#I think I'm good with rice flour again

[thebibliosphere]

Huh. I think I can eat Walkers gluten-free shortbread again.

[fox-bright]

My covid post from last year is going around again, as I sit here debating how and what to write about HPAI H5N1.

I'm tired.

Things to know:

HPAI H5N1, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1, is so far wildly lethal when humans get it. Somewhere between 53% and 56% of the humans who have been found to have it have died.

Those people mainly got it from interacting with sick birds. A couple have gotten it from interacting with sick mammals. The one of those that's most important to US news right now is a worker at a milk cow farm who got sick very recently. That worker's only symptom before getting on antiviral medication was pinkeye.

(Keep your cats indoors; cats are getting it from sick birds. Don't have bird feeders this year. Do NOT interact with wild birds that are acting strangely; do not poke at dead wild birds.)

Humans are not yet giving it to humans. There are one or two cases where they might have done, in the last few years; those cases guttered out quickly, to the great good luck of our species, and did not spread.

Human-to-human transmission is the big concern.

We are not in any immediate danger of H2H transmission. When we're in immediate danger, you'll know.

When the flip happens, we will go from not being in immediate danger to being in immediate danger, very rapidly. This could happen this month, or in five months, or in five years, and we don't know when.

By the time we are in immediate danger, it is too late to do the greater bulk of your preparation.

So it's time to prepare now. This time we have is a blessing. We should not squander it. What would you have done differently in September, 2019, if you knew what was coming? Do that.

With some differences; a) flu can pass by fomite--that is, a sick person touches a doorknob, you touch a doorknob, you rub your face, you get sick--so you actually do need cleaning chemicals for this one. b) This one gets in through the eyeballs pretty easily in its current shape, so eye protection should be prepped for adding to masking in public spaces. c) this one is gonna call for fever reducers and we know how hard they were to get when covid hit; stock up. And stock up on pet food if you can keep it from going bad, because pet food gets its protein from cow and bird meat; there will be shortages.

With a lot of similarities; the flu is airborne so don't stop masking, if we have a proper lockdown this time you're going to wish you had flour and rice and canned fruit so keep stock of all your staples. If you have a nice big freezer, now is the time to get beef and chicken before the prices shoot to the ceiling. I'm also stocking up on powdered milk and powdered eggs for baking with.

We have made a lot, a LOT of mistakes with how we've handled covid. But one thing we didn't do wrong was all of the community-building in the early days. Think about what worked then, and what didn't really work. Now is the time to make sure community bonds are strong. As always, as in ANY potential disaster, there are two most-important questions?

Who can protect and support you?

Who can you support and protect?

Plan accordingly.

[blueesnow]

(6/6) Aijima Cecil's Private Story [Utapri Live Emotion]

Ch 1: (unlocked if you reached intimacy lvl 6 with Cecil)

-Downtown- Cecil: Thank you for granting my wish for today, Haruka. Cecil: Getting you to teach me about the japanese language while we're walking around the city together…somehow it feels like a dream come true. Haruka: Oh no, that was such an exaggeration. But feel free to ask me anything. Cecil: Yes, I'm going to learn as many japanese as I can for today. …Ha! I quickly found something that caught my eyes. Cecil: I wonder what are those square things that are being lined up in that store. Is it probably…sweets? Haruka: That one is kintsuba. It's a sweet snack that was filled by red bean paste. Cecil: Oh, kintsuba…! The one next to it is a dango, right. Cecil: The one with a brown color and looks shiny over there…was it mitarashi dango? Haruka: Yes, exactly! Cecil: Looks like the reward for getting it right is your smile huh. …Oh, there's also one with a purple color too. Haruka: (It looks like Cecil-san is having fun) Cecil: Oh… look, Haruka. That little guy that was sitting on the display case is called Maneki Neko, right? Cecil: It was told that as it raised its hand it means that it will beckons happiness. Talk about a smart and hardworking guy. Haruka: Fufu, you're correct once again. Cecil: I know a lot about this cat after all. …That's right, now it's my turn to ask you a question!

