#tim can cook eggs and boil water

[hurricanebreeze]

Batfamily Cooking Headcanons

I was thinkin about it, so have some Batfamily cooking headcanons. They are as detailed as I could get them and in age order. I also included Steph and Barbara, even though they aren't in the main seven.

Alfred - The family cook and the best cook in the family. He distrusts American processed foods because he knows that many of the more chemical ingedients have been banned in Europe, but he deals (and gets as much food imported from Europe as is practical).

Bruce - Has a very mismatched set of cooking skills. He can sort of cook... on a camping stove or a campfire. He can cook beans and boil water. However, he cannot use an oven, nor a microwave, and his knowledge of spice or baking is nonexistant.

Barbara - Can cook. She knows the basics as she learned growing up, so she didn't have to buy takeout every time her dad was working late. Her dad would've been fine with the takeout, however as she became Batgirl, she became very aware of the nutrition needed for vigilante and decided to learn instead. Admittedly, she fell into using microwaves a bit more as Oracle, especially before her flat was adapted, but once her kitchen was adapted, she was relieved to go back to cooking properly as she hadn't realised how much cooking was a hobby for her until it was blocked by inaccessibility.

Dick - Can cook. He has the basics down, as Alfred forced him to learn how to boil an egg and put something in the oven, and a few learned recipes, some learned from his early childhood. He takes comfort in cooking for other people, especially when it's a recipe he learned because he grew up with it. However, if he's on his own and doesn't have anyone to cook for, he is not cooking. He'd rather have something microwaved or some cereal, and he is the king of nutriotionally balanced cereal.

Jason - Second best cook in the family. He spent a lot of time in the kitchen with Alfred between being adopted and dying and most of that time was learning how to cook creatively. Even if he can't be bothered to cook, there are probably leftovers in his fridge. He had some skills before then from having to cook for his mom, but when he started learning from Alfred he was pleasantly surprised to find he enjoyed the process, so it became more of a hobby than a survival skill.

Cass - Queen of snacks. She can cook, don't get me wrong, because Alfred taught her, but she much prefers snacking throughout the day. She often learns new recipes for more variety in her snacking, because sometimes it's nice to have an onigiri instead of a sandwich or put together a really nice charcuterie board with homemade butter. Her snackboards are usually also great for her to eat while training or dancing because it isn't too much and can sometimes remind her she's human, not a weapon, when she gets in her head.

Steph - Can cook. She knows how to make a healthy and cheap balanced meal, but the most she goes beyond is for sweet treats. For her cooking was a survival skill, especially after her dad was finally in jail. Baking and desserts, on the other hand, she enjoys making. She often bakes for friends, family, and herself, and sometimes learns new recipes to try with Cass. While she was pregnant, especially in the late term, baking simple things like cupcakes was one of the hobbies she still felt like she had the energy to do and helped take her mind off of it, even though she had to sit while stirring.

Tim - Can cook. He knows how to make a healthy balanced meal, he lived alone long enough as a teen to know. However, he cannot go beyond that. Alfred tried to teach him a couple of times in the early days of Robin, but it simply didn't go in and after a few too many faraway looks after he burned something he decided that maybe it was time to stop trying. He, canonically, has the worst taste of the family though, so no one asks him to cook anyway.

Duke - Can cook. His parents taught him basic cooking skills and he enjoys going beyond and playing with spices. He's a bit nervous of joining Alfred in the kitchen as first, but eventually he learns that most of the others have found similar solace in spending time cooking with him, so he starts to join too. He also happens to have a cookbook his parents had stashed in their kitchen, even if they didn't use it while they were still at home, so he sometimes spends time learning the recipes from that.

Damian - Has a very mismatched set of cooking skills. Similarly to his dad, Damian learned a very strange set of cooking skills. He cannot use an oven or a microwave but he can appreciate Alfred's kettle for its practicality in a tea-centric household. He can, however, make a relatively simple meal on a camping stove, beyond what Bruce can make on a camping stove. He does occasionally allow Alfred or one of the other cooking-competant family members to teach him a skill every now and then though.

[vegan-mre-meals-ea47tpx6]

INSIDE MRE MEALS

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[everlywell-net-worth-z7xli]

VEGAN MRE MEALS

At the extremely last, make sure you have a lot of additional water on hand. The American Red Cross advises that you have a three-day supply for possible evacuation situations and a two-week supply for house usage. To put it simply, for situations where you might be stuck at house without any power or other comparable emergency situation situations, you ought to have adequate food to feed everybody in your family 3 meals each day for 2 weeks. Due to the fact that of this, it's smart to have additional water and a pot for boiling on hand, too. The CDC advises storing a minimum of one gallon of water per person in your family each day for 3 days in your family. A two-week supply is even better, if possible, and bear in mind that ill or pregnant individuals will require more, as will those in hotter environments. Whether a sledding lover, devoted hiker, or experienced angler, there is an adventure-seeking pet dog out there for everybody. Nevertheless, not ... Whatever from natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons, to supply chain unpredictability, international conflict, and even inflation. You might say that we live in uncertain times, however we have actually always resided in uncertain times. Even a a century ago a family wouldn't go into winter without adequate food to see them through, though we consistently awaken one day without adequate food on hand to make dinner. The finest type of emergency situation food supply depends not just on your family's needs however also on the type of emergency situation. Is this a short-term emergency situation like a short-term power interruption that disrupts cooking, or a long-lasting emergency situation where you'll be without materials or services for days or weeks at a time? The very first consideration for the majority of people, will this emergency situation food supply adequate calories to fuel your body? The typical person needs 2,000 calories when not active, however as much as 3,500 calories during times of tension and effort. Here are a few of the choices: (25+ Year Rack Life) (Meals Prepared to Consume) (Beans, rice, etc) (Dried milk, dried eggs, canned butter, etc) (Home Canned or store-bought) I'll take you through the advantages and disadvantages of each, one by one. For the majority of people that do not prepare regularly and are utilized to benefit food, freeze-dried food is the ideal service. https://veganmremeals154.blogspot.com/2022/08/vegan-mre-meals.html my patriot supply owner my patriot supply vs readywise glenn beck discount code my patriot supply tim pool my patriot supply code https://houseshoesforwomen.blogspot.com/ https://houseshoesforwomen.blogspot.com/2022/08/house-shoes-for-women.html https://weddingphotographerwolverhamp874.blogspot.com/ https://weddingphotographerwolverhamp874.blogspot.com/2022/08/wedding-photographer-wolverhampton.html https://deliciouskoalaphantom.tumblr.com/post/693467275742822400/wedding-photographer-walsall

[jaydickincorrect]

Tim, on the phone with Jason: he’s in the kitchen again…

Dick, reading a recipe: “beat three eggs.” In what? Hand to hand combat?

Jason: GET. HIM. OUT.

[aromanthur-lester]

The Archival staff and cooking — headcanons

Jon — he absolutely can cook, he just doesn’t. He doesn’t have time, he doesn’t have energy and he doesn’t think it’s worth it. He also doesn’t think it’s interesting enough to share, so that one time during Martin’s stay at the archives he brings Martin some food Martin asks him, where he bought it, so he just answers, casually: “oh, I made it”. Martin almost chokes to death. They don’t speak to each other for the next week.

Martin — he has some cooking abilities, but he’s not a great chef. He vaguely remembers that before his mum started completely hating him he used to spend a lot of time with her in the kitchen. She did not teach him much, but every time he goes into the kitchen he gets sentimental anyway. So if you want scrambled eggs or toast, he’s your man.

Tim — he’s... surprisingly good at cooking. Like, really good. Really good. Every time the archival assistants want to go out for dinner it’s always the question of whether they should go to a fancy expensive restaurant or just let Tim cook something and they always choose the latter. He can cook strange dishes from various cultures, complicated desserts and all other hard shit and the only times he ever burns something is when he’s goofing around to make Sasha laugh, because he loves to see her laugh and forgets even about cooking when he knows how to make her happy. He started cooking less and less in season 2 to the point where at the end of season 3 he doesn’t even remember to eat lunch. Martin really misses his food.

Sasha — if you give her a cookbook, she can cook quite well. Sometimes Tim shows her how to do something, sometimes she tries new recipes herself, but she’s not confident enough in her skills to actually improvise. When Not!Sasha replaced her she stopped cooking whatsoever and didn’t spend any time with Tim in the kitchen anymore.

Basira — she might be able to cook something, but she does not enjoy it. She might cook some pasta from time to time or maybe a pancake or two, but she usually just makes herself a sandwich and then has some takeout for dinner if she remembers.

Melanie — almost burned the kitchen three times. One time was obviously on purpose, because Jon was there talking with Elias, but the other two were just a misuse of kitchen equipment. She adds water to boiling oil, she uses mixer on a plate, she eats pasta straight from the box, she is Invincible.

Elias — he doesn’t know where his kitchen is.

[sunflowersseemhappy]

hi!! so glad your requests are open again- can I get modern main six picking mc up from the airport after a long and tiring trip? ty 💖

Hi to you too anon, I’m glad my requests are back open too! I hope you like, I quite enjoyed this little scenario and I’ve got requests for a Modern AU so more of this is coming!

REQUESTS ARE OPEN and here is my Masterlist!

Asra

Always on time, Asra says it’s because he has ‘magic powers’.

In reality he just has the app that tells him when your planes land.

Likes to sneak up on you outside the gates, but his white as always hair  generally makes him stand out.

If he’s able to he’ll grab your bags before you’re through the gate and you find him sitting on the large suitcase with that fox-like smirk after he texts “Behind you! 😜” to your phone.

Standing up and opening his arms as you slouch into them and give him a tired kiss as he lifts you up so your toes are off the floor.

