little apartment for the last twenty-five-odd years, shopped at the same grocery stores and attended the same festivals. They were still undoubtedly in love and content with their lives, after years upon years with each other. It warmed Keith’s heart to be near them.

So it was December 23rd. His dads had already scooted off to bed, somewhere around ten o’clock, saying things about how they weren’t as young as Keith, and that they needed proper sleep. Keith had sent them off with a laugh, and settled into the sofa.

And now, Keith was happily sprawled out on the couch with a glass of eggnog (store-bought. He’d finagle Dad into properly making eggnog later. He’d probably hold out until Christmas Eve. Ugh. What a Scrooge.) in his hand, watching Santa Clause 3 (Terrible movie. They should have stopped after the first one), when his sweet tooth kicked in.

Snickerdoodles. That sounded grand.

And Keith didn’t really have any excuse not to make them.

So he dragged himself up from the couch and made his way into the kitchen. He flicked on the lights and gathered up all of his ingredients and spread them all out on the counter.

It was a well known recipe, and soon the cookie sheets were filled with little cinnamon and sugar-sprinkled dough balls. Nice.

He slid the pan into the oven and congratulated himself on a job well done. He poured himself another glass of eggnog and splashed a little peppermint schnapps in. Migrating back into the living room, he settled in and waiting for the timer to ring.

Santa Clause 3 was still an awful movie, but it caught his attention. And, since he didn’t really want to go looking for an entire different movie, when he was only watching it while he waited, he tucked in, sipped his eggnog and waited.

When retelling this story, he would say that he had absolutely no idea what came over him, that bout of drowsiness. Maybe it had been the eggnog. He was giggling at some sort of on-screen joke, tucking his chin into the crook of his arm as he blinked sleepily, slowly relaxing into the arm of the couch and letting his breathing slow. The sweet smell of cookies hung in the air and it was all great.

Until the smoke alarms went off.

He was jolting up, eyes wide and alert as if he had never closed them.

He murmured a curse, scrubbing his eyes as he tried to figure out what in the world was happening. The air seemed thick. The sweet smell gone, there was only the thick, dark odor of smoke.

Shit. What could…?

The cookies!

He shouted a curse and leapt up from the couch, booking it to the kitchen in record time.

Smoke billowed from the oven, the alarms were screeching at him, and his fathers appeared mere seconds later, their voices taking on much the same tone as the alarm.

The next few minutes were a bit of a blur; but of a few things, Keith was well aware.

Number one: the fire department was called.

Number two: their building was evacuated, landing all the residents out on the street, all in their pajamas or similar states of dress.

Number three: he had just burned cookies - when the fuck does that happen?

And number four: before he left the apartment, he had accidentally tipped the schnapps bottle over in his rush to get to the stove. He mopped up with he could, but the rag that he made do with was, in fact, his hoodie. So now he reeked of peppermint and 90 proof alcohol. Wonderful.

It was turning out to be a weird night.

Thace and Ulaz, Keith’s parents, stood nearby, wrapped in their pin-striped robes. Thace grumbled over the cold and the fact that he hadn’t thought to grab any sort of shoes before he was pried out of bed and shooed out the door.

“It’s cold,” he snapped out, mouth curled downward in a grumpy-grandfather sort of way. Keith would have laughed , if he wasn’t shrinking in on himself in shame, trying to remain invisible for as long as he could before enduring the inevitable lecture he would be subjected to.

“What did you expect?” Ulaz asked, his face screwed up incredulously. “It’s the middle of December; we’re literally standing in snow.”

Thace scoffed, batting a hand in the air. He shuffled on the salted sidewalk. Keith winced. He almost offered to attempt to run in and grab him some shoes. Throwing himself into the flames seemed like a really good idea, if you asked him.

The next few minutes were spent shivering on the sidewalk and he pulled his hoodie closer around himself, trying to summon warmth from anywhere he could.

Soon enough - it really wasn’t that long, Shiro would say. It felt like forever to Keith, who had to sit and stew in what he had done - the firemen came traipsing back out of the apartment building.

One of them called out, over the crowd of grumbling tenants, asking for the family who lived in  apartment number 249.

That was, of course, Keith’s family.

Ulaz called the affirmative, and the fireman made his way over, and Keith felt pretty small. He rubbed a hand over his forehead. His nose wrinkled as the wet material dragged over his skin, peppermint flooding his nose, with the sting of alcohol underneath.

Bleh. He had to put it through the washer as soon as possible.

He shrugged the offending clothing off and hooked it over his arm. The resulting shiver that prodded down his spine, and the goosebumps were something he could deal with for the moment.