Kintsuba: A confection of sweetened beans wrapped in wheat-flour dough (in the shape of a sword guard).

Mitarashi Dango: A traditional Japanese rice dumplings smothered in an irresistible sweet soy glaze.

Maneki Neko: A common Japanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner, sometimes can also be called beckoning cat.

Ch 2: (unlocked if you reached intimacy lvl 11 with Cecil)

-Downtown- Haruka: A question about Maneki Neko? Cecil: Yes. Just like the real cat, there are also different types of Maneki Neko too. Cecil: There's the one who only raised his right paw, and there's also the one who only raised his left paw just like this little guy over here. And each of them have different meanings. Cecil: If they raised their right paw it means to get more money. Now then the question, what is the meaning if they only raised their left paw? (choices) <To get more people!> Haruka: The answer is…to get more people! Cecil: Yes! As expected of you, Haruka. Look, the Maneki Neko also looks happy with your answer. Haruka: Fufu. So this little one is bringing us over here huh. Thank you little kitty. <To get more love?> Haruka: Is it…to get more love? Cecil: What a wonderful answer. I decided, let's change the answer to love from now on. Haruka: Y-You can't just suddenly decide to change that on your own. But, if Cecil-san likes the answer then…I'm happy to hear that. (back to story) Cecil: Haruka…You're so adorable. I really want to hug you right now. …May I touch you? Haruka: N-No, you can't! There's people around here… Um, you know what, let's go there! Cecil: You're quite shy aren't you. Wait for me, I'm coming with you…! -Cafe- Cecil: Phew… I came to know a lot of cute and interesting things today. It was all thanks to you. Haruka: It's not just all me, but I also have a lot of fun too today. Did you find it helpful even if it's just a little? Cecil: It's not just a little, but a lot. I came to like japanese language even more today. Cecil: Every time I learn a new word, and my memories keep increasing. It also add a new page on my vocabulary book. Cecil: But the new words that you teach me for today, not only does it written on my vocabulary book, it also add new page on my memories along with my heart.

Ch 3: (unlocked if you reached intimacy lvl 21 with Cecil)

-Cafe- Haruka: Written in your heart…that was such a beautiful phrase. It really conveys Cecil-san's kindness. Cecil: To think that's how it looks like in your eyes. Meist*, Haruka. Haruka: Meist is…from Agnapolis's language and it means thank you right. Cecil: Yes! Hearing your words really warmed my heart, so I'd like to give my thanks. Cecil: Also, to think that you remember about "meist" too made me happy. Haruka: Oh no, there's still so much that I don't know… That's right, if you don't mind, could you tell me more about Agnapolis? Cecil: Why of course! I also brought an Agnapolis book here with me too. Let's read them together. Haruka: There are a lot of words lined up here. And a beautiful picture as well… Cecil: This one happens on the morning sunrise. As soon as the sun's rising, it fully painted the desert into an orange color. Cecil: It was such a breathtakingly beautiful sight. There are still a lot of beautiful places in Agnapolis too. For example… - Haruka: Fufu. Hearing Ceil-san's words just made me want to go there even more. Cecil: Hearing that you're interested with my hometown made me happy, I ended up told you many things. Cecil: Seeing you smiling while hearing my talk is also an adorable sight. Would you be willing to go out again together with me, just like this? Haruka: It'd be my pleasure. Cecil: It's a promise, Haruka. I'll be looking forward to the day where we can have a conversation again!

*: Idk how to exactly translate that so I just went along with meist. It was originally written as メイスト or meisuto as romaji.

You can check on twitter with #愛島セシルのアグナパレス語講座 for more Agnapolis language from Cecil tweets. There you can find some tweets, either from Cecil himself, or from someone in jp who compiled all words that Cecil taught to his followers before.