He usually pulls your chin up to give you another lingering kiss on your lips before picking up your bags.

He updates you on any news on the way to his car, opening the door for you and then lugging the bags into the trunk.

When he’s sitting in the car too Asra will lean over and give you another lingering kiss as he pops the glove compartment open.

Handing you your favourite snack and drink as well as popping in your favourite music CD or radio station.

On the car ride home Asra is either rubbing your knee or holding your hand at every possible second, talking about the new recipe he found for pumpkin bread and how Faust managed to escape her tank again.

His smooth chatter lulls you to sleep every time, that, and the jet lag.

Now that he expects it Asra has a nice warm pile of blankets and pillows to snuggle up in every time, cradling you in his arms as he lies back and enjoys the sound of your soft snores.

He doesn’t mean to but he usually falls asleep too, often times he finds the escaped Faust nestled up on his chest when the two of you wake.

You find it pretty funny how friendly that little snake is toward Asra, and how much she likes cuddles, but you can’t really complain.

Asra’s cuddles are the best.

Nadia

Usually on time, although her day job sometimes makes her a bit late.

She’ll text you all the same to tell you when she’s on her way or there.

Nadia usually waits by the exits to the airport for two reasons:

a) its hard to find her way in crowds (especially given she’s been on a few magazine covers) and...

b) she wouldn’t get to hold up the sign near the taxi drivers that says “love of my life” for you to find her (you get a few stares and giggles but it is pretty cute).

As you go up to her Nadia will loop her arm around yours and help you carry the bags with a vivid smile, asking how the journey went, etc...

Once the two of you have packed up the car Nadia will loop her arms around your neck and give you a long smooch on the cheek, giggling at the mark her lipstick leaves.

Rubbing it off with her thumb she’ll beckon you to get in the car and depending on what you want to do or what time it is Nadia will ask you if you want to go get a massage, or go to a restaurant.

Most of the time you shrug, wherever Nadia is you’ll be happy, although you really fancy some of your favourite take out food (think KFC/McDonalds/Chinese).

But whatever you want Nadia obliges with a wink and a kiss as you rumble down the roads in her car.

Afterwards when you’re yawning so wide Nadia jokes you could swallow an orange whole she takes you home where the two of you chat over your take out and joke over strange happenings.

Outside the owl Nadia has named Chandra watches your shadows by the window.

Then the two of you watch a movie, it doesn’t take long until you are asleep, snoozing against Naida’s chest as she fiddles with your hair and thinks about the meeting she has in the next hour.

She can cancel, this moment with you is much more important.

Julian

Julian is always late, every single time, but not overly so.

He’s never been more than an hour late, but night shifts are tough on him so you don’t really mind.

Its a good time to grab some coffee and sort out any missed calls on the flight whilst waiting for him. Free Wi-Fi is a god-send in airports.

Just as you’re about to check up with Julian on the phone, a tall lanky man, all too familiar pulls out a chair and slumps across the table.

Taking a final sip of your coffee you’d laugh if Julian didn’t look so upset about being late once again.

You just ruffle his hair sympathetically and nod in understanding as he grumbles into the table, dipping your own chin to rest it on the table.

You give him a quick fleeting kiss on the corner of his mouth when he looks up at your silence, face instantly going crimson as you place your hands either side of his face and nod to get out of the airport.

As the ‘gentleman’ he is Julian insists on carrying all your bags, it’s like a game of Tetris (that he’s loosing) as you watch him fumble disastrously with the keys, the truck and the bags.

When he sets aside the suitcase to open the door for you it starts loudly clattering away across the uneven ground and he has to race to save it from getting smashed under another car.

Once the two of you are finally in the car, Julian breathless from running and you breathless from holding back laughter the two of you give each other smiles and snigger between yourselves.

Julian offers you some of his cold coffee on the way back home, which you manage to decline. Thankfully your warm coffee is working just fine.

So much so that when you get back to your little apartment the two of you spend all night in the kitchen, talking, drinking and cooking some successful and not so successful dishes (thankfully the neighbourhood raven Julian has affectionately named Malak is more than happy for the scraps).

Somehow you’re both drunk enough to dance and twirl each other around, lazily kissing until you collapse to the floor leaning against Julian’s shoulder from the exhaustion in your feet.

You wouldn’t have it any other way.

Muriel

Muriel is usually early to the airport, he likes to make sure he can avoid traffic and have Inanna (a wolf dog mix) buckled up to come along. Inanna loves car rides.

And to your memory he has never been late once.

Given his dislike for crowds you usually find him perched on a bench outside the exit scanning the crowd for you and once he sees you his face brightens, then goes red when he realises he made such a face.

Inanna is instantly jumping at your heels as she runs to greet you, almost knocking you off balance as she does so, Muriel is up on his feet steadying you before you know it.

“Inanna missed you... and so did I.”

Your hand slipping into his Muriel leans down so that he can plant a kiss to the top of your head, cheekily you reach around his neck and hug him placing your lips against his with a small smirk.

He turns brighter red, beginning to lead you off to his car, carrying all your bags in one hand and leading along the suitcase in the other.

Once they’re in the trunk you bump into Muriel affectionately, his own smirk plays on his lips as he helps you up into the cab of his pickup, as soon as you’re seated Inanna is trying to lick your face.

As Muriel pushes Inanna off you he offers you some of your favourite seasoned bread and some boiled eggs to snack on as he drives the three of you home.

By the time you’re back home it’s raining and you racing Muriel into the house, you’re pretty sure he let you win but even so the both of you are soaked to the bone.

You spend the evening in your small bathroom, dancing around each other to reach things, somehow the two of you both fit in the tub together and wash each other’s hair.

Leaning back on Muriel in the warm soapy water is enough to make you doze as he combs your hair through his fingers.

Muriel makes you a nice warm meal just before you fall asleep properly in his arms with Inanna laying across the two of you.

You’re home.

Portia

Like her brother Portia is always famously late.

Usually because of her various hobbies and huge workload.

Retreating from the hustle and bustle of the airport you find a nice spot to chill out and flick through your phone, thankfully Portia sent you a text saying she’d be late but was on her way.

Just as you’re finishing a soda, a small Portia-shaped creature tackles you with a squeal of joy, bowling you over into the grass. Jubilantly yelling “you’re back! You’re back, you’re back, you’re back!”

It definitely creates a scene but you don’t much care about that as you hug Portia back, your face burying into her curls.

When you pull back Portia is reeling off all kinds of questions, barely taking a breath in between and not really waiting for your answers, with a roll of your eyes you give Portia a smooch to shut her up.

That triggers her to kiss you a bunch of times all over your face, until you yell for mercy.

The only one of the six who doesn’t drive Portia is glued to you as you ride the buses back home, as if she’s afraid you’ll leave again.

To make up for being late she’s brought you your favourite Starbucks/Costa drink and the two of you sip on them until you finally get home.

Pepi comes to greet you (in a little sweater?) with much meowing and by winding herself through your legs, it takes a lot of bribing with tuna for the cat to leave you be for the evening.

The two of you order in a pizza or two as Portia goes over her new hobby of making cat clothes with Pepi as the model, the cat gives you a miffed look that makes you laugh during the talk.

It takes hours for Portia to tell you what’s been going on and all the latest gossip, so much so that when she finally runs out of things to say you’re fast asleep with a placid smile on your lips.

Portia has god to admit, you’re pretty cute when you’re asleep.

Lucio

On time or late, but never early.

Lucio’s been counting down the seconds till he sees you again, but usually that leads to him getting bored and falling asleep.

That particular day Lucio is on time and it is not hard to miss him...

When he pulls up in his shiny new car (the second in a month) honking his custom horn and yelling your name from the window enthusiastically.

You let out a curt chuckle as he pulls up in the pick up bay and jumps out of his car, hair slicked back and ray-bans on his nose, not at all aware that his car is rolling forwards.

“Um...Lucio!”

“I know, I know, you missed me so much-” His arm comes to circle around your shoulders as he gives you a winning smile. You sigh wearily as the two of you hear a crunch.

“The handbrake is off again.”

Lucio is pouting in the cab of the recovery truck as it tows his car back home you can only comfort him about the loss of his new car.

But he surprises you when he explains that he was going to treat you to dinner at your absolutely favourite restaurant and that’s why he’s upset.

It’s so sweet that you cup his face and plant a kiss to the corner of his mouth, tousling his hair with your hand as you pluck his sunglasses off his face and sit them on your own nose.

Scoffing Lucio moves in to give you a much fiercer kiss, the recovery man clears his throat and you put a finger to Lucio’s lips to make him wait.

When you finally get dropped off and Lucio’s car is taken to the mechanic, you shrug when you get up to the apartment as Mercedes and Melinchor leap at your knees.

You manage to scavenge some microwave popcorn and a dusty wine bottle from the back of the cupboards (Lucio eats out a lot when you’re gone), and the two of you spend the evening watching terrible rom-coms.

Lucio kissing the back of your neck as you lie up against his chest, dozing off from his feather-light kisses.

Lucio only notice’s when you start to snore but despite the disaster of the day so long as you’re around not much can put him down.

Well except when he got a call saying his car was a write off.

[honey-dewey]

Random Dewey Finn headcanons (?) I came up with while eating my breakfast

Before Dewey wanted to be a big rock star, he wanted to be an astronaut. 

His aunt gave him his first guitar for his 10th birthday, thus sparking his love of rock music. 

One of the major reasons he never quit music was because of that aunt. She passed away early, and was constantly the only member of his family that truly believed in him. 

Dewey’s mum was kind of absent, so he was raised primarily by his dad. 

Dewey and Ned met on the first day of high school, and were inseparable for all four years. 

