Based on the song Beer In The Headlights by Luke Bryan. (Listen to the song here!)
He watches in wide-eyed amazement as she jumps out of his truck, floating over to stand in the middle of the dirt road. She starts swaying in the headlights, and he can’t help but smile as he reaches over, turning up the radio.
She returns his smile as the music gets louder, and points at him with the hand that’s holding her plastic cup. She wiggles her eyebrows at him before turning around, small dust cloud rising up around her ankles at the action. He shakes his head, so engrossed with watching her dance, even thinking about moving seemed ridiculous.
She narrows her eyes at him as she takes a sip from her cup, before gesturing again, more insistently than before. He chuckles before nodding, hopping down out of his truck bed, glad it was dark so she wouldn’t see the blush that crept up his face.
He joins her in the headlights, stomach fluttering as her smile widens. She closes the distance between them, gently draping her arms around his neck. She drops down off her tiptoes just as the song fades out.
He can’t fight off his urge any longer, and steals her cup from her, swallowing down the mouthful that was left before placing it down on the hood of the truck. Her brows furrow in confusion as another song starts. Before she can speak, he captures her lips with his, easily lifting her off the road, smiling against her mouth as her legs instinctively wrap around his waist.
He slowly walks them over to his waiting truck bed. He carefully sits down on the edge, adjusting his hands so he’s holding her hips. They break for air as he pushes the cooler backward, before laying himself down on his back. The image of her there, long brown hair blowing in the gentle breeze, smiling down at him against a backdrop of millions of shining stars makes his stomach flutter again. He can’t help but smile as she tucks some hair behind her ear, before beginning to unbutton her shirt, this is my last first date.
Written for the SPN Amino Heat Wave Weekend Challenge.
Yes, this is an ‘extra’ fic, that doesn’t fit into the 1 fic every 2 week posting schedule, so you better enjoy it. 😛
“Son of a bitch!”
Sam bolted upright, jumping off the bed, snatching his gun from the bed side table, slowly stalking toward the open motel room door, “… Dean?”
At the lack of response, he stiffened, bracing himself as he came up to the door. He took a deep breath and ripped it all the way open, nearly shooting his brother in the face.
“Whoa! Dude, what the hell?” Dean swiftly disarmed his brother, tucking the gun into the back of his pants, “Are you crazy?”
Sam shook his head as he was instantly hit with a wall of summer heat. The kind that makes you feel like you can’t breath, “Oh my God.”
“I know, right?” Dean shook his head before walking back into the motel, “The first day we get off in how long and it’s this gross out?” He let out a heavy sigh as he grabbed a beer from the fridge, “So much for a day at the beach.”
Sam closed the motel door behind him, easily catching the beer his brother tossed at him, making his way over to the small table his brother had stopped at, “Alright, so what’s Plan B?”
“Well I don’t know what you’re gonna do,” Dean shrugged as he crossed the room, grabbing the laptop off the night stand before nearly throwing himself down on his bed, “But I’m gonna sit here, drink and, uhm…” He adjusted his sitting position as he settled against his pillows, “relax.”
“Yep, got it,” Sam nodded, swallowing down a gulp of beer before snatching his phone and key off the night stand, making his way to the door, “I’m gonna go to the library.”
Dean snorted, raising an eyebrow at him, “You are allowed to have fun once in a while.”
Sam shook his head, hand pausing on the door, “Text me when it’s safe to come back.”
“No promises.”
—
Ugh, Sam pulled at his sweat soaked t-shirt, doing his best to unstick it from his chest as he made the way back to the motel, how is it still so hot out? He checked the time on his phone and shook his head, it definitely should’ve cooled off by now.
He continued down the sidewalk as the motel came into view, glad it wasn’t too far away from the library. I never thought I’d be looking forward to a motels’ AC. He took his key out of his pocket, unlocking the door just as he heard his brother swear.