The fireman was the very definition of tall dark and handsome. Granted, the “dark” part was literally just because of the fact that it was two o’clock in the morning, but that’s beside the point. Keith was sure that his yellow coat was once much brighter than the dull yellow that it was now. All covered in smudges and the very tracings of wear, just like it’s owner. Keith didn’t miss the little smudge on his sharp cheekbone, or the way the smell of smoke was practically billowing off of him.

He spoke generally, addressing the trio. “There isn’t any lasting damage,” he said, “just a lot of smoke.” And Keith tried to pay attention, he really did. He followed the basic cues and shrunk in on himself when one, or both of his fathers tossed him a glare. He murmured his apologies, but he was really too caught up in other things to properly react as he was supposed to.

He smelled something fishy. Not literally. It was just very… odd. And familiar.

Seriously, why did it seem so familiar?

And then it clicked, and the realization dawned.

He thought that he must have said something, or cursed aloud, because the fireman was looking directly at him. Thace put a hand on his shoulder, asking if he was alright.

Keith shook his head, trying to put the discovery into words. He wasn’t even really sure that he was sure. Did that make sense? He didn’t make sense, did he?

“You look ill.” Ulaz looked him up and down. “Do you need to sit down?”

“No, I’m fine,” he insisted. “I just. Did - Do you?” He frowned and looked to the fireman, eyes wide. “Do you smell that?”

“Smoke?” Thace butted in, incredulous.

Keith waved his hand in the air at him, frustrated that he didn’t get what he meant. “It’s like. You know. The smell.” He felt like he was floundering. Hell, he knew he was floundering. He tapped his fingers along his thigh. “I can’t explain it,” he said helplessly.

“No, I get it,” the fireman said slowly. Keith looked back to him. His brow was furrowed in concentration. “I, uh.” He swallowed thickly before he tugged off one of his gloves and offered out his hand to Keith. “Shiro.”

Keith took the hand in his, blinking owlishly. “Keith,” he replied, shaking the hand firmly.

Shiro smiled brilliantly at him. And it lasted for a good few seconds before it dulled and he lifted an eyebrow. “Is that alcohol?”

That was the terrible, awful, really bad story about how Keith met his soulmate. Through sheepish embarrassment and a thick layer of smoke.

And the reason Keith always groans as he unwraps a bottle of peppermint schnapps, every year, for Christmas. Shiro's traditional gift. Always gifted with a smirk, and a kiss.

[laughingpinecone]

Trick or Treat letter

Likes: worldbuilding, slice of life (doubly so if the event the fic focuses on is made up but canon-specific), missing moments, 5+1 and the likes, bonding and emotional support/intimacy, physical intimacy, lingering touches, loyalty, casefic, surrealism, established relationships, future fic, hurt/comfort or just comfort from the ample canon hurt, throwing characters into non-canon environments, banter, functional relationships between dysfunctional individuals, unexplained mysteries, bittersweet moods, journal/epistolary fic where applicable, dreams and memories and identities, tropey plots when they make the uniqueness of the characterization and/or relationship shine

For art, I like works that feel more like a book illustration than a book cover, if you know what I mean? Regardless of the level of skill and detail involved, I like it a lot better when the picture feels like a candid photo of the character(s) than when it’s a pose.

Cool with: what-ifs, AUs, any tense, any pov, any rating, plotty, not plotty, IF, nerdy canon references, unrequested characters popping up

DNW: non-canonical rape, non-canonical children, unrequested ships, canon retellings

Ghost Trick

I love Cabanela being fierce and dazzling bright and determined and loyal to the very end, dancing to his own rhythm, so sure of himself and of his ideas that he doesn’t even need to prove to anyone that he’s right. Too sure of the wrong idea, once, and everything crashed and burned.

And I love Jowd being the immovable object to Cabanela’s unstoppable force, a self-depreciating asshole with a penchant for gallows humor that grows more morbid by the hour, and also incredibly smart (both assholes figured out Sissel’s powers better than Sissel did) and athletic and with an unsuspected talent for stealth.

I love how they work as a team, as best friends (with Jowd being the most important person for Cabanela, but Alma and Kamila being the most important for Jowd), I love how Jowd keeps his memories but Cabanela doesn’t and how this probably changes their dynamic in the new timeline. And what about the opposite, what about an alternate scenario where Cabanela is the one who keeps his memories? And I also ship them very much, especially in the new timeline with Alma (married couple+1) (honestly, Jowd knowing how much Cabs did for him and remembering him broken and bloodied is A Lot. especially if he’s a lil into it) or just the two of them when she is dead (no-reset scenarios etc).