Despite both of them liking both, Dewey likes Star Wars more, while New prefers Star Trek. They have debates of epic proportion over which of these preferences is better. Dewey somehow always wins. 

One of the reasons Ned let Dewey live with him is because Dewey is an amazing cook. He never eats what he makes though. 

His specialty is breakfast foods

While he may be an amazing home cook, he’s an even better baker. 

Dewey is highly sensitive to textures, especially food and fabrics. 

Because of this, he rarely tries new foods, sticking to a decently firm schedule. (He really likes hard boiled eggs) 

It’s also why he likes sweater vests. The actual sweater doesn’t touch his skin, but he can rub his hands up and down the knit when he gets overwhelmed. 

He’s also sensitive to criticism. Along with that, he cries easily. 

After the whole School of Rock incident, Dewey did some quick online classes on teaching. When a music teacher position at Horace Green opened up, he was the first one contacted to fill it. 

During SoR shows, Dewey has a tendency to get very hyped, and this eventually leads to a collapse, usually on the bus ride home. It happened once on stage, where he just went still and quiet all of a sudden and then began to panic. 

All of his kids know exactly what to do during his collapses. 

They made him (yes made him) a stress doll. It weighs about twenty pounds and looks like a panda. They lay it across Dewey’s chest and let him lie down on a blanket. The kids then surround him to make a protective barrier. It’s a very effective method. 

It took almost thirty years for Dewey to get diagnosed with mild autism, anxiety, ADD, and seasonal depression. His mother was a firm believer that mental illness was a hoax. 

He did try and take medication for it, right when he started teaching full-time. It made him nauseous and tired and so unlike himself that he quit after three months, a decision that was fully backed by his students. 

He eventually did go back and get a new prescription for his ADD. It works surprisingly well and doesn’t make him act any less like himself. 

This isn’t even a Headcanon. It’s straight up actual canon from the Broadway.com Stick it to the Man video! Dewey stims! He knocks his wrists together and does the raptor hands! (I don’t think his hands were truly by his side at any point during the entire show) He taps his feet and shakes his hands! His facial expressions are always on 10 and he scronches his face when he’s excited! His head go bop! He’s a stimming Boi!

Also have you ever seen a neurotypical person dress like that? Ever? Nope. Sweater vests and jeans and sneakers (that look like heelys) is not a neurotypical outfit. 

Dewey doesn’t like rainy weather, nor does he like the cold bite of winter. He has a heater and a happy light in his classroom for rainy and/or cold days. 

His favorite season is fall. He really really likes to step on leaves and hear that satisfying crunch. 

Dewey also has a weakened immune system, and is pretty vigilant about his health. He takes vitamins and vitamin D supplements, and yet always ends up with some kind of illness in winter. Despite this, he refuses to get any kind of flu shot. 

Dewey’s list of phobias includes: needles, heights, clowns, and the dark. 

He’s dead terrified of the dentist. Ned has to practically drag him every time. It’s not even that he has poor dental hygiene or has actual odontophobia, he just hates the experience. The combination of strong smells and uncomfortable touches and horrible noises overwhelms him so much. 

For much of the same reasons as his hatred of the dentist, Dewey dreads getting his hair cut. Social interaction mixed with weird feelings on his surprisingly sensitive head and the constant background noise and the hair spray-y smell make it an experience Dewey’s hated since childhood. Now, Ned usually cuts Dewey’s hair because he’s really not picky about how it looks, and Ned knows exactly how to go about the job without causing Dewey to hyperventilate and cry. 

He uses a night light! It’s the fun kind that projects stars on the ceiling. 

Dewey is the king of field trips. He’s always just as eager as the kids to go, and he loves to learn niche facts. His favorite field trip location is the aquarium. 

Dewey quit drinking after his 23rd birthday, when he blacked out and woke up in some random girl’s bed. She promised they didn’t do it, but ever since then, he’s terrified it’ll happen again. 

Speaking of which, Dewey’s a virgin. 

Once, one of Dewey’s female students came to him and said an older man was following her to and from school every day. Dewey was later suspended from work for a week for punching a man and putting him in the hospital. Once they knew why, the school board unanimously decided not to punish him. 

Dewey absolutely insists all of his kids call him Dewey and not Mr. Finn. 

He’s the most supportive teacher in the entire school. He’s got name tags on every desk with each kid’s preferred name and pronouns. When Billy comes out as non-binary, he makes the pronoun switch immediately and puts a beautiful stained glass-esque progress pride flag in one of his windows. 

Someone hatefully vandalized said pride art project and Dewey actually cried. His kids all banded together to make a new one. 

Sometimes, the kids purposefully ask Dewey to sing certain things because his voice gets so damn tender and beautiful, as opposed to the usual bombastic singing they’re used to. (Think like. Some of the 35MM songs) 

Dewey has a routine with his drinks throughout the day. Two cups of coffee in the morning, one at home and one at work. One water bottle before lunch and one after lunch. A Gatorade or some other fitness drink after school, usually during band practice to make up for how sweaty he gets. And one cup of lavender citrus tea with extra honey after dinner. 

He broke his only water bottle about four months into teaching full-time and started to use a plastic one every day. Ned decided that wouldn’t do, and got him a Mandalorian water bottle. Dewey loves it to bits. 

Dewey doesn’t celebrate any one version of a holiday. He’s equal opportunity for any and all holidays, but he grew up Jewish. That doesn’t stop him from helping Ned put up his Christmas tree every year. Nor does it stop him from celebrating Yule with his online friends. 

Despite being Jewish and mainly celebrating their holidays, Dewey loves Christmas music and starts playing it as soon as he can. The kids dare him to hit those ridiculous Mariah Carey high notes in All I Want For Christmas. He does it. 

He also once sang ‘Little Drummer Boy’ to his kids the day before holiday break. He only played his guitar softly and by the time he was done, each and every kid was fast asleep. (He played Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer as well) 

Dewey absolutely collects soft blankets. He has four halloween ones, two Tim Burton ones (a Beetlejuice and a Corpse Bride), eight winter holiday blankets, and three miscellaneous. He brought them all into class once and built a blanket fort to teach his kids about ancient civilization. 

Speaking of which, his teaching methods are unorthodox at best, and at worst downright crazy. But he always teaches and he always makes it memorable. His class has the highest test scores in the school. 

Dewey usually teaches using music or hands on activities. He plays soft background music during every class no matter the circumstances, and said screw the building’s lights and uses primarily lamps and strings of Christmas lights. 

He also kind of forgets that he teaches essentially middle school, and he swears every so often when he’s super passionate. Like when he taught the kids about the US Presidents and called Andrew Jackson a racist bitch and Richard Nixon a lying bastard. 

After getting bullied throughout all of high school, Dewey came to terms with what his body looked like, and now he really doesn’t care. (He did have a lot of fun smashing the scale his mother got him for his birthday once) 

Dewey was supposed to teach his kids about mental illness for a suicide prevention thing the school did, but got about halfway through before he had a breakdown and the kids declared the rest of the day a bust. They watched cute animated movies instead of learning for the rest of the school day. 

Speaking of animated movies, Dewey really loves Studio Ghibli. 

The first time one of his kids called him ‘Dad’ he cried. Then they kept doing it and now he’s had to accept that he’s basically a father to about 30 11-year-olds. 

If you ask any kid in the school who their favorite teacher is, they will not hesitate to answer ‘Mr. Finn.’ Even if they aren’t in his class, he’s their favorite. 

Dewey’s classroom is always open for lunch. It’s quiet and calm, usually with a movie going in the background. 

He also stays after school for about an hour every day, helping kids with homework. He hates math with a passion but that didn’t stop him from trying to figure out Katie’s math homework with her. 

Even at home, Dewey cannot stand the quiet. He either has his headphones on or the radio going. Silence just isn’t an option. 

Dewey once got pneumonia and tried to come in to work anyway. The kids made him go home. He didn’t really put up much of a fight. 

The first instrument Dewey ever learned to play was the piano. He started to learn when he was super young, and that was how he learned how to read music. His kids didn’t even know he knew how to play until they walked in on him practicing one day. 

Dewey says ‘fuck gender roles’ and wears the girl’s skirts to a few SoR concerts. He likes the way it makes his legs look. 

Some jerk parents constantly tried to get Dewey in trouble for months because they didn’t like him and thought he wasn’t ‘high class’ enough for their kid’s education. Dewey was so stunned when they showed up during one of his classes that he couldn’t speak and just started to cry. Said student stood up and called their parents out. Two days later, those parents were off the school board. 

Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, Dewey found out a new kid he’d received was being abused at home because they weren’t getting high enough grades and he yelled at the kid’s parents in front of all the other staff members. 

Essentially, Dewey can’t defend himself at all, but will not hesitate to protect his kids. 

Dewey has said multiple times he would die for his kids. He’s always 100% serious, especially during lockdown drills. 

Once, the school had a lockdown that wasn’t a drill, and Dewey managed to keep his entire class silent and calm while mentally preparing himself to lay his life down for his kids. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that. 

Dewey’s also said he’d seriously consider adopting any of the kids if their at-home situation was that bad. 

When he finally could, Dewey moved out of Ned’s house and into his own cramped loft apartment. He’s in love with the apartment, even though it’s tiny and kinda smells. 

Dewey has almost no concept of volume control. He’s slightly deaf from constantly doing very loud shows and sometimes shouts because he thinks that’s a normal speaking volume. 

As one of, if not the actual, youngest teachers at the school, Dewey is universally adored by the rest of the staff. It took a while for all of them to get on board with him, but now they all really like him. 

Dewey’s favorite fruit is pomegranate. There’s just something super cathartic about cutting into a pomegranate and slowly de-seeding it. Plus, it tastes super good. But he only likes them if he can de-seed them himself. 