He opened the door, hope dashed as he didn’t feel a temperature difference between the street and the room. He raised an eyebrow as he saw his brother, sitting on the floor, face twisted in despair, disassembled AC unit laying in front of him, “Uh, Dean?”
The blonde wiped the sweat off his forehead with one arm, desperate eyes flicking up to the giant, “I-it just stopped working. I tried to fix it, but,” he kicked it, face falling further, “Stupid thing is too old.” He got up, giving the thing another kick, before turning his eyes to the giant, “What are we supposed to do now?”
“Well,” Sam couldn’t help the smirk he felt split his face as he made his way toward the freezer, “I’d start with removing the flannel.”
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I post NEW short stories EVERY 2 weeks on Fridays!
Started: 16.08.08 (Originally written for Melting Hearts)
Rewritten/Finished: 20.04.15
Words: 1,128
Sabriel, Fluff
“Sa-am!” Gabriel bounded down the stairs toward the front door, “Come on!”
“Will you relax?” Sam came out of the kitchen, lifting the bag of snacks onto his shoulder, “I’m almost certain the beach will still be there.”
“What if it’s not?” The shorter man fake pouted as he slipped on his flip flops, “Do you really want another bowling alley fiasco?”
Definitely not, Sam chuckled at the memory as the ball of energy adjusted the duck floaty he had around his waist, “Why are you so interested in going to the beach anyway?”
“I… have my reasons,” Gabriel winked and wretched the door open, narrowly hitting the giant in the face.
“Gabriel-”
“To the beach!”
—
Gabriel smushed his face up against the glass of the bus, eyes wide with excitement as they passed the sandy shore. He pulled the string so hard Sam was worried he was going to break it.
“Okay, c’mon,” Sam stood up with the bag, extending his hand out to the angel.
Gabriel took the hand and stumbled behind the giant to the back door, slamming his shoulder into the pole as the driver stopped the bus, asshole.
“Gabriel, you can’t say that to the driver,” Sam hissed as they got off.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gabriel brushed off as he hurried off toward the sand.
“Hey,” Sam caught his arm before he could get away, “you can’t call the driver an asshole. You don’t want to say the wrong thing to the wrong guy.”
“I didn’t say anything, Sammy.”
“Gabriel, please.”
“What? Sammich, I’m not lying. I didn’t say anything.”
Gabriel bounded off toward the beach, leaving Sam standing on the sidewalk confused. Why does he keep saying that? He didn’t say anything, I heard him, Sam shook his head and started off toward the shorter man, trying to put the pieces together, He didn’t say anything…
C’mon Sammich. Put it together so we can have fun.
“But Dean,” Sammy whined, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout, “I want to go play!”
The blonde shook his head as he tucked his brother into the motel bed, “You know the rules. You can’t play outside at night.”
He raised an eyebrow as he pointed to the still sunny window, “It’s not night time!”
Dean chuckled and shook his head, pointing to the clock, “It’s 9pm, dude.”
The 5-year-olds eyes went wide and his jaw dropped open, “B-but it’s still sunny!”
The blonde shrugged before getting up off the bed, “That’s how it is in the summer.”
“But that’s not fair!”
Dean shrugged again, “Sorry, dude. I don’t control the sun.”
Sammy crossed his arms back over his chest and pouted, absently watching his brother get dressed, “Where are you going?”
The blonde shrugged on his jacket, flashing his brother a toothy grin, “Out.”
The youngest rolled his eyes, “Well what am I supposed to do?”
“Well you could try sleeping for one.”
“I can’t sleep when it’s sunny!” He pulled a face, “I’m not a baby, y’know.”
Dean shot him a sideways glance as he sat on the edge of the other bed, pulling his shoes on, “Oh sure, pouting because you aren’t getting your way is so grown up.”
“Why are you being such a baby about this?” Sam raised a questioning eyebrow, “Just come with us.”
“Why won’t you take no for answer?” Lucifer grit his teeth, hands balling into fists before he disappeared into thin air.
Whoa, The hunter sat on the edge of the couch, running a hand through his hair, what the hell was that about?
