Edited to remove the tables because when I obsessively checked this post on my phone I couldn't read them?? Also I tried to, but was prevented from, editing the title. I know it looks sanctimonious but that's just one small part of my personality I swear. D:
❤️ Section 1: Assets and Debt
Total Net Worth: $30,875 - all equity.
Retirement Balance: $0 for me; $20,500 for my husband in the state pension program for teachers. (My partner, L, has been paying into the state teachers' pension system for 5 years. For most of my 20s, I either worked at very low-paying jobs, or supported myself and others on a teacher’s salary, so no retirement for me. My current job does not have a retirement program, but one of my goals for this year is to either start a Roth IRA or get a new job with a 401k match… or maybe both?)
Savings Account Balance: $23,733 We’re moving this summer to a city closer to our families, and are saving all we can for a down payment on a dreamy spot. After we move, some amount of what’s left over will go into a retirement fund, and the rest will stay in this HYSA as our emergency fund. For us, three months of expenses, including childcare, is about $18,000.
Checking Account Balance: $455
Credit Card Debt: n/a, pay off each month
Student Loan Debt: $80,000 for L’s undergrad and MAT. $18,000 for my undergrad and (unfinished) MAT. (My undergrad degrees were mostly covered by the Pell Grant, scholarships, and a $10,000 529 from my parents. L was a nontraditional student - didn’t start undergrad until he was 24 - so none of his was covered. Most of my debt is for a MAT program I dropped out of after one year. I was trying to find any way out of teaching at the time (it is demanding, all-consuming, and carceral at once) and thought a PhD would be my only route. When I got my current job I promptly left the program and any dreams of a PhD behind.)
Equity: $83,875 (This number is from an online equity calculator, and is for our house in a very popular neighborhood in a very popular city. Our outstanding debt on the house is $295,000. We put our whole savings down in 2019, which was $9,000 at the time.)
❤️ Section 2: Income
Monthly Take Home: My base pay is $65,000, and L’s is $45,000. I worked a side gig last year that totaled about $10k in additional compensation; all of it went to savings so we don't budget for it. My take home is $4096/month for my full time job, and my current side gig income (grant writing) is variable, between $300 and $600 a month. L’s take home is $2262/month. My health insurance is paid in full by work. L’s insurance and B’s come out of L’s paycheck, as does L’s retirement contribution.
Income Progression: I’ve been working since I was 15 years old, moved out for college at 18, and paid my own bills starting that year. I won’t include that money here though (it was like $12,000 a year as a college student, for reference). Income below starts when I graduated with two BAs that had nothing to do with teaching.
Year 1: $15,600 (part time ABA therapist, full time baby anarchist)
Year 2: $32,000 (year 1 teacher salary: I accepted a spot in Teach for America for this giant salary even though I thought it was an obnoxious neoliberal org. Yes, I was also obnoxious at the time.)
Year 3: $33,000 (teacher, step increase)
Year 4: $34,000 (teacher, step increase)
Year 5: $35,000 (teacher, step increase)
Year 6: $15,000 (community organizer; at the time this felt like a dream job)
Year 7: $20,000 (community organizer & cafe worker)
Year 8: $40,000 (back to teaching, felt rich; this includes a side hustle writing grants on the side for $50 an hour)
Year 9: $45,000 (left teaching for my current job, quit the grants side hustle)
Year 10: $55,000 (got a raise, got pregnant)
Year 11: $65,000 (got a raise and promotion, had a baby)
Year 12: $75,000 (was promoted again in January but waiting on the pay increase to hit, hopefully with backdating. This money diary doesn’t reflect this salary as it hasn’t been reflected in my check yet)
❤️ Section 3: Expenses
Mortgage/PMI/Insurance: $2,110
Retirement Contribution: n/a (L’s retirement is pulled out of his check before he receives it: it’s $169 a month. Right now, I don’t have a retirement contribution)
Savings Contribution: $1000 to main savings, $400 to sinking fund (This is a super aggressive goal for us and is only possible because our childcare costs are covered by work)
Debt Payments: n/a right now (We have student loans to the tune of $100k but haven’t been paying a dime since they were paused due to COVID. But then the other day I checked and saw they've gained interest? Should we be paying them then? WWJD? I legit don’t know.)
Electric: $130
Internet: $100
Cellphone: $65 (For L & I both. We are on a bigass family plan with 40 gajillion other people.)
Subscriptions: $45 ($10 Spotify; $10 Youtube music; $2.99 Apple data (Why?!); $22 NYT (for newspaper and cooking app); also have a split subscription to the New Yorker with bestie F but we paid for a yearly deal.)
Car Payment and Insurance: $150 for a car payment; $202 for insurance (Insurance covers both of our used cars and my dad’s used handicap van. Our car payment is for our used Honda. We only owe $6,850 on the car and I’m back and forth on whether to pay it off with savings)
Medical/Therapy: $0 (My therapist is $140 a session, and I just started seeing her again once a month, but this is reimbursed by work. I also get an inhaler at least twice a month - that’s reimbursed too, costs $60 total.)
Misfits Market: $120 (For a weekly box, which really helps us cut down on overall grocery cost)
Gym membership: $30 (For my intense local yoga studio’s app which is so great in the winter. We also run and bike a lot, as long as it’s warm enough)
Donations: $100 (We give monthly to our local Democratic Socialists of America; the Working Families Party; and a small, local org. I’m also on an organizing committee for that org. We’ll give them one big gift of at least $250 this year, probably in May. I support a couple organizations with grant writing and grant-finding support as much as I can, which usually amounts to a few hours a month.)
Childcare: $0 B goes to a very precious Montessori preschool, and we can walk him there. It’s pricey af ($1300/month). The other $200 is to account for some babysitting from my little sister when L or I have to work weird hours. For now, work reimburses this full amount as a COVID perk; if that changes, we will have to cut costs significantly.
House cleaner: $160 (They come twice a month and charge $80 each time.)
❤️ Section 4: Money Diary
NOTE: We are masked and afraid everywhere we go.
✨DAY 1: THURSDAY✨
4:20 am: Good morning world! I shuffle into the kitchen in my panties and my slippers to fill up the gooseneck kettle. I recently got into pour over coffee even though it’s quite a commitment. With a toddler, a full-time job, and a Libra sun, I don’t really have time for meditative morning routines. This lengthy, half-naked coffee regimen is my closest attempt. As soon as I get the coffee brewing, our 18 month old, B, starts making noise. I open the door and see he’s got his pacifier in his mouth and his pillow in his arms. He wants to lay with Dada. I help him get in the bed with my husband, L, as quietly as possible. Last week L was super sick and we thought for sure he had picked up COVID. Blessedly all of our tests came back negative, but on the heels of that, he started having major tooth pain and had to have an emergency tooth extraction, AND he got an ear infection as he was coming down from whatever virus he had. I hate it :(
I get dressed and do some chores while they snooze to ease L's morning. I start the diaper laundry (usually his job - we use cloth), put away the dishes, start the Eufy vacuum, and get B and L’s breakfasts together: sunbutter and a little bit of syrup on some banana pancakes I prepped earlier this week.
6:30 am: B and L are up! The hour before we take B to preschool is kind of a marathon. L eats with B (and supervises his syrup consumption) as I clean out some more dirty diapers, brush my teeth, make another cup of coffee, strip our sheets, spray my hair with water to refresh the curl, return a few group texts, and wash some breakfast dishes. Somewhere in here I also eat two boiled eggs with Everything But the Bagel seasoning, and a bunch of grapes.
I help L get B loaded up in the car, and just as they pull off, my parents Facetime me. They’re calling to see B but are polite enough to talk to me for a few minutes. They live a few hours away, and are divorced, but cohabitating. The full story is long and spiritual for me so I’ll spare you. Anyway, my mom and I talk for a while about this couch she thinks I should buy from one of her friends, but it’s two hours away and we’d have to rent a U-Haul, so I think we’ll pass. I do hate our current couch though. Please drop comfy toddler- and dog-friendly recommendations in the comments!
8:15 am: I set out to walk the dog and listen to the Daily’s recent update on the coronavirus. Donald G. McNeill, Jr., says we’re in this through the summer, which is a bummer on the personal and global front, but I suppose it could be worse??? Maybe?? As soon as they finish talking I switch over to You’re Wrong About. I’m deep in the Jessica Simpson series and highly recommend this pod for any other nerdy, lefty, kinda burnt out millennials, especially those of you that are queer or queer-adjacent. Once home, I take my whole operation onto the front porch to work, since the cleaner will be here soon and I don’t want to crowd her in this time of COVID. I LOVE a clean house and I love paying someone else to do the big stuff, which is a recent luxury for us.
11:00 am: I’ve been working steadily in my email and google docs for a couple hours now, and it’s COLD out here. The cleaner leaves and I am grateful to go back into the heat. I Venmo her $80 for the cleaning (included in monthly expenses). I take a break from work and check out the job boards. My current job is the best, and highest-paying, gig I’ve ever had, but I’m planning to leave some time this year for several reasons. The premier reason: I recently learned that I’m qualified for several positions that pay over $100k at similar organizations. With that kind of money we could pay off our student loans, help our families out more, make sizable donations, and L could explore a career outside of teaching without freaking about a slight cut in his pay for a few years as he finds his niche. Or - maybe he’ll get into Edtech somehow and we’ll join Resource Generation. Who knows.
12:30 pm: I have a quick break and pull together lunch: half a cheese quesadilla, a big bowl of Smitten Kitchen’s roasted tomato soup, and a LimonCello LaCroix. L is on his planning period and asks me to edit his most recent job application, and I oblige. Since we’re both job hunting, I ask him if I can buy a resume template and guide on Etsy. I have sworn off online shopping for the year to curb my impulse spending, but he says we’ll just count this one as his purchase. Great news because I hate the formatting of my resume from 2016 and don’t want to fix it myself! $9.95
3:30 pm: My Zooms are over, my inbox is at 0, and I put up my out of office message because I’m taking the day off tomorrow to work on my resume and do some things to prep our house for sale. My high-functioning anxiety created an ambitious backwards timeline for this process back in December, and that timeline currently runs my life. I work for a few more minutes to tie up loose ends, and then walk O to a nearby shop to buy my favorite candle, curbside-style. When I get there the owner gives me some percentage off because it’s slightly discolored from the sun. Huzzah! $27.25, marked down from $40
4:45 pm: My angel of a baby sister, J, who lives just a few blocks away and is in a pod with us, comes to hang out with B for an hour so L can rest. I head to my good friend D’s place for my investment overalls appointment. She's going to alter their awkward wide leg into more of a tapered, mom jean shape. I have a capsule wardrobe which means I’ll wear these babies at least once a week, and plus I get to pay my friend, so I’m fine with the extra expense. When I arrive, she and her partner have the fire pit going, and we drink a couple glasses of wine together, yet more than 6 feet apart. I learn they are planning to move to the same new city as us in the next couple of years and legit cry happy tears.
Afterwards, I head out to pick up dinner for tonight. We are getting burgers from L’s favorite place as a treat. On my way, the WOLF MOON appears over the water and my stomach does triple flips. Then I pick up our dinner: a veggie burger with eggplant jam and kale for me; a real-meat burger with mushrooms, bacon, swiss, carmelized onion, and horseradish mayo for L; and an appetizer plate with pretzels, pimento cheese, onion jam, pickles, and chips for B. Delicious and unhealthy. The total is $34.54.
6:30: Home and eating dinner. B loves his meal, especially the “chokes.” He calls pretzels “chokes” because when L first started feeding them to him, I worried aloud that he would choke every time. I just couldn’t stop thinking about how a pretzel almost took out George W. Bush. Turns out our toddler is better at chewing than George W. Bush.
After dinner, L gives B a bubble bath while I do my own, very minimal, bedtime routine. Then L and I lay down with B to put him to sleep. He has a floor bed, which is a Montessori thing I learned about on mom blogs. L is a very hot and talented woodworker, so he took my floor bed dream to the next level by building a lovely house-shaped frame. The top beam is wrapped in twinkle lights and fake ivy. It’s a nice place to sleep, and we pass out here all the time.
10:30 pm: L wakes me up and we wander to our own bed.
🌿 DAILY TOTAL: 71.74
✨ DAY 2: FRIDAY✨
4:15 am: Wake up and go look at the clock. Decide this is a silly time to get up on a day off, drink some water, and go lay back down. But once in bed all I can think about is how much I want to read the news, organize my resume, and update this money diary. This is the problem with falling asleep at toddler time. So I get up again at 4:45, make my coffee, read a New Yorker article about Biden’s pandemic response on my phone, and sit down to work on this diary.
6:00 am: L wakes up! He works on breakfast for himself and B and I start meal planning for the month. This is one of my best and most recent life hacks. I found that if I chart out our cooking, weekly takeout, and leftovers at the start of the month, we save lots of money and are so much less stressed about the labor that goes into feeding ourselves. I pull out Smitten Kitchen Every Day and use it to inspire the month’s meals. So quaint to cook from an actual BOOK.
6:45 am: B walks out of our room and announces that he drank my water off the side table. He’s so proud! And so ready to eat. While he eats breakfast, I snack on some grapes and, at B’s request, blast 7 Days A Week by They Might Be Giants. This is the consummate children’s song for any household that dreams of a self-determined world. Over the next hour I take B to school; make myself a real breakfast (a soy chorizo and egg taco); and browse TikTok. Eventually I find a series about this Gamestop situation by a smart Irish woman and L and I watch it together. When it’s over we feel like shrewd stock brokers ready to win money, and L gets to work teaching virtually.
I spend the morning painting our front door and our kitchen wall to prep our house to sell, and talking to my (other) little sister on the phone. She’s an HR person with a job that’s taken her far away from our family, and we don’t talk that often. It is so good to catch up on her life. After that I have a fun, day-off Zoom call with longtime bestie and coworker K. We drink coffee and talk about The Future.
12:30 pm: I make lunch (tomato soup with goat cheese on top, and a savory scone on the side) and get a text from another bestie, M, who offers me a little grant writing contract work this week. Yay! I love them and love working with them. Next, I order our groceries for the week. I get baking powder, eggs, cremini mushrooms, vegan sausage patties, oat milk, ginger root, shredded cheddar cheese, plantains, black beans, doggy bags, broccoli, vegan chicken strips, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, capers, ciabatta bread, grits, bananas, avocados, greek yogurt, and on impulse, a pineapple on sale (?!). Maybe B will love it. The total comes to $94.08.
1:15 pm: I do a brief power vinyasa class in B’s room and take a shower. It takes me approximately two Drake songs to shower and dry off, as I don’t have to wash my hair today and I never shave. I work on my resume until L and I leave to pick up B. On the way home we stop at the park to play, and then we all get in the car to pick up groceries.
6:30 pm: We get home later than planned and eat together: leftover tofu ramen for us and veggie lasagna for B, who is so sleepy that he hardly touches his lasagna. L gets him in the bath around 7:15 and I run through my evening routine. There’s a lot going on in the house - preschool lunch and clothes to put up, a mountain of laundry in our room, all of the groceries for the week waiting to be put away, and dinner dishes are languishing in the sink. L starts on chores while I get B dressed.
As I’m dressing B, my mom Facetimes and B shows her several of his board books. While we’re talking my dad texts me a heart emoji - he overheard B and my mom talking from his room. He lives with a disability and a painful illness, so he goes to bed very early. We hang up with my mom and record a video of B making “P” sounds and saying “I love you” to my dad, and send it over. This is the first time B’s ever said “I love you!” Huge news. We read books and fall asleep next to B.
9 pm: I wake up and nudge L but he wants to keep sleeping. I go clean the dinner dishes, put away the food and reorganize the cabinets and fridge, and mop the kitchen floor while I listen to The Daily’s latest reporting on QAnon believers who are at once totally bananagrams and also remind me very much of my aunt. L wakes up at 9:30 because he and Y, my sister’s boyfriend, are gonna game. Cute! He finishes the laundry and I fold a few diapers to help out. Then we lay in bed together until game time, when I fall asleep.