But I also love how they play off other characters. Sissel has a great dynamic with both of them, Missile is also fierce and determined and loyal to the very end, Pigeon Man always needs more love especially from either or both his two canon friends, Jowd mentoring Lynne is a wonderful thing and so is their Special Investigation Unit equivalent aka Cabanela mentoring Memry… I like Yomiel’s potential with Jowd, they’re great foils with imho potential for a great odd friendship, while I’d ask for no Cabanela and Yomiel fic of any kind.

I also nominated Emma due to a Discord-induced plot bunny: it’s a pity she never learned that the annoying dog next door was in fact a wonderful, noble soul, so… could she ever find out? And then switch to writing about furries Maybe a slight what-if during game events where she dies and Missile saves her? Or just Emma being Emma, writing her gloriously trashy novels and living the life. I love her so.

Gorogoa

I'm interested in worldbuilding and connections between all the situations in the game. Both in fic and art, pick a corner, any corner (or more!) of this journey and explore it in any way that rings true for you. How is Gorogoa's presence palpable in the very fabric of this world, and how does the boy perceive it? How is... literally anyone and/or anything... connected to anyone and/or anything else? Pick a scene and run with it, really, I’m enchanted by the whole thing and curious to see more.

Obduction

Worldbuilding worldbuilding worldbuilding! And journals, if you like the format. I love all three mains and all possible friendships or… one-sided strained friendships between them. How does Farley live with the consequences of her plan? What did Josef do before he was elected, or after someone else succeeds him, or does he turn out to be an incredibly effective mayor after the game’s events when people need his brand of unrelenting enthusiasm to start a new life on a new planet? When does CW accept that he’s not going home again? How was Farley elected and why did she step down immediately? Do CW and/or Josef get to meditate with the Arai at some point? How’s friendship with a Villein? What do they find on this new world?

Out of all the possibilities given by OC obductees, one of my favorites is some unwitting D’ni getting pinecone’d during the Fall. Josef does greet us in D’ni after all, who taught him that? Just imagine the possibilities. Would they fit in? How? What would they think of the seeds as opposed to linking books? How would they take the fake Myst linking book and Unwritten rulebook that also got pinecone’d to Hunrath?

And what about Karl Hunrath himself? As soon as I found out that he was a real UFO enthusiast, I was hooked. This skirts close to RPF which usually isn’t my thing, but as an Uru fan sometimes you gotta draw the line a lot farther than usual. Just give me anything about this complicated man who threw away his life looking for aliens and ended up confined in an Earth bubble with a whole alien world outside… and eventually changed that place’s society so much that it was named after him.

From the Playstation patch: how’s Hunrath’s night life at the pub and what kind of barista is Farley (the recipes show her handwriting)? How did CW react to a whole-ass Russian submarine being pinecone’d right under his workshop?

Syberia

First game only please, no spoilers beyond that, although I hope to have at least started the sequel by the time the collection goes live. I just liked it so much that I had to request it… I like the mood of this world, how it feels weird to Kate but not too weird, and I like to imagine that her New York, too, was a little more fanciful than the one we know. The train, too, is a wonderful setting and always a joy to go back to. So I would ask for any kind of scene taking place on the train or focused on the train. Any character or platonic combination of characters – Oscar and Kate have an established odd friendship that I adore, they’re both fascinating characters in their own right and Oscar gets no solo focus while Kate’s more introspective moments are tied to her phone calls and her old life in NY, so I think there’s fertile ground for more fannish explorations. And Helena! Oh how I loved Helena. Did she and Kate bond during her trip? What kind of shenanigans could they be up to? Or what about Helena and Oscar, how does talking to a second automaton change her perception of both of them?

The Last Remnant

I love how distinct all these characters managed to be thanks to their battle quotes, their red bubble dialogues, and even their unique stat (‘authority’ is a natural fit for David but 'romance’ tells me something new about Sibal!). I fell in love with the overall feeling of this weird setting and especially with these characters, so I’m mostly asking for fic that explores their personalities, with a sprinkle of worldbuilding if you feel like it, or art that shows them living their daily lives.

Any and all Qsiti: just give me the deets on Qsiti worlduilding and I’ll be a happy camper. I ship these three very much but I’m also invested in their friendship and in each of them as a singular character. The fact that Pagus is a goddamn catch is one of my favorite things, and he can be a smart cookie with any of the other smart cookies in the party, or be a history buff with Glenys, or tutor Yuniver. Proud, paranoid chatterbox Maddox entrenched in his cover-up stories, finding it hard to stop being a spy and relax, maybe spending time with someone very simple, like Sheryl, or a very different kind of fellow veteran like Roberto. Self-assured Sibal who probably knows a lot about the mysteries of the underground world and is also the most romantic soul out of the entire cast, talking volcanoes with Paris or discussing the Rainbow Bond with Haruko? If you also like all three of them, either as old friends or as a ship, who of them comes up with what excuse to reconnect again now that Remnants are no more, or do they drop all pretenses and admit they just want to make up for lost time?