—
Hey.
Sam sat up in bed, looking around the dark room, hey.
Relax, I’m not there.
Oh, he settled back against the pillows, going back to his laptop, areyou ready to tell me what the hell that was all about?
He heard a sigh, and could picture the fallen angel scrubbing a hand down his face, I shouldn’t of got that worked up.
No shit.
But you should’ve stopped pushing it, too.
I wasn’t trying to push you. Sams’ stopped on the line he was reading, not actually taking in the information anyway, I just thought you’d have fun. And I’d really like it if you came with us.
If you’ve been here before, you’ll know that even before going vegan, I was never much of a beef/pork/red meat fan. Chicken was more my jam. I don’t know why, other meats just didn’t taste good to me. (Especially beef)
One of my absolute favourite things ever was having a breaded chicken burger, with some Miracle Whip and lettuce. There’s something just very… I don’t know, satisfying about it. It hits the spot every time.
When I saw these, I was obviously excited to try them.
I had tried one other chick’n burger brand that was pretty good (I thiiink it might’ve been Yves), but the patty wasn’t breaded. Which, was fine, but I really wanted to find a breaded chick’n burger, so I didn’t have to cross them off my list of favourites. And, I’m so thankful that the vegan movement has come such a long way, and that there are so many different options on the market to choose from, because these looked and tasted just like I remember! (They might even be a bit bigger, too)
Like some of their other products, Gardein only puts 4 in a pack, and I just want to ask: why is the majority of vegan food packaged so small? Are they assuming not whole families are vegan, or that no one will bring their products to get togethers’ for others to try? How do you expect people to share their vegan food with other people (and possibly convince others to go vegan) if you don’t make the food optimal sharing size? You could easily fit at least two more patties in that bag. Honestly the amount in one bag is usually the only thing I don’t like about their products. If they upped their product to bag ratio, they’d be golden.
The inside/chick’n part tastes just like the rest of their other faux chick’n products (I’m pretty sure it’s just tofu), and the breading appears to be just plain old breadcrumbs. Nothing that fancy to write home about for these guys, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not great! Sometimes, all you need/crave is something simple. I understand why vegan companies keep trying to outdo themselves, and go bigger and more flavourful, but sometimes the simplest ingredients/flavours are all you need.
Another great thing about these burgers, is what I’m dubbing The Vegan Advantage: they take virtually no time to cook. 10 minutes on medium heat in a frying pan, or you could throw them in the oven to bake and in almost no time, they’re ready to go.
Put these babies on a whole wheat bun, topped with Hellmann’s’ Carefully Crafted Dressing and Sandwich Spread (vegan Miracle Whip), add some lettuce, and bam! You’ve got yourself a no fuss, filling and flavourful dinner.
Seriously, there’s not even that much more I can say to describe them. If you haven’t tried them already, go out and do it, and watch how fast they become a favourite/summer staple.
With the summer months coming up, and school letting out, there’s a good chance that you’ll find yourself at a movie theater sometime in the next few months.
New vegans, fear not! Thanks to this new Surprising Vegan Fast Food series I’m starting, you can still enjoy the fruits of the movie theater labour. Enjoy your movie nights out with no worry as you take a bite out of one of the below foods.