🌿 DAILY TOTAL: 94.08
✨DAY 3: SATURDAY✨
5:40 am: Wake up at a ~*~weekend hour~*~!! Start my kettle, clean and moisturize my face, pull out the ingredients for waffles, and pick up around the house while I wait for it to boil. I try to read some, but get bored a few pages in. I’m currently reading How to Do Nothing and it’s good enough, but I think I need to chill on the nonfiction and read, like, saucy romance novels with hot bisexual leads. Send me your recs please!
Waffle time! This recipe is my go-to. I recommend whipping the egg whites first. B wakes up around 7:15 and helps me cook which is cute and very messy. He eats his waffle with honey, peanut butter, and grapes. L wakes up after him - he had a late night gaming!
8 am: I open yesterday’s mail and find an anti-abortion DVD from L’s grandma. It’s Abby Johnson’s “memoir.” Abby Johnson is an opportunistic right winger and documented liar who once moonlighted as a Planned Parenthood clinic manager. L is a preacher’s kid, so we’re not surprised to receive this from his grandma. For example: 10 years ago, when L and I were a couple years into our relationship, her Christmas gift to me was a book about how one can recover from being a slut by getting married and finding Jesus. This particular package really sends me over the edge, though. I decide to write them a short note later that states my own experience with abortion and sets a clear boundary on this kind of propaganda, and includes an article about Abby Johnson’s bullshit life. It’s unlikely this will change their minds - they are septuagenarian Southern Baptists, after all - but at least I’ll be in my integrity.
In the meantime, I group text L’s siblings, and they commiserate with us. His one sibling who is transitioning shares that grandma recently sent them a book about how to tell your gay friends they’re sinning. We agree that’s hilariously dense (and fucking rude) of her, and talk about how everyone under forty is a gay slut living their best life, so really it’s grandma’s loss. During this time I clean the kitchen, finish the waffles, and freeze them for B’s weekday breakfasts.
9:30 am: B asks to use the potty and does a great job peeing on his own! He’s geeked about it and is especially excited to have my parents on Facetime cheering him on. After that we head out on our morning walk. L takes B to the playground and I take O to the dog park nearby. She gets tired pretty quick and we all head to the thrift store. We need chairs for our hand-me-down kitchen table. The ones that came with it are awkwardly wide. L spots two sturdy ones that are just $5 each. Score! $10
11:30 am: B and L are both wiped out once we get home. They eat lunch and go to sleep. I clean up the kitchen, repot one of my plants, water our porch plants, and eat some leftover ramen for lunch. The Marie Antoinette episode of You’re Wrong About keeps me company all the while. 10/10 would recommend.
2 pm: B wakes up and eats some lunch. We watercolor together for a while (he on his big paper, I in my bullet journal), then walk down the street to the local high school while L preps potatoes for our fondue. The high school grounds are open on the weekends, and there’s an amphitheatre on site. B loves the echo in there.
4:30 pm: L joins us in the amphitheatre and together we drag B two blocks back home. I prep the fondue: brie, gouda, and more gouda with white wine. It ends up being a little clumpy but so delicious. My sister, J, and her boyfriend, Y arrive while I’m cooking. Y brings yummy baguettes from his bakery job for the dipping and we prep broccoli, green beans, and tempeh too. We sit down in our new chairs to eat and for the zillionth time I am so thankful we’ve been able to make a pod together this year. Fondue would be a terrifying proposition with anyone else, really.
While we eat, Y tells us he put in his two weeks at the bakery because their COVID protocols aren’t so tight and his coworkers are continuing to go to bars and out to eat. His plan for now is to get back on unemployment and find a virtual job sometime soon. Both he and my sister have worked food service their whole adult lives so the pandemic has been tough on them. Besides the fact that they’re delightful and perfect, this is one key reason we’re planning to move with them to our new city this summer: L and I will be able to easily afford the majority of the rent, deposits, and utilities on a pretty big, and centrally located, house. Living together will allow us to grow our savings and take our time looking for a Forever Home, and will allow J and Y to pay really low rent as my sister goes back to school full time and Y looks for a full-time job. I’m really looking forward to living with them and know it’ll be good for B, too. They leave around 7 pm and we put B to bed, this time without falling asleep ourselves!
8:30 pm: Turn on How I Met Your Mother in bed and the episodes are baaaaad bad. One entire episode casts sex workers as a punch line. Ick. L and I agree to find a new show, and fall asleep around 10.
11 pm - 2 am: B is up and between our two beds. Wahhhh.
🌿 DAILY TOTAL: 10
✨DAY 4: SUNDAY✨
6 am: Up and at ‘em! Discover I’m out of my fancy coffee and don’t want to emphasize the flavor of our grocery store beans with a slow pour, so make a french press instead. B wakes up too early so we watch toddlers together on TikTok while I drink my coffee, then read books while L makes us all eggs for breakfast. We head out for our morning walk around 9 am and stop at a coffee shop a few blocks away. I pick up Counter Culture’s Iridescent beans, buy an espresso brownie on a whim, and tip the cashier because she’s so sweet and tipping is good. The total is 23.03. L takes B to the playground and I drop my purchases and O back at the house before I head out for a run.
9:45 am: It’s 65 degrees and my run is glorious. I run to the water and pause Lil Yachty for a minute to take it all in. Once home I shower and put on a black LA Apparel catsuit and a marled black and white cocoon sweater from AA of the past (I like what I like!). We feed B lunch and then L puts him down while I clean up.
Around 11:30, J comes over after to watch B while we remove the storm windows from our whole house and clean the windows underneath as part of our work to prep the house for sale. We’re a solid team: L removes the storm windows and caulks all the gaps in the wood while I follow behind him and wash the windows inside and out. Our sweet neighbor catches us cleaning and offers to let us use her power washer for free next weekend to clean up the front of the house. I resolve to bake them some cookies.
2:30 pm: We are done with the window operation and it’s time for me to water all 57 plants in the house. Along the way, discover that I overwatered B’s hoya last week and it’s rotting. Noooo! I unpot it on the porch to dry the roots, but it’s raining so this might not work. There’s only one surefire solution: buy a replacement plant! I try to convince L we should go to the nursery, but he’s not so into it. I walk around dejectedly with a towel to clean up all the water I spilled, and Zelle J $70 for babysitting even though she insists she would do it for free. Next B, L, and I share a snack: crackers with goat cheese and harissa. Mmm. B skips the harissa but loves the goat cheese. Meanwhile I begin to stress about making dinner. We’d planned goddess bowls but L and I just aren’t feeling it after our marathon of house work. L requests Chinese and is suddenly more amenable to visiting the nursery, which is near our favorite Chinese takeout spot. Score!
5:00 pm: We leave the plant shop with a heartleaf philodendron for B’s room and a giant, lovely, perfect monstera deliciosa just because. The total comes to $53.24. Then we pick up our food: $33.08 including the tip. L ordered a large veggie lo mein to share with B and General Tso’s chicken, and I got family style tofu and vegetables. We start B’s bedtime routine at 6:30 and he’s out by 7:00 - early for him!
After he’s down, L preps his breakfast sandwiches for the week and I do some dishes. Then we take mutual advantage of the extra hour we have together. Even after 12 years it’s always so good with L. I fall asleep around 10 pm feeling blessed.
🌿 Daily total: 179.32
✨DAY 5: MONDAY✨
5 am: I make my pour over and get started on work first thing. I have a couple of deadlines this week and the side gig to balance so I’m already feeling pressed for time! I wrap up an entire grant report before 6 am and feel very accomplished. Then I pause work to start our breakfast, which is all pre-prepped, hallelujah. While L and B eat breakfast, I get dressed in a black turtleneck minidress, busted old tights, black ankle socks, and my Doc Martens.
I help L load up the car with B and all his gear, and tell L to be careful. Today is L’s first day back teaching in person since December, and we’re both nervous since COVID is still running wild in our red state. On the way to work he fills up his car for $18.33.
2:30 pm: After another grant report, seventy gajillion emails, forty Slack messages, and several hours of Zoom calls, I’m ready for a break. I finish eating the quinoa salad I prepped during Zoom call #2 and then eat a pear too. I see our Misfits box has been delivered. It’s $30 a week, and is included in our monthly expenses. I unpack it, clean the counters, wipe down the bathroom sinks, take O for a walk, and sit down to work on my side gig grant report, which is due Wednesday. I set a 30 minute timer because I don’t want to be too late picking up B.
4:25 pm: Worked longer than I meant to! Pack some snacks and pick up B. On the way home we get a giant bag of potting soil so I can repot those plants. It’s $18.52. Come home and engage in B’s favorite winter activity: pressing all the buttons in the turned-off car. Meanwhile, in another car across town, L picks up a big bag of Purina One, butter, maple syrup, and applesauce. That total is $28.64.
5:30 pm: The whole family is home and we kick it inside until it starts to get dark. L and I gather all the things and take the creatures out for a walk even though there’s a light, but very cold, rain happening. B is cranky and so are we, so the walk is quick.
We eat leftover Chinese food around 7 and start B’s bedtime routine. B falls asleep at 8 and I update this diary for a while, then go watch Ted Lasso in bed with L til about 9:30. It’s much better than How I Met Your Mother, for the record.
🌿 DAILY TOTAL: 65.51
✨Day 6: TUESDAY✨
3 am: B wakes up and needs a diaper change. I have the hardest time falling back asleep after: I can’t stop thinking about how I left B’s hoya out in the cold with its roots exposed most of the day yesterday and into tonight. But it’s too cold for me to get up again and pull it inside! So instead I toss and turn and hope it’s not dead yet.
6 am: L’s alarm wakes me up! No early morning reading and writing time for me. I get right up, make a giant pour over, and get breakfast together while L wakes up B. Then I actually sit down with them to eat: B and I both eat boiled eggs with everything but the bagel seasoning and some coconut milk yogurt, and L sips his coffee while his breakfast sandwich heats in the oven. I get dressed in my workout gear and walk the dog while L gets B ready for school. They leave, and I finally bring the hoya in, and start work, around 7:30. L buys coffee and snacks from the gas station on his way to work: $6.88.
9:30 am: I grab some crackers and peanut butter from the kitchen and notice a DMV bill on the fridge I’ve been meaning to pay, but don’t totally understand. I call them up and respond to emails while I sit on hold. Turns out I owe the DMV $10 for paying my Dad’s van insurance late. With the “processing fee” it comes to $11.17.
1:30 pm: Been on Zoom calls all morning, and decide to switch over to the side gig work for a bit. Meanwhile I eat that quinoa salad I prepped yesterday. At 2 pm, my longtime bestie and neighbor F comes over and we take O for a walk in the park together and have such a good conversation. While the context is (very) different, I’m reminded of the Toni Morrison quote when I think of F: “She’s a friend of my mind.” Such a gem, and such a smartie. At 3:30 I start a HIIT yoga class and it kicks my butt even though it’s only 20 minutes long. Afterwards, I shower and pick up B.
5:00 pm: L arrives home while B and I are playing, and we get in the car once more to check out a cute couch L scoped out on Facebook marketplace. It’s a sweet vintage brown velvet actually-for-real midcentury situation. Unfortunately we discover it’s also small and very uncomfortable. $200 not spent. Once home, my family goes for a walk and I make dinner - this grits and beans recipe from NYT cooking. It’s blessedly quick to pull together. Meanwhile D texts me and says my overalls are ready! YAY! She’s gonna drop them off in a couple of days. She says the total is $30. I include a tip and Venmo her $40.
7:00 pm: At bedtime, B cannot get enough of his books and we read All The World several times. He finally falls asleep around 8:20 and L and I eat dinner on the couch, with Ted Lasso. I drink a glass of red wine, which is a mistake: my anxiety spikes right after, my stomach hurts, and I can’t sleep. This is very upsetting as I want very much to be a wine mom. Does this happen to anyone else?
🌿 DAILY TOTAL: 58.05
✨DAY 7: WEDNESDAY✨
5:45 am: Wake up with B cuddled into my back - L moved him to our bed in the middle of the night after his second wake up. Get my coffee and breakfast together and sit down at my computer to work on the side gig grant while everyone's asleep. Then L and I manage the morning rush together. I eat sourdough toast, two scrambled eggs, and some pineapple along the way.
7:30 am: Take O out for a walk and on a whim decide to listen to one of my favorite easy-listening pods: A Beautiful Mess. Normally the two sisters and co-hosts, Elsie and Emma, chat about things like home decor or craft making or how to balance kids and work. This episode is about the host’s evangelical upbringing, though, and is a real raw and honest tear jerker. Pair it with this, one of my top reads of 2020: “What Does the White Evangelical Want?” It gets me thinking about L’s upbringing in the church. He and all his siblings are all agnostic now.
Finally sit down at my desk and debate taking Adderall. I used it regularly in college and for a few years after in order to Do All The Things. I try to stay away from it now - I’m not trying to live an impossible life any more - but I also really want to pick B up earlier than normal today, and that means I need to meet all my deadlines and make it through two Zoom calls with my direct reports by 3 pm. I decide to take 4 mg. Right after I take it, three different friends text me at once and then, suddenly, I’ve spent an hour catching up via text. Get to work for real around 9 am.
3:00 pm: Wrapped all my calls, answered all my emails, washed all the dishes, ate some lunch, and finished the side gig work! OK Adderall, you beautiful bitch. Spend a few more minutes tying up loose ends and then gather my things to pick B up from school. The plan today is to go “play basketball” in the park near his school because he is OBSESSED with balls, and I’m trying to do more magical things every day with him. It’s cold but I’m ready to brave it on his precious, curly-headed behalf.
At 4 pm J calls and asks to go pick him up with me. Hooray, things just got even more magical! We head to a different-than-usual park together and run around until B sits in, and then drinks from, a puddle. We panic and J googles “What happens if my baby drinks from a puddle?” The search returns lots of stories of babies eating muddy rocks and surviving, so we decide it’s ok.
5:00 pm Head home and L is back from work! We take the smols on a walk and I tell L that I think nighttime screentime is making me anxious. I’m a sensitive creature and I really don’t want to blame the wine. He’s very perfect so he helps me think through an alternate plan for this evening: hot tea and book reading in bed, and maybe sex, too! Fun.
Next, I head home with O to pot the plants we bought the other day, and L takes B to the playground. They get back around 6:30 and I am very excited to reveal my new plant placements. Everyone feigns interest except O. Then we eat leftovers together and B gets in bed around 7:30. L and I promptly fall asleep next to him and don’t wake up again til 11 pm. Guess our new nighttime routine will have to wait til tomorrow!
🌿 DAILY TOTAL: 0
❤️ Section 5: TOTALS
Total Expenses: $478.71
Food & Drink: $220.25
Fun & Entertainment: $0
Home & Health: $109.01
Clothes & Beauty: $40
Transport: $29.50
Other: $79.95
❤️ Section 6: REFLECTION
This week reflects a new normal for us, I think! We just set the goal of saving up for another down payment in December, and that’s when I swore off online shopping both to save money and to stop lining the pockets of evil billionaires like Bezos (no shade to anyone who uses Amazon, this is purely a personal goal & I’m not sure I can meet it). This self-imposed rule is helping me reign in my discretionary spending overall. L and I have only been living a two-income, middle class life for a few years, and my lifestyle creep was a little out of control in 2020. That said, I can and do still regularly justify spending money on things that make life more luxurious and beautiful - like a $40 candle or a totally unnecessary but very lovely plant.
There are a couple of things not reflected in this diary that we regularly spend on: gifts (my achilles heel - for example, we spent three! thousand! dollars! on Christmas gifts in December), and medical bills. Both B and I had to visit the emergency room in 2020 and we are still getting random bills in the mail as our insurance company and the hospital duke it out. As I was editing this diary on Thursday, I received one for $787. Wahhhh. I think I’m gonna get on a payment plan, but even so that it will be over $200 a month.
Last thought: this process got me thinking in some detail about the contradiction of organizing for the fall of capitalism (and the rise of a more gentle and just economic system), yet believing everyone - including ourselves and our own families - deserve to live full and abundant lives. This means I compromise my own anti-capitalist values and beliefs every day, in big and small ways. Discuss?

