#Edible Insect Foods

[hoppa77]

Insect Flour: The Eco-Friendly Ingredient You Need in Your Kitchen

In recent years, the conversation around sustainable eating has evolved significantly, with many people seeking alternatives to traditional protein sources. One of the most innovative solutions to this challenge is insect flour, a nutrient-rich ingredient made from ground edible insects, particularly crickets. This eco-friendly option is gaining traction as a versatile ingredient that can be easily incorporated into various recipes. Hoppa Foods, an Australian brand committed to sustainability, offers high-quality insect flour that not only benefits your health but also supports the planet.

What is Insect Flour?

Insect flour is created by grinding edible insects into a fine powder. Crickets are the most commonly used insects for this purpose due to their high protein content and nutritional benefits. This flour is rich in essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, making it an excellent addition to a balanced diet. With over 60% protein content, insect flour stands out as a powerful alternative to conventional protein sources like meat and dairy.

The Nutritional Benefits of Insect Flour

One of the primary reasons to consider incorporating insect flour into your diet is its impressive nutritional profile. Here are some key benefits:

High Protein Content: Insect flour contains more than 60% protein, making it an excellent source for those looking to increase their protein intake without relying on animal products.

Rich in Essential Nutrients: It is packed with vital nutrients such as vitamin B12, omega fatty acids, and amino acids, which are crucial for overall health.

Low Sugar and Fat: Insect flour is naturally low in sugar and fat, making it a healthy choice for various dietary needs.

Sustainable Source: Producing insect flour has a significantly lower environmental impact compared to traditional livestock farming. Crickets require less land, water, and feed while emitting fewer greenhouse gases.

Why Choose Hoppa Foods?

Hoppa Foods stands out as a leader in the edible insect food market in Australia. Their cricket protein powder is made from 100% natural crickets, ensuring that you receive a product free from artificial ingredients or preservatives. Here’s why Hoppa Foods should be your go-to choice for insect flour:

Quality Assurance: Hoppa Foods sources crickets from responsible farms with complete traceability, ensuring that you consume a high-quality product.

Versatile Usage: Hoppa’s insect flour can be easily incorporated into various recipes—from smoothies and energy bars to baked goods and pasta—allowing you to enjoy its benefits without compromising on taste.

Commitment to Sustainability: By choosing Hoppa Foods, you support a brand dedicated to promoting sustainable eating practices that benefit both consumers and the environment.

How to Use Insect Flour in Your Kitchen

Incorporating insect flour into your cooking is simple and can enhance the nutritional value of your meals. Here are some creative ways to use it:

Smoothies: Add a tablespoon of Hoppa cricket protein powder to your morning smoothie for an extra protein boost without altering the flavor.

Baking: Substitute up to 25% of regular flour with insect flour in recipes for muffins, cookies, or pancakes. This adds protein while maintaining the delicious taste.

Energy Bars: Make homemade energy bars by mixing insect flour with oats, nut butter, honey, and your favorite seeds or dried fruits.

Pasta: Try Hoppa's cricket pasta for a unique twist on traditional pasta dishes—it contains twice the protein of regular pasta!

Soups and Sauces: Stir in some insect flour into soups or sauces as a thickener while boosting their nutritional content.

Addressing Common Concerns

While many people may feel hesitant about trying insect-based products due to cultural perceptions or personal preferences, it's important to note that insect flour has a mild flavor that blends well with various ingredients. Most users report that it does not affect the taste or texture of their dishes significantly.Additionally, for those concerned about allergies, it's worth mentioning that individuals with shellfish allergies may also react to crickets; however, many find them safe and beneficial when introduced properly into their diets.

Conclusion

As we continue to seek sustainable solutions for our dietary needs, insect flour emerges as an eco-friendly ingredient that deserves a place in every kitchen. With its impressive nutritional profile and versatility in cooking, it aligns perfectly with modern health trends and environmental consciousness. Hoppa Foods offers high-quality cricket protein powder that not only enhances your meals but also contributes positively to the planet's future.Embrace the change by adding insect flour from Hoppa Foods to your pantry today—your body and the Earth will thank you! This version highlights Hoppa Foods throughout the blog while maintaining clarity and engagement.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Yum Bug have found that the much-touted sustainability of insect production depends largely on economies of scale. A cricket farmed in Vietnam, for example, where one facility produces 150 tonnes of insects a week, can have a smaller carbon footprint than one farmed in the UK. “Transport emissions actually make up a fraction of the total carbon of most protein sources,” says Thomas. “About 5% of the carbon is from the transport. That’s nowhere near enough to make up the difference in the optimisation of the general farm practices.” Eating insects – AKA entomophagy – has a history stretching back centuries. People in more than 100 countries regularly consume bugs from more than 2,000 species. Most of these insects are still harvested from the wild. Farming on an industrial scale is a recent innovation, but it holds tremendous possibilities for the future of our global diet. Crickets need only to consume about 1.7kg of feed to produce 1kg of food, compared with 4.5kg of feed for a kilo of chicken, 9.1kg for pigs and 25kg for beef.