One of the ways Dewey grounds himself is by pressing things to his mouth. He usually just puts his hand up on his face or the end of a pen in his mouth, but whenever he has a blanket, one corner is up against his lips. The same goes for stuffed animals. They’re always against his face. Most of the time, he doesn’t even know he’s doing it. 

[secretturtletim]

Secret Turtle Tim’s Easy Joy Rice

What you will need:

- 1/4 cup of rice

- 1/2 cup of water

- Veggie or canola oil

- 1 egg

- Tomatoes

- Soy sauce, salt, and pepper to taste

Preparation:

- Prepare rice. In a small pot, pour in your rice and water and place it on the stove on high heat until it comes to a boil. Once boiling, lower to medium-high heat and let boil for five (5) minutes, stirring occasionally. Then cover rice, lower heat to medium, and continue lowering heat every 3 to 5 minutes until you’ve turned the stove off.

- Take the rice pot off stove, and let it cool for a few minutes, then gently break it apart with a fork before pouring it in a bowl. Then add and mix in your soy sauce.

- While preparing the rice, take the opportunity to cut up your tomatoes, and set those aside. I used halved cherry and grape tomatoes, but you can just dice up a larger tomato if you prefer. A tomato is a tomato!

- You can prepare your eggs too, but they tend to cool off very quickly and no one really likes cold eggs (at least if they’re not boiled), so I recommend not cooking them until after you’ve prepared your rice.

- Fry your egg however you prefer, whether scrambled, over easy, or sunny-side-up and season to your taste.

- Eggs cook very quickly, especially in cooking oil, and rice tends to stay pretty warm after a few minutes, so no need to worry about it being cold!

- Once your eggs are done cooking, place them and your tomatoes on top of your rice and enjoy!

***Something I wish I had realized earlier: You can probably cut up and fry stuff like ham, onions and mushrooms and mix that in here as well, so feel free to try that, because I’m for sure doing that the next time I make this.

[gaarfielf]

Tim Hortons Brand Canned Chicken Noodle Soup Review

I’m in quarantine eating a can of soup that is bringing me back to the days of my youth wherein id take empty cans out of the recycling bin to put rocks and dirt in. the only difference being in my youth i wasn’t eating that can of rocks and dirt.

The Broth

Meh. It’s bearable. It tastes like the person who made it thought about seasoning it if not the sweat from the soup crafter’s brow fell into the mixture giving it residual saltiness. a mystery leaf floats in and among the liquid though its existent unfortunately matters not

The Noodles

Arguable the only good part of this experience is the noodles bc theyre those cup ones that scoop up broth so you get more broth per spoonful than you usually do with egg noodles/rotini/bow tie in other soups. Except the broth isnt good so its like a lovely lilypad ladling pond water in my mouth

The Chicken

The chicken tastes like it died of shock 200 years ago. never in my life have i felt more like a wild animal than i have eating uneven cuts of some of the toughest chicken ive ever eaten. my canines haven’t worked this hard since i attempted eating polly pocket clothing back in 2007. again the key difference being the polly pocket clothing wasn’t boiled in broth and then turned sedimentary via the cooking process. also i’m not sure what animal polly pocket clothing is made out of

The Other Shit

I was surprised to see red pepper pieces in the soup upon first pour. it reads as a red herring to me though, allowing me to think the soup im about to consume has flavor in it. but nay. also there’s peas in this which they might as well write the flavor on the can as ‘We Didn’t Try - Taste Our Fruitless Efforts’

Overall

tastes like ass 2/10 might eat again when my brain throws away this memory to make room for new facts about hogs

[metaphorical-love-for-a-car]

Written In The Stars-- Brian May x Reader (3)

Part One, Part Two

Summary; An astrophysics student had the bright idea to form a band. He always had a passion for music and wanted to share that very same passion with others. Brian put up flyers on notice boards around campus, hoping that he could find other students to join him. After a couple of rather unsuccessful auditions, Brian found himself in a pub, during open mic night no less. That’s when he stumbled across you, a bartender who could play the piano. (Based on the movie A Star Is Born)

Warnings; specified fem! reader, some language

Word Count; 1.8k

Notes; enjoy!! tag list spots are still open :3

The four of you were ecstatic about recording, but, much to your dismay, the album never really took off. Sure, Smile gained some fans, and you were able to make some money, but it wasn’t as big of a success as you were hoping it would be. You were, however, able to move into a slightly bigger flat and invest in a nice keyboard. 

Even if the four of you weren’t meant to be famous, it was still nice getting to perform and hang out with them. You and Roger would relentlessly tease each other, and you would often pull Tim into the mix. There was no doubt that the three of you had an unmeasurable amount of sass. Brian would shake his head and every so often interject his own smartass comment. Roger had his constant flings, Brian started dating a girl named Chrissie, Tim would go out every once in a while, but you never really settled down for anyone. There just wasn’t anyone who interested you. You were perfectly happy with the way things were. Just you and your boys making music, with random shifts at the pub thrown in. 

You saw it coming. Tim had been acting stranger than usual. His temper was short, and he would leave rehearsals as early as possible. It wasn’t a big shock to you when he finally quit, joining a folk-rock band called Humpy Bong. Brian was devastated, and Roger acted like he didn’t care. But you could tell his blood was boiling. Luckily, the band didn’t exactly fall apart. It transformed. Freddie Bulsara came into the mix, and John Deacon joined not too long after. To further the transformation, Freddie suggested that the band’s name should change from Smile to Queen. Brian and Roger bickered about it until you finally threw your hands up and shouted, “To hell with it! What’ve we got to lose?” They were still skeptical but finally agreed. The band was doing well and had gained quite a following after releasing an album. The five of you were over the moon when John Reid, of all people, said he wanted to manage the band.

You were calling Brian to ask him a question about an upcoming rehearsal. He was your first go to, then John would be the next. They were the two most likely to know what was going on. Not to say that Freddie and Roger weren’t in the know, but... well... they were Freddie and Roger. When Brian answered, you heard a couple of sniffles before a slurred, “Hello?” Your brows knitted together.

“Brian, are you alright?” He mumbled a response, but you couldn’t catch what he said. You glanced at your watch. It wasn’t even five o’clock yet. “Are you drunk? This early in the evening?” 

“Uh-- well--” He was cut off by the sound of glass shattering. “FUck.” You ran a hand through your hair and sighed.

“That’s it. I’m coming over.” You ended the call before Brian could get a chance to object. 

The door was unlocked, so you just let yourself in. Your eyes widened at the scene before you. Brian was laying on the floor like a starfish. One hand clutched a near-empty bottle of scotch, while the other was slightly bloody. You assumed it was from where he had tried to clean up whatever he had broken earlier. You carefully stepped closer to get a better look at him. Brian was staring blankly at the ceiling, and his eyes were blood-shot. You could see the tear tracks across his cheeks. “Brian, what the hell is going on here?” You grimaced when he flinched. It came out a bit harsher than you had meant for it to be. You sighed, kneeling down beside him. “Come on, let’s sit you up.” You wrapped your arms around him and hoisted him up into a sitting position, propping him against the couch. Brian refused to meet your gaze. He looked ashamed. “What’s wrong?” He went to take another swig, but you tore the bottle from his grasp. “You’ve had enough of that. Now, please just talk to me. I want to help.”

“I quit.” His statement took you off guard, and you jerked back. “Not the band. University. I dropped out of uni, so I could spend more time working on our music.” You sucked in a breath, knowing where this was going.

“What did your parents say?”

“That I’m a bloody disgrace. That music isn’t worth quitting school for. That I’m not going to be able to sustain myself. That I’m a fucking failure. That--”

“Brian.” He finally looked at you, his eyes brimming with tears. “Did they really say that to you?”

“No,” he mumbled, “but they were thinking it. ‘specialy my dad.” You gave him a soft smile, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“As big as your brain is, I don’t think you’re telepathic. I’m sure they don’t think all those things. They were just shocked and need time to adjust. They’ll come around.” Brian sniffled, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

“You think so?” You nodded before going into the kitchen to get him a glass of water and some bandages for his hand. When you returned, he was still in the same spot. You handed him the glass and started bandaging the cuts on his hand, but he just stared off into space. 

“Something else on your mind?” He swallowed, and you could tell that the gears in his mind were turning.

“Chrissie broke up with me.”

“What?” You were shocked. The two seemed to get along so well. They were practically joined at the hip. Brian nodded slowly, avoiding your gaze again. “What happened? You two were adorable together.” He just shrugged, muttering something as he sipped on the water you had brought him. You continued to stare at him until he finally angled his head to look at you.

“She told me that I’m in love with someone else and that I should sort out my priorities.” You pursed your lips. Brian only had eyes for Chrissie. He told you that himself. The two of you were good friends. Surely, he would’ve told you if there was someone else in his life. You sighed before standing up.

“Come on. You’re drunk out of your mind. You need to sleep it off.” You held out a hand. Brian grabbed it, and you helped him get to his feet. He swore when he started to stumble, but you kept an arm around him to keep him steady. You were helping him walk to his room when he doubled over, vomiting. “For fuck's sake,” you muttered under your breath. Brian apologized multiple times as you continued to usher him into his room. He finally plopped down on the bed, burying his face into the pillows. You started to walk out, but he grabbed your wrist. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, (Y/N). I’ve ruined your night, haven’t I? God, I’m acting worse than Roger.” You scoffed, patting his arm. He was crying again.

“Brian, it's fine. This is what friends do. We take care of each other, especially when you’re drunk. Right?” He was quiet for a moment, then his grip loosened.