David: The outstanding cinnamon roll who accomplished so much, but at what cost :( I’m interested in post-canon for him, adjusting to a life without remnants - how did it feel to be bound to one or two of them anyway, and what’s it like without, and suddenly knowing you’ll be the first Nassau in who knows how long who’ll reach old age? - and without Rush. Speaking of whom, I’m cool with the ship and I love Rush’s role in the plot but I mostly didn’t connect with how Rush himself was actually written, so if you want to write him in I’d like a much bigger focus on his supernatural nature, how he was a strange boy with a good heart (Things Unchangeable meant so much to me!) who ignored human social conventions because he was not in fact human. If you wanna do a “Rush comes back” reunion fic, romantic or not, I’d like it to be more than a decade into the future and with emphasis on Rush’s Remnant nature. Back to David, who otoh is very much entrenched in human social conventions, I’d like to see him find support and friendship even outside his trusted Generals. I’d be interested in seeing him get closer to any unique leader you might like, I can easily see half the characters absolutely adoring him sooner or later. From the Duke of Ghor to Roberto, to sweet Zolean who knows what it’s like to lose someone dear and hope he comes back, or Rhagoh & Remnant Kate, or Paris or Jager or, eventually, even Allan…

Kate: identity shenanigans and characters who are not real in the conventional sense are always a fave topic of mine and Kate delivers. Is she still around after the Remnant that created her disappeared? Yes? No? Somewhere in between? Does she feel freed by this new development? In trying to find her own sense of self separate from Rhagoh’s, who does she reach out to?

Zolean: just give my boy something nice. Some extended closure. A found family who loves him. Someone to talk military strategies with. A pupil. Someone who knows the deepest roads of Siebenbur. A boyfriend. All of the above. This fish is too nice and too sad, please help him.

Twin Peaks

I figured Trick or Treat would be the best exchange to have a snowball’s chance in Hell of getting fanworks about the secondary characters of TPTR, so, here goes… I like the whole canon, books included, and the whole cast up to and including James, so feel free to add whomever your fanwork idea may require, nominated or not.

Cyril Pons: after he got unceremoniously booted from TV and had to adapt to living at the trailer park, what’s he like? Is he still a journalist at heart, has he ever walked into something news-worthy in the woods? Is he chummy with other good folks who like to venture into the woods (Hawk, Margaret etc)? Did the internet offer him new opportunities like it did Jacoby? How Mark Frost-like is he?

Freddie Sykes: used by supernatural forces beyond our comprehension, being made to kill a man and ? dissolve ? a demon, and then discarded like a, well, used glove,  what’s next for One-Punch Brit? I’m interested in little surreal scenarios that could occur because of his glove and also any kind of bonding with other folks in town. We only see him with James, but if he’s here to stay, he’s gotta meet more people! Maybe he hits it off with Wally? The baseline for me would be that this glove is cool but also a responsibility, a disability, and has already packed quite some trauma on the guy.

Marjorie Green: Right off the bat, I thought she was adorable. I still think that and, after seeing people jokingly call her “the Dog Lady”, I noticed a few parallels between her and the more widely known Log Lady. Marjorie is another version of Margaret, the color green appears to be connected to the connections between worlds, and little Armstrong did tell her something that only he could perceive, jumpstarting the whole Buckhorn plot. Therefore: what other strange happenings did this unlikely duo stumble into? What does Marjorie see that we do not?

Maggie Brown: oh look it’s the Mandatory Sensible Person at the Sheriff’s station. Or is she? We don’t know much except that she looks so cool and sensible and I love her. Does she hang out with Andy and Lucy? What’s her relationship with the sheriffs? What about Chad? What weird things does she get to listen to through those headphones?

Jesse Holcomb: the yin to Maggie’s yang, this is still a request for Sheriff’s Station shenanigans but he’s the weirdo of the new crop and I love him. What the hell was that about… everything about him, really? Does he just appear at crime scenes out of seemingly nowhere? What???