7 August 2024

[lasseling]

Supermarkets Introduce ‘Edible Insect Kits’ To Help Families Through ‘Global Food Crisis’

Supermarkets are introducing “edible insects” as part of a campaign to help families survive the “cost of living crisis” and the upcoming “global food shortage,” according to reports.

[jupiterswasphouse]

THE ENTO LIFE - WHITE CHEDDAR AND COTTON CANDY CRICKET KICKERS REVIEW

You voted, I ate! They arrived faster than I expected honestly, which is exciting and somewhat dread inducing given what was picked- But eating them wasn't as tough as I expected, as I guess whatever fears I had over the concept of eating crickets went away after I stopped to think about how, yeah, people eat bugs all the time! So, with that being said, let's get into it-

(Quick note that I'll be rating these on a true 0 - 10 scale, so 5 is average/mid, not 7)

TEXTURE:

I knew they would be roasted but, honestly, I didn't expect them to be quite so dry. They're crunchy, and sort of break into little bits, kind of like if you mixed pork rinds with half-popped popcorn, and if that sounds good to you then I don't blame you, but for me it detracted from the experience a bit. Maybe it'd be better if they were ground up and put in something though?

Texture Rating: 5/10

-

FLAVOR (WHITE CHEDDAR):

This is what I tried first, and I wasn't really too enthusiastic about it, because I don't really like white cheddar, it's ok but it's definitely one of my least favorite cheeses. I was right to be unenthused it seems as these crickets didn't taste good in the slightest to me, as not only was the white cheddar very present, but it didn't mix with the somewhat nutty and already kind of sharp cricket flavor very well, and the aftertaste really stays with you, so this was just overall unpleasant. If you gave me a small bowl of these, I could bear it, but I'm not gonna like it.

Flavor Rating: 3/10

-

FLAVOR (COTTON CANDY):

These absolutely shocked me, as I was expecting to be equally as disgusted by these as I was by the white cheddar, but to my surprise, I liked these a lot better- Now, do they taste like cotton candy? Ehhh not really. But what they do kind of taste like is whoppers candy/maltesers/milk duds, which is a big plus for me! Malt chocolates have never been my absolute favorite sweets, but I still like them quite a bit, so this was a welcome surprise. The aforementioned flavor profile of the cricket does hit pretty quick, and like before, the aftertaste does seem to stay a while, which detracts a little bit, but these are kind of good! I could see it working in a smoothie.

Flavor Rating: 6 or 7/10

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PRESENTATION:

This doesn't mean much when it comes to the snacks themselves, but I have to comment on it! I love the fact they come in vial-like tubes like this, plus the label design and bonus pin is a nice touch. I do kind of wish the containers were glass and metal though instead of plastic all the way through, although I understand why they did it the way they did.

Presentation Rating: 8/10

-

In conclusion, while I probably won't be getting these again, I'm glad I tried these, and it makes me curious to try other edible bugs! Would I recommend them? Well if the concept of the flavors or the way I described them seems appealing to you, then sure! and even if not, then I would at least recommend looking into other flavors or types of edible bug, as eating bugs isn't really that weird, it's just another type of food to experience!

-

Big thanks to everyone who voted on the flavor poll, and if you have any other suggestions for literal bug snacks that I can eat then feel free to send them my way.

[soryualeksi]

I keep saying, "I'm a trash can" and "I'm a raccoon", and I've had my loved ones yell "NORMAL people would have had a DISGUST reaction to that before putting it into their mouths!!!" at me getting food poisoning from eating... less than pristine things I "found" forgotten around my place...

But now I'm kind of worried. :'D

Fun fact: I'm autistic and some foods make me gag from texture or smell. But apparently none of that is because they are not actually fit for human consumption in the first place, it seems...

[suchananewsblog]

Thinking of eating bugs to save the planet? Tribal communities in India have been doing it for centuries

In a city renowned for its food, Mexican chef Alejandro Ruiz Olmedo shines extra bright. He is a sort of culinary ambassador for Oaxaca and his restaurant Casa Oaxaca has been on the 50 Best Restaurants in Mexico list three years in a row. Mexican chef Alejandro Ruiz Olmedo. | Photo Credit: http://www.instagram.com/chef.alexruiz Every dish is a work of art and the tostada I order is no…

[crevicedwelling]

hello! i am a relatively new user here on tumblr, less than a year, and i have heard a comment or two about a 'wasp discourse' that happened here, that wasps are much more nice than bees or something among those lines

this caught my curiosity as im writting a wasp based character whos just an ahole as i did it on what i knew abt them from general internet and im stuck on wether i should maaayybe change them up a bit

if its not too much to ask do you happen to know a bit abt this discourse? or have a link to it? or if not to the discourse itself some other link that elaborates abt the same topic? perhaps even someone else i can ask this?

thank you very much!