Ch 4: (unlocked if you reached intimacy lvl 31 with Cecil)

-Waterfront Park- Haruka: (Phew. I was able to finish my job successfully for today. The sea breeze feels so nice…) Cecil: …Gūne mīrisu*! Hello, Haruka. Haruka: Cecil-san! Hello there. Did you…have TV filming for today? Cecil: Yes! I'll be appearing in a program called Agnapolis Language Class. Cecil: I'll be cooking food from my hometown under this clear blue sky. I'm really looking forward to it. Except for the location that is… Haruka: Cecil-san? Cecil: Ha! Hey Haruka, do you have any plans after this? Haruka: No, I was planning to go home after this. What's wrong? Cecil: I have a favor to ask. Will you please stay here and watch over me? I really need your help for today's filming. Cecil: I'm not that good with water, but this is work after all. Even if the location is at the seaside, I just have to put up with it. Cecil: Having you nearby will surely bring me comfort. And I'll be able to fully concentrate on the filming too. Haruka: Cecil-san… I understand! It'd be my pleasure to watch you on set! Cecil: Really…? Thank you so much, Haruka! Cecil: Now I have nothing to be afraid of anymore. With this, I'll be able to share the flavors of my homeland as much as I want to. Cecil: Please take a look closely as I do my best!

*: Again Idk how to translate this one so i just went with how its pronounced in romaji. It was written グーネ　ミーリス on jp and it means こんにちは/hello based on Cecil's tweets.

Ch 5: (unlocked if you reached intimacy lvl 41 with Cecil)

-Waterfront Park- Cecil: Gūne mīrisu! My name's Aijima Cecil. This time we are here at this beautiful park. The wind here feels so nice! Haruka: (A smile that shows no sign of anxiety… As expected of Cecil-san!) Cecil: Today we will study Agnapolis Language while making "kitimeh*". Cecil: Kitimeh is one of the dishes from Agnapolis, it's quite similar to a Japanese crepe. Cecil: And this time we'll also be making "mehme*", which is a grilled lamb skewers. Let's start cooking right away! Cecil: I used to make mehme and kitimeh myself, and all members of ST☆RISH enjoyed eating them too! Cecil: I also came up with some ideas for arranging kitimeh, and to me it was such a pleasant discovery! Haruka: (Fufu, Cecil-san always look really happy when he's talking about ST☆RISH.) Cecil: Now the kitimeh's dough has formed into a beautiful circle. I'm going to flip it over in one go… Here I go! Haruka: (Amazing… The dough rolled and flipped back perfectly) Cecil: Fufu, it's just like a magic, isn't it? I'm sure that you can do it as long as you practice. Chiāte*! - Cecil: Mehme has been grilled perfectly into a golden brown. For kitimeh, time to wrap it up with minced meat and vegetables… Cecil: Yep, they turned out great. It'd also look cute if you wrap it up like a natto roll. Cecil: You can use that thing made of bamboo to roll it up… What's the name of it again…Hmm? Haruka: (Don't tell me…he forgot the name of "makisu*"…?)

*Idk how to spell it again, but thankfully I found that both of these dishes got mentioned on SL event story (it's cecil version of shining star live) and since the en version spelled it this way--I just copied it as it is www -(jp: キティーメ, romaji: kitiime) -(jp: メェム, romaji:meemu)

*Idk how to spell it again so i'm just using the romaji one as it is… ;;w;; Based on his tweet, チアーテ in agna means 頑張って/Good luck/Do your best

*Makisu (��きす）or usually refered as a sushi mat, is a cooking utensil from Japan to prepare rolled sushi or any other Japanese foods. It's usually made by bamboo.