Wally Brando: the king. Just give me anything Wally. Wally being Wally with Lucy and Andy being Lucy and Andy. Harry godfathering him and getting him into the whole Marlon Brando aesthetic (or Andy and Lucy themselves, heck, they’re the ones who named him that). Young Wally vs young Richard. Wally crossing through worlds on his cool motorcycle. Frank who just does. not. get. him. but Harry says he’s a good kid so he rolls with it. Wally being otherworldly cool in general.

Monica Bellucci: I’m equally down with “that dream was a spirit – maybe even Phil - communicating with Gordon by wearing a Monica Bellucci mask because beautiful women are all he understands” and “actual Monica Bellucci was a spirit all along. That’s just how things are”. Or any other even more ridiculous contextualization of that scene. The more batshit scenarios narrated with a completely straight face the better. Where does she hang out, and with whom? What were Gordon’s other Monica Bellucci dreams like?

[junker-town]

Which NFL player would you name a food after?

It’s the offseason and we’re hungry.

Sports and food are two of the best things in the world. When you combine the names of NFL players with meals, you have a delicious and well-named masterpiece.

SugarFire Smokehouse in St. Louis recently unveiled a burger called the “Reuben Foster.” It is a house burger, with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut hash, pastrami, caramelized onion, and a special sauce. Sounds good, right?

The burger inspired us to make our own creations, naming them after various NFL players, coaches, and even mascots. We apologize in advance for the appetite you’re about to have after reading this post.

Aaron Rodgers: Dairy-free “Kale Mary” smoothie

A year ago, Rodgers fessed up to the biggest cardinal sin any Wisconsinite can commit: He cut dairy from his diet. At the time, he said he did for his health reasons, and his new diet — "more of a vegan diet with some red meat at times and some chicken" — sounded obnoxiously Tom Brady-esque.

Recently, Rodgers clarified that “irritable bowels” is why he really went dairy-free. And man, that stinks for him, but is also a valid reason. No one wants the constant tummy rumbles or runs to the bathroom (or scatological jokes at your expense).

Rodgers’ commitment to watching what he eats as he enters his mid-30s is admirable, though. So let him have his kale and eat it too: add some almond milk, a couple of fruits and vegetables, NFL-regulated protein powder, and voila, the Hail Mary king has his own belly-friendly smoothie.

Matt Ryan: Matty Ice light beer

It’s safe to assume the Falcons quarterback could use a beer after what was a rough Super Bowl LI loss. So what better than a Matty Ice? It’s cool, crisp, and aged a long and painful 25 weeks to perfection.

Tyrann Mathieu: Honey Badger honey cake

Mathieu got his Honey Badger nickname from the animal. Honey badgers are mean as hell and they’ll eat anything. They’re true omnivores. Its formal name, mellivora capensis, means “honey eater of the Cape,” meaning the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. We also think that Mathieu wouldn’t mind being the eater of the cake that we’re naming after him.

J.J. Watt: 99-Watt energy drink

Watts are a unit of power, and Watt is an explosive and energetic player out on the football field, whether you find it to be genuine or not.

Watt’s drink would be made out of the most ridiculous and stereotypical ingredients that any meathead would have in his smoothie/drink/shake. Raw eggs (with the shells), any mixture of fruit and vegetables, all while being chugged straight out of the blender.

Ezekiel Elliott: Cinnamon Toast Crunch “Feed me” fried ice cream

We know Zeke loves cereal:

Like, probably more than you love your kids:

And we know Cinnamon Toast Crunch has been one of his favorites for years:

Should I eat frosted flakes , fruit loops, or cinnamon toast crunch???

— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) February 5, 2014

No one is ever too old to enjoy a lil CT Crunch, but at a certain age, it becomes less acceptable to chow down on it in public. There’s an easy fix for that, and it’s very Texas: fry it, add some ice cream, and sell it at a food truck.

Myles Garrett: “Myles to go before I sheep” taco

Hopefully Garrett gets the opportunity to open his own Fuego Tortilla Grill franchise in Cleveland. Not only would it be the first location in the Midwest, it’d be Fuego’s first location outside of Texas. And such a milestone deserves its own signature dish. The fresh home-made flour tortilla, chipotle cream corn, and pico de gallo can stay, but Garrett earns the right to be the namesake for Fuego’s lamb taco debut.

Alex Mack: Mackaroni and cheese

Much like the Falcons’ center is the best player along Atlanta’s offensive line, macaroni and cheese is a dependable comfort food. Enjoy it with a nice, cold Matty Ice.

Drew Brees: Dink and Dunkin’ Donut

The Saints’ quarterback is a budding restauranteur, and he’s part of an effort to bring 69 Dunkin’ Donuts stores to Louisiana, which is nice. It’s only fitting that one of the donuts they offer would be named after the guy who brought home the Lombardi Trophy after the 2009 season.