*As always, all the following information is specific to Canada. If you live in a different country, I recommend you check the ingredients yourself for your specific country*
Concession Stand
Big Screen Snax:
Nacho Chips (Plain, Round)
Chunky Salsa Regular
Jalapeno Slices
Popcorn:
Popcorn Topping
The Allergen chart says that the ‘popcorn topping’ is vegan, but the butter topping they use contains milk. I’m assuming the ‘popcorn topping’ is some sort of salt. Good to know you can still enjoy popcorn at the movies! Though I’d recommend perhaps calling ahead, since they would most likely have to make you a brand new batch. (And let’s be honest, that would be pretty annoying to do to the workers without notice, especially if you’re going when it’s busy)
Pop-Topia:
Kettle Corn
All Dressed
Outtakes:
French Fries
Sweet Potato Fries
Onion Rings
Pretzels
Salt and Cinnamon Sugar
Thai Chili Wrap (nix the chicken)Dips:
Heinz Plum
Honey Mustard (contains honey)
Sweet Chili Thai
YoYo’s (Sorbet Flavours)
Wicked Watermelon
Aloha Pina Colada
Blueberry
Cherry Bomb
Grape Balls of Fire
Mango
Mango Orange
Luscious Limeade
Groovy Green Apple
Orange Dreamsicle
Orange Pineapple
Orangey Orange
Passion Fruit
Peach Passion
Tropical Punch
Sweet Lemon
Punchy Pineapple
Pomegranate
Puckery Pink Lemonade
I didn’t list them, as they’re not exclusive to Cineplex, but there are a bunch of vegan candies you can usually buy at the concession stands as well.
As you can see, there are many goodies we as vegans can still enjoy at the movies.
Have a movie snack fav I forgot to list? Let me know in the comments!
Alright, now that the terrible weather is finally close to being gone, chances are you’ll probably find yourself at a BBQ/summer cook-out of some sort over the next few months. You’ll most likely need to either bring a faux meat with you, or tell the host which brand you’d like. I recommend telling them not to worry, and that I’m fine to bring my own, but if they’re insistent, well Yves is one of the easier faux meat products to find/remember the name of.
I don’t know how, but these things have got a pretty classic ‘hot-dog’ taste. I honestly don’t know what gives real hot-dogs that classic taste – from the recipe’s I’ve seen, most of them say ketchup – but it’s a distinctive flavour nonetheless.
These taste like hot-dogs, not sausages. You may be wondering if it makes a difference, but trust me, it does. If someone asks you to pick them up sausages, and you grab these, they won’t be thrilled.
I’m not saying these not-dogs (yes I call them not-dogs, cause they’re not dogs! You’re welcome community) are bad, they’re in fact really good – but just know that there’s a difference in taste between sausages and not-dogs. It’s hard to describe if you’ve never had a hot-dog, but they have a universally defined flavour.
I will say, though, I’m thrilled to find a company that makes not-dogs, and not just sausages. I don’t know what it is – maybe they figure hot-dogs are too gross/unhealthy to try to replicate? – but most of the vegan companies I’m aware of only make sausage substitutes. (Or as I like to call them, not-sages)
Not all Yves products are vegan though, so be sure to read the ingredients before buying. So far, I know their Bologne, these not-dogs, their veggie nuggets and faux chick’n burgers are safe. All the ones that are vegan that I’ve tried say ‘vegan’ right on the front. (I’d double check the ingredients anyway, just in case)
So, aside from the classic hot-dog taste, these not-dogs are also really good if you dry-fry them. That is, in a pan with no oil/water. Just plop that sucker on there and roll it around every few minutes. When heated up, they get that classic smoky, BBQ-ed flavour. What I’m assuming is liquid smoke comes out when heated and gives them that awesome flavour.
Also, while heating up, their ‘skin’ begins to blister, and get crispy, which is just like the cherry on top of the smoke-flavoured cake. I don’t know what it is, but I’m a sucker for that blistery, smoky flavour.
(See those blister-bubbles?)
Another good thing about them is they won’t stand out too much from the rest of the food. They’re a little more rectangular in shape to regular hot-dogs, so you’ll be able to tell them apart, but they’re not so different that people will gawk at them and make fun of you. (If they see the package says ‘vegan’ or question why you’re bringing your own, all bets are off) Also, they look ‘normal’ enough, that some of the other guests may even want to try them.
These are also pretty versatile, just like regular hot-dogs. You can BBQ them plain in a bun like ‘normal’, or cut them up and add them to a pasta salad, or kebabs! (Or mac n cheese, but that’s less summer-y)
Also, you can store them in the freezer without changing their texture, which is always a bonus! You could buy a few packs at a time and keep them in the freezer for when you need them.