Some information on me that should inform how you read this post:

• My cooking skills fall somewhere between beginner and intermediate. I've made recipes before and the basic eggs and stuff without a recipe and feel confident in my ability to follow a given recipe, but this is the first time I've been cooking ~90% of my meals
• I do not like beans
• Other than the bad chili they served occasionally for two years in my high school, I never had tex-mex before
• I like chicken
• I made some substitutions and am judging based on them and will say by each recipe what they were
• I am ranking mostly based on taste, not price or health or anything else

And so, the ranking from most favorite to least favorite
S Tier:
1) Garlic Noodles with Beef and Broccoli
I replaced the oyster sauce with half hoisin sauce and half soy sauce. I really don't have much to say about this. It's just really fucking good. The flavors all come together really well and the crushed red pepper adds a nice spice that gives the whole thing the perfect bit of heat. I think the only thing I want to do different next time, other than maybe obtaining oyster sauce, is cracking the spaghetti in half to make it easier to apportion. Picture of how mine came out
2) Turkey Taco Skillet
I made this with ground beef instead of ground turkey and did not include the scallions/green onions. I don't really know the difference between the taco option and the quesadilla option, I think I did something in between. This is the one I just made so I haven't yet reheated the leftovers and eaten more than one portion. Regardless, who kept quesadillas/soft tacos from me all my life? idk if it's just this one or if they're generally amazing, but holy crap, it's really good, highly recommend it. Might edit in a picture if I can get a clean quesadilla out of the leftovers (didn't flip right the first time since it was my first time ever trying it)
3) Skillet Cheeseburger Pasta
Like mac and cheese with some burger in it and a kickass sauce. Note that when Budget Bytes refers to ounces of cheese, they're referring to weight, not fluid. I figured that out from... somewhere, I don't remember. The pictures on the site don't do it justice for how cheesy it is, but it is supposed to be that cheesy and it's really good. The recipe mentions how the hot dog relish really gives it that burger taste and I very much agree. I doubt I'll use it for anything else, but I made two batches of this recipe and I'm very satisfied with my purchase.
A Tier:
4) Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry Bowls
Used light coconut milk instead of regular, as suggested in the standalone savory coconut rice recipe, used the teriyaki sauce recipe rather than sweet chili sauce since I had all the ingredients for it already, and used a percentage of a larger can of pineapple chunks rather than an 8oz can of pineapple tidbits because stores near me did not have the latter. The star of this show was the coconut rice tbh. I don't usually like coconut because of its texture, but the coconut flavor along with the jasmine rice and the garlic all came together to make some really good-tasting rice. Especially since I used a rice cooker so I didn't need much water besides from the can of coconut milk. tbh this recipe doesn't really do the rice justice because the teriyaki mixture overpowers the subtle flavor of the rice. Maybe the sweet chili blends in better idk. Regardless, every component of this recipe tastes good. Only thing I'd change is that the recipe should call for an amount of broccoli that you can divide in four to make the same four portions that the chicken makes. Considering that frozen broccoli is sold in 12oz packages, not 16oz, I say just buy two packages and make them both at once and split in four for 6oz/portion rather than 5.3oz with none left for the fourth portion. Picture of how mine came out
5) One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
This tasted very similar to the above since I'd replaced the sweet chili in the above with teriyaki anyway. I think I liked the above recipe slightly more because I prefer the broccoli in that recipe over the mixed peppers I bought for this one's frozen stir fry vegetables. Also the coconut rice. It's mostly a matter of which process you prefer I suppose and then customize your preferred process to suit your palette
6) Simple Homemade Chili
I like this one chili recipe unlike the other one because it tells you how to customize it. Also because it tastes good. The customization options I used were using two pounds of beef rather than including beans, using Guinness beer instead of water (side note, not a big beer person, but I drank the leftover beer and I prefer Blue Moon and Miller Genuine Draft), and adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a cup of frozen corn kernels, some shredded cheese, scallions, and crushed tortilla chips. I really liked the chili a lot, but ngl by the sixth serving I was ready for something else. As a single man living alone, I'd definitely prefer if this recipe made four servings rather than six.
7) Poor Man's Burrito Bowls
I should probably make this again now that I've made more things, this is only the second thing I made, but I was really surprised by how much I liked it considering I don't generally like beans. The Turkey Taco Skillet also has black beans in it though and I like that too, so I might just only like black beans idk. Some recommendations for making this: Use a mild salsa, not medium. I used medium tostitos salsa and it was a little too strong for me. Also, slice your jalapeno as thin as you can and don't refrigerate it. It's very easy to have the jalapeno flavor be too strong. Other than that, go ham on it, it's a surprisingly good recipe.
8) No-Knead Focaccia Rolls
This would be ranked higher if the recipe were better made. They taste very good. Some tips: the rolls are never going to look like they do in the pictures, idk what filter they used on their camera or how their oven was miscalibrated or whatever. I used an oven thermometer to make sure my oven uses the right temperature and in waiting for it to get as golden on top as in the pictures, the bottom burned and the rolls were hard. They still tasted good after reheating them in the microwave on a damp paper towel since that softened them, but I recommend making them how I did the second time, only waiting a couple minutes longer than the 25 minutes the website says. They won't really look right, but they taste amazing, especially dipped in soup or olive oil. Some recommendations from the comments: If you want whole wheat, use one cup out of four rather than the usual two. Be super liberal with the flour. Use pinch and tuck rather than just rolling into balls. Use parchment paper rather than aluminum foil with cooking spray.
B Tier:
9) Skillet Pineapple BBQ Chicken
I used a nonstick skillet and a shitty bbq sauce (Open Pitt) and couldn't get it right. It still tasted pretty good because chicken, but if you're gonna make this, I recommend using a thicker bbq sauce and a stainless steel skillet or other type that's meant for making pan sauces, not nonstick. The pictures make it look super appetizing, but idk. I'll try it again when I buy a nonstick pan I suppose, it is chicken after all.
10) Weeknight Pasta Sauce with Spaghetti (using title from meal plan)
Not sure what the author loves about the sauce so much. This to me was very standard spaghetti in sauce with a very small amount of ground beef that really didn't do much to bring it up a notch or anything. Not bad in the slightest, but nothing special.
C Tier:
11) Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
You have no idea the hell I went through to get pumpkin puree for this recipe. No store near me had it for some reason. Anyway, this was a fairly decent soup, nice flavor, nothing special, good to dip those rolls in. C Tier because fuck pumpkin puree and how hard it was to find.
12) One Pot Chili Pasta
This one was ok, but I don't like beans and it makes 9 servings so by the time I finished it, I was pretty sick of beans. If I were to make it again, I'd swap out the beans for more ground beef. Would probably taste good then tbh. I like the corn in this recipe.
13) Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup
Lots of beans, not really a fan, but I put in a lot of pepper which was great and of course it was good soup for dipping those rolls into.
14) Easy Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala
I feel bad putting this last because I actually really liked the cauliflower and masala part, but there's a reason another name for chickpeas is garbanzo beans. They have the texture of beans. Not a fan.
Didn't Try:
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
This is the second to last recipe in the meal plan and at this point I am all beaned out and I just don't have it in me to make another 6 servings of a bean dish I know I won't like so I'm not bothering
Conclusion:
All in all I had a pretty good time making and eating this food over the course of a month and a half or so. I really wish I liked beans because Budget Bytes uses them a lot and they're like, cheap and nutritious or something, but I've now tried beans in multiple dishes and I think I can say with certainty that I do not. I would recommend checking out this meal plan if you're like me and don't want to have to choose what to make every day. Some tips on using it: Do use the grocery list at the starting to know if you should buy something in bulk or just a small amount. Do look at the actual web page for each recipe so you can find tips and substitutions and comments rather than just the recipe. Do look at this post and the couple of tips I've scattered throughout. I hope y'all enjoyed this post and will make some of those amazing S and A tier dishes. I was truly amazed at just how good the S tier ones were

Some information on me that should inform how you read this post:

• My cooking skills fall somewhere between beginner and intermediate. I've made recipes before and the basic eggs and stuff without a recipe and feel confident in my ability to follow a given recipe, but this is the first time I've been cooking ~90% of my meals
• I do not like beans
• Other than the bad chili they served occasionally for two years in my high school, I never had tex-mex before
• I like chicken
• I made some substitutions and am judging based on them and will say by each recipe what they were
• I am ranking mostly based on taste, not price or health or anything else

And so, the ranking from most favorite to least favorite
S Tier:
1) Garlic Noodles with Beef and Broccoli
I replaced the oyster sauce with half hoisin sauce and half soy sauce. I really don't have much to say about this. It's just really fucking good. The flavors all come together really well and the crushed red pepper adds a nice spice that gives the whole thing the perfect bit of heat. I think the only thing I want to do different next time, other than maybe obtaining oyster sauce, is cracking the spaghetti in half to make it easier to apportion. Picture of how mine came out
2) Turkey Taco Skillet
I made this with ground beef instead of ground turkey and did not include the scallions/green onions. I don't really know the difference between the taco option and the quesadilla option, I think I did something in between. This is the one I just made so I haven't yet reheated the leftovers and eaten more than one portion. Regardless, who kept quesadillas/soft tacos from me all my life? idk if it's just this one or if they're generally amazing, but holy crap, it's really good, highly recommend it. Might edit in a picture if I can get a clean quesadilla out of the leftovers (didn't flip right the first time since it was my first time ever trying it)
3) Skillet Cheeseburger Pasta
Like mac and cheese with some burger in it and a kickass sauce. Note that when Budget Bytes refers to ounces of cheese, they're referring to weight, not fluid. I figured that out from... somewhere, I don't remember. The pictures on the site don't do it justice for how cheesy it is, but it is supposed to be that cheesy and it's really good. The recipe mentions how the hot dog relish really gives it that burger taste and I very much agree. I doubt I'll use it for anything else, but I made two batches of this recipe and I'm very satisfied with my purchase.
A Tier:
4) Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry Bowls
Used light coconut milk instead of regular, as suggested in the standalone savory coconut rice recipe, used the teriyaki sauce recipe rather than sweet chili sauce since I had all the ingredients for it already, and used a percentage of a larger can of pineapple chunks rather than an 8oz can of pineapple tidbits because stores near me did not have the latter. The star of this show was the coconut rice tbh. I don't usually like coconut because of its texture, but the coconut flavor along with the jasmine rice and the garlic all came together to make some really good-tasting rice. Especially since I used a rice cooker so I didn't need much water besides from the can of coconut milk. tbh this recipe doesn't really do the rice justice because the teriyaki mixture overpowers the subtle flavor of the rice. Maybe the sweet chili blends in better idk. Regardless, every component of this recipe tastes good. Only thing I'd change is that the recipe should call for an amount of broccoli that you can divide in four to make the same four portions that the chicken makes. Considering that frozen broccoli is sold in 12oz packages, not 16oz, I say just buy two packages and make them both at once and split in four for 6oz/portion rather than 5.3oz with none left for the fourth portion. Picture of how mine came out
5) One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
This tasted very similar to the above since I'd replaced the sweet chili in the above with teriyaki anyway. I think I liked the above recipe slightly more because I prefer the broccoli in that recipe over the mixed peppers I bought for this one's frozen stir fry vegetables. Also the coconut rice. It's mostly a matter of which process you prefer I suppose and then customize your preferred process to suit your palette
6) Simple Homemade Chili
I like this one chili recipe unlike the other one because it tells you how to customize it. Also because it tastes good. The customization options I used were using two pounds of beef rather than including beans, using Guinness beer instead of water (side note, not a big beer person, but I drank the leftover beer and I prefer Blue Moon and Miller Genuine Draft), and adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a cup of frozen corn kernels, some shredded cheese, scallions, and crushed tortilla chips. I really liked the chili a lot, but ngl by the sixth serving I was ready for something else. As a single man living alone, I'd definitely prefer if this recipe made four servings rather than six.
7) Poor Man's Burrito Bowls
I should probably make this again now that I've made more things, this is only the second thing I made, but I was really surprised by how much I liked it considering I don't generally like beans. The Turkey Taco Skillet also has black beans in it though and I like that too, so I might just only like black beans idk. Some recommendations for making this: Use a mild salsa, not medium. I used medium tostitos salsa and it was a little too strong for me. Also, slice your jalapeno as thin as you can and don't refrigerate it. It's very easy to have the jalapeno flavor be too strong. Other than that, go ham on it, it's a surprisingly good recipe.
8) No-Knead Focaccia Rolls
This would be ranked higher if the recipe were better made. They taste very good. Some tips: the rolls are never going to look like they do in the pictures, idk what filter they used on their camera or how their oven was miscalibrated or whatever. I used an oven thermometer to make sure my oven uses the right temperature and in waiting for it to get as golden on top as in the pictures, the bottom burned and the rolls were hard. They still tasted good after reheating them in the microwave on a damp paper towel since that softened them, but I recommend making them how I did the second time, only waiting a couple minutes longer than the 25 minutes the website says. They won't really look right, but they taste amazing, especially dipped in soup or olive oil. Some recommendations from the comments: If you want whole wheat, use one cup out of four rather than the usual two. Be super liberal with the flour. Use pinch and tuck rather than just rolling into balls. Use parchment paper rather than aluminum foil with cooking spray.
B Tier:
9) Skillet Pineapple BBQ Chicken
I used a nonstick skillet and a shitty bbq sauce (Open Pitt) and couldn't get it right. It still tasted pretty good because chicken, but if you're gonna make this, I recommend using a thicker bbq sauce and a stainless steel skillet or other type that's meant for making pan sauces, not nonstick. The pictures make it look super appetizing, but idk. I'll try it again when I buy a nonstick pan I suppose, it is chicken after all.
10) Weeknight Pasta Sauce with Spaghetti (using title from meal plan)
Not sure what the author loves about the sauce so much. This to me was very standard spaghetti in sauce with a very small amount of ground beef that really didn't do much to bring it up a notch or anything. Not bad in the slightest, but nothing special.
C Tier:
11) Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
You have no idea the hell I went through to get pumpkin puree for this recipe. No store near me had it for some reason. Anyway, this was a fairly decent soup, nice flavor, nothing special, good to dip those rolls in. C Tier because fuck pumpkin puree and how hard it was to find.
12) One Pot Chili Pasta
This one was ok, but I don't like beans and it makes 9 servings so by the time I finished it, I was pretty sick of beans. If I were to make it again, I'd swap out the beans for more ground beef. Would probably taste good then tbh. I like the corn in this recipe.
13) Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup
Lots of beans, not really a fan, but I put in a lot of pepper which was great and of course it was good soup for dipping those rolls into.
14) Easy Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala
I feel bad putting this last because I actually really liked the cauliflower and masala part, but there's a reason another name for chickpeas is garbanzo beans. They have the texture of beans. Not a fan.
Didn't Try:
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
This is the second to last recipe in the meal plan and at this point I am all beaned out and I just don't have it in me to make another 6 servings of a bean dish I know I won't like so I'm not bothering
Conclusion:
All in all I had a pretty good time making and eating this food over the course of a month and a half or so. I really wish I liked beans because Budget Bytes uses them a lot and they're like, cheap and nutritious or something, but I've now tried beans in multiple dishes and I think I can say with certainty that I do not. I would recommend checking out this meal plan if you're like me and don't want to have to choose what to make every day. Some tips on using it: Do use the grocery list at the starting to know if you should buy something in bulk or just a small amount. Do look at the actual web page for each recipe so you can find tips and substitutions and comments rather than just the recipe. Do look at this post and the couple of tips I've scattered throughout. I hope y'all enjoyed this post and will make some of those amazing S and A tier dishes. I was truly amazed at just how good the S tier ones were