Tom Brady: Super Bowl MVPizza

The closest thing Brady has had to an arch-rival in his unparalleled NFL career is Peyton Manning, a man who brought 30 Papa John’s shops to Denver when he left Indianapolis. Based on their final Super Bowl ring counts, Brady is destined to open 75 of his own gross, artisanal, vegan, gluten-free pizza chains throughout New England.

We already know the four-time Super Bowl MVP marks out for avocado ice cream and has never tasted a strawberry in his life. Brady’s pizza would have the kind of health benefits that allows 39-year-old men to post MVP-caliber seasons. It would also taste like lawn clippings sprinkled over Saltines.

Rob Gronkowski: Gronk’s MonsterClear Brotein shake

Bro. Bro

The perfect way to cool down after a workout and pre-game at the same time is a protein shake mixed with Monster and Everclear.

Glen Coffee: Coffee Americano

His item can’t just be some coffee. And it needs to be stronger than a Caffe Americano. Sure, both will energize you and give you a jumpstart to your day, but Glen’s Coffee Americano would give you more than that, with an extra shot of espresso ... and patriotism.

Coffee retired from the NFL to join the U.S. Army to become a paratrooper. His extra espresso drink will give you the same motivation to do something of greater meaning, as well as the energy to kick some butt while doing it.

Now, he’s making a comeback. Time for some shots!

Andrew Luck: Luck of the Irish oatmeal

It should be no surprise that Andrew Luck is a big fan of oatmeal. Sure, it sounds like it’s the breakfast equivalent of going to the dentist, but that’s only to those too unrefined to realize just how versatile and flavorful oatmeal can be.

But Luck knows. From a 2013 interview with The Indianapolis Star:

Q: You're a sponsor of Quaker Oats. Do you have a favorite oatmeal recipe?

A: "I eat a lot of oatmeal anyway. But every morning, I get an omelet and I get fruit, oatmeal and I put yogurt on my oatmeal, which is sort of weird. But there is this recipe I like with honey roasted maple pecans, bananas (on oatmeal) and that's pretty good. But I don't do that every day. It's too much to do on a daily (basis)."

Now that’s a savory — and healthy — start to the day. Oatmeal will never be the sexiest meal, but whether you use quick, rolled, or steel-cut (aka Irish) oats, it’s always one of the most reliable.

Ben Roethlisberger: Big Bean soup

What, you were thinking a burger? Cliche. Soup isn’t just great, but it also helps you feel better when you’re dealing with the aches and pains of a bad cold. Roethlisberger knows a little bit about aches; he’s missed five starts the past two seasons while playing through injury in the back halves of each year.

Bill O’Brien: Potatoes O’Brien breakfast taco

Breakfast tacos don’t have to be complicated, but the best ones usually offer more than just eggs, cheese, and a tortilla. Bacon, chorizo, brisket, beans if you’re vegetarian, or all of the above if you’re really not; avocado if you don’t want to buy a house one day; and, of course, potatoes.

Throw in some diced peppers and onions, and those potatoes suddenly become Potatoes O’Brien. If that all sounds messy, then it’s perfect for Bill O’Brien. Just look at the quarterback situations he’s had to deal with since becoming the Texans’ head coach.

Vince Wilfork: Wilforkin’ Good Ribs

We’ll let Wilfork explain this one:

Bust a move, barbecue style. You better join me + @Kingsford and #StandWithRibs #Sponsored http://pic.twitter.com/8sn0EdLgFR

— Vince Wilfork (@wilfork75) May 17, 2017

Kirk Cousins: “You Like That?” Early Bird Special

Kirk Cousins used to drive his grandma’s conversion van to his job with the Washington football team and park it among the BMWs and Bentleys. He also thinks staying up until 10:30 is “late.”

It only seems fitting that he’d have an early bird special named after him. Cousins would most certainly like that.

Blue, the Colts mascot: Blue’s berry pie

There’s nothing quite like a wholesome blueberry pie. Blue is arguably the best mascot in the NFL, and might be inclined to throw that pie in your face.

It’s better than him humping it, though.

[consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis]

7 Gluten Free Sources of Vegan Protein (That Aren't Tofu)

New blog post! Vegan. Plant-based. Flexitarian. Whatever you call it, eating less meat and more plant-based protein is in. In fact, one 2016 study found that 55 percent of Americans wanted to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet that year. And, as those who follow my Instagram have probably realized, I'm one of them.