All in all, these are a pretty great not-dog option and I definitely recommend you try the plain, and spicy flavoured ones. With these by your side, you won’t have to worry about missing a good old cookout or worry about having to bring your own ‘rabbit food’.
Now that it’s May and we’ve officially left winter behind, what better time to buff up your knowledge of sunscreen before heading out into the sun? (And risking getting terribly sunburnt)
So, you may be asking yourself: ‘wait, sunscreen isn’t vegan?’
Yep, it’s true. It’s not just food that us humans use animals for. We put them (or some part of them) in all kinds of stuff. From plastic bags, to cell phones, to you guessed it – sunscreen.
Now, luckily some companies have seen the light and have begun phasing out the use of animal ingredients. And, while that’s certainly something to celebrate, that’s really only half the battle.
A lot of companies also test sunscreens (and lotions, shampoos, soaps, etc.) on animals! I know, right? And, here’s the kicker: these companies don’t exactly make it easy to find out if they’re testing on animals or not. I mean, why would they readily admit that they’re torturing animals?
So, what’s a newbie vegan (or family member/friend looking for a gift) to do? The below tips should help you out in determining if the product is vegan.
Read the Ingredients
I know, I know, you’re not a chemist, I don’t expect you to instantly know every single ingredient listed. I would recommend starting with the list below. These are some of the most common animal-derived ingredients found in sunscreens (and sometimes lotions/creams):
Beeswax
Chitin (commonly comes from the exoskeletons of crustaceans, insects and even arachnids. It’s essentially ground-up shell)
Collagen (a structural protein found in animal connective tissue. Typically from cows, pigs or fish)
Elastin (another type of protein. Found in the artery walls, intestines, lungs and skin of animals)
Lanolin (Animal fat that’s extracted from sheep’s wool)
Stearin/Stearic Acid – derive from the fat of cows, sheep and pigs
If the bottle has a few ingredients you’re not sure about, one of the best things to do is to Google it. Honestly, plugging the name into Google (or whatever search engine you prefer) will usually bring up a short about the product, and usually tell you where it’s derived from. (Sometimes it may tell you an ingredient can be both derived from animals or plants. In that case, I would check the companys’ website to see if they say which one they use)
2. Check If It’s Cruelty-Free
This isn’t always as simple as it sounds, unfortunately. While many companies have began using the universal cruelty-free symbol (or some variation of it) on their products, others don’t. It’s not always a simple procedure of a company slapping the logo on their products.
(These or some variation is usually somewhere on the back of the bottle/product)
Some companies legally can’t put the logo on the bottle, even if it’s cruelty-free in your country, because sometimes, when companies sell to different countries, those countries have different safety laws that require testing on animals.
For example, many companies have taken to adding, ‘(insert company name) doesn’t conduct animal testing of our cosmetic products anywhere in world, except in the rare situation where governments or laws require it.’ to somewhere on their website (usually on a hard to find page that takes some digging).
The biggest example of this, would probably be companies that sell in China. China requires certain products to be tested on animals before being allowed to be sold in their country. So, some companies – while they may be cruelty-free in your country – technically aren’t cruelty-free as a whole, because they sell in China.
Whether you choose to buy from a company that isn’t 100% cruelty-free is your own choice. Some people will swear off buying from that company altogether as a protest, which is great. But that’s not always feasible. Finding vegan products, while improving over the last few years, can still be a hassle. I would say, do your best not to feel guilty if there aren’t any other options around. Remember, veganism is about ‘being as practicable as possible’ – not being 100% all the time.
I would suggest not making a habit out of it (if you feel guilty), and instead try to find one of the vegan sunscreens I’ll list below. (Or try making your own natural sunscreen!)