Some information on me that should inform how you read this post:

• My cooking skills fall somewhere between beginner and intermediate. I've made recipes before and the basic eggs and stuff without a recipe and feel confident in my ability to follow a given recipe, but this is the first time I've been cooking ~90% of my meals
• I do not like beans
• Other than the bad chili they served occasionally for two years in my high school, I never had tex-mex before
• I like chicken
• I made some substitutions and am judging based on them and will say by each recipe what they were
• I am ranking mostly based on taste, not price or health or anything else

And so, the ranking from most favorite to least favorite
S Tier:
1) Garlic Noodles with Beef and Broccoli
I replaced the oyster sauce with half hoisin sauce and half soy sauce. I really don't have much to say about this. It's just really fucking good. The flavors all come together really well and the crushed red pepper adds a nice spice that gives the whole thing the perfect bit of heat. I think the only thing I want to do different next time, other than maybe obtaining oyster sauce, is cracking the spaghetti in half to make it easier to apportion. Picture of how mine came out
2) Turkey Taco Skillet
I made this with ground beef instead of ground turkey and did not include the scallions/green onions. I don't really know the difference between the taco option and the quesadilla option, I think I did something in between. This is the one I just made so I haven't yet reheated the leftovers and eaten more than one portion. Regardless, who kept quesadillas/soft tacos from me all my life? idk if it's just this one or if they're generally amazing, but holy crap, it's really good, highly recommend it. Might edit in a picture if I can get a clean quesadilla out of the leftovers (didn't flip right the first time since it was my first time ever trying it)
3) Skillet Cheeseburger Pasta
Like mac and cheese with some burger in it and a kickass sauce. Note that when Budget Bytes refers to ounces of cheese, they're referring to weight, not fluid. I figured that out from... somewhere, I don't remember. The pictures on the site don't do it justice for how cheesy it is, but it is supposed to be that cheesy and it's really good. The recipe mentions how the hot dog relish really gives it that burger taste and I very much agree. I doubt I'll use it for anything else, but I made two batches of this recipe and I'm very satisfied with my purchase.
A Tier:
4) Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry Bowls
Used light coconut milk instead of regular, as suggested in the standalone savory coconut rice recipe, used the teriyaki sauce recipe rather than sweet chili sauce since I had all the ingredients for it already, and used a percentage of a larger can of pineapple chunks rather than an 8oz can of pineapple tidbits because stores near me did not have the latter. The star of this show was the coconut rice tbh. I don't usually like coconut because of its texture, but the coconut flavor along with the jasmine rice and the garlic all came together to make some really good-tasting rice. Especially since I used a rice cooker so I didn't need much water besides from the can of coconut milk. tbh this recipe doesn't really do the rice justice because the teriyaki mixture overpowers the subtle flavor of the rice. Maybe the sweet chili blends in better idk. Regardless, every component of this recipe tastes good. Only thing I'd change is that the recipe should call for an amount of broccoli that you can divide in four to make the same four portions that the chicken makes. Considering that frozen broccoli is sold in 12oz packages, not 16oz, I say just buy two packages and make them both at once and split in four for 6oz/portion rather than 5.3oz with none left for the fourth portion. Picture of how mine came out
5) One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
This tasted very similar to the above since I'd replaced the sweet chili in the above with teriyaki anyway. I think I liked the above recipe slightly more because I prefer the broccoli in that recipe over the mixed peppers I bought for this one's frozen stir fry vegetables. Also the coconut rice. It's mostly a matter of which process you prefer I suppose and then customize your preferred process to suit your palette
6) Simple Homemade Chili
I like this one chili recipe unlike the other one because it tells you how to customize it. Also because it tastes good. The customization options I used were using two pounds of beef rather than including beans, using Guinness beer instead of water (side note, not a big beer person, but I drank the leftover beer and I prefer Blue Moon and Miller Genuine Draft), and adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a cup of frozen corn kernels, some shredded cheese, scallions, and crushed tortilla chips. I really liked the chili a lot, but ngl by the sixth serving I was ready for something else. As a single man living alone, I'd definitely prefer if this recipe made four servings rather than six.
7) Poor Man's Burrito Bowls
I should probably make this again now that I've made more things, this is only the second thing I made, but I was really surprised by how much I liked it considering I don't generally like beans. The Turkey Taco Skillet also has black beans in it though and I like that too, so I might just only like black beans idk. Some recommendations for making this: Use a mild salsa, not medium. I used medium tostitos salsa and it was a little too strong for me. Also, slice your jalapeno as thin as you can and don't refrigerate it. It's very easy to have the jalapeno flavor be too strong. Other than that, go ham on it, it's a surprisingly good recipe.
8) No-Knead Focaccia Rolls
This would be ranked higher if the recipe were better made. They taste very good. Some tips: the rolls are never going to look like they do in the pictures, idk what filter they used on their camera or how their oven was miscalibrated or whatever. I used an oven thermometer to make sure my oven uses the right temperature and in waiting for it to get as golden on top as in the pictures, the bottom burned and the rolls were hard. They still tasted good after reheating them in the microwave on a damp paper towel since that softened them, but I recommend making them how I did the second time, only waiting a couple minutes longer than the 25 minutes the website says. They won't really look right, but they taste amazing, especially dipped in soup or olive oil. Some recommendations from the comments: If you want whole wheat, use one cup out of four rather than the usual two. Be super liberal with the flour. Use pinch and tuck rather than just rolling into balls. Use parchment paper rather than aluminum foil with cooking spray.
B Tier:
9) Skillet Pineapple BBQ Chicken
I used a nonstick skillet and a shitty bbq sauce (Open Pitt) and couldn't get it right. It still tasted pretty good because chicken, but if you're gonna make this, I recommend using a thicker bbq sauce and a stainless steel skillet or other type that's meant for making pan sauces, not nonstick. The pictures make it look super appetizing, but idk. I'll try it again when I buy a nonstick pan I suppose, it is chicken after all.
10) Weeknight Pasta Sauce with Spaghetti (using title from meal plan)
Not sure what the author loves about the sauce so much. This to me was very standard spaghetti in sauce with a very small amount of ground beef that really didn't do much to bring it up a notch or anything. Not bad in the slightest, but nothing special.
C Tier:
11) Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
You have no idea the hell I went through to get pumpkin puree for this recipe. No store near me had it for some reason. Anyway, this was a fairly decent soup, nice flavor, nothing special, good to dip those rolls in. C Tier because fuck pumpkin puree and how hard it was to find.
12) One Pot Chili Pasta
This one was ok, but I don't like beans and it makes 9 servings so by the time I finished it, I was pretty sick of beans. If I were to make it again, I'd swap out the beans for more ground beef. Would probably taste good then tbh. I like the corn in this recipe.
13) Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup
Lots of beans, not really a fan, but I put in a lot of pepper which was great and of course it was good soup for dipping those rolls into.
14) Easy Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala
I feel bad putting this last because I actually really liked the cauliflower and masala part, but there's a reason another name for chickpeas is garbanzo beans. They have the texture of beans. Not a fan.
Didn't Try:
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
This is the second to last recipe in the meal plan and at this point I am all beaned out and I just don't have it in me to make another 6 servings of a bean dish I know I won't like so I'm not bothering
Conclusion:
All in all I had a pretty good time making and eating this food over the course of a month and a half or so. I really wish I liked beans because Budget Bytes uses them a lot and they're like, cheap and nutritious or something, but I've now tried beans in multiple dishes and I think I can say with certainty that I do not. I would recommend checking out this meal plan if you're like me and don't want to have to choose what to make every day. Some tips on using it: Do use the grocery list at the starting to know if you should buy something in bulk or just a small amount. Do look at the actual web page for each recipe so you can find tips and substitutions and comments rather than just the recipe. Do look at this post and the couple of tips I've scattered throughout.
I hope y'all enjoyed this post and will make some of those amazing S and A tier dishes. I was truly amazed at just how great the S tier ones were

Four easy recipes with flour
Bread Rasmalai Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
A delectable sweet recipes super suvai tamil made of bread, milk, nuts, barfi and milk.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
Ingredients of Bread Rasmalai recipes super suvai tamil
10 pieces of white bread
2 liters milk
4 ordinary barfis
Badam and pistachio for garnishing
A pinch of saffron
Chandi ka vark
Rose petals
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp desi ghee
How to Make Bread Rasmalai Super Suvai Tamil
1.With a small katori or with a tart mould cut out small rounds from the bread pieces, keep it aside.
2.Take half cup sugar and boil till a thin syrup is formed.
3.Boil milk and while thickening add the powdered barfi and the rest of the sugar.
4.The base dip of rasmalai is done. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
5.Take a tava and heat it, on this heated tava saute the round bread pieces slightly brown on both sides.
6.Dip this sauteed bread pieces into the sugar syrup and simultaneously into the rasmalai dip; pour the remaining sugar syrup into the rasmalai mix now add the saffron strings and nuts (badam and pista cut into small pieces)
7.Transfer this into a serving dish and decorate with silver vark and with a few rose petals chill the rasmalai in a refrigerator before serving.
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #supersuvaitamil #recipessupersuvaitamil #recipesupersuvaitamil #videossupersuvaitamil #cookingrecipessupersuvaitamil #cookingvideossupersuvaitamil #recipesvideossupersuvaitamil #sweetrecipessupersuvaitamil #snacksrecipessupersuvaitamil #sidedishrecipessupersuvaitamil #gravyrecipessupersuvaitamil #curryrecipessupersuvaitamil #breakfastrecipesupersuvaitamil #dinnerrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchboxrecipessupersuvaitamil #recipesvegetariansupersuvaitamil #recipesfordinnervegsupersuvaitamil #recipesfordinnersupersuvaitamil #recipesforlunchsupersuvaitamil
Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
About Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll Recipe | Kathi Roll recipes super suvai tamil: A delicious appetizer recipe that can beat all your hunger pangs and can be served in brunch or even dinner parties as a side in main course. Kids and adults love it alike. Kathi rolls are now a popular street food in North India as well. Here is a recipe os Paneer tikka Kathi Roll which is one of the most loved Punjabi snacks that is tangy, spicy and a delight to taste buds! Made in just 30 minutes, this is a quick and easy recipe that you can cook at any time. Savour these paneer tikka kathi rolls as is or serve along with some mint chutney and sliced onions on the side.
Ingredients in Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll Recipe: Juicy paneer tikkas topped with green chutney and onions and wrapped in egg paratha made with a fresh dough.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll recipes super suvai tamil
1.Mix maida and salt, and knead into a soft, sticky, dough (quite wet), with the yogurt.
2.Cover and keep aside for 2-3 hours.
3.Mix the onions, green chillies, salt and lemon juice and keep aside.
4.Place a tawa over the burner, and heat it over high heat.
5.While it is heating, roll a piece of dough into a 1/8" thick round, using dry flour if it sticks.
6.Keeping the heat high, place the dough round over the tawa.
7.When bubbles start appearing, flip it over and pour a generous helping of egg over it. Dribble some ghee around the edge and lower the heat.
8.When brown on the underside, flip over for just a few seconds. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
9.Take the parantha off the heat, keep egg side up, smear with some chutney, place tikkas in a line in the center, cover with the onion mixture, roll and serve.
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #chickenrecipessupersuvaitamil #muttonrecipessupersuvaitamil #fishrecipessupersuvaitamil #prawnrecipessupersuvaitamil #eggrecipessupersuvaitamil #sweetrecipessupersuvaitamil #snacksrecipessupersuvaitamil #gravyrecipessupersuvaitamil #curryrecipessupersuvaitamil #sidedishrecipessupersuvaitamil #ricerecipessupersuvaitamil #breakfastrecipessupersuvaitamil #dinnerrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchrecipessupersuvaitamil #vegetarianrecipessupersuvaitamil #nonvegetarianrecipessupersuvaitamil #vegrecipessupersuvaitamil #nonvegrecipessupersuvaitamil #chickenroastrecipesupersuvaitamil #fishfryrecipesupersuvaitamil
Luchi Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
Luchi or Loochi is a deep fried Indian yeast free flatbread which gets puffed up during frying, very similar to poori recipes super suvai tamil. It is a popular breakfast staple in Bangladesh and in Indian states like West Bengal, Orissa and Assam, specially made during Durga Pooja celebration. Luchi is very easy to prepare and is best served with curries or gravies.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Luchi recipes super suvai tamil
1.In a deep bowl mix maida, salt, ghee and water to prepare a soft dough.
2.Gradually add water as required for kneading the flour.
3.Divide the dough into equal small portions and make balls to roll it out.
4.Before rolling each ball dip it a little in water or oil from one side to avoid stickening.
5.Now roll each ball into a circle of equal size.
6.Heat oil in a pan or kadhai on high flame.
7.When the oil is perfectly hot, slide the Luchi in the hot oil for frying it.
8.Luchi will begin to puff up. Cook on both the sides and avoid burning it.
9.Drain it on the paper towels to remove the excess oil. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
10.Serve the hot Luchi immediately with aloo ki sabzi or any other curry of your choice.
Key Ingredients: maida, salt, ghee, water
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #muttoncurryrecipesupersuvaitamil #eggcurryrecipesupersuvaitamil #potatobondarecipesupersuvaitamil #onionsamosarecipesupersuvaitamil #samosarecipesupersuvaitamil #kaarakulamburecipesupersuvaitamil #keerairecipesupersuvaitamil #panneerrecipesupersuvaitamil #milkcakerecipesupersuvaitamil #ladoorecipesupersuvaitamil #rasagullarecipesupersuvaitamil #gulabjamunrecipesupersuvaitamil #carrothalwarecipesupersuvaitamil #beetroothalwarecipesupersuvaitamil #easysnacksrecipesupersuvaitamil #payasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #paruppupayasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #semiyapayasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #ravapongalrecipesupersuvaitamil #masaladosarecipesupersuvaitamil
Kuttu aur Singhaare ke Aate ki Poori Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
The most popular accompaniment to have around Navratri and other festivals where devotees observe a fast. Kuttu and Singhara flour is used instead of the whole wheat flour to make pooris, rotis or other snack recipes super suvai tamil. This is so delicious that you will even make it on normal days.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Kuttu aur Singhaare ke Aate ki Poori recipes super suvai tamil
1.Mix Kuttu flour & Singhaara flour in a bowl add Sendha Namak to it.
2.Grate the potatoes & add to the flour mixture.
3.Add water gradually & knead it well to make dough. Let it rest.
4.Make small dumplings of the dough of equal proportion.
5.Roll the dough into small round sheets.
6.Deep fry in oil to get nice brown colour. try these recipes super suvai tamil
7.Serve hot with Vrat wale Aloo ora bowl of Kheer to go with it.
Key Ingredients: Kuttu flour, Singhara flour, Potato (boiled), Sendha namak, Oil
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #puliyodarairecipesupersuvaitamil #vegkurmarecipesupersuvaitamil #carrotporiyalrecipesupersuvaitamil #potatochipsrecipesupersuvaitamil #pavakkaistuffrecipesupersuvaitamil #noodlesrecipesupersuvaitamil #souprecipessupersuvaitamil #moringasoupsupersuvaitamil #murungaikeeraisoupsupersuvaitamil #beetrootsoupsupersuvaitamil #seeniurundairecipesupersuvaitamil #susiyamrecipesupersuvaitamil #coconutsweetrecipesupersuvaitamil #polirecipesupersuvaitamil #simplesweetrecipesupersuvaitamil #motichoorladoorecipesupersuvaitamil #dessertrecipessupersuvaitamil #idlyrecipesupersuvaitamil #chutneyrecipessupersuvaitamil #tomatochutneyrecipesupersuvaitamil