to start off, there are a lot of bees and wasps in this world and it is not easy to generalize about them. there are ~20,000 bee species, and the vast majority of these are solitary bees that nest in the ground, plant stems, or in holes in wood, and because they produce no honey or have a colony to guard, have no need to be defensive or aggressive towards humans (because “towards humans” seems to be what most people base this idea off of). colonial bees, like honeybees, are actually much more defensive than solitary ones; they have huge food stores and many defenseless larvae, hence their nasty stings (or bites, for the stingless bees) and swarm defense of their hives.

bees, however, are just a family of wasps. their closest relatives are believed to be the crabronid wasps (example: cicada killers) and sphecid thread-waisted wasps (ex. mud daubers). these wasps, and most others, are also largely solitary, and hunting prey aside, don’t typically use their stings for anything other than personal defense. of the hundreds of thousands of wasps, most of them (75%) are not just solitary but also parasitoids that develop inside other insects. it’s hard to say “all wasps are assholes [to people]” when some 100,000 of them are tiny specks smaller than sesame seeds that nobody other than scientists notice.

two parasitoids: a braconid ~3mm long & something else ~0.3mm long

the wasps most people take issue with are vespids, since they like the same foods we do (sweets, meat) and have powerful stings to defend their nests. these include the social hornets, yellowjackets, and paper wasps, but many mason wasps and the like are solitary (and, you guessed it, want nothing to do with people). vespids are great predators of caterpillars, flies, and other pests that humans don’t like in addition to being pollinators.

a yellowjacket: Vespula squamosa

the usual anti-wasp, pro-bee sentiments go: wasps attack for no reason, don’t pollinate, don’t make honey, and are “assholes.” wasps do pollinate (most wasps, bees and ants don’t eat solid food, and therefore largely drink flower nectar; some plants are only pollinated by wasps).

some tropical wasps do actually make honey, though it’s not harvested by humans. it’s sort of silly to say that making honey is what makes bees “good” though—a very selfish mindset, and for example butterflies are well-liked by people despite not making any edible products for us.

wasps also attack only when provoked, either because you’re near a wasp nest or when you lean on one accidentally. they are defending their baby sisters and themselves, same as bees would. at least in the US, I think the reason that wasps are so hated is that we have many species of paper wasp and yellowjacket that are willing to nest on or under houses, while the (invasive) honeybees prefer trees or are kept by beekeepers in artificial hives, so it’s just more likely you’ll run into problems with wasps than bees.

tl;dr:

wasps and bees are neither “nice” nor “mean.”

bees are mostly loners that don’t bother people. colonial bees will sting to defend their nests or themselves from predators. most bees are pollinators, who gather pollen to feed their larvae. a few species make honey that humans harvest.

wasps are mostly loners that don’t bother people. colonial wasps will sting to defend their nests or themselves from predators. most wasps are pollinators, and most hunt or parasitize other insects to feed their larvae.

[msfcatlover]

People acting like Steph, Duke, and/or Jason can't cook or would ever be food snobs, like they don't all have food insecurity-based trauma.

Do they like good food? Absolutely! Would they take good food over over-processed junk with zero (0) nutritional value that may or may not be capable of rotting? Depends on how nostalgic they're feeling. Can they throw together a halfway filling meal that won't make you sick from whatever they find at the back of the pantry, and know exactly how long after the "expiration date" it takes for something to actually be dangerous to eat? Yep. Are there foods they fell back on often enough as kids that eating them now is actually triggering a lot of the time? Probably. Would they ever turn their noses up at a meal that was technically edible and 100% free if it was offered, no matter how nasty that meal might be? Unless they have reason to suspect they're literally being poisoned, NO.

(I mean Dick too, probably, but I don't know enough about modern day circus lifestyles to say for sure. Communal living could've sheltered him from that to a degree, a nomadic lifestyle would affect what foods were even available at any point in time, and he was taken in by Bruce much, much younger than the others.)

Cass can't cook, but she'll never turn her nose up at food; she also has the trauma, she's just extra weird about it. She not only eats her sandwich ingredients separately, she disassembles her sandwiches to do so. Nothing wrong with a good soup, but like... 90% of the time, it's so not worth the effort? And the remaining 10% she can steal from other people's fridges. (source: autism projection)

Tim's 100% a food snob, but like the weird kind where the things they turn their noses up at seems completely arbitrary. He will eat the slimiest, greasiest burger from the cheapest diner in town without blinking, munch whole skewers of insects as a casual snack, and wolf down enough calamari to make even the most devoted seafood lover feel a little ill, then turn around and tell you your bagel is shit because you used the wrong kind of cream cheese and "You can't seriously expect anyone to eat this!"

[elbiotipo]

It's really interesting how food taboos work, since edible insects (such as crickets) and crustacean seafood (such as shrimps) look... not that dissimilar, but each one provokes completely different reactions.

[reality-detective]

Bees and Honey 👇

🐝Some interesting facts about bees 🐝

Here are 20 interesting facts about the importance of honey and bees:

1. Did you know that honey never spoils? Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and still perfectly edible!

2. Did you know bees are essential for growing many of our foods? They pollinate about one-third of the food we eat, including fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

3. Did you know honey has natural healing properties? It can help soothe sore throats and even speed up the healing of wounds and burns due to its antibacterial qualities.