Ch 6: (unlocked if you reached intimacy lvl 51 with Cecil)

-Waterfront Park- Cecil: Its name is…maki, maki…makimono! …or maybe not. Haruka: (I knew it, it looks like he totally forgotten about "makisu". That's right, if I can tell him with that…!) (choices) <(Let's lip-sync "makisu"…to him!)> Haruka: (Let's lip-sync it to him. Cecil-san, it's ma-ki-su!) Cecil: …That's right, it was "makisu"! I had a hard time trying to remember it, and it made me nervous. Cecil: But I can hear your voice in front of the TV trying to tell me the answer, and it certainly reached my heart. Meist. <(Let's write "makisu"…in the cue card)> Haruka: (Let's write it in the cue card so that he can see it. "Makisu"… Cecil-san, please see this) Cecil: …That's right, it was "makisu". Fufu, I feel a bit embarrassed. Cecil: I completely forgot about it by accident, but the Muse that dwells in my heart guided me to the correct answer. (back to story) Cecil: It all ended successfully… I don't know what would have happened if I had been there all alone. Cecil: I'm also not even slightly bothered seeing any sign of the sea. Your power is indeed amazing! Haruka: Oh no, I didn't do much. By the way, I had a lot of fun learning many words of Agnapolis's language again. Haruka: Mehme and kitimeh looked really delicious. Oh, and there's also something that I remember, "Chiāte" means good luck, isn't it? Cecil: Yes! Chiāte is a wonderful word, which means to give encouragement to people who take on challenges. Cecil: If you say this to people before live or work, they'll get a burst of energy from deep within their heart and it'll cheer them up. Haruka: Then…Cecil-san. Good luck on all of your work from now on. Chiāte! Cecil: Haruka… You're just like a magician. Now, I'm sure that I can overcome any difficulties that might arise after hearing that. Cecil: Thank you so much, My princess. I'll definitely repay you for your help today. Cecil: I also wish you all the best in your work until we can go out again together. Chiāte!

[akwolfgrl]

I'm a great fuck but better lover 13

Zoro walked into the galley for dinner sniffing at the air, as the sound for something bubbling gave away that his preety cook was frying something. He noticed the looks Nami was giving him. Looks she had never given him before…like he was something...cute.

“What's up with that look on your face?” Zoro asked sitting down in his usual spot. Luffy alredy had some meat at his side and Zoro had a bowl of rice with an egg on the side. Zoro carzed the egg and added it to his race mixing well with his chopsticks.

“Oh nothing much just thinking about that picture of you on the fridge,” Nami smirked at him takeing a sip from her cocktail.

“What picture?” He asked looking at the fridge, thire was a pice of papper stuck on thire that wasn't thire before. He stood up just as Sanji turned around.

“Here pass this to Nami since your up,” Sanji handed him a plate with two flat open sandwiches?

“What are these?” Zoro asked now distracted from what was on the fridge.

“Fish tacos,”

“What's a taco?” Zoro asked, he had never heard that word before.

“You've never heard of tacos?” Nami asked from behind him.

“I invented tacos,” Usopp unhelpfully chimed in.

“Is it a sandwich?” Zoro asked passing the plate to Nami since he was alredy up. “Also what's that on the fridge?”

“Hmm? Oh that just art of you and Mr. Noddles napping together, here give this one to Usopp,” Sanji passed him another plate, as Mr. Noodles meowed from his stool. “Usopp drew for me, and I suppose a taco is smiller to a sandwich. But thires no bread instead it's a tortilla witch is typically made from corn some people make it with flour. This taco has fish that Usopp cuaght with i dipped in a beer batter and fried, thires a slaw and a crema, that's lots of different things to add to….”

“Sanjjjiii I want my tacos!!” Luffy whined interpting Sanji, Zoro liked when the pretty blond went off on a tanget talking about food.

“Just hold on a minute!” Sanji yelled as finished Luffys plate. “Here this is for our captain,”

“Aww where's my kiss?” Luffy pouted when the plate arrived.

“Your hats still on so no kiss!” Sanji yelled over his shulder.

Zoro soon sat down with his own plate, he picked up the taco and took a bite. The fries was crispy, the slaw tased so fresh, the white stuff was creamy and limey? Zoro didn't know how to describe food. He just knew it tasted good.

“So Zoro how was your frist taco?” Nami asked him.

“Good, make it again, cook,” Zoro liked how easy it was to eat.