“You’re right... but will you stay? I don’t... I don’t exactly want to be alone right now.” You nodded, carefully removing his hand from your wrist.

“Yeah, I can stay. I’ll be on the couch if you need me.” You gave him a soft smile, and he returned the gesture.

“Thank you, for everything.”

“Whatever you say, Mr. Music Man. Get some sleep. You’ll have a killer hangover tomorrow.”

Brian woke up the next morning with a massive migraine, but there was something else. His brows furrowed together as he tried to put his finger on it. Then it hit him. He wasn’t alone. There was someone else in his apartment, and whoever it was... was cooking breakfast? His mind raced, trying to remember what happened the night before. Brian remembered why he wanted to get drunk. He remembered you called him and then he dropped the glass. After that? Not a clue. 

He pulled himself from the bed with a groan. His head was killing him, and his mouth felt like a desert. Brian padded out of the bedroom and froze. There you were, in his kitchen, cooking pancakes. You hummed a tune that was unfamiliar to him, and you were certainly a sight for his sore eyes. He walked over to the small dining table, pulling out a chair for himself. You turned around upon hearing the chair scrape across the floor. You bit your lip to keep yourself from laughing. “You look like shit.” His curly hair resembled a rat’s nest, and his eyes were still blood-shot. Brian groaned, laying his head on the cool table.

“Good morning to you too,”  he grumbled. You laughed, unable to contain it any longer. Brian’s lips twitched upward for a moment before returning to a grimace, his headache continuing to rage on. You placed a cup of tea and some painkillers in front of him. 

“You hungry?”

“Starving.” As if to solidify his response, his stomach growled, causing you to laugh again. Brian gratefully took the painkillers, washing them down with the warm tea. He hummed when you placed a plate of pancakes and eggs on the table. 

“You know, you should really work on stocking your kitchen. All you had was some shitty cereal and sandwich stuff. You’re lucky I had everything in my kitchen or else you’d be having corn flakes.” Brian thanked you and started digging in. You snorted, shaking your head. “You were absolutely shitfaced. I’d be surprised if you remember anything.” The fact that he didn’t meet your gaze told you everything you needed to know. You couldn’t help the small smirk that started forming across your lips. 

“I’ll have to call the boys, tell them I can’t make it to rehearsals today.” You shook your head. 

“Already took care of it.” Brian raised a brow at you. “Let’s be honest, they would somehow figure out how you were off your rocker last night and never let you hear the end of it. So, I took the heat for you.” He looked even more confused. You rolled your eyes playfully. “Told them that I forgot I had a gynecologist appointment. Now, I doubt they’ll even mention the missed rehearsal.” Brian’s face reddened as he nodded.

“You-- uh-- really thought that out,” he commented after clearing his throat.

“Hey, being a woman has its perks. I’ve got lots of bullshit excuses up my sleeve.”

Tag List: @mothermercuryy @fatbottomedboi @geek-and-proud @intrrverted @catsoo12

[nezumasa]

My exercise routine is basically

-45 minutes of Fitness Boxing (strength/cardio, stretches on, full body) — can be replaced with like martial arts, sports, a youtube fitness video, etc.

-10 squats at minimum (done right before starting fitness boxing as to get up my heart rate)

-a minimum 15 minute brisk walk (ideally minimum 1.5 miles; more is better and you count what you walk throughout the day)

-knee push ups (as many as you can do before you feel like collapsing; i can only do 10 rn and you add 1 more every week for progression; goal is to eventually swap to full push ups and then to diamond and military)

-situps (same as knee pushups; as many as you can go and add 1 more each week if possible)

-every once in awhile I add Just Dance (the intense songs set in a playlist; ex. 5 Ra Ra Rasputin in a row)

-and I plan to add in weights once I get them (3 pounds, 5 pounds, 8 pounds; im thinking of going for the goal of 5 sets of 10 first though I probably can’t go all the way set).

-and on some days P90X or one video from Fitnessblender

I do this 7 days a week combined with my lifestyle changes (ie. No more fucking taco bell and fast food 3-4 times a week, no soda or non-“healthy” chips or or candy or that shit unless I count the calories and I have leftover, no juice only fruit, actually measuring food and oils, etc.)

Normal day to day Diet is

-Bowl of boiled greens (cup of spinach, brocoli crowns, 4-5 spears of asparagus, etc. depending on what I have boiled w/ vegetarian mushroom seasoning, bit of salt, one asian rock candy, a bit of sugar)

-2 Big Biscuit Shredded Wheat Biscuits with 1/2 cup of Horizon Organic Whole Milk

-boiled corn

-1 to 3 boiled eggs depending on size (no salt or pepper)

-a fruit or two (orange, banana, apricot, mango, kiwi, watermelon slice, etc. pick one or two)

-snack of one or two white or yellow corn tortillas with one pack of diablo sauce (every once in awhile)

-chicken congee w/ green onion, sweet onion, salt+pepper (no chicken skin, dump the broth after you boil the chicken and boil the congee in water and add the boiled chicken near the end alongside the green onions and onion; congee needs a bit of vegetarian seasoning, salt and sugar while cooking)

-lean protein (or salmon/fish in general) boiled, oven roasted, or steamed (chicken usually) w/ a small bowl of jasmine rice and maybe some low sodium soy sauce (tho i usually don’t).

-craisins and raisins according to serving size

-treats are one royal family mochi, 1 tim tam, etc. once or twice a week; maybe 3 times if I’m feeling a craving.

Eat your major meal between 3pm and 8pm; anything before must be a light snack/very light meal. Ie. Intermedient Fasting. I don’t eat all of this in one day either. I pick and choose depending on cravings (granted I eat like a medieval peasant so it doesn’t bore me at all). Fast Food is allowed but strictly regulated based on day’s intake and not to be done regularly.

Daily calorie intake limit is 1200 or less (and calories burned are not “extra calories” to eat; they don’t add to my limit).

[coolghostscoolfood]

Tonkotsu Ramen

It’s easier than you think! It just takes time and a bit of planning... And bones. Lots of bones.

The complete process is quite long but you can split it up over two days if you don’t want to do it all in one go, e.g. you can make broth on day one and the pork + eggs on day two. It does mean the eggs won’t marinate over night but they’ll still be tasty. Or you can spread it over 3 days if you’re feeling patient. With that out of the way...

Tonkotsu Broth

Time: 10-12 hours, up to 24 hours.

Ingredients

2kg pork bones (cleaned trotters cut in half if you can get them are good)

1 large onion, cut in half (don’t bother peeling completely, just take whatever is loose off)

Whole bulb of garlic, cut in half (same as onion, no need to peel)

Large piece of ginger, roughly sliced

5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms

Salt to taste

Optional

2 carrots cut into large chunks

¼ bulb fennel

Process

Place bones in a large pot, cover with water and boil for 20 minutes or so.

Drain into a colander and rinse bones thoroughly. This is to get rid of blood, impurities etc. Clean the pot.

Put bones back into pot with 4L of water (or more to cover the bones) and bring to a rolling boil. Not a hard boil since that will make the broth cloudy. Skim any scum off the surface and top up with water regularly.

While the bones are boiling, heat a frying pan on medium heat and place onion and garlic with cut side down, leave until caramelised.

Option 1: leave bones on a rolling boil for 8-10 hours, add vegetables etc and boil for the final 2-3 hours. Option 2: add veg once they’re caramelized and leave to boil for 10-12 hours. Personally, I add them towards the end to get maximum pork flavour with a light extra flavouring. If you add them earlier, you obviously get a different flavour profile.

Reduce until you have about 1.5-2L of broth

Strain into a clean pot, discard bones etc.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can leave the bones to simmer over night for maximum flavour (plus ultra), just make sure you have enough water in the pot before going to bed (or get up during the night and top it up).

Once cooled, pour into an airtight container and store in the fridge, or if you’re like me and finish this around 11pm at night, leave it to cool on the hob with the lid on and put it away the next morning.

Good video: https://youtu.be/nscTA7QxryM

Chashu Pork

Time: 2.5 - 3 hours

This is an easy dish that takes about 2.5h to make and will hopefully result in melt-in-your-mouth tender pork belly with a lovely flavour that isn’t too salty. Personally I prefer rolled up pork belly because it just looks so pretty, and I think it’s a little bit more moist compared to flat pork belly (not that flat pork belly is dry!). One thing to remember: do not discard the liquid once your pork is done. This is very important, you will need it later!

A few recipes I’ve tried (both books linked here are good btw):

https://www.justonecookbook.com/homemade-chashu/

http://adamliaw.com/recipe/ramen-school-002-three-styles-of-chashu/

Nanban – Tim Anderson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19186358-nanban

Japanese Soul Cooking – Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17262625-japanese-soul-cooking

The combination of which is below

 Ingredients

600-750g pork belly (I prefer pork belly, other cuts would be pork neck, pork loin although loin is not fatty enough imo,). This is enough for 4 portions, use bigger piece if you need more portions

1 piece Kombu

6 Shiitake mushrooms

150ml Japanese soy sauce (or just use 250ml soy sauce instead of dark soy)

100ml Dark soy sauce (saltier than Japanese soy, also adds colour)

125ml Mirin

125ml Sake

Optional (I use these)

2-3 Spring onions

1 inch Ginger

1 Star anise

Process

Roll up pork belly and tie it up with butchers’ twine.

Boil for about 20 minutes

Remove pork from water, rinse under running water, rinse pot

Return pork to pot with kombu and mushrooms, cover with water and bring to boil

Once water is steaming, remove kombu since it will turn bitter and unpleasant if boiled

Simmer uncovered for 1 hour then add everything; soy sauce, mirin, sake, spring onion, ginger.

When done, remove the pork and leave to cool. Once cool, place in fridge over night to firm up. Don’t discard the liquid!