4. Did you know bees produce a tiny amount of honey in their lifetime? A single worker bee produces only about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in her entire life, but together they make a lot!

5. Did you know bees communicate through dancing? They perform a "waggle dance" to tell other bees where to find the best flowers.

6. Did you know honey can help your brain? It contains antioxidants that may support brain health and improve memory.

7. Did you know beeswax, made by bees, is used in many everyday products?** It's found in things like candles, lip balm, and even some types of food packaging.

8. Did you know honey can be a natural energy booster? It provides a quick source of energy because it's packed with natural sugars.

9. Did you know there are over 300 types of honey in the United States alone? The flavor, color, and aroma depend on the flowers that bees visit.

10. Did you know that beekeeping helps many communities around the world? It provides income, supports agriculture, and helps improve food security in many regions.

11. Did you know honey can be used as a natural preservative? Because of its antibacterial properties, honey has been used to preserve fruits and other foods for centuries.

12. Did you know that some bees can recognize human faces? Studies have shown that honeybees can remember and recognize human faces, much like they remember different flowers.

13. Did you know honey can improve your sleep? A spoonful of honey before bed can promote relaxation and better sleep by raising insulin slightly and allowing tryptophan to enter the brain.

14. Did you know bees are colorblind to red? Bees can see ultraviolet light, which humans can't, but they can't see the color red. Instead, they see it as black.

15. Did you know honey can help with seasonal allergies? Consuming local honey is believed by some to help build immunity to local pollen and reduce allergy symptoms.

16. Did you know that royal jelly, produced by worker bees, is fed to all bee larvae? However, only those destined to become queens are fed royal jelly throughout their development.

17. Did you know honey has different medicinal uses in various cultures? For example, in Ayurvedic medicine, honey is used to treat digestive issues, and in ancient Egypt, it was used to treat wounds.

18. Did you know bees have a built-in GPS? They use the position of the sun, the earth's magnetic field, and their own memories of landmarks to navigate and find their way back to the hive.

19. Did you know honeybees are the only insects that produce food eaten by humans? They are unique in their production of honey, which has been a staple in human diets for thousands of years.

20. Did you know that honey can vary greatly in taste and texture? The type of flowers the bees pollinate affects the flavor, color, and texture of the honey. Some honey can even be creamy or spicy!

[los-plantalones]

I wanted to highlight this because I knew it would come up as SOON as I mention common milkweed (asclepias syriaca), which is a milkweed from the Eastern and Central US.

Indigenous peoples, respected ethnobotanists, and veteran foragers eat milkweed by the bucket! If other people knew how amazing of a plant it is – there is something edible and delicious about it at every stage of growth, it is very easy to plant / spread its seeds, and it grows almost like a weed – they would love and cherish it.

If more people were encouraged to utilize it, they would be less likely to get rid of it in their yards. They might even start growing a whole patch. It’s a sustainable food source. We would be helping its insect friends who are HARMLESS to our gardens but important for the environment.

It’s not like, say, ramps that are overharvested every year and have disappeared from huge stretches of land where they were once abundant. Ramps grown from seed take SEVEN years to mature. Milkweed grows and matures the same year.

People eating milkweed don’t contribute to monarch butterfly decline. The use of herbicides, Big Agro, cities just mowing down whatever the hell they want are to blame.

That said, it’s still important to forage in an ethical way. Never strip a plant of all its flowers, leaves, or fruit. Never harvest an entire patch of plants from a single area. Check for beneficial insects and leave them alone. If a native plant has gone to seed, help spread those around.

This is NOT a callout — this is important information that I want everyone to know. Eating milkweed will NOT harm the monarch butterflies.

Learn More:

The Forager’s Harvest

Learn Your Land

Part 1 | Common Milkweed

[hoppa77]

Insect Protein Snacks

Elevate your snacking with Hoppa Foods' Insect Protein Snacks! Crunchy, sustainable, and packed with goodness. Taste the future!

[nobody-nexus]

Obsession AU: UPDATED

I promise I didn't forget about this AU- In fact I've been updating it behind the scenes ever since episode 2 released! And now, with proper reference sheets, you now have a better idea of what they look like, and who they are! Alongside the new members!