While I still sometimes eat meat and don't worry about sticking to a strict "vegan" diet with baked goods or processed foods, I've enjoyed experimenting with more vegan protein. The only problem? Tofu and I...well, we don't get along (in taste or my body's reaction to it). What's a girl to do? Find other ways to get protein, of course!

Today, I thought I'd share my top seven favorite sources of vegan protein - that aren't tofu! Ready to dive in? Just have a bib on hand! 1. Banza Pasta First off, I had to share one of my favorite gluten free pastas lately: Banza. I first discovered this brand when a box was included in my monthly Love With Food delivery (PSA: if you've never heard of Love With Food, check out my in-depth reviews here and here!). More recently, Banza contacted me about receiving free products in return for a review...and, of course, I couldn't type "yes" quick enough. 

Banza pasta is actually pasta made mostly of chickpeas, which means it's an A+ source of protein. In fact, one-fourth a cup of their rotini pasta (the kind I received) boasts 14 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. My favorite part, though, is the flavor. Compared to my typical rice pasta, Banza tastes a lot heartier. It holds up well when baked in my slow cooker mac n' cheese or just boiled on the stove top (which only takes 8-10 mins - score!).

Banza = bumpin' up the flavors!

As you could probably guess, my fave way to enjoy Banza is in vegan mac n' cheese with my homemade cheese sauce. However, it also tastes delish with pesto, spinach and extra chickpeas (got your protein, bro?) or even tossed in a salad. There really are as many options as there are Banza shapes! 2. Chia Seeds If I had to list the foods I always eat everyday, chia seeds would be at the top of the list. True, I had never heard of chia seeds before my celiac diagnosis, but once I met Mamma Chia, I've never looked back. 

Chia seeds respectively provide more omega-3, antioxidants, calcium, potassium, protein and fiber than salmon, blueberries, milk, bananas, soy beans and flax seeds. Basically chia seeds prove that good things come in small packages. I always throw in one or two tablespoons of chia seeds into my batch of smoothies. This not only bumps up the protein, but also makes my smoothies even thicker - just how I like 'em!

Chia seeds are also a MUST if you're cravin' thick and fluffy (oatless) oatmeal. The chia seeds expand and suck up the moisture, giving your oatmeal a lot of volume even if you use the same amount of ingredients as usual. Chia seeds are also a secret weapon for vegan baking, especially if you're allergic to flax seeds like I am. Instead of an egg, you can mix together one tablespoon of ground chia seeds with three tablespoons of water, as seen in my paleo and vegan pancakes.

My fave pancakes...

Chia seeds may not sound the most appetizing and, whenever my sister sees me eating them she still says, "You're going to grow a chia pet in your stomach!" But, really, chia seeds are as delicious as they are versatile for a gluten free, plant based chef.

3. All the beans! I've written about the magic of beans before, but this post wouldn't be complete without mentioning them as a source of vegan protein. When I first started eating beans, my stomach was not a fan (and I think you can fill in the blanks on what I'm talking about). However, I kept eating just small amounts of beans along with small amounts of meat/fish, and my stomach slowly adapted. 

Since I seem to be sensitive to fodmaps, I still have to watch how much I eat of certain bean types beans like chickpeas. However, I love trying out new ways to get my protein. As I've shared on my Instagram, my latest addiction is smashed black beans with potatoes and chips (for some killer creaminess and crunch).

My latest love...

One pro tip: you can also freeze your beans if, like me, you don't eat cans at a time (now that would be dangerous). Simply distribute your beans equally in a sealed plastic bag and freeze them in a layer. This let's you break off a chunk of beans and defrost just that portion whenever you like! It also keeps the beans from going bad, which saves money in the long run. Talk about a win/win. 4. YoFiit Nutritional Bars When you hear the phrase "protein bars," you probably don't think of "vegan" right after. While there are certainly plenty of bars relying on whey or other dairy/animal-based proteins, though, vegan protein bars are becoming more common. 

Recently, YoFiit reached out to me to try their new vegan (gluten free, nut free and soy free) nutritional bars. I immediately loved their ingredient list, which includes items like oats, quinoa, pea protein, cacao, and goji berries - all while offering 7 to 15 grams of protein, around 12 grams of fiber and added probiotics! I also like that they sell three different "types": a lemon coconut protein bar, an apple cinnamon morning fibre bar and a choco goji midday energy bar. Admittedly, these weren't as tasty as some of the other bars I've tried. The lemon coconut bar seemed to have a medicinal aftertaste, and the cacao goji is an acquired taste because of the bitter dark cacao. The apple cinnamon is my hands-down fave - which came as a huge surprise since I'm usually not a big apple girl!