Strain the braising liquid into an airtight container, this will be the marinade for the eggs and can also be used to braise meat and veg for other meals.

Ajitamago

Time: 6 minutes 30 seconds for boiling, anywhere from 1 to 48 hours of marinating

Ajitamago are an essential part of ramen in my opinion. Lovely soft boiled eggs with a savoury salty sweet exterior is always a lovely accompaniment and very easy to make. You can either make a marinade ahead of time or you can use the braising liquid from the pork belly. A simple marinade recipe is below, but if you’re using the braising liquid just skip to the egg part. Using the braising liquid has the advantage of more complex flavour, plus there’s quite a lot of it so you can marinate more eggs which is always a good thing.

Simple marinade

Ingredients

225m Water

225ml Soy sauce

125ml Sake

2 cloves of Garlic

25g Ginger

1 Star anise

Process

Put all the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil then immediately take it off the heat.

Leave to cool, transfer to airtight container.

It will last a few weeks, up to a month, in the fridge

Ajitamago ingredients

 4-6 eggs

Ice bath (or just very cold water bath)

 As much marinade as needed to cover the eggs

Process

 Carefully pierce the bottom of the eggs (rounded part) with a pin/needle.

Bring enough water to completely cover the eggs to boil

Set a timer for 6 minutes and 30 seconds

Gently place the eggs in the water and start the timer.

Use a pair of chopsticks to gently spin the eggs for about two minutes.

Once the time is up, transfer eggs to the ice/cold water bath.

When the eggs are cool, peel under cold running water.

Place eggs in a bowl, add marinade until eggs float then place a paper towel on top to weigh the eggs down alternatively you could place them in a zip loc bag.

Leave to marinate anywhere from a couple of hours to 24 hours. If marinating for a long time, rotate them regularly.

Personally, I feel that any longer will make them too strong but it’s possible to marinate them for 48 hours.

The book Nanban has an interesting alternative which involves Lapsang Souchong for a smokier flavour.

Tare

Tare is a concentrated sauce that adds additional flavour to the broth. It can be soy based (as in shoyu ramen), miso, salt (shio ramen) and almost anything else. I tend to try different things every time I make ramen and most recently, we tried two different things:

Version 1

 1tsp Nduja - spicy Italian (Calabria) spreadable salami. The idea was to use something that has a lot of flavour and spice, and doesn’t take away from the pork flavour of the broth (we spent 10+ hours getting that flavour, why would you want to dilute it?).

 Version 2

0.5 - 1 tbsp Miso

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chicken powder

Technically the tare is supposed to be a separate thing you put into the bowl first then add broth but it’s up to you how you want to do this. There are plenty of recipes online and in the books I’ve linked that will show you how to do it “properly” 😊

Toppings

Apart from pork belly and eggs, other toppings can be

Pickled ginger (Gari)

Pickled bamboo shoots (Menma)

Spring onion

Toasted sesame seeds

Seaweed (Nori)

La-Yu (chili-sesame oil)

There’s an almost unlimited number of combinations for toppings, the above is just what I used this time.

Assembly

Start by bringing a big pot of water to the boil and heat up the broth. While that is heating up, thinly slice the pork and any other toppings that need slicing, e.g. spring onion, seaweed etc.

Depending on how fancy you want to be, you can either heat up the pork slices in the broth or you can use a grill/frying pan/blow torch. I used a frying pan since it was easiest and you get a nice light browning on the slices.

Once the water is boiling, add noodles and cook until they are done to your liking. I prefer a little bit of a bite to them which is about 3 minutes but this varies depending on what kind of noodles you use and your preference.

Heat the bowls by adding a ladle or two of broth then pour it back into the pot.

Put a bit of tare at the bottom of the bowl, top up with broth, then noodles and finally toppings. Hopefully you now have a lovely looking bowl of tonkotsu ramen!

[infolearn]

Video SEO: How to Rank YouTube Videos on Google

Looking to get more YouTube video views from Google? Google has sent over 160,000 views to our YouTube videos in the last ~12 months.

That’s more views than the countless video embeds on our blog have sent us, which currently gets over 250,000 organic visits per month. In this post, you’ll learn how to rank your YouTube videos on Google in 5 easy steps. We’ve also included a few bonus tips on how to use videos to get more website traffic. But first, let’s make sure we’re on the same page…

What is video SEO?

Video SEO is the process of getting more video views from Google and utilizing videos to increase organic traffic to your website. In this guide, we’ll focus mainly on the first part: getting more views from Google. What we’re not going to talk about is ranking videos higher on YouTube. If that’s your goal, read our full guide to YouTube SEO.

How to rank YouTube videos on Google

Follow these five steps: Find topics with “traffic potential” Create an “optimized” video Fix the closed captions Upload an enticing thumbnail Add timestamps Let’s go through each of these in more detail. Step 1. Find video topics with “traffic potential” Not every video has the potential to attract views from Google. For instance, here’s a video with over 2.2 million views on YouTube:

Yet it doesn’t rank on Google for anything:

The reason for this is simple: For a video to attract views from Google, two things have to be true: People need to be searching on Google for that topic. If nobody is searching for it, then nobody will click on your video even if it ranks. The topic must have “video intent.” This means that most searchers would prefer to watch a video about the subject instead of reading about it. Keyword research tools can help with finding topics that people are searching for. You can then look for videos in the search results to infer “video intent.”

Example of a search query with video results in a carousel. The logic here is that because Google aims to give users what they want, seeing videos in the search results is a clear sign that searchers want to watch a video. The question is, how can you find these topics easily? Simple. Look for relevant videos that get lots of traffic from Google, as these are clearly about topics with “video intent” that lots of people are searching for. Here are three ways to do that: 1. Use Content Explorer Content Explorer lets you search a database of over 1.1 billion web pages for mentions of a particular word or phrase. Within that index, there are currently over 47 million pages from YouTube. To get started, run this search: site:youtube.com inurl:watch title:topic

Sort the results by search traffic from high to low. This should give you a list of relevant YouTube videos that currently get organic search traffic.

For example, the macaroni and cheese video above gets an estimated 17,400 clicks from organic search every month. If you had a cooking channel, it might be worth creating a video on this topic. QUICK TIP When looking for ideas in Content Explorer, it’s worth eyeballing the “Organic traffic” graph for the past six months to make sure that traffic is consistent over time.

2. Use Site Explorer Head to Site Explorer and search for youtube.com. Go to the “Organic keywords” report, then add a relevant keyword to the “Include” filter.

Here, we see YouTube videos ranking for queries that include the word “recipe.” If we click the caret next to any of these URLs, we see their estimated worldwide monthly organic traffic.

For example, this video gets ~13,000 monthly organic visits. If we click on the video URL, we see that it’s a Belgian waffle recipe, so this is another topic that may be worth covering on a cooking channel. QUICK TIP Before pursuing a topic, hit the “Overview” link on the caret and check the “Organic traffic” graph to make sure that it’s consistent over time. You want to see a graph like this…

… not like this:

A big traffic spike followed by a small amount of traffic for a long period is a sign of a topic with waning interest. 3. Use Google and Ahrefs’ Batch Analysis tool Add this free SERP scraper to your browser, then run this search on Google: site:youtube.com Next, go to Settings > Search settings > then set the results per page to 100.

Go back to the results and hit the SERP scraper to download the results.

Open the downloaded CSV, then copy-paste the YouTube URLs into Ahrefs’ Batch Analysis tool. Set the mode to “URL” and hit “Analyze.”

Sort the results by the “Traffic” column to see which videos get the most organic search traffic.

Consider making videos about these topics. Step 2. Create an “optimized” video Learning how to make YouTube videos that people love is beyond the scope of this guide. But we are going to cover a few things to keep in mind during the creation process that may help you rank in Google SERP features like “key moments” and “suggested clips.”

Key moment SERP feature in Google.

Suggested clip SERP feature in Google. Both of these have the potential to send more views to your videos. For now, let’s focus our attention on “suggested clips.” (We’ll cover “key moments” in step #5). Judging by Google’s research paper, the way suggested clips are chosen from a technical standpoint isn’t that straightforward. So instead of focusing on the technicalities, let’s focus on actionable steps to take that may you help win them. The first is to use simple language and “action verbs” to describe each step in the video. For example, if your video tells people how to cook rice, simple spoken instructions may be: To begin, wash the rice with cold water. Repeat this process three times, then tip the rice into a pan. Add fresh water, bring to a boil, cover, then simmer for 15–20 minutes. Drain the excess water and serve. Make sure to avoid unnecessary fluff and distractions between instructions where possible. In other words, don’t go off on a tangent explaining how your mom once deviated from one of the steps and ended up with burnt rice. This will only reduce clarity, which may confuse Google’s language processing algorithms. The second is to ensure that your audio is clear and high quality. To do this, use a decent microphone and keep background noise to a minimum. The third is to show what you’re talking about on the screen as you talk about it. For instance, if you tell people to “put the pan on the hob,” show footage of that process on screen as you do so. This may increase Google’s confidence that the spoken instructions align with the content of the video. Recommended reading: Video Featured Snippets: How Suggested Clips Work Step 3. Fix your closed captions YouTube automatically adds closed captions to videos. The problem is that these are rarely perfect. Misspelled words and grammatical errors are a common issue. Just take a look at these auto-generated captions from one of our old YouTube videos:

YouTube thinks Tim is saying “team solo from a traps” when he’s actually saying “Tim Soulo from Ahrefs.” For that reason, it’s best to add your own. Here’s what one of the videos on YouTube’s Creator Academy says about CC’s: In terms of search, discovery, and engagement, captions are one of the most powerful pieces of data out there. The internet is text-based, so your video is going to stay hidden from search engines unless the text attached to it can be picked up. It can be hard to get across the essence of your video in just a title or description, even tags have a character limit. But a closed-caption file delivers a text-based transcript of your entire video and opens it up to search engines. That same video goes on to say: Text on screen has proven to be so engaging that it increases the watch to completion rate. These two factors lead to a monumental gain in SEO ranking and engagement. Given these quotes, it seems that adding CC’s helps with two main things: Understanding your video. Google won’t rank your video without understanding what it’s about, and closed captions appear to help with that. Engagement. Lots of people watch videos in noisy or sound-sensitive environments, and over 5% of the world’s population has hearing loss of some degree. Closed captions help ensure that your video is useful to more people. That improves engagement, which, in turn, may lead to higher rankings in Google. It’s also worth noting that if you’ve scripted your video, it doesn’t take long to fix closed captions manually, so it’s well worth doing. Step 4. Upload an enticing thumbnail Videos with poor thumbnails won’t get as many clicks from Google as those with enticing ones. Here’s an example of a lousy thumbnail in a video carousel for the query, “how to make pancakes”:

Not only is this visually dull and uninspiring, but the thumbnail shows an egg, not pancakes. Here are a few tips for creating thumbnails that entice searchers to click: Use a custom thumbnail Don’t choose a still from your video. Create a custom and enticing thumbnail to grab the searcher’s attention. Use the correct aspect ratio Google shows video thumbnails in the 16:9 format. As a result, those with other aspect ratios can look odd in the search results, and that may dissuade the click.

Use a congruent image Create a thumbnail that visually demonstrates that the video solves the user’s query. For example, if someone searches for “how to tie a tie,” then this thumbnail makes sense because it shows someone tying a tie:

On the other hand, this one doesn’t make much because you can barely tell that the kid is wearing one:

Use contrast to your advantage Avoid colors like white, grey, and red on your thumbnail as they blend in with search results. Instead, use contrasting colors that stand out. We tend to use dark blue and orange.

Use descriptive text on the thumbnail This is something we do for all of our YouTube videos. For example, our video about learning SEO has the words “Learn SEO” on the thumbnail.

Usually, we go for something short that compliments the title of the video. Whatever text you use, make sure that it’s written in an easy-to-read font, and looks good at both small and large sizes. Step 5. Add timestamps Earlier, we briefly mentioned the “key moments” that Google sometimes shows in search results.

Here’s what Google says about these: When you search for things like how-to videos that have multiple steps, or long videos like speeches or a documentary, Search will provide links to key moments within the video You’ll be able to easily scan to see whether a video has what you’re looking for, and find the relevant section of the content. Google also says: If your video is hosted on YouTube, Google Search may automatically enable clips for your video based on the video description on YouTube, and you may not have to mark specific timestamps in your YouTube description. However, you can tell us more explicitly about the important points in your video and we will prefer that information. Long story short, Google is probably more likely to show “key moments” for your videos if you mark important points in the YouTube description. To do that, use timestamps and labels. What’s a timestamp? This is when a clip starts in the :: format. You can negate the if it’s not needed. Video timestamps are automatically linked. What is a label? This is a brief and clear description of the clip. You can see an example of timestamps and labels on our video about YouTube SEO.

These nine timestamps take viewers to sections of the video about what YouTube SEO is, YouTube keyword research, identifying search intent, and so forth. Seemingly thanks to these optimizations, Google now shows “key moments” for our video for the query, “how to rank YouTube videos.”

The same is true for our video about link building with Google sheets.

Here are some tips for adding timestamps and labels: Add timestamps to the video description. Don’t place it in a pinned comment. Place each timestamp on a new line. Specify the label on the same line. Keep the label brief but descriptive. Your label should be a direct statement of what the section is about (e.g., “Boil the pasta” not “Put your pasta in the pan and cook it for 10–15 minutes until al dente”) List timestamps in chronological order. Don’t add a timestamp for something at the end of your video before earlier points. Keep labels to around 40 characters or less. Google truncates longer ones. Don’t add too many timestamps. Google hasn’t mentioned a maximum or a minimum number of timestamps they’ll show in search results. However, it’s unlikely that they’ll show a carousel with hundreds of them. As a general rule of thumb, we’d recommend no more than ten timestamps per video. Align the on-screen content with the label. If your label says “Chop the onion,” try to add the timestamp when you’re visibly chopping the onion on the screen. Note that “key moment” results are only available for YouTube videos at present, so this isn’t something that works for videos hosted elsewhere. However, Google has said they’re planning to introduce support for other videos soon. We’re also introducing a way for more content creators across the web to mark up their videos so they can be more easily searchable. Soon you’ll be able to find these key moments from video publishers around the world, such as CBS Sports and NDTV, as they add markup to their videos

Bonus tips: How to use videos to get more website traffic

Video SEO is not only about getting more YouTube video views from Google. It also involves utilizing videos to attract more traffic to your website from organic search. Below are three tips to help with that. 1. Embed relevant videos on top-ranking pages Google has a “Videos” tab, where there are two types of results: Relevant YouTube videos; Pages from the organic results with relevant video embeds That second one is important. It means that if you’re ranking high in Google already, you can get those pages to show up in Google’s “Videos” tab by embedding a relevant video. When someone clicks one of these results, Google sends them to your website—not YouTube.

In fact, video embeds have sent over 25,000 visits to our blog from Google over the past three months:

So how do you find the best pages to embed relevant videos? Easy. Go to the “Search Results” report in Google Search Console, click the “pages” tab, then sort the results by clicks from high to low. This shows the pages that received the most traffic from Google over the past few months.

DON’T USE SEARCH CONSOLE? Paste your domain into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer and go to the “Top Pages” report to see those with the most estimated traffic.

Look for pages where you have a relevant and useful video on a similar topic, then embed that video on the page when and where it makes sense. For example, our guide to YouTube tags is one of our top posts with around 2,400 search visits per month. But unfortunately, it doesn’t appear in Google’s “videos” tab because we don’t yet have a video about YouTube tags to embed in the post. However, we do have a related, helpful video about YouTube SEO, so we decided to embed that at the end of the post instead.

Shortly after doing this, our page appeared in the videos tab for the query, “YouTube tags”:

This has already sent a few clicks our way in just a few days.

2. Add schema markup for embedded videos Google sometimes shows video rich results for web pages with embedded videos.

Showing “video rich results” for the query, “Chicago weather.” However, Google says that pages aren’t eligible for this type of result unless the embedded video is marked up using the correct schema code: You must include the required VideoObject properties for your content to be eligible for display as a video rich result. From our observations, this isn’t strictly true. If your embedded video is hosted on YouTube, Google often shows a video rich result even in the absence of VideoObject schema markup. For instance, here’s a video rich result for a Medium post with an embedded YouTube video:

If we check that URL with Google’s Structured Data Testing tool, we see that there’s no VideoObject markup on the page.

That said, Google still recommends adding video markup for embedded videos, even if they’re hosted on YouTube. SIDENOTE. If you’re hosting videos on your own site, Google needs to see VideoObject markup before it considers them for video rich results. If you use WordPress, adding this markup is straightforward with a free plugin like Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP. Once installed, hit Structured Data > Schema types on the menu.

Next, click the “Add Schema type” button. 

Select “VideoObject” from the dropdown, then hit “Next” again.

Click the “Post type” dropdown and change it to “Show globally.”

Hit “next” one final time, and you’re done. Now, whenever you’re editing a post or page, there should be an option to “Modify current schema” at the bottom of the editor.

Click this, and you’ll see options to toggle VideoObject markup on or off, and to add attributes.

The attributes that Google says you must fill in are: Name; Description; Upload Date; Thumbnail Url All other fields can be left blank, although we recommend filling in useful attributes like duration. If you’re not using WordPress, watch this video and read the schema.org VideoObject documentation to learn how to add this manually. To verify that the markup was added correctly, use Google’s Structured Data Testing tool. 3. Add transcriptions to “thin” pages with embeds If you’re planning to embed a video on a web page with little or no text, consider publishing it alongside a written transcript. This is what Moz does with their Whiteboard Friday videos, and some of them get lots of traffic from Google.

SIDENOTE. Moz’s videos aren’t hosted on YouTube, but the point still stands. From a UX standpoint, this is a positive move because some visitors prefer reading over watching a video—and Google wants to rank content that appeals to as many searchers as possible. Just don’t paste and publish the transcript verbatim. Edit and format the copy as a blog post. Add subheadings and images to make the published transcript a good alternative for those who prefer text over video.

Final thoughts

Video SEO is a dynamic topic because Google is continually changing the way they display videos in the search results. That said, the two overarching “best practices” remain static: Create enticing and engaging videos for users; Do everything in your power to help Google better understand that content, to increase the chances of them showing your videos in web search results.     https://ahrefs.com/blog/video-seo/ Read the full article

[thegregorybruce]

Clog-Free Kitchen and Bath Drains

This is a typical kitchen sink strainer and strainer basket. Note the slots and holes in both. (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Yesterday I was perusing a national news website whose headlines more and more are reminding me of the traditional sensational tabloids that might have a story about a lawn being stolen. Being a syndicated newspaper columnist, I find this transition most interesting.

One particular headline caught my eye as it talked about the five things you should NEVER put down your kitchen drain. I’ve been a master plumber since age 29 and have had the very good fortune to replace old kitchen drain lines and unclog newer ones choked with gunk and who-knows-what. I thought I might discover something I didn’t know.

While there were one or two good tips in the article a few of them had me scratching my head wondering if the author had ever cleaned out a residential drain line to a kitchen or bathroom sink. I decided to share with you my experiences with residential drain lines and let you apply your own common sense. Beware, as a few of the images I’m about to render might make you squirm just a bit.