Four easy recipes with flour
Bread Rasmalai Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
A delectable sweet recipes super suvai tamil made of bread, milk, nuts, barfi and milk.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
Ingredients of Bread Rasmalai recipes super suvai tamil
10 pieces of white bread
2 liters milk
4 ordinary barfis
Badam and pistachio for garnishing
A pinch of saffron
Chandi ka vark
Rose petals
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp desi ghee
How to Make Bread Rasmalai Super Suvai Tamil
1.With a small katori or with a tart mould cut out small rounds from the bread pieces, keep it aside.
2.Take half cup sugar and boil till a thin syrup is formed.
3.Boil milk and while thickening add the powdered barfi and the rest of the sugar.
4.The base dip of rasmalai is done. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
5.Take a tava and heat it, on this heated tava saute the round bread pieces slightly brown on both sides.
6.Dip this sauteed bread pieces into the sugar syrup and simultaneously into the rasmalai dip; pour the remaining sugar syrup into the rasmalai mix now add the saffron strings and nuts (badam and pista cut into small pieces)
7.Transfer this into a serving dish and decorate with silver vark and with a few rose petals chill the rasmalai in a refrigerator before serving.
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #supersuvaitamil #recipessupersuvaitamil #recipesupersuvaitamil #videossupersuvaitamil #cookingrecipessupersuvaitamil #cookingvideossupersuvaitamil #recipesvideossupersuvaitamil #sweetrecipessupersuvaitamil #snacksrecipessupersuvaitamil #sidedishrecipessupersuvaitamil #gravyrecipessupersuvaitamil #curryrecipessupersuvaitamil #breakfastrecipesupersuvaitamil #dinnerrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchboxrecipessupersuvaitamil #recipesvegetariansupersuvaitamil #recipesfordinnervegsupersuvaitamil #recipesfordinnersupersuvaitamil #recipesforlunchsupersuvaitamil
Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
About Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll Recipe | Kathi Roll recipes super suvai tamil: A delicious appetizer recipe that can beat all your hunger pangs and can be served in brunch or even dinner parties as a side in main course. Kids and adults love it alike. Kathi rolls are now a popular street food in North India as well. Here is a recipe os Paneer tikka Kathi Roll which is one of the most loved Punjabi snacks that is tangy, spicy and a delight to taste buds! Made in just 30 minutes, this is a quick and easy recipe that you can cook at any time. Savour these paneer tikka kathi rolls as is or serve along with some mint chutney and sliced onions on the side.
Ingredients in Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll Recipe: Juicy paneer tikkas topped with green chutney and onions and wrapped in egg paratha made with a fresh dough.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll recipes super suvai tamil
1.Mix maida and salt, and knead into a soft, sticky, dough (quite wet), with the yogurt.
2.Cover and keep aside for 2-3 hours.
3.Mix the onions, green chillies, salt and lemon juice and keep aside.
4.Place a tawa over the burner, and heat it over high heat.
5.While it is heating, roll a piece of dough into a 1/8" thick round, using dry flour if it sticks.
6.Keeping the heat high, place the dough round over the tawa.
7.When bubbles start appearing, flip it over and pour a generous helping of egg over it. Dribble some ghee around the edge and lower the heat.
8.When brown on the underside, flip over for just a few seconds. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
9.Take the parantha off the heat, keep egg side up, smear with some chutney, place tikkas in a line in the center, cover with the onion mixture, roll and serve.
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #chickenrecipessupersuvaitamil #muttonrecipessupersuvaitamil #fishrecipessupersuvaitamil #prawnrecipessupersuvaitamil #eggrecipessupersuvaitamil #sweetrecipessupersuvaitamil #snacksrecipessupersuvaitamil #gravyrecipessupersuvaitamil #curryrecipessupersuvaitamil #sidedishrecipessupersuvaitamil #ricerecipessupersuvaitamil #breakfastrecipessupersuvaitamil #dinnerrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchrecipessupersuvaitamil #vegetarianrecipessupersuvaitamil #nonvegetarianrecipessupersuvaitamil #vegrecipessupersuvaitamil #nonvegrecipessupersuvaitamil #chickenroastrecipesupersuvaitamil #fishfryrecipesupersuvaitamil
Luchi Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
Luchi or Loochi is a deep fried Indian yeast free flatbread which gets puffed up during frying, very similar to poori recipes super suvai tamil. It is a popular breakfast staple in Bangladesh and in Indian states like West Bengal, Orissa and Assam, specially made during Durga Pooja celebration. Luchi is very easy to prepare and is best served with curries or gravies.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Luchi recipes super suvai tamil
1.In a deep bowl mix maida, salt, ghee and water to prepare a soft dough.
2.Gradually add water as required for kneading the flour.
3.Divide the dough into equal small portions and make balls to roll it out.
4.Before rolling each ball dip it a little in water or oil from one side to avoid stickening.
5.Now roll each ball into a circle of equal size.
6.Heat oil in a pan or kadhai on high flame.
7.When the oil is perfectly hot, slide the Luchi in the hot oil for frying it.
8.Luchi will begin to puff up. Cook on both the sides and avoid burning it.
9.Drain it on the paper towels to remove the excess oil. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
10.Serve the hot Luchi immediately with aloo ki sabzi or any other curry of your choice.
Key Ingredients: maida, salt, ghee, water
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #muttoncurryrecipesupersuvaitamil #eggcurryrecipesupersuvaitamil #potatobondarecipesupersuvaitamil #onionsamosarecipesupersuvaitamil #samosarecipesupersuvaitamil #kaarakulamburecipesupersuvaitamil #keerairecipesupersuvaitamil #panneerrecipesupersuvaitamil #milkcakerecipesupersuvaitamil #ladoorecipesupersuvaitamil #rasagullarecipesupersuvaitamil #gulabjamunrecipesupersuvaitamil #carrothalwarecipesupersuvaitamil #beetroothalwarecipesupersuvaitamil #easysnacksrecipesupersuvaitamil #payasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #paruppupayasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #semiyapayasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #ravapongalrecipesupersuvaitamil #masaladosarecipesupersuvaitamil
Kuttu aur Singhaare ke Aate ki Poori Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
The most popular accompaniment to have around Navratri and other festivals where devotees observe a fast. Kuttu and Singhara flour is used instead of the whole wheat flour to make pooris, rotis or other snack recipes super suvai tamil. This is so delicious that you will even make it on normal days.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Kuttu aur Singhaare ke Aate ki Poori recipes super suvai tamil
1.Mix Kuttu flour & Singhaara flour in a bowl add Sendha Namak to it.
2.Grate the potatoes & add to the flour mixture.
3.Add water gradually & knead it well to make dough. Let it rest.
4.Make small dumplings of the dough of equal proportion.
5.Roll the dough into small round sheets.
6.Deep fry in oil to get nice brown colour. try these recipes super suvai tamil
7.Serve hot with Vrat wale Aloo ora bowl of Kheer to go with it.
Key Ingredients: Kuttu flour, Singhara flour, Potato (boiled), Sendha namak, Oil
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #puliyodarairecipesupersuvaitamil #vegkurmarecipesupersuvaitamil #carrotporiyalrecipesupersuvaitamil #potatochipsrecipesupersuvaitamil #pavakkaistuffrecipesupersuvaitamil #noodlesrecipesupersuvaitamil #souprecipessupersuvaitamil #moringasoupsupersuvaitamil #murungaikeeraisoupsupersuvaitamil #beetrootsoupsupersuvaitamil #seeniurundairecipesupersuvaitamil #susiyamrecipesupersuvaitamil #coconutsweetrecipesupersuvaitamil #polirecipesupersuvaitamil #simplesweetrecipesupersuvaitamil #motichoorladoorecipesupersuvaitamil #dessertrecipessupersuvaitamil #idlyrecipesupersuvaitamil #chutneyrecipessupersuvaitamil #tomatochutneyrecipesupersuvaitamil