3. Call/E-mail the Company and Ask
If you’ve checked the bottle and didn’t see the above listed ingredients, or the cruelty-free symbol, and you’ve scoured every inch of their website to no avail, the best thing to do is hear it straight from the horses’ mouth. (So to speak)
In my personal experience, it’s usually easier to e-mail the company then call, because sometimes the agent you get won’t know off the top of their head and will likely tell you they need to double check with the correct department and then get back to you. Or, the agent on the phone will give you a very quick yes or no answer and hang up. (Yes, this has happened to me on more then one occasion)
I don’t know why it happens – perhaps they’re busy and need to get to the next customer, perhaps they don’t want to actually check and give you a real answer, or maybe they actually do know that quickly because they get that question all day – whatever the reason, (since you can’t be sure), e-mailing is usually better. It will take longer than a phone call, but a company will usually take the time to explain things in more clarity for you if you e-mail them.
If even after you’ve e-mailed them and they just give you the generic line from their website, I would suggest checking the laws in your own country to see what’s required. You may be happily surprised in your findings.
If all of that seems like way too much work (which honestly, I don’t blame you), and you want something fast and easy, check out one of the below companies/sunscreens. The only research you’d need to do for these, is to see if they’re available in your country:
Kiss My Face Organics Mineral SPF30 Air-Powered Spray (their FAQ states most of their products are vegan, with the exception of some containing honey or beeswax)
Alba Botanica Cool Sport Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 (their FAQ says all products are vegan, except for those containing beeswax and honey)
Pacifica Mineral Sunscreen Coconut Probiotic SPF 30 (the slogan on their website is ‘Pacifica: 100% vegan, cruelty-free’, so I assume all their products are good to use!)
Nature’s Gate Mineral Sport Broad Spectrum SPF 20 (not all products are vegan)
These are just a few examples of sunscreens available. I personally haven’t used any of these yet, which brings me to a good point: I’m still finishing off a bottle I have that I received as a gift. I would hope that if you have non-vegan products laying around, that you don’t just throw them away and waste them. If you don’t think you could continue to use them after learning the truth about animal testings (among other things), see if you can donate it to a family member, friend, or even a local charity.
It’s much better to use up the product instead of waste it. It might sound weird, but to me, they already tested the product on the animal/put the animal ingredient into it, so the animal has already suffered/died. I’d much rather use the product then toss it, as if that animals’ suffering doesn’t matter. Some people might not see it that way, which again, is fine. But don’t feel guilty or like you have to trash almost everything you own just because you’re trying to be vegan.
There’s a reason we call it a ‘transition’.
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Alright, now that it’s summer, I figured it’s time to start getting into some summer-y products. First up, this amazing ice-cream.
This is one of those products I love a lot and it’s hard to tell if I love it just because it’s amazing, or because (of my allergies) I had to go years without it. (Or eating sh*tty versions) This ice-cream though is like heaven in your mouth, I swear. If you haven’t tried it yet, what are you even doing with your life?
If you’ve ever seen my Instagram page, you know how much I love this stuff. I buy it more then I probably should. It’s amazing.
It’s got peanut butter, and cookie bits in it. What’s not to love? It’s also versatile. While I often just eat it straight out of the tub with a spoon, it’s also great for banana splits, in a cone, this thing:
And pretty much anything else you’d need/want ice-cream for.
The only downside to this ice-cream is that it’s so rich you can’t eat the whole tub. (… Well, you can but you won’t feel so hot after) It’s the perfect example of how too much of a good thing can go bad. You’ll love every second of it, until about an hour after you’ve polished off the tub, then, well, you might regret it a little. (But you’ll probably do it again anyway).
There’s not too much else to say about this ice-cream, it’s smooth and crunchy, and hits the spot after a long day in the heat. Or, after any day, really. Also, if you’re still not convinced, just look at it:
How could you look at that and think, ‘nah’.
I’d also like to take a moment to thank the Ice Cream Gods that Ben and Jerry’s decided to make some vegan ice-cream. I’m one very happy consumer knowing this product exists.
It’s hands down the best ice-cream I’ve ever had. So, y’know… go try it for yourself.