I think it’s best to describe what the inside of drain pipes look like when new and after they’ve been in use for years or decades. New cast iron, copper, galvanized iron, and plastic drain lines all are quite smooth on the inside of the pipe. You want smooth bore pipe so nothing gets snagged.

Unfortunately, a characteristic of older galvanized iron pipe is that it starts to develop a rough inner surface that actually starts to get clogged from small debris that grows hard-water deposits on the inside of the pipe wall. I’ve cut out galvanized iron drain lines from kitchen and bath walls and the entire inside of the pipe is choked off with this hard calcified buildup.

Fortunately, galvanized pipe is rarely used now and it can be found in older homes built between 1900 and the late 1950s. Plastic plumbing drain lines swept the industry by storm in the 1960s and have become the go-to material for almost all residential plumbing drain installations.

I want to briefly discuss the size of pipes and what passes through them with little effort. The drain pipe beneath the toilet in your home is most likely a 3-inch-diameter pipe. Your body, on a regular basis, produces solid cylindrical waste that often might be 1 and 1/4-inches in diameter. You then add paper waste to the toilet bowl, flush it and magically all of this ends up in a septic tank or your city’s sewage treatment plant. Now think about the lowly kitchen or bathroom sink drain pipe. Just behind the wall of the sink, there’s probably a horizontal 1.5-inch-diameter pipe. Plumbers call this a branch arm. That horizontal pipe in a kitchen should travel no more than 42 inches where it connects to a vertical pipe, a stack, that should be at least 2 inches in diameter. Bathroom sink drains almost always connect to another 1.5-inch-diameter vertical stack instead of a 2-inch one.

Imagine the size of solid material that can pass through the branch arms to the stacks with little effort if enough water is assisting in the process. In other words, a green pea should have no problems passing through a kitchen drain pipe.

Here are some best practices to keep your kitchen and bathroom sink drains clog-free for decades now that you understand how things pass through pipes.

Never allow grease to go down a drain. It solidifies and will clog drain pipes. I set aside used paper towels in my kitchen that are quite clean to sop up liquid grease from cooking pots and pans. These towels are then thrown in the garbage.

Never allow flour and egg mixtures into your kitchen sink drains. Dump as much of this as possible into the garbage. Don’t allow clumps of flour to enter the drain. Fill the kitchen sink with water halfway and wash and emulsify the flour coating on the pans and bowls. Pull the sink stopper and allow this fine slurry to rush down the drain into the main building drain. As crazy as it sounds, flush a nearby toilet to send the slurry on its way to the sewer plant or septic tank.

Keep the basket strainer in your kitchen sink strainer and allow it to capture larger food debris. Dump the debris in the garbage, don’t use your fingers to push it through the slots in the strainer sending it down the drain.

If you use a disposer in your kitchen, fill your sink with water about halfway before you turn on the disposer. Remove the disposer drain cover and turn on the disposer. The giant slug of water will carry the sludge into the main building drain under your home. All too often homeowners turn off the water at the sink too early allowing the kitchen drain pipe to have a liquid slurry laying in the pipes.

Once a month pour a gallon of boiling water down your kitchen and bathroom sink. This hot water can dissolve rogue grease that somehow makes it into the drain and it can dissolve some cosmetics that may be lurking in a bathroom drain.

If you notice a bathroom sink is starting to drain slower and slower, take a few minutes and remove the stopper. The lever that makes your drain stopper go up and down does a great job of capturing hair. It takes only minutes of your time to remove that lever and any debris that’s in the drain tailpiece where the lever operates. There are quite a few videos on YouTube showing you how to easily remove and reinstall this simple part of a bathroom sink.

Once a month pour a bucket of water into your sinks to get as much water as possible flowing down the drain as fast as possible. This is the closest thing you can do as a homeowner to pressure wash the inside of drain lines. Doing this can save you hundreds of dollars that you’d otherwise have to pay a drain-cleaning service should you abuse your drain lines.

Column 1284

The post Clog-Free Kitchen and Bath Drains appeared first on Ask the Builder.

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[timclymer]

Persuasion is often more effectual than force

This is an old family recipe for the dumplings, which were originally Polish egg noodles (kluski), and over the years I have modified it to make homemade dumplings.

Ingredients

1 (3 pound) whole chicken

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, with leaves

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon whole allspice

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup (optional)

Directions

1Place chicken, onion, and celery in a large pot, and then fill pot with water. Season with poultry seasoning, whole allspice, basil, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper.and seasoning salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat.

2Remove chicken from broth, and strain broth to remove seasonings and any bone. Return broth to pan, stir in cream of chicken soup, and continue simmering. Set chicken aside to cool.

3In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, olive oil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper with 2 cups water. Gradually add flour, and stir until thick. This is an old family recipe for the dumplings.

4Using a large spoon and knife, scoop a spoonful of the dough and cut small pieces into the broth. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Stir, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

5Meanwhile, skin and debone the chicken.Cut the meat into small pieces, add to the broth, and heat through. Serve.Cut the meat into small pieces, add to the broth, and heat through. Serve.

A Look at Notes On Cooking

Turn off the television, don’t answer the phone, just sit and read it through. Make a mental inventory of the sort of equipment you need, the cooking techniques required, the ingredients you have on hand. Note the stages of preparation, and get a sense of appropriate timings.

Turn off the television, don’t answer the phone, just sit and read it through.

This is the kind of sage advice you find in Lauren Braun Costello’s new book called Notes on Cooking – A Short Guide to an Essential Craft. The quote above comes from her chapter on Understanding the Recipe and is exactly the advice I try to give my readers at The Reluctant Gourmet web site and the Reluctant Gourmet blog all the time. Lauren just says it a little more succinctly than I do.

This is not a book full of wordy chapters but instead there are 217 short “notes on cooking,” like above, each filled with culinary insight that can help you be a better home cook. Here’s another one I like in The Cook’s Role chapter:

Work from your Strength. Don’t try to master everything. Become known for a few dishes, perhaps even the near perfection of one. Discover your obsession, then make yourself a slave to it: the mastery of a traditional dish, the combination of ingredients that have never before met, precision in presentation, devotion to a culinary heritage, the introduction of color where it never before existed.

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/persuasion-is-often-more-effectual-than-force-2/ via Home Solutions on WordPress from Home Solutions FOREV https://homesolutionsforev.tumblr.com/post/616649811074088960 via Tim Clymer on Wordpress

[hhmoto]

8/1/15

I woke up around 7:30 and our room was full of bright light. Jesse slept but I crept down the bare wooden stairs and sat at the table with some soft music on. I drew more things, and soaked up the calm solitude. The cottage in the morning light, wood paneled walls with bright squares of light from the old cracked panes.

Only the windows tell the age of this place, and it's about 70. It's a mess. Toys, a towel, things everywhere, but it feels like home too. A clock is ticking on the kitchen wall, the wood pile by the stove is stacked high, outside the lawn is covered in dew, but past the enormous iron anchor and the soft patch of saturated grass the water is high and calm. Some last strokes of most hang over the water as it slowly flows where the river meets the sea.

I think I'll go find Jesse soon to have breakfast and work before Brenda and family arrive this afternoon. It's been so peaceful here, but that will change fast with a stubborn three year old around. And it's feeling like time to move on anyway.... 

Jesse found me and he cooked bacon and eggs while I worked. We ate on the deck and Jesse dumped his whole plate off his chair, and we shared and he had to fry himself new eggs. We took our coffee to the dock and Jesse dipped his feet in the water that looks like steeped tea. 

Nova Scotia dirt turns the rivers reddish brown, and it looks unhealthy to this Idaho girl, but Brenda said they swim. Salmon and trout can be caught at high tide, but we're not fishing or swimming today. We get our things tidy and leave the cottage on the motorcycle with only the top box. We leave the cottage and wave to the giant in coveralls and head east around the coast for an hour and a half of scrubby forest, grassy marsh, coast views, and eventually lunch in Sherbrooke on the front deck of a little restaurant. 

It was Sunday afternoon so tons of bikers were out cruising the coast. A few others sat outside too, and we all said hello where ya from enjoy the ride. I got a burger and Jesse had a massive Caesar salad, water, since Jesse felt a sinus infection coming on. Then back on the bike, and back to the cottage fast through a windy afternoon. 

It was getting hot by the time we got back, and nobody else had arrived yet. We drank a bottled Caesar and I wrote in my journal at the table while Jesse sat on the deck. Then finally Brenda, Liliane, and Jesse's great Uncle Kevin arrived. They have tons of supplies, and Jesse helps them haul things inside. I try harder to be social, chat about their drive and our days at the cottage so far. Everyone relaxes a little, Kevin takes a nap, Brenda takes Liliane outside to play, Jesse reads outside and I read in bed until I hear that Tim has arrived. He brought lobster and we start drinking and preparing for dinner. Beers, ciders, we swim in the above ground pool by the deck, we take the big lobsters out of the cooler where they're wilting fast and drop them into the biggest pot I've ever seen, where its boiling on an enormous burner outside. They don't scream, we don't feel guilty, and we're getting hungry! There's corn and potato salad, massive fresh lobsters, and home made blueberry pie. We eat outside and make a huge mess. I can't finish my lobster, so Brenda eats the second claw that's as big as my hand. 

We have desert, listen to records, Liliane is put to bed but creeps down the stairs six times, pees, has a drink, pees again, takes her diaper off, and Tim says never have kids. We have drinks instead, and sit on the deck as the stars come out and we talk, our voices carrying over the calm water to the soft grass of a park and into the fringes of forest and yards. Jesse calls it a night and we climb the stairs for bed.