Best Recipes you need to try
Dahi Anjeer Ke Kebab Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
A simple and quick vegetarian kebab recipes super suvai tamil that you can easily prepare at home. Dahi anjeer ke kebabs are super soft with a melt-in-mouth texture and can be served at dinner parties as well as evening snacks when unexpected guests arrive. Packed with spices, mixed with cottage cheese, hung curd, chillies and goodness of figs, this kebab recipe is a must try.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Dahi Anjeer Ke Kebab recipes super suvai tamil
1.Take hung curd in a bowl, add grated paneer, ginger, green chilli, green coriander, garam masala, elaichi powder, roasted jeera powder and salt.
2.Mix all neatly and fold this, mix with soft hands with roasted chana powder and bread crumbs.
3.Make balls and stuff it with Anjeer, flatten the stuffed balls and shallow fry on slow fire.
4.Serve with mint chutney. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
recipes super suvai tamil Key Ingredients: anjeer, hung curd, paneer, chana powder, bread crumbs, ginger, green chilli, green coriander, ghee, garam masala powder, elaichi powder, jeera powder, salt
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #supersuvaitamil #recipessupersuvaitamil #recipesupersuvaitamil #videossupersuvaitamil #cookingrecipessupersuvaitamil #cookingvideossupersuvaitamil #recipesvideossupersuvaitamil #sweetrecipessupersuvaitamil #snacksrecipessupersuvaitamil #sidedishrecipessupersuvaitamil #gravyrecipessupersuvaitamil #curryrecipessupersuvaitamil #breakfastrecipesupersuvaitamil #dinnerrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchboxrecipessupersuvaitamil #recipesvegetariansupersuvaitamil #recipesfordinnervegsupersuvaitamil #recipesfordinnersupersuvaitamil #recipesforlunchsupersuvaitamil
Tulsi Ajwain Ka Mahi Tikka Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
A mouth watering fish tikka recipe, Tulsi Ajwain ka Mahi Tikka is an easy starter recipes super suvai tamil, prepare with simple ingredients. You can prepare this as an appetizer for a dinner party. Flavourful tikkas laced with a host of spices, chillies, basil paste and ajwain, baked to perfect golden. Serve these delicious tikkas topped with lemon juice along with mint chutney.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Tulsi Ajwain Ka Mahi Tikka recipes super suvai tamil
1.Wash and clean the fish. Cut it into tikka cut. Mix salt, ginger, garlic and lemon juice and keep it aside for at least 30 minutes.
2.Mix all the spices with hung curd and mix it well.
3.Add the fish and let it marinate for 1 hour.
4.Arrange the skewers across the clay oven about 4-5 inches from the heat. Turn it regularly until it turns light brown in color. Cook it for 7-10 minutes.
5.Baste it with oil and leave it for 10 minutes. Again, cook it until it turns golden brown.
6.Remove it from tandoor and apply fresh lemon juice.
7.Serve hot with mint chutney. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
recipes super suvai tamil Key Ingredients: river sole fish, basil paste, ajwain, ginger and garlic paste, green chilli paste, garam masala powder, cardamom powder, hung curd, dairy cream, salt, mustard oil, kasuri methi, lemon juice
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #chickenrecipessupersuvaitamil #muttonrecipessupersuvaitamil #fishrecipessupersuvaitamil #prawnrecipessupersuvaitamil #eggrecipessupersuvaitamil #sweetrecipessupersuvaitamil #snacksrecipessupersuvaitamil #gravyrecipessupersuvaitamil #curryrecipessupersuvaitamil #sidedishrecipessupersuvaitamil #ricerecipessupersuvaitamil #breakfastrecipessupersuvaitamil #dinnerrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchrecipessupersuvaitamil #vegetarianrecipessupersuvaitamil #nonvegetarianrecipessupersuvaitamil #vegrecipessupersuvaitamil #nonvegrecipessupersuvaitamil #chickenroastrecipesupersuvaitamil #fishfryrecipesupersuvaitamil
Madata Khaja Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
A traditional Andhra dessert, Madata Khaja is a delicious dessert prepared from flour, dipped in sugar syrup. This Indian dessert is made specially during the festivals and celebratory occasions. This sweet is also popularly known as andhra chirotti because of its taste and texture. An easy and simple recipes super suvai tamil to prepare and serve as a dessert at dinner parties.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Madata Khaja recipes super suvai tamil
1.Combine, flour baking powder, salt and ghee, rubbing the ghee in by short crust method to form a crumb sort of texture, use water as required lightly, and knead into a stiff dough like a biscuit.
2.Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
3.Roll out and divide the dough in 12 small round balls.
4.Further divide each dough in to 3 parts.
5.Now roll out each small dough like a puri, apply ghee and stack the three puris one top of another.
6.Roll out the stacks like a kathi roll, cut in to two and flatten.
7.Once flattened , they are ready to be fried in oil till golden.
8.Immerse the fried madata’s in the sugar syrup, sprinkle cardamom powder.
9.Take out of sugar syrup, allow to dry and store in air tight containers. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
recipes super suvai tamil Key Ingredients: maida, baking powder, ghee, milk, salt, water, oil, sugar syrup
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #muttoncurryrecipesupersuvaitamil #eggcurryrecipesupersuvaitamil #potatobondarecipesupersuvaitamil #onionsamosarecipesupersuvaitamil #samosarecipesupersuvaitamil #kaarakulamburecipesupersuvaitamil #keerairecipesupersuvaitamil #panneerrecipesupersuvaitamil #milkcakerecipesupersuvaitamil #ladoorecipesupersuvaitamil #rasagullarecipesupersuvaitamil #gulabjamunrecipesupersuvaitamil #carrothalwarecipesupersuvaitamil #beetroothalwarecipesupersuvaitamil #easysnacksrecipesupersuvaitamil #payasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #paruppupayasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #semiyapayasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #ravapongalrecipesupersuvaitamil #masaladosarecipesupersuvaitamil
Baked Ragi Chakli Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
Chakli or Murukku is a tasty tea time snack that is prepared in Indian homes. It is easy to make and too delicious to resist! The name murukku is derived from a Tamil word which actually means 'twisted' that refers to the shape of this salty, savory snack.This baked chakli recipes super suvai tamil is made with ragi flour which makes this a healthy and better alternative to the fried ones made of regular flour. Enjoy the delicious chakli with a hot cup of tea this festive season.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Baked Ragi Chakli recipes super suvai tamil
1.Take the dry ingredients and knead them together. Add oil and required amount of water.
2.Let it become a semi-soft dough. Make two equal sizes.
3.Take one half of the dough into a Chakli machine.
4.Press out roundels of the dough. Put chaklis in a pre-heated oven. Temperature should be around 360°f for 15-20 minutes.
5.Take the other half and repeat the same process. Let it cool, the Chakli whirls are ready to use. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
recipes super suvai tamil Key Ingredients: ragi flour, besan flour, ginger, chili, garlic paste, salt, oil
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #puliyodarairecipesupersuvaitamil #vegkurmarecipesupersuvaitamil #carrotporiyalrecipesupersuvaitamil #potatochipsrecipesupersuvaitamil #pavakkaistuffrecipesupersuvaitamil #noodlesrecipesupersuvaitamil #souprecipessupersuvaitamil #moringasoupsupersuvaitamil #murungaikeeraisoupsupersuvaitamil #beetrootsoupsupersuvaitamil #seeniurundairecipesupersuvaitamil #susiyamrecipesupersuvaitamil #coconutsweetrecipesupersuvaitamil #polirecipesupersuvaitamil #simplesweetrecipesupersuvaitamil #motichoorladoorecipesupersuvaitamil #dessertrecipessupersuvaitamil #idlyrecipesupersuvaitamil #chutneyrecipessupersuvaitamil #tomatochutneyrecipesupersuvaitamil

Best Recipes you need to try
Dahi Anjeer Ke Kebab Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
A simple and quick vegetarian kebab recipes super suvai tamil that you can easily prepare at home. Dahi anjeer ke kebabs are super soft with a melt-in-mouth texture and can be served at dinner parties as well as evening snacks when unexpected guests arrive. Packed with spices, mixed with cottage cheese, hung curd, chillies and goodness of figs, this kebab recipe is a must try.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Dahi Anjeer Ke Kebab recipes super suvai tamil
1.Take hung curd in a bowl, add grated paneer, ginger, green chilli, green coriander, garam masala, elaichi powder, roasted jeera powder and salt.
2.Mix all neatly and fold this, mix with soft hands with roasted chana powder and bread crumbs.
3.Make balls and stuff it with Anjeer, flatten the stuffed balls and shallow fry on slow fire.
4.Serve with mint chutney. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
recipes super suvai tamil Key Ingredients: anjeer, hung curd, paneer, chana powder, bread crumbs, ginger, green chilli, green coriander, ghee, garam masala powder, elaichi powder, jeera powder, salt
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #supersuvaitamil #recipessupersuvaitamil #recipesupersuvaitamil #videossupersuvaitamil #cookingrecipessupersuvaitamil #cookingvideossupersuvaitamil #recipesvideossupersuvaitamil #sweetrecipessupersuvaitamil #snacksrecipessupersuvaitamil #sidedishrecipessupersuvaitamil #gravyrecipessupersuvaitamil #curryrecipessupersuvaitamil #breakfastrecipesupersuvaitamil #dinnerrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchboxrecipessupersuvaitamil #recipesvegetariansupersuvaitamil #recipesfordinnervegsupersuvaitamil #recipesfordinnersupersuvaitamil #recipesforlunchsupersuvaitamil
Tulsi Ajwain Ka Mahi Tikka Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
A mouth watering fish tikka recipe, Tulsi Ajwain ka Mahi Tikka is an easy starter recipes super suvai tamil, prepare with simple ingredients. You can prepare this as an appetizer for a dinner party. Flavourful tikkas laced with a host of spices, chillies, basil paste and ajwain, baked to perfect golden. Serve these delicious tikkas topped with lemon juice along with mint chutney.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Tulsi Ajwain Ka Mahi Tikka recipes super suvai tamil
1.Wash and clean the fish. Cut it into tikka cut. Mix salt, ginger, garlic and lemon juice and keep it aside for at least 30 minutes.
2.Mix all the spices with hung curd and mix it well.
3.Add the fish and let it marinate for 1 hour.
4.Arrange the skewers across the clay oven about 4-5 inches from the heat. Turn it regularly until it turns light brown in color. Cook it for 7-10 minutes.
5.Baste it with oil and leave it for 10 minutes. Again, cook it until it turns golden brown.
6.Remove it from tandoor and apply fresh lemon juice.
7.Serve hot with mint chutney. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
recipes super suvai tamil Key Ingredients: river sole fish, basil paste, ajwain, ginger and garlic paste, green chilli paste, garam masala powder, cardamom powder, hung curd, dairy cream, salt, mustard oil, kasuri methi, lemon juice
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #chickenrecipessupersuvaitamil #muttonrecipessupersuvaitamil #fishrecipessupersuvaitamil #prawnrecipessupersuvaitamil #eggrecipessupersuvaitamil #sweetrecipessupersuvaitamil #snacksrecipessupersuvaitamil #gravyrecipessupersuvaitamil #curryrecipessupersuvaitamil #sidedishrecipessupersuvaitamil #ricerecipessupersuvaitamil #breakfastrecipessupersuvaitamil #dinnerrecipessupersuvaitamil #lunchrecipessupersuvaitamil #vegetarianrecipessupersuvaitamil #nonvegetarianrecipessupersuvaitamil #vegrecipessupersuvaitamil #nonvegrecipessupersuvaitamil #chickenroastrecipesupersuvaitamil #fishfryrecipesupersuvaitamil
Madata Khaja Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
A traditional Andhra dessert, Madata Khaja is a delicious dessert prepared from flour, dipped in sugar syrup. This Indian dessert is made specially during the festivals and celebratory occasions. This sweet is also popularly known as andhra chirotti because of its taste and texture. An easy and simple recipes super suvai tamil to prepare and serve as a dessert at dinner parties.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Madata Khaja recipes super suvai tamil
1.Combine, flour baking powder, salt and ghee, rubbing the ghee in by short crust method to form a crumb sort of texture, use water as required lightly, and knead into a stiff dough like a biscuit.
2.Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
3.Roll out and divide the dough in 12 small round balls.
4.Further divide each dough in to 3 parts.
5.Now roll out each small dough like a puri, apply ghee and stack the three puris one top of another.
6.Roll out the stacks like a kathi roll, cut in to two and flatten.
7.Once flattened , they are ready to be fried in oil till golden.
8.Immerse the fried madata’s in the sugar syrup, sprinkle cardamom powder.
9.Take out of sugar syrup, allow to dry and store in air tight containers. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
recipes super suvai tamil Key Ingredients: maida, baking powder, ghee, milk, salt, water, oil, sugar syrup
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #muttoncurryrecipesupersuvaitamil #eggcurryrecipesupersuvaitamil #potatobondarecipesupersuvaitamil #onionsamosarecipesupersuvaitamil #samosarecipesupersuvaitamil #kaarakulamburecipesupersuvaitamil #keerairecipesupersuvaitamil #panneerrecipesupersuvaitamil #milkcakerecipesupersuvaitamil #ladoorecipesupersuvaitamil #rasagullarecipesupersuvaitamil #gulabjamunrecipesupersuvaitamil #carrothalwarecipesupersuvaitamil #beetroothalwarecipesupersuvaitamil #easysnacksrecipesupersuvaitamil #payasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #paruppupayasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #semiyapayasamrecipesupersuvaitamil #ravapongalrecipesupersuvaitamil #masaladosarecipesupersuvaitamil
Baked Ragi Chakli Recipe Super Suvai Tamil
Chakli or Murukku is a tasty tea time snack that is prepared in Indian homes. It is easy to make and too delicious to resist! The name murukku is derived from a Tamil word which actually means 'twisted' that refers to the shape of this salty, savory snack.This baked chakli recipes super suvai tamil is made with ragi flour which makes this a healthy and better alternative to the fried ones made of regular flour. Enjoy the delicious chakli with a hot cup of tea this festive season.
For more recipes, visit recipes super suvai tamil
For interesting cooking videos, visit samayal super suvai tamil
How to Make Baked Ragi Chakli recipes super suvai tamil
1.Take the dry ingredients and knead them together. Add oil and required amount of water.
2.Let it become a semi-soft dough. Make two equal sizes.
3.Take one half of the dough into a Chakli machine.
4.Press out roundels of the dough. Put chaklis in a pre-heated oven. Temperature should be around 360°f for 15-20 minutes.
5.Take the other half and repeat the same process. Let it cool, the Chakli whirls are ready to use. Try these recipes super suvai tamil
recipes super suvai tamil Key Ingredients: ragi flour, besan flour, ginger, chili, garlic paste, salt, oil
recipes super suvai tamil tags: #puliyodarairecipesupersuvaitamil #vegkurmarecipesupersuvaitamil #carrotporiyalrecipesupersuvaitamil #potatochipsrecipesupersuvaitamil #pavakkaistuffrecipesupersuvaitamil #noodlesrecipesupersuvaitamil #souprecipessupersuvaitamil #moringasoupsupersuvaitamil #murungaikeeraisoupsupersuvaitamil #beetrootsoupsupersuvaitamil #seeniurundairecipesupersuvaitamil #susiyamrecipesupersuvaitamil #coconutsweetrecipesupersuvaitamil #polirecipesupersuvaitamil #simplesweetrecipesupersuvaitamil #motichoorladoorecipesupersuvaitamil #dessertrecipessupersuvaitamil #idlyrecipesupersuvaitamil #chutneyrecipessupersuvaitamil #tomatochutneyrecipesupersuvaitamil

A/N: So, not the longest, only 12,264 words, but this completes Rinn's first adventure through the portal. Episode 9.5 will be another visit to Tyriel, and Episodes 10, 11, and maybe 12 will be another adventure to Earth, this time to a physics lab. After that, the rest of the artificer augments will show up, and some group training will commence, including some time visiting a nearby keshmin city/town, and various antics along the way.
EDIT: Forgot the Patreon link.