[demigods-posts]

so, annabeth can't cook or bake to save her life. yeah, no one taught her because her mortal parents sucked, her godly parent was DOA (hehe), no one at camp really cared to even acknowledge her, and she's so busy fighting for her life all the time, so she never learned. percy, however, cooks extremely well. it isn't just that his mom had given him cooking lessons, which they often do whenever they have the time, but also because percy had to provide for himself growing up. his mom was always busy with work, his biological dad was less of a dad and more an absentee (hehe), and smelly gabe was...well, you know.

anyway, annabeth expresses her desire to learn how to cook and provide for herself, and percy, enjoying the fact that he finally knows something annabeth doesn't, offers to teach her. immediately chaos ensues.

first, he tries to teach her how to make rice. he figures it's an easy enough start being that rice cooks itself, but annabeth manages to burn the rice. annabeth insists it's his fault because he's literally the son of the sea god.

then, he tries to teach her how to bake sugar cookies. it had started out pretty well. they had gotten the right ingredients, measured everything perfectly, and put the cookies in the oven to bake. then they got a little distracted throwing flour at each other, and then stealing a few kisses here and there, so the cookies burned, as well. annabeth insisted it was his fault, once again, but percy figured it was useless to argue.

lastly, he tried to teach her how to make spaghetti. fun fact, she can actually make a delicious spaghetti sauce. like, it's so fucking good that the next time he eats ambrosia, that what it fucking taste like. as the two are boiling the noodles, percy off-handedly mentions that an interesting way to note if the noodles are done cooking is if they stick to the wall. this immediately leads to annabeth chucking one, then two, then twenty noodles at the fucking wall.

"this one didn't stick right. it fell about two seconds sooner than the last noodle."

"annabeth, I really don't think you have to test every noodle-"

"oh suuuure. but if I scarf down this spaghetti later and hear a crunch, I'm blaming you."

percy decides that the next time they cook together, he assigning her to cutting up the vegetables. she was pretty good with that dagger of hers, so it should be easy enough...hopefully.

Tags:

[thestudentfarmer]

Hey all!

I hope everyone's had a Great week and been able to work towards some of their overall goals and been able to get in their garden.

Lettuce regrow update~

6 days ago I posted dabout a lettuce regrow (9 days old at time of picture) they've gotten some growth in that time.

I did add to the lettuce bowl, a carrot top. Just to see if I can get it to sprout a flower stalk and maybe some seeds. (Added 3.13. 2023)

The celery has not much for movement, some spreading on the stalks. But haven't really seen any tangible rooting.

Also a chick pic update~

Lentil update as well~

I had to pinch some flowers off the peppers, but their still a lil small for fruiting.

The Nasturtium is getting massive! I've gotta trim it up this week. I may even get around to trying a recipe with some of the leaves now. If not, the chickens will get the trimmings.

A small lil overlook~

Last week's goals I managed a batch of bagels and pretzels! Unfortunatly I think I got far too ambitious because they did not come out as delicious as I hoped.

But I'm gonna give at least bagels a go again this week! If I make a good batch I'll be freezing half of them for use throughout the month.

Also something not too awesome happened, something got into my seed starts and destroyed them, so I will not be showing seed starts yet. Friday I plan on redoing them (well what I can. Since some of the variety I no longer have. Well, I guess it means a different variety was desired is all lol.

This week I hope to get new seed starts going and the start of my flower patch in the back going.

I also want to make a sourdough dessert and try to get a rough idea of a month's worth of meal planning so I can make some bulk purchases of what I consider staples for the kitchen. (Flour, rice, yeast, sugar, noodles, some sauces and seasonings)

I would like to get some sewing and craft done this week. But we'll see how that goes lol.

What's everyone's plans/goals for their homesteads, Gardens or more sustainable/eco journey going?

🌱🐝 Happy Homesteadin and Gardening~ 🐝🌱

3-16-2023

[shoku-and-awe]

Also from the Tohoku shop! I finally got to try butter mochi, which I'd been curious about for a long time! It's different from Hawaiian butter mochi (which I am also VERY interested in trying), which is a baked good made with glutinous rice flour. This was just....... butter, plus mochi. And there's a reason I'm putting 'butter' first. It was a whole lot like biting into a stick of butter. It was too much like biting into a stick of butter. I think there was sugar and egg in there too but honestly who knows. Butter goo.