In smoothies and granola!

As for how to use, you don't have to simply eat the bars whole! In fact, I hardly ever do that unless they're my emergency snack as I'm out running errands. Instead, I like crumbling the bars on my morning smoothie bowl or my nightly yogurt parfait for an extra hit of protein. You can even use protein bars as the secret ingredient to baked goods like homemade granola or my chocolate mug cake. Your loved ones won't even be able to tell that you snuck extra protein into their treat!  

5. Nuts and seeds Speaking of snacks, nuts and seeds are perhaps the easiest way to snack on plant based protein. While all nuts and seeds provide a degree of protein, some superstars include:

Pumpkin seeds - 28.8 grams of protein per 100 grams of seeds

Peanuts - 24.4 grams of protein per 100 grams

Pistachios - 21 grams of protein per 100 grams

Almonds - 21.2 grams of protein per 100 grams

Sunflower seeds - 19.3 grams of protein per 100 grams

As my Instagram followers know, I'm also a huge fan of nut and seed butters (I mean, who isn't?!?), ranging from sunbutter to cashew butter. They all offer varying amounts of protein, so eat what tastes best to you! 

Now, the more interesting part: how to eat them. For a savory meal, you can turn whatever nuts or seeds you have into a pesto (like with my Seed-Stuffed Pesto). If you combined this with a serving of Banza pasta - bam! Protein = met. My favorite way of eating nuts and seeds, though, will always be trail mix and homemade granola.

Pesto + roasted potato wedges = <3

Trail mix is an easy food you can take anywhere and enjoy anytime. You can also customize it to your taste buds (my personal favorite: cashews + sunflower and pumpkin seeds + shredded coconut + dried pineapple and raisins). As for granola, well, my various recipes reflect how completely addicted I am. You can sprinkle granola on smoothies or yogurt, eat it as a cereal or simply scoop it from the bag (pairing it with nut butter for even more protein)! When dessert can be healthy, the world truly is a better (delicious) place... 6. Quinoa and Buckwheat Now, both of these function as grains but are actually seeds - making them delicious, protein-packed alternatives to rice. In particular, quinoa offers 4.4 grams of protein per 100 grams (along with high levels of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and folate) while buckwheat boasts 3.4 grams of protein as well as plenty of manganese, magnesium, and copper. 

Quinoa and buckwheat are also super versatile. You can buy quinoa flakes and buckwheat flakes, which are epic oatmeal alternatives. I used to eat quinoa flakes (upgraded with a variety of fruits, but butters and trail mix) for breakfast every morning. My mom, meanwhile, is still happily riding the buckwheat-flake train, eating a simple bowl of microwaved buckwheat flakes, banana, cinnamon and honey every morning.

No description needed...

You can also eat quinoa and buckwheat in savory forms, cooking them on the stove top and using them on top of salads or as the base of a stir fry or pilaf. You can also grind the grains into flour for baked goods like my pancakes or veggie-loaded pizza. And, since basically everything can go into granola, you can also toss raw buckwheat groats or quinoa into your granola batter. 7. Spirulina

Finally, last but not least, spirulina - which is also the highest source of plant based protein today. As I've written before, spirulina is actually an algae. However, this is one algae you do want to see in your food: spirulina is composed 60 to 70% of protein and offers high amounts of calcium, niacin, potassium, magnesium and iron.  

Compared to the other ingredients on this list, I definitely would not suggest eating spirulina straight. The taste isn't awful (in my opinion), but it's definitely a lil' funky. Instead, try to sneak in teaspoons of spirulina wherever you can. Add a small spoonful to your smoothie, which will not only boost the protein but also create a gorgeous green color. 

When "ice cream" = plant based protein, life is good!

You can also mix spirulina into your yogurt, (oatless) oatmeal, chia seed pudding or bliss balls/banana bombs. Just remember that less is more (because it's better to get some spirulina than add so much, you can't even eat what you created!), and add more according to taste. While spirulina's health benefits are probably best when left uncooked, you can also experiment with spirulina in baking. 

Sure, sometimes cooking with plant-based protein is harder than just grilling a steak. However, vegan protein can be just as delicious - and easy to use - as meat once you know what sources to look for and how to get creative in the kitchen. 

And if you're ever craving a protein-packed breakfast that isn't eggs...just remember that you can't go wrong with a spirulina smoothie bowl topped with granola, chia seeds and nut butter! 

*I received products from Banza and YoFiit in return for an honest review. However, all opinions, recipes and photographs are my own.*

What's your favorite way to eat your protein? What plant based proteins do you enjoy? Help me get inspired by commenting below! 

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