Retreat, Hell – Episode 9

[First][Prev][Next]
​
“And we’re half-way there...”
​
“Woah-oh! Livin’ on a prayer!”
​
Rinn laughed as the entire van joined in on the chorus. It had been an hour since they left base, and most of it was filled with music, and questionable attempts to sing along.
​
“You got a problem with our karaoke road trips?” Bradford asked over the music.
​
“What is… kair… kair-ye-yoke-yi?”
​
“Kair-ee-oke-ee,” Bradford laughed. “It’s….” she tilted her head. “Actually, I don’t know what language it comes from. Probably Hawaiian or something.” She shrugged. “It means to sing along to music, usually without other vocals to back you up. It’s a party game.”
​
“Man, Elder would have a cow if he were here,” Sampson said, leaning over the back of their seat. “It’s Japanese, not Hawaiian.”
​
“Hey, I’m not a language expert. I speak American English and, apparently…” She paused, looking at Rinn. “What’s your language called?”
​
“Gyani,” Rinn replied. “It’s the official language of the Kingdom.”
​
“Gyani,” Bradford nodded. “I can understand Gyani thanks to some magical fuckery. Otherwise, I’m a dunce with languages. I failed my second year of Spanish.”
​
“Wait, the mighty Jabs, goddess of knowledge and intelligence among Marines, who is studying for a degree in aerospace engineering in her spare time, failed basic Spanish?!”
​
“Languages aren’t my thing!” she said, throwing her hands in the air. She shrugged, glancing to the side. “I might also have only taken it as an elective because I had a major crush on Kyle Eckels…”
​
Rinn’s ears perked up. “Who is Kyle Eckels?”
​
Bradford rolled her eyes. “Just some douche I went to high school with.”
​
“Oh, you’re not leaving it at that,” Sampson said, tapping her shoulder, then rolling his hand at her. “Spill.”
​
“Fine,” she sighed. She leaned back, looking past the ceiling of the van. “He was the star of the track and field team, and I thought he was the hottest person ever. He really nailed the tall-dark-and-handsome look, you know? Had kind of a quiet, brooding vibe, without a hint of Twilight.”
​
“No sparkly vampires for you, Jabs?” Edison asked.
​
“Ugh, no,” she rolled her eyes.
​
“Go on,” Sampson said, putting his elbows on the back of their seat and propping his chin on his hands, giving her an expectant smile.
​
“He was athletic, and suave, and I thought that, because he did track and field, he wouldn’t have the same jock attitude that a lot of the guys on the football team did.” She sighed. “He would look up from his mild brooding and give me a tiny smile, like just seeing me brightened his day.” She shook herself. “It sent shivers down my spine every time he did it.”
​
“Aaand…” Sampson prodded when she let the silence drag on too long.
​
“And he was a douchebag who did that to every single girl he thought he could score with. Asshole was juggling three girlfriends and hooked up with or was trying to hook up with half the girls in the school.”
​
“Oh, snap!”
​
“Yeah, when I found out he was playing me…” She shook her head. “I figured out all his girlfriends, told them, and told the other girls in our year. They all kept it a secret right until the day of Prom, after he had already spent his money on some big party reservations, when they all dumped him in front of the whole school assembly. Nobody showed up to his after-Prom party.”
​
“Damn, girl!” Sampson smiled. “That really showed him!”
​
“What about you, Shields? Do you have a girl back home?”
​
“Ah… no….”
​
“Kawalski’s got a girl in every whore house,” Gomez said.
​
Kawalski turned, giving him a look of fatherly pride. “Truth.” His expression instantly shifted to a scowl. “Now shut the fuck up, Gomer!”
​
Gomez sat back, grinning the smile of someone who knew he did good.
​
“Do keshmin even mate for life?” Kimber asked. “Or do you have seasonal mating cycles?”
​
“Can you only mate once every seven years, and you have to fuck or you die?” Edison shouted from the back seat.
​
“That is… oddly specific… and no.” Rinn shook his head. He wasn’t going down that conversation path. “Marriage is supposed to last forever, but doesn’t always… Some people get to choose who they marry, especially in the lower classes, but it’s often arranged.”
​
“Is there someone you’re looking to marry?”
​
“No.”
​
“What? No sweetheart waiting for you to sweep her off her feet when you come home from the war?” Bradford poked his side, giving him a sly look.
​
“No…” He leaned back against his window, ears shifting awkwardly.
​
“Do you have a girl in every whore house?” Kimber asked.
​
“No!”
​
“What’s the matter, Shields?” Sampson asked, raising an eyebrow at him. “A little sensitive about your love life?”
​
“Do you even have a love life?” Bradford asked, trying to suppress her characteristic smirk.
​
Rinn found himself plastered to the window, suddenly the center of the focused attention of eleven humans.
​
“Nah, man, relax, we’re just fucking with you,” Bradford waved at him, glancing away to mask a grin.
​
“Yeah, who you fuck, or don’t, is your business. Nobody cares.” Sampson said.
​
“Fuck knows there’s enough of you that will share, anyway,” Bradford rolled her eyes.
​
He sighed, relaxing away from the window. “I felt like I was back at the university again for a moment, there.”
​
“Ha,” Bradford laughed, throwing an arm over the back of the seat to pat him on the shoulder. “Sounds like high school drama is universal, doesn’t it?”
​
“Apparently,” he said, tensing briefly under her touch but forcing himself to relax. Humans are just very tactile. Like the dohlgra.
​
The song changed on the “radio,” or Gomez’s “phone,” Rinn wasn’t sure which, nor the significance of either. There was a short, tapping beat, and then the song was immediately loud again.
​
“Is all human music this loud?”
​
“No, not all of it,” Bradford laughed.
​
“Some of it is louder!” Gomez grinned, like this was an awesome thing. He put his hands up to his mouth like he was holding something, closed his eyes, and scream-growled into them.
​
Rinn’s ears swept back, flat against his skull. “Are you dying?”
​
He took a breath and screamed louder.
​
“What did we say about death metal and screamo in the car?!” shouted Kimber.
​
Gomez stopped screaming, dropping his hands with a pout. “You guys are lame.”
​
Bradford laughed, shaking her head. “We’ve got all kinds of music. Some… more palatable than others…”
​
“Laaame!”
​
“Shut the fuck up, Gomer!”
​
She rolled her eyes. “We’ve mostly been listening to Classic and Hard Rock, but there’s a whole bunch of other types of music, even other types of Rock.”
​
“Like rap and hip-hop,” Sampson said.
​
“Country,” Miller added.
​
“Rhythm and Blues,” Edison suggested.
​
“And then you have classical music, different types of folk music, and cultural flavors from all over the world.” She smiled. “We have a lot of music.”
​
“Here, I can show you,” Gomez said, snagging his phone and flipping through the display with his thumbs. A moment later, the music stopped and a new beat started. It was slow at first, but then the pace picked up as the singer started chanting. His ears flicked from side to side as the singer sped through words at an alarming rate and he struggled to make them all out.
​
Gomez flipped through several more examples, some loud or fast, others soft and slow. Some were simple, some were grand and complex. The diversity alone was staggering.
​
"What about you? What is keshmin music like?" Gomez asked.
​
"Or at least, what is Ganlin music like?" Sampson added. "You've gotta have a fair bit of variation, too."
​
He waved his hands. “Well, I don’t have anything that can show you, but it’s usually a lot less… loud.”
​
“Just wait until you guys get amps.”
​
“What?”
​
“Amplifiers. Takes the sound produced by an instrument, turns it into an electrical signal, and amplifies the signal to make it louder when it’s put out on a speaker. In a nutshell.”
​
Rinn quirked his ears, then shook his head. “We have symphony orchestras, and operas, but those are mostly reserved for the wealthy and nobility. The common keshmin play a variety of songs.” He paused, his ears flicking to the back of his head in frustration. “If all of my things hadn’t been lost in the retreat, I could play you something…”
​
“You play an instrument?”
​
“Yes, two.” He held a hand up. “One is a tulu.”
​
“A what? That didn’t translate.”
​
“A tulu.” He held his hands up in front of his chest, as if he were holding something. “It’s made of clay, and shaped like… a double-pointed tear, with a piece to blow in, and holes for your fingers.”
​
“That’s an ocarina!” Bradford said with a smile.
​
“Okha-rinn-a?”
​
“Oca-reen-a,” she said. “It’s one of the oldest instruments ever made.”
​
He nodded. “It’s a very old instrument for us, too.”
​
“I guess that makes sense,” she nodded. “That’s awesome! What else do you play?”
​
“The seilei, it’s like… It’s a board, with strings on it, and a ridge in the middle. You can play it by plucking the strings, or using a bow.”
​
“I think we’ve had similar instruments, though none are common in this part of the world.”
​
“So you had those with you?”
​
“Yes, but they were all lost with the rest of my things when the camp fell to chaos during the retreat.”
​
“You know… When we head up to el-ay on Sunday, we could stop by a music store and get you a new ocarina. It might not replace everything, but it’s a start, yeah?” She gave him an encouraging smile.
​
He rolled his ears, considering, and they slowly rose to the idea. He nodded. “I’d like that.”
​
She grinned. “I’d say we could go today, but the highway’s a parking lot right now. It’s going to take long enough to get wherever we’re going for food as it is, and I don’t know about you, but I’m fucking starving.”
​
Rinn looked down at his stomach as it growled at the reminder. They both laughed.
​
“Hey, driver! Are we fucking there yet? Some of us didn’t get to have lunch today!”
​
***
​
Thirty minutes later, Rinn saw glimpses of buildings in the distance that seemed further away than they should be. They crept down the highway. Their pace was stop, and go. Stop, and go. A stark contrast to the speed they moved at that morning.
​
The number and variety of vehicles baffled him. I understand that they probably don’t have carrels or yashi, but do they have no working animals at all? He considered the mechanical artifices around him. Do they have any need for working animals?
​
Another ten minutes went by as they crept closer to San Diego, and Rinn got a proper look at the city in the distance. They had been surrounded by what he would consider city for miles, but that… There’s got to be some trick of the air… they look too big for as far away as they are, or too far away for as big as they are…
​
The van rounded another bend in the road, and there they were, straight ahead on the highway. The city was over a mile away, but still towered over the horizon. He stared out the window as the traffic crept forward, and the “city” before him stretched towards the clouds. Those towers are so tall, they scrape the sky!
​
“If you think those are tall, you should see New York,” Bradford said, giving him a knowing smile.
​
He consciously shut his mouth and picked his ears up from where they had drooped in amazement. “We have tall buildings, too, just… not quite… as… tall…”
​
“Hey, we were where you were not that long ago,” she gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Once we get done kicking the keeblers’ asses, we’ll help you build your own skyscrapers.” She squeezed his shoulder, gesturing at the city before them. “In the meantime, enjoy the sights.”
​
Rinn nodded, giving her an encouraged flick of his ear. He leaned over to stare out his window as they followed traffic up a ramp that broke from the main highway, his horns clunking lightly against the glass.
​
***
​
As the van drove into the city itself, Rinn looked up, and up, and up at the buildings that towered above them. I lied… not even the Great Tower at Shyiyani is as tall as some of these buildings… He was reminded of the picture in Bradford’s room, and as the street they followed took them through the middle of a building, he became certain that the picture was real.
​
The van worked its way down the street, carefully navigating through a stream of other vehicles. A left turn put them onto another street that was almost as large as the highway, and a few minutes later they were turning into a paved lot filled with marked lines for vehicles to park in. An attendant met them, giving Rinn a glance through the window. Kawalski showed him his phone and talked about a pre-paid reservation. The man nodded and waved them to an empty slot, removing an orange cone that had been blocking it.
​
Kawalski carefully maneuvered them into their assigned slot, the big van dwarfing most of the other vehicles around them. Once satisfied with their alignment, he shoved a lever next to his wheel and turned off the van’s artifice. “Alright, everybody out! Chow’s just a couple blocks up the street.”
​
Doors were carefully opened and the squad climbed out of the van, squeezing past the small vehicle next to them. Rinn joined in the stretching and groaning as everyone worked the kinks out of the long ride, but was quickly distracted by the sights, sounds, and smells around him.
​
There is so much noise! He thought. His ears swiveled around, trying to pinpoint it all, and his nose exploded with a cacophony of scents.
​
He had been in cities before. He recognized the familiar sound of people moving and chattering, albeit in a different tongue. But here, there was no sound of carts and wagons rattling across cobbled streets. No clop of hooves. No lowing of muhla, no braying of queshi.
​
Instead, there was the rush of traffic. The sound of air they shoved aside as they moved, their rubber wheels on the road, the muttering and rumbling artifices that powered them. Loud horns would honk periodically, sometimes nearby, sometimes in the distance. An artifice roared in the distance.
​
Rinn looked up at the dizzying heights of the buildings that surrounded them on three sides, and closed his eyes. He smelled oil and tar, humans, the faint scent of stale piss… And food!
​
He opened his eyes as his stomach rumbled, and found the humans all watching him.
​
“You ready to eat?” Bradford asked.
​
“Absolutely!” he said.
​
“Good,” she said, stepping towards the street. “Because I’m fucking starving.” Rinn fell in beside her, and the rest of the squad formed up around them. “Where are we eating, Kawalski?”
​
“It’s just a couple blocks this way,” he said, taking the lead and walking back the way they had come with the van.
​
“This better be good, Kawalski, we’ve waited long enough,” she said as they merged onto the brick-paved footpath that ran alongside the street.
​
There were many people walking on either side of the street, but not nearly as many as Rinn had expected. He flicked an ear at the “cars” that zipped past them in the street, and began to suspect why.
​
The people who were walking the footpath with them quickly got out of their way. He couldn’t blame them. The group wasn’t exactly marching in step, but they were moving with a clear and determined purpose, nevermind their physical presence.
​
Rinn saw several people do double-takes when they caught sight of him, staring at him, or pointing him out to their companions so they could stare together. A few pointed phones at him, though most were discouraged by a simple glare from one of the Marines.
​
They crossed three side streets that would have been a grand thorofare in any Ganlin city, before making a left turn immediately after the fourth.
​
“Here we are!” Kawalski said, waving at a red brick building ahead of them. “La Puerta! One of the best, authentic, Mexican joints in San Diego.”
​
“According to the online reviews, anyway,” Kimber said. “None of us have ever been her before.”
​
“Yeah, well, you weren’t offering any suggestions,” Kawalski growled as they walked through the open door, “So stuff it.” Rinn caught some surprised glances from the people seated outside.
​
The “Mexican joint” looked a little small as their group filed inside, but it was still roomy enough, and was very warmly lit. The wall to their right was paneled with wood slats. A line of tables, each surrounded by a curving, seat-backed bench upholstered in brown leather, ran the length of the wall. Glowing, stained lamps hung over each table, and strands of small, yellow-orange lights were strung across the ceiling.
​
To their left was a lacquered bar, lined with upholstered seat-backed stools. The wall behind it was bare brick, covered by shelves and cabinets lined with bottles that were unmistakably alcohol. Or whatever it is they drink in place of alcohol… He eyed the bottles. That glass and crystal would not be out of place at the king’s table, but here… He flicked an ear at the rows of perfectly identical bottles, and turned his attention to the man behind the bar.
​
His black hair was far longer than any of the Marines he had seen, except for Bradford, and hung down to his jaw. His chin was also covered in fur, and it completely surrounded his mouth.
​
Do only some of them grow fur on their face? Is it just around their mouths? Rinn glanced at Miller, and for the first time noticed faint stubble across the entire lower third of his face. Do they shave their fur?!
​
“Evening!” Kawalski said, bringing Rinn’s attention back to the present. The man behind the bar jerked his attention away from Rinn. “I called earlier, said there’d be about twelve of us coming in, asked if we could have a couple booths towards the back.”
​
“Kawalski?” the man asked.
​
“Yep!”
​
“Yeah, um,” he shook his head. “Yeah, the two booths on the end,” he pointed to the back corner.”
​
“Sweet, thanks!” Kawalski gave him a half-wave and the squad filed to the back of the room.
​
The booths weren’t large enough for all twelve of them, but a brief discussion and some shuffling later, Rinn found himself wedged into the back of the corner booth next to Bradford, surrounded by Kawalski, Gomez, Miller, and Kimber. The rest of the squad packed themselves around the adjacent table.
​
A few moments later, a woman appeared with a stack of large cards that she passed around. “Can I get you started with anything to drink, or appetizers?” She stopped, staring at Rinn. “Is he?”