Despite my excitement, this was pretty unpleasant. I'd try it again, if I had the opportunity to buy it made fresh in Akita or from a famous butter mochi maker, but yeah, this was not for me.

[sl33py-g4m3r]

making a record of every dairy thing in my apartment to attempt to chart how fast it's gonna be to get rid of, mainly by eating; but I guess I can put some in the donation box at the park for people~~ the unopened stuff of course~~

goobers x 5 (a candy consisting of milk chocolate balls w peanuts in them. initially bought cause I tried them and they hit really good, then I stopped eating them, lol. and one of them is open)

store brand pasta sides (there are 2 rice too) x 12 (i like to stock up on things cause I don't go to the store that often mainly cause I'm blind legally and can't drive)

boxes of macaroni and cheese x 3

2 bags of doritos and one of store brand loaded potato chips (which I'm surprised don't have bacon or lard in them and are actually vegetarian)

2 of pringles I just bought (sour cream and onion and ranch)

2 of some crunchy puffed pea snacks bought at the dollar tree (calbee brand i think? they're so good and have a lot of fibre for a puffed snack like that!)

3 open containers of ice cream (that I'm sadly not eating cause I learned I don't like it that much so it's hard for me to eat)

2 jars of great value nutella with one being half gone

a mainly used tube thing of Parmesan cheese (which may not be vegetarian based on what and how rennet is used idk)

4 of some spreadable cheese (gourmet w herbs, one of them is open the other 3 are sealed in plastic and not open, bought at a discount store on impulse a while ago)

25 individual packets of swiss miss hot cocoa mix

a big bag of trail mix that has m&ms in it (are those even vegetarian? don't they use shellac for the candy coating or was that other candies instead?)

a partially used jar of alfredo sauce

a partially ate fluffy cheesecake kind of pie

and I think 2 partially used containers of popcorn salt

all the other butter type stuff/margirine/cheese that I have is vegan stuff that was given out at commodities when mom and a neighbour went~~ mom knew that I keep trying to go vegan and gave them to me~~ she even gave me some vegan (i think they're vegan I could be mistaken and they're just vegetarian) sausage patties too~~ and seasoned seitan (that idk where on earth to find anywhere at all; could buy vital wheat gluten and chickpea flour and attempt to make my own again. but whenever I make it I don't like it and can't figure out whether I don't like seitan or just made it wrong~~ made it homemade with just flour once~~ so if you want a good arm work out, try it, lol didn't like that either sadly for the above)

it's cool commodities is giving out vegan stuff sometimes~~ but she hadn't went in a long time~~

I feel this is going to tale a lot longer than I think it will~~ I guess just slowly and consistently use them and not feel bad for doing so? cause hopefully even being a vegetarian would still help fight global warming and stuff~~

and I've been a vegetarian for almost the entirety of this year~~~~ wooooooooo~~!!!!! I say almost cause the year isn't over~~~ and some many months last year too~~~

longest time ever that I've successfully been vegetarian~~~ like over 200 days~~~ cause I use a counter app to track the days and I've switched counters back and forth a few times trying to find a good one~~ Meatless is pretty good~~~ used to use Quit Meat but it wants you to log every animal food you consume and I felt that was too tedious~~~ Meatless just lets you log what meat if any you consume and hit either the plant based, or hit the egg/dairy buttons when you want to log a day as vegan or vegetarian. and it lets you choose what country you're in to give you relevant stats to your country~~

plopping another question here at the end cause I'm unsure if it's actually animal or not~~ I have some fleece blankets; and I thought fleece was the name for wool or some other animal derived fabric~~~ unless fleece means something that's non animal too.... they're light fluffy and warm blankets~~ so.... is it animal fleece or more than likely something else and still fine to use?