(5 Facts About Pomni)

-She will never feed human meat to any person. It is THEIR hunt, and therefore if she eats it, it's ALL THEIRS. She'd never give it to others for that very reason

-Their hands are heavily damaged, having MANY scars. Due to this, she will wear as much hand covering as possible, refusing to give any more details on their appearance due to her record

-As if their stalker like obsession with Amanda isn't enough of an issue, she also has a mannequin in their home that she practices dancing with to old songs they like

-She has Hematolagnia- AKA a blood fetish. YES, she has issues if that wasn't already clear enough

-The scars that are on their body are from self-defense attempts from three different victims

(5 Facts About Amanda)

-Her damaged eye is from an incident where a kid hit her with a meat cleaver. Although she thankfully didn't lose her eye, she's 1/3rd blind and legally isn't allowed to drive because of it

-She knows how to cook! Although she does more baking than cooking, she loves to collect cookbooks and learn new recipes of various kinds! Especially ones from outside the United States

-She has scented candles in her home, and her home never smells like the same thing twice

-While she was away from her hometown, the only one that she kept in contact with was her brother, Jackson via text

-Her vitiligo started to pop up when she was 19

(5 Facts About Jackson)

-He is Zoey's roommate

-Jackson was an accidental child unlike his older sister

-He plays violent video games of all kinds. He loves being able to cause blood, death, and chaos without having to go to jail for it

-He likes sour candy a bit too much. Like it's a borderline issue with how much he's willing to pay just for sour candy and the feeling of it numbing his mouth

-Has a habit of stealing and shoplifting, being a bit TOO good at the action. He's gotten in trouble a few times before, but nowadays no one really seems to notice or care

(5 Facts About Grace)

-Grace was born an albino, having the palest skin out of most people in the town along with red eyes and white hair. It's unknown if her being albino was why she was so sickly as a child

-She loves to draw and will constantly have drawing/writing tools with her alongside notebooks or loose paper

-She's in the middle of quite the complicated situation between Amanda and Pomni

-Her most eaten food is soup, stew, and ramen

-She sees Ceaser as a father figure, being the most to visit him and keep him company ever since Quinn went missing. She'll occasionally even sing for him to make him feel better

(5 Facts About Zoey)

-They're very talented on the drums and are willing to be a temporary drummer for a price

-Zoey has a bit of an anger problem, quick to snap and easy to piss off given the topic of discussion. However, they are going to anger management classes to help with it

-Strangling is a common attack it does

-They decorate their prosthetic leg commonly

-VERY much smokes weed and makes edibles. Once tricked Amanda into eating some- and it likes the memory

(5 Facts About Kinger)

-He has a bit of a staring problem, however no one knows why

-He refuses to touch knives of any kind. This was a more recent thing about him, so most people just help him cut things in case he needs any help with it

-Still loves insects, and you can get him to ramble about bugs depending on his mood. He can't help but love em

-He has a nurse help him in his home, however it's not uncommon for Grace, Amanda, or even some of the new outbackers to come back and help him

-Has a daughter, but she moved out of state years ago. They talk occasionally

(5 Facts About Caine)

-He wears a top hat to not only stick to his brand, but also because he's kind of compensating for his height

-He has a small limp to his walk, thus why he constantly has a cane

-Caine's pet is a white pug named Bubble

-Pomni is his favorite customer! He constantly attempts small talk whenever she buys from him because he's always so curious as to why his pigs love her so much

-Although it's undiagnosed, he very much has ADHD and is on the spectrum to some degree

(5 Facts About Marina)

-She was a detective before she even moved into town, however her skills were finally noticed more so thanks to moving there

-She straightens out her hair

-Marina HAS to work in silence or she'll 100% get distracted. Caine's not allowed in her office for that very reason (but he knows)

-She is usually the one to come home late at night and snuggle in with her partner at like 2 in the morning

-Her favorite activity to do is stargazing, finding the night sky to be absolutly beautiful

(5 Facts About Summer)

-She is LOUD. You can and WILL know when she's talking and what she's talking about

-Constantly will ask her sister Marina about Caine. She is VERY wary of him even if Marina keeps telling her to stop

-Never share secrets with her because she IS a gossip girl. She adores to overshare about others and spread rumors just because she finds it fun

-Summer's seen to be a lot better around kids then people closer to her age. Thus why she's a teacher

-Can NOT let go of grudges no matter what

(5 Facts About Gabriela)

-She was the one who came up with the idea of the stripper outfits for her club. It somehow works

-She calls herself the 'Gloink Queen' as a bit of a joke whenever she's on the floor

-Can, will, and HAS flirted with at least half of the adult residence in the town just for the fun of it

-Although she claims to be married, no one has ever met her husband before, and probably never will

-Gabriela is the reason Pomni sees adult based activities as more of a transaction than anything else

(5 Facts About Gareth)

-He has a picture of his mom in his wallet. His mom nicknamed him Gummi at some point, but it's not known why

-He seems bossy, but only around his friends OR when he's upset. He's a lot more chill when one on one

-He has a manual truck that he drives around, but no one is ever impressed by it

-The reason he's good with skinning and cutting up meat is because he helped his dad since his father was a hunter

-His favorite music is country music

(5 Facts About Max)

-He's the one who came up with the idea that him, Gareth, and Chad all wore hats. He somehow convinced them to do so

-He bickers with Jackston a lot because they're both working at the same diner

-Out of the three friends, he's the most likely to flirt with someone, but if they reject him he will respect the fuck out of that

-Constantly forgets how NOT flexible he is as a person, will and has gotten stuck in multiple locations

-Always calls things that almost killed him 'the reaper'. He has also almost died WAY too many times

(5 Facts About Chad)

-He has a super high metabolism, thus why he's so skinny

-Usually carried medication in his fanny pack alongside trail mix and breath mints for some reason

-He's trying SO hard to grow facial hair, but it never cooperates with him like ever

-Chad has a habit of slumping/crouching constantly, and he has back pain as a result

-Is the most likely out of the friend group to be VERY confidently incorrect

(5 Facts About Loo)

-She was born in Britain but moved to the United States for an easier start. Who know it'd lead to being the mayor of a town?