​
“Yes,” Bradford said.
​
“Were you…“
​
“In the thick of it,” Kawalski said.
​
“We had to come back Earth-side for official business, and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show Rinn, here, around.” Bradford clapped a hand on his shoulder, giving him a light shake.
​
“Your world is amazing,” he said, flicking his ears back self-consciously.
​
The woman blinked. “Do you… understand…”
​
“Yeah, it’s magic, we haven’t figured it out yet, either,” Edison said, leaning over the back of his seat. “One of them cast a big spell that let us all understand them, and them understand us, but only if you were in range. He said “Your world is amazing.””
​
“That’s…” She shook her head. “You know what, I’m just going to focus on taking orders. Would you guys like anything to drink?”
​
“Takeela,” Kawalski said without hesitation. They had a brief discussion of what kind of “takeela” he wanted, which Rinn couldn’t follow, though he was fairly certain that Kawalski was flirting with the waitress. He was less certain about whether his efforts were successful.
​
“I’ll just have a coke,” Kimber said. “I’m the dee-dee.” He held out a hand in front of Kawalski as the waitress moved around the table. The other Marine fished a key attached to a pouch out of his pocket and handed it over without comment.
​
Further discussion was had about what Rinn wanted to drink. The Marines were delighted to learn that keshmin also drank alcohol, and it was decided that he should have something called a “dose ekwis” to “stick with the mexican theme.” He was a little uncertain about imbibing on this adventure, but… I’m an infantry veteran in His Majesty’s Royal Host. I’m hardly a stranger to alcohol.
​
“Any appetizers?”
​
“Queso Fundido,” Miller said.
​
“For one, or for the table?”
​
“For the table.”
​
“Excellent. Oh! And how are we splitting the bill?”
​
“Individually, but I’ve got his,” Bradford said, pointing a thumb at Rinn.
​
He opened his mouth to object, but then closed it, his ears drooping, as he remembered that he had nothing to pay with. This is embarrassing… I need to fix this.
​
“Anything else?”
​
“No, that’s about… Oh!” Bradford interrupted herself, snapping her fingers and pointing at the waitress. “Can we get a selection of hot sauces? We’re not sure what he can stand.” She pointed back at Rinn.
​
“Of course. I’ll be right back.”
​
As she walked away, Rinn was handed a card. He stared down at the alien text, his ears twisting in consternation. “Umm…”
​
“Here, I’ll read it for you,” Bradford said, tilting her own card so he could see as she read off the items. Another discussion began on what everyone wanted to eat.
​
The waitress seemed to know her job well, because she returned at exactly the time that everyone had decided. She passed out drinks and set wooden bowls of baked chips alongside a plate of what smelled like some kind of melted cheese, followed by several bottles of some kind of sauce, then began taking orders.
​
Rinn stared at the chips and cheese after she departed again.
​
“Pass me one of the mild ones,” Bradford said, picking a chip out of the bowl. Kimber picked a bottle out, opened it, and passed it to her. “Alright, Rinn,” she said, dabbing some of the brownish liquid on the chip, “We’re gonna do some science here.” She passed him the chip. “Try that.”
​
He took the chip and gave it a sniff. Definitely some kind of spice here… He gave Bradford a glance, and popped the chip into his mouth. He nodded slowly while he chewed. The chip was some kind of hard flat bread; a little salty, but not much different from similar food on Gahla. “The sauce is kinda sweet… and…” He opened and shut his mouth, running his tongue across his upper teeth a few times before swallowing. “It had a weird bite at the end.”
​
“Here, try this one,” Bradford said, handing him another chip with another sauce on it. He could smell the bite in this one.
​
He eyed her again, and popped the next chip into his mouth. Instantly he felt his mouth burn. His eyes went wide and his ears stood up straight, but with ten Marines and a Navy Corpsman all staring at him, he didn’t dare spit it back out. His eyes watering, he continued chewing, and just barely managed to swallow before the fumes triggered his sinuses and he sneezed.
​
The humans laughed.
​
“Okay, so that was a couple steps up from mild,” Bradford admitted.
​
“Only a couple?” Rinn coughed. He could feel the heat of the sauce all the way down to his stomach.
​
“Well, it wasn’t the hottest they have.”
​
“Want to try another one?” Miller asked, holding out a chip with a subtle smile. Rinn could smell the fumes from the other side of the table.
​
“No. You try it,” Rinn said before sneezing again.
​
Miller shrugged and popped it into his mouth with a mild smirk. He chewed and swallowed as if it were nothing.
​
“Dude!” Gomez said, picking up the open bottle. “That’s Holy Jolokia! It’s, like, a million Scoville! That’s getting into weapons grade range!” He set the bottle back down, shaking his head in awe. “How is your face not melting off?!”
​
Miller shrugged, snagging another chip and dipping it in the cheese. He stuffed it into his mouth and nonchalantly chewed away.
​
“Try the queso,” Bradford said, elbowing Rinn. “It helps neutralize the heat.”
​
He immediately grabbed a chip and dipped it into the cheese. He popped it into his mouth, and closed his eyes, savoring this flavor. It wasn’t like any cheese made from muhla milk he’d ever tasted, but it was definitely cheese, and it helped ease the burning in his mouth.
​
“Try this stuff, it’s barely medium,” Bradford said, handing him another open bottle. He took a cautious sniff, and nodded. “Try putting it on top of the cheese.”
​
Rinn nodded again, scooping another chip full of cheese off the plate, and cautiously poured a few drops of sauce onto it. He took a careful bite, strings of cheese trailing from his mouth to the other half of the chip. The spice is still hot… but much more manageable… even good… He dabbed some more sauce onto the rest of the chip and popped it into his mouth.
​
Swallowing, he picked up his glass of beer. He took a moment to marvel at the glass itself, and how pristinely clear it was, and the fact that it was cold. They drink their beer cold?! The cost in mana to keep things chilled like this… He shook his head and took a sip. It is… interesting… he decided. Different, and cold, but definitely still beer. He took another sip. And definitely stronger than table beer…
​
After a short discussion of hot sauce, the history of capsaicin, and alarmingly, its weaponization, the waitress returned with a platter stacked with food. Rinn’s ears perked up and his stomach rumbled as the scents wafted across the table.
​
Plates were passed around the table, and Rinn’s gazed locked onto the plate containing his “mix-and-match” order of steak, pork, and chicken “tacos.” He had to swallow to keep himself from drooling. He vaguely heard Kawalski make a joke about the waitress being his new hero, but all of his attention was fixated on his food.
​
He spared a glance at the others for some cue as to when it would be appropriate to start eating. Seeing them all immediately tuck into their food, he carefully picked up one of his tacos. He tilted his head one way, and then the other, trying to figure out how to best eat it, and decided that head-tilted was the best position. He took a bite, doing his best to keep the contents from spilling everywhere, then sat back, chewing and savoring.
​
Silence reigned over the table for a time as everyone tucked into their food, but eventually conversation returned. The topic shifted wildly depending on who was talking and who was stuffing their face, and ranged from plans for the evening, to past exploits, prospects for the war, and their own recent adventures.
​
“We had a lay-over in Memphis, but we got stuck there because of the hurricane going through at the time,” Gomez said. “It was like a day-and-a-half delay before they would let any flights into Savannah. Normally, they wouldn’t have let us leave the security area, but because it was a day-and-a-half delay, they let us leave the airport.” He took a drink of his “soda.” Apparently, humans had an age requirement before they were allowed to drink alcohol. “So me and my buddy were like, ‘We’ve just been gifted one last night of freedom before we spend the next three months in boot camp. Let’s go to a titty bar!’”
​
“Of course you did,” Bradford rolled her eyes.
​
“Hey, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t go out to a strip club if you had the chance right before three months of guaranteed no sex.”
​
“…. Continue with your goddamn story, Private.”
​
“Right,” Gomez said around a bite of food. “So, anyway. We get out to the titty bar, and it went about as you’d expect. We event got special dances in the back-room for a “discount,”” he said, scrunching the first two fingers of each hand in the air, “When we told them we were on our way to boot camp.”
​
Everyone at the table, even Rinn, shared a knowing roll of the eyes.
​
“So, we’re in the back room, right?” He washed his bite of food down with another gulp of soda. “I don’t know what the fuck Frankie was doing, I wasn’t paying any attention to him, because I had this smokin’ hot stripper dancing in my lap. And she was fiiine. Just enough chunk to have some junk in the trunk that you could hold onto, but a waist thin enough you could almost wrap your hands around, and big ‘ol titties like melons that felt like-“
​
He was interrupted by Kawalski reaching over Rinn and Bradford to smack him in the back of the head. “Gomer! We’re in public, keep it pee-gee thirteen!”
​
“Oh, right,” he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry.”
​
“Continue,” Kawalski said, sitting back down.
​
“So, right,” he took another bite. “So, she was dancing in my lap, top came off, then the bottom came off,” he took another drink. “She’s shaking her ass in my face. I’m thinking I’m about to be one of the luckiest bastards heading to boot camp. Then she busts ass, rips out this massive fart, right into my face!”
​
Kimber snorted into his drink, starting a coughing fit, and Bradford lowered her face into her free hand, hiding a smirk. Rinn's ears shot up, then swept back in empathic discomfort.
​
“Now, I grew up on a pig farm in Indiana. Didn’t bother me none. I thought it was fu-, uh, flippin’ hilarious, and sat there laughin’ my ass off. But her? Instantly killed the mood. She was so embarrassed she disappeared, and I never saw her again the rest of the night.” He shook his head, taking another bite. “Spoiled my hopes of getting laid that night, but otherwise we had a great time, and made it back to the airport just in time to catch our flight, which got bumped up because the hurricane wasn’t as bad as they thought.”
​
He set his glass down after another drink. “So, after that, we get to Parris Island, go through the whole processing in bee-ess, and of course, they keep you up the whole time, don’t let you sleep the first night.” He got several nods from around the table. “My buddy and I, we’re dying, because we spent the night before getting wasted at the strip club, and got maybe twenty minutes out on the flight into Savannah.
​
“They finally get us to our new barracks, and then its lights out. I dropped straight onto my rack, no blankets or nothin’, and just died.” He took another drink.
​
“So, I wake up the next morning, right? Both eyes glued shut. I thought I was freaking blind!” He shook his head. “Turns out, that stripper’s fart had been festering on my face the entire time, and when I woke up, I had the worst case of pink-eye anyone at Parris Island had seen in thirty years! Both eyes were welded shut, and I had to be guided to medical to get ‘em uncrusted enough to open back up. Was ess-aye-cue for two days because of it!”
​
“Jesus Christ, Gomer…” Kawalski shook his head.
​
“I bet the Dee-Ayes loved you,” Bradford said.
​
“Oh, hell yeah. Once I’d been cleared by medical and finished processing in, they beat my ass harder than I’ve ever worked before. That first day, they had me pee-teeing in a lake of my own sweat!”
​
He picked up the bottle of Holy Jolokia and casually tipped it back like it was his drink. The bottle glugged once, and Gomez’s expression instantly changed to that of a man who knew he had screwed up and regretted being alive. It glugged a second time before he could react, and hot sauce drizzled across his face and the table in his rush to set the bottle down.
​
Gomez twisted away from the table and slid off the bench, falling to his knees in a coughing, gagging fit. His face was crimson and covered in sweat.
​
Rinn stared in horror as Bradford quietly put the cap back on the bottle. “I think we’re done with this one…”
​
“I don’t understand what your problem is,” Miller said, scooping up some tribbles of the hot sauce with a chip and popping it into his mouth. “This stuff’s good.”
​
“M- mo- monster,” Gomez managed to cough out.
​
“Is everything alright?” the waitress asked, walking over.
​
“He grabbed a bottle of hot sauce instead of his cup,” Kawalski said. “The super-hot stuff.”
​
“Oh no…”
​
“Yeah… Can we get a glass of milk for him?” Bradford asked.
​
“Absolutely!” She disappeared behind the bar, and returned a moment later with a glass of milk.
​
Gomez took it from her and gulped it down like a drowning man gasping for air. The glass drained, he handed it back. “Thank you…” he croaked, getting back up and sitting back down. He immediately started shoveling chips and cheese into his mouth.
​
A few mouthfuls and carefully-identified gulps of his refilled soda later, he seemed to be mostly recovered. “Well, I’m not going to be looking forward to when that comes back out the other end. It was unpleasant enough going in.”
​
“Gomer, you’re a big, dumb bastard, you know that?” Kawalski laughed.
​
“Yup,” he said, shoveling another bite of food into his mouth.
​
***
​
Twenty minutes later, Rinn was wobbling back to the van, stuffed with more food than he had eaten in a very long time. Foot traffic had increased, but they were still given a decent berth by anyone they passed.
​
As they piled back into the van, Kimber took the driver’s seat and Kawalski called shotgun. Rinn and Bradford climbed back into what had become their designated seats while the rest of the squad piled into the back.
​
Kawalski gave Kimber directions as they pulled out of the parking lot, and Rinn went back to staring out of his window. The van worked its way through the city, and he gazed in fascination at all the different types of people and things that he saw. Sometimes he got some commentary from the Marines, but they mostly seemed to have fallen into a “food coma.” To be honest, if I wasn’t so sparked up, I’d probably be passed out, too… Is that a carriage!?! What creature is that pulling it? It looks at least as large as a queshi…
​
After navigating through the city, Kimber turned the van back onto the main highway, but he had barely finished accelerating to speed before he turned off again. For a moment, Rinn thought they were turning back into the city again, but looking forward he saw the ocean. Kimber kept driving towards it until he reached a road that ran right along the edge of the harbor. Out on the water, he could see the masts of countless sloops and small ships.
​
They made a left turn, and he had to struggle to keep himself from crawling over Bradford to gape out her window.
​
“Never seen the ocean before?” Bradford said.
​
“No, not until today.” He rolled his ears. “I’ve seen the royal fleet sheltered in Lake Kaigyap when we were at Yishyishi for a while, but never the ocean.” He flicked his ears back. “Neither have most of the sailors in the royal fleet.”
​
“I’d think they’d be the ones who saw it for sure.”
​
He shook his head. “The elves have kept our fleets bottled up in port for years. Lake Kaigyap is a brakish lake, a couple miles above the mouth of the Yishi river. It’s too narrow for the elves to get their fleet up the river, not without being obliterated by our shore batteries, but it’s also too narrow for our fleet to sally out in force.”
​
“Why’d your fleet bottle up there in the first place?” Edison asked.
​
“It’s where our main shipyards are, and the choice was shelter the fleet there, or lose it.” He growled. “Ship-to-ship, in a conventional fight, our ships are superior. They’re better built, better designed, but…” He nodded at the galleon and proper three-masted frigates they were approaching. “Like your ships, ours depend on the wind for power. We don’t have the mana to be able to move the ship and still fight and shield it. The elves, though… They can draw more ambient mana, and stock more of it, and they can move independent of the wind. When we can catch them when their reserves are low, or their motive artifices dispelled to conserve mana, our ships have rarely lost a fight, even when out-numbered.”
​
He shook his head. “But they are rarely so caught, and no matter how many we’ve destroyed, their ships just keep coming.”
​
“Well, the good news is, that’s not our Navy,” Bradford said, patting him on the shoulder.
​
“Yeah, those are museum ships, centuries old,” Edison added.
​
“If you look ahead on the right,” Kawalski said, “You’ll see something a bit more modern.”
​
“The USS Midway,” Bradford said as an immense, towering ship of metal came into view.
​
“What is that!?!”
​
“That is the USS Midway, a Midway-class steam-powered aircraft carrier,” Kawalski said, taking on his tour-guide tone once more. “Commissioned seventy-five years ago, and decommissioned and turned into a museum ship nearly thirty years ago.”
​
“When did you become so educated, Kawalski?” Bradford asked.
​
“When I looked it up on Wikipedia this morning while planning this trip.”
​
“You think he just actually knew things?” Kimber snorted.
​
The van turned right, into what was obviously a parking area for the ship. Kimber slowed the van to a crawl and Bradford shifted, allowing Rinn to crawl past her and get a better look through her window. “We haven’t been limited to sail power in almost two hundred years.”
[First][Prev][Next]
Continued in comments...