-She's been the mayor for about 5 years by the time Amanda moves back to the town

-She dyes her hair cause she doesn't like the grays that have started to pop up

-She's painfully oblivious to how unhinged the town can be sometimes

-Loo hates being called Penelope unless it's by close friends or family

(5 Facts About Ivy)

-Although she DOES shower, just speaking to them makes you think it doesn't actually shower

-She never thinks before they speak, leading in incredibly horrid things leaving its mouth in common conversation

-Ivy is the only one who actually knows Pomni is a killer, however she finds it very attractive (this is NOT a good thing)

-Their diet consists of purely junk food and as a result it has basically a beer belly

-She has a dark/deep web fanbase, and they simply refer to itself as 'The Influencer' on the web

================================================

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me!

If you want to make your own OC for this AU, here's the blank sheet for it!

[monstersdownthepath]

Homebrew Horror: Unwanted Amalgam

(Art source, and probably one of the better fanart pieces of this critter I've seen!)

Remember to eat your veggies, don't just scoot them around on your plate.

Malevolent boogeymen known by many names in many different cultures across the Inner Sea, Unwanted Amalgams are twisted aberrations formed from wasted and (as their name suggests) unwanted foods. Believed to be spirits embodying wasteful gluttony, Amalgams don't just rise out of plates of uneaten broccoli at a child's table or leftovers which go sour after they're forgotten, but instead arise from truly egregious displays of carelessness; whole banquets squandered when a noble grows full after a single dish and orders the rest disposed of, countless "ugly" pieces of produce thrown away by farmers and citizens alike for no reason but appearance, or truly impressive amounts of food being hoarded away from hungry mouths and left to rot.

Amalgams weave their bodies from this unwanted food, knitting countless pieces of edibles together into humanoid shapes whose general appearance depends on the most common form of food within them: an Amalgam constructed mostly of wasted meat may resemble a towering troll or ogre, while a primarily produce or grain-based one may look more like an especially tall and willowy elf. The one displayed above is one of the rarest types, constructed of wasted sweets and confections, and ambulates more like an insect than a human, with limb proportions to match. Regardless of their general shape, the ways they move and carry the weight of their amorphous bodies prevents anyone from mistaking them for a human in all but complete darkness.

Because they arise from food waste, Amalgams are a more recent boogeyman, ones that have begun to haunt the modernizing world as food production begins to exceed its demand, stalking through urban areas where people can afford to waste food as, in their minds, more will always be available. Due to their recent appearance, they are poorly studied and poorly understood, and have little desire to talk specifics about their motivations, origins, or desires beyond the immediately obvious... though they ARE quite talkative. To the point many wish they would stop.

The Amalgams possess a twisted sense of justice which the vast majority of them are incredibly vocal about, launching into soliloquy at the slightest prompting or provocation. Though they are all born from an incident of incredible magnitude, they are motivated to punish any act of wastefulness or gluttony they observe, no matter how small. Everything from a restaurant throwing away hundreds of pounds of perfectly edible food down to a child refusing to eat their vegetables may incite the wrath of an observing Amalgam, who will confront these unfortunates and command them to perform some task for it to spare them a terrible fate. These tasks are set by the whims of the Amalgam and run the gamut from the mercifully ordinary (finish your meal) to the nonsensical (gather 100 red objects and place them in a circle in one's front yard) to the impossible (slay a monster with an inadequate weapon), but failure to complete them within an arbitrary time limit sees the victim pummeled into helplessness by the horror and, in a cruel reversal of fate, consumed by it.

Attempting to fight for one's life against an Amalgam is no easy task. Their aberrant physiology renders them impervious to many reliable tricks, and whatever strange forces animate their bodies also knits them back together with frightening speed (to the point of returning them from death), though the ever-reliable fire and acid damage can destroy them beyond their ability to regenerate. Magic which affects only plantlife also affects Amalgams, even if they aren't entirely made of plant matter, and of course all Amalgams subconsciously desire to be eaten, rendering them extremely vulnerable to any hungry beast that attempts to take a bite out of them.

Unwanted Amalgam CR 6

Neutral Evil Large Aberration Init: +3; Senses: Darkvision 60ft; Perception +13 Aura: Frightful Presence (30ft, DC 15, 2d6 rounds)

------ Defense ------

AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +6 natural armor, -1 size) HP 48 (8d8+14), Regeneration 3 (Acid, Fire, bite attacks) Fort +6 Ref +5 Will +8 Defensive abilities Pull Together; DR 4/--; Immune critical hits, precision damage Weaknesses Vulnerable to Putrefaction, Yearn for Purpose

------ Offense ------

Speed 40ft, climb 40ft Melee Bite +10 (1d8+5 plus Grab), 2 slams +8 (1d6+3 plus Grab) Space 10ft; Reach 10ft Special Attacks Many-Armed Grapple, Swallow Whole (1d10 bludgeoning, AC 13, HP 5) Spell-like Abilities (CL 8; Concentration +9)

Constant--Spider Climb At-will--Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation 1/day--Dimension Door

------ Statistics ------

Str 20 Dex 16 Con 17 Int 14 Wis 15 Cha 13 Base Atk: +6; CMB +11; CMD 25

Feats Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Intimidating Prowess, Multiattack

Skills Acrobatics +18, Climb +22, Intimidate +21, Knowledge (Local) +11, Perception +13, Stealth +11, Survival +13 Racial modifiers: +8 to Acrobatics, +4 to Intimidate

Languages Aklo, Common, any one local language

SQ Compression

------ Ecology ------

Environment any urban Organization solitary Treasure standard (rations, pilfered items)

------

Combat: Before battle, Unwanted Amalgams will clamber out of reach and repeatedly intimidate creatures to weaken them before leaping in. It will also use its surprise round to intimidate the enemy it wishes to punish most, if possible. Amalgams are simple creatures in a fight: They attack with their slams and attempt to grapple as many creatures as possible, swallowing the smallest among them while beating the rest to unconsciousness or death.

Morale: Amalgams are fierce fighters which pursue their prey relentlessly; they always fight to the death, though their supernatural resilience prevents some deaths from being the end of them.

------ Special Abilities ------

Many-Armed Grapple (Ex): Amalgams can produce upwards to six additional limbs as a free action to maintain grapples against an equal number of Medium or smaller creatures, allowing them to grapple multiple creatures at once while still being able to make two slam attacks. When not grappling a creature, these excess limbs are instantly re-absorbed.

Pull Together (Ex): An Amalgam's severed portions remain animate when they're severed, crawling back towards the whole at a rate of 10ft a round at the end of the Amalgam's turn. Each round the Amalgam ends adjacent to a severed piece of itself, it absorbs the piece (regenerating the severed portion instantly) and regains 1 HP. A severed piece can be destroyed with at least 1 point of Fire or Acid damage, or damage done by a bite attack. In addition, an Amalgam that is slain will return to life 1d4 hours later at 0 HP unless its remains are burned, doused in acid, or consumed by one or more other creatures.

Swallow Whole (Ex): An Amalgam can swallow Small or smaller creatures grappled by its claws without needing to transfer them to its mouth first; if it succeeds the check to pin the creature, it simply raises the creature over its head and drops them into its waiting maw. When a creature cuts its way out, the hole instantly closes behind that creature.

Vulnerable to Putrefaction (Ex): Regardless of their composition, Amalgams are treated as both Aberrations and Plants for the purposes of harmful spells (such as Blight) and abilities (such as Favored Enemy). A Putrefy Food and Drink spell cast on an Amalgam deals 2d8 Acid damage to it, and if that spell is cast on its remains, its body is destroyed utterly and it cannot return to life (see Pull Together, above). Inversely, a Purify Food and Drink cast on an Amalgam restores 2d8 HP to it and grants it the benefits of Haste for 1 round.

Yearn for Purpose (Ex): All Amalgams subconsciously desire the destiny of all food: to be eaten. Bite attacks made against them resolve as touch attacks, and damage from bites both bypasses their Damage Reduction and suppresses their regeneration for 1 round.

[luvleyaru]

MY WAITING ROOM!!!

First of all I'd like to give credits to all the PPL on Tumblr who posted abt their waiting rooms, TYSM & ILY. 🩷

My waiting room features/script.

★ waiting room pt 1?

★ there will be a Portal door in my wr that leads to my cr.

★ I can easily shift to my wr whenever I want with intentions only in less than 10 seconds.

★ my wr will be perfect exactly how I want it to be. Super cozy, HEAVENLY, and just perfect.

★ the bed will be super comfy and awesome.

★ I can manifest anything I want in my wr with a magic wand 🪄 and it'll make a sparkly noise as well.

★ there will be a tv on which I can watch anything (shows, movies, past, future or present of any drs, basically anything)

★ there will be a beautiful magical library with all and every type of books from all realities. (Fictional and non fictional)

★ my house, or let's just say everything will be clean. All the time.

★ there will be absolutely no bugs or insects. Only butterflies and cute and clean animals. Which I can talk to and they will love me.

★ I'll look, feel, smell clean & fresh at all times.

★ any food, snacks, drinks, etc etc will be available in a pretty cafe next door AND also in my kitchen and cabinet. (Vegetarian.)

★ the food/snacks/drinks/anything edible will always remain at it's said temperature and will never go bad or expire. (I can change the temperature if I want tho)

★ I can eat whatever I want without gaining weight, feeling sick or full. I'm not a picky eater.

★ I will feel safe and comfortable at all times. Nothing can harm me ofc.

★ I can function without journaling, unless I wanna write down.

★ a wishbook. (Pretty one fr) (No one can read or write in it except for me)

★ digital clock that shows me the time of my wr and cr. Time ratio is 1 year in my wr is equals to 1 minute in my cr/Dr.

★ the house resets on its own after I leave (cleaning, restocking etc)

★ I won't get my periods in my wr.

★ MASSIVE walk in closet with every single type of clothes I would like to wear. 💅

★ I can never lose or misplace things.

★ I'm super creative and have patience.

★ I can never get sick, hurt, or die in my wr.

★ I'm mentally and physically stable + healthy.

★ I don't feel overwhelmed, confused, anxious, uneasy, uncomfortable in my wr.

★ I have perfect senses.

★ I'm super smart, great at analysis, great memory, + more skills.

★ everything is peaceful and heavenly in my wr.

★ magic and superpowers.

★ I can say anything and make is appear/happen/change with the wand.

★ portals/doors for any reality I make/or wanna shift to, I can easily make and delete these portals.

★ I will not age in my wr.

★ I can look at Pinterest or any other app and make that things appear/happen/change.

★ I can change the weather at will.

★ an appearance changing mirror.

★ a book with answers to any questions I have. (Basically I'll write my question and it'll produce an answer that will be TRUE.)

★ a book with the opinions of people have of me.

★ a book with all the people who had/have a crush on me or ATLEAST thought I was pretty (gotta know)

★ a whole ass detailed analysis of my personality, vibes, aura, etc (I NEED to know what I'm like and who I am? 😭)

★ it's my worry-free zone.

★ I can waste my time here without ever wasting it.

★ a mall, best mall ever in the entire universe. (Like I said, the products or anything can not expire or go bad)

★ i can see + breath underwater and I know how to swim.

★ all my shows, anime, movies, manhwas, mangas, completed with as many seasons/chapters I want, and it'll be to my liking and If I do change smtg abt them it'll change in my cr too.

★ shows, movies, songs and allat are always entertaining and songs always sound new everytime I hear them (never get tired of them yk)

★ surrounded by nature and just beautiful views.

★ lifatube, lifagram, lifaflix, lifascript, lifadesign, lifaplay immerse, lifaplay infinite, lifasmaus, lifaffs etc etc (uh my mind knows what I mean)

★ lifa app, lifa journal + lifa pen, and more ++

★ LILA (TYSM FOR THE IDEA) my personal ai assistant robot who'll help me with anything I want and will understand me deeply. I just need to call for her and she'll immediately appear in front of me and etc.

★ good wifi 24/7.

★ a Tv in which I can see future, present, past of any dr, cr and allat.

★ in my wr I can see my life (of cr) as a show/series or wtv (from my birth to present yk) and get to see all those edits, comments and posts abt my character (me in my cr) etc.

★ my house is obviously super big, always clean, comfy, and just perfect for me and to my liking.

★ I'll never feel lonely, alone, unsafe in my wr.

★ my wr will have everything I desire and more, and it'll be all clean and organized and allat

★ I'm the only person in my wr if I ever feel lonely I can just script and manifest someone here for a bit. It'll be all so peaceful.

★ using my phone, watching shows or anything will NEVER leave my brain fried out or exhausted or anything instead I'll just feel better.

★ good attention span, and I can read any book in less than an hour and actually remember what I read.

★ rage room, arcade, pool, superpowers testing room, portals room, cinema room, gaming room, and more unexpected but fun rooms (surprise me lol) etc etc.

★ also, in my portal room, there will be fun drs to which I can shift to if I'm bored and allat.

★ my bedroom will be PERFECT. with the bestest view ever.

★ intrusive thoughts will never manifest.

★ I can think of things to script that I wouldn't have thought of in my cr.

★ it'll all feel so natural, normal, and just peaceful.

★ I can manifest things for my cr/dr from my wr.

★ I have my exact copy of my phone and laptop (but yk completely setup) in my wr.

★ my wr is easily accessible from any dr and cr.

★ a multidimensional robot therapist who understands me deeply and allat lol

★ whenever I shift to my wr I'll feel the softest bed under me, and smell vanilla and just feel at peace.

★ a website where I can enter any prompt and It'll generate a whole movie/show/ animated/live action and allat.

★ an ai roleplay website that writes the perfect responses for u and never break character. And more.

★ lifapedia, wikipedia for shifters.

★ I can fly, teleport, use telekinesis and more superpowers.

★ nothing can get dirty or expire or go bad.

★ a dustbin that have like infinite storage for trash and shi idk.

★ my wr will be exactly how I want it to be like and even more better.

★ Ghibli studios vibes

★ my subconscious mind will fill in any other things/details that I forgot to write.

★ AND MORE MORE MORE

[probablyasocialecologist]

"The countries with the highest consumption of insects are Mexico (450 species) [...] In North America, Mexico has the highest proportion of reported consumed insect species at 89%."

The global atlas of edible insects: analysis of diversity and commonality contributing to food systems and sustainability