asked reddit a while ago when I went on r/vegan (cause r/vegetarian was barred by a filter or restriction and wouldn't let me post at all~~ why is reddit so locked down in this manner? it sucks~~ I don't like reddit~~

I've come so far over the course of a little more than half a year~~~ I no longer see meat as a valid food choice~~~~ or gelatine~~~~

a lot longer than I was when I first tried back in 2013 when I went vegan on a whim~~ lasted a couple of months, didn't know what I was doing, and went back to eating meat. repeat process endlessly until this time hopefully~~~

proud of myself for making it this far this time~~ and not going back to eating meat~~ cause when I did that, I'd feel like a hypocrite and deem myself a failure. But I'm not a failure cause I kept trying~~ I keep trying~~

so much so that the vitamins I take for in general vitamin, and the vitamin D the doctor wanted me on are vegan~~~

I still feel like a baby vegan even after all the time I've tried and failed in the past ~~ T_T;;

[gaybd1]

ok theres this tag game and i cannot for the LIFE of me find who tagged me im so sorry BUT

youre supposed to put the first sentence of your fics and see if there's some kind of pattern. sounds cool let's go!

“You’d probably be good at this, Sokka,” Zuko called from across the kitchen where he mixed together rice flour, sugar, and water. - Short and Sweet

“So… you’re really breaking up with me?” Zuko asked again. - Maiko Breaks Up. Zuko Has Realizations

Sokka was no stranger to grief. - do not stand at my grave and cry

Sokka narrowed his eyes at his boyfriend seated at the head of the council table. - Impact

Aang blinked at the face of the boy who had just emerged from the bushes in front of him. - Zuko Amongst the Dragons

Zuko peeled off his soiled tunic, trying desperately not to think about what had happened less than a day ago below Ba Sing Se. - If I fade away (The awful things we do to make the head go quiet)

Izumi opened the door to Zuko's office, entering with a sigh and throwing her schoolbag onto the sofa against one wall, flopping down onto it. - Mother

He doesn’t know where he is. - It was Cruel and it was Wrong

The first time it happened was only a few months after Sokka had moved out of the Fire Nation Palace to take up his new position in what was now being called Republic City. - bad idea right?

"Zu...?" - A Problem Halved is a Problem Shared

“I’m sorry, but no. The crisis that started the United Republic is still too fresh in our citizens’ minds for us to give away even more land!” Fire Lord Zuko’s voice echoed through the council chamber, louder now than the last several times he’d made a similar point. - Playing the Long Game

Zuko sat at the desk in the bedroom, looking out at the beach from the window of the vacation home on Ember Island he’d bought with Sokka. - The Last Five Years

Zuko did a lot to support Sokka in their relationship. - In Which Sokka is Supportive Ally Boyfriend Goals

Zuko couldn't stop thinking about it. - The End of All Things

Zuko spat blood, hoping Sokka wouldn't hear, and that he also hadn't heard the wet cough bubbling up in his throat since he'd been returned to their cell from his most recent interrogation. - One Last Time

“Search them!” - Zuko and Sokka Get Engaged in the Most Zukka Way Possible

"We're not good for each other." - Keeping it in the Family

"...Who did this to you?" - Scratchy

"Hey, why are you walking like that?" - Hidden Pain, Shared Love

"I promise I'm fine... I just need some rest, that's all." - Keeping Score

He never really thought he had a problem. - Nourishing the Flame Within

Sokka looked up into Zuko’s eyes, giving a small smile. - Scars of Trust

Conclusion: Uhhh I don't really notice any major patterns other than that I like to start a story in the middle of an action, which I already knew and that I DO like to start off with dialogue because I LOVE writing dialogue and I also think that's like my strongest point as a fic writer. So.

Tagging: ok no this is SO fun that literally anyone who sees this should do it and tag that I tagged you so I can see! I want EVERYONE to do this!

[notsolocalsimp]

Rotten Ribbons

Chapter Eight

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he tried to cook, but it didn't go as planned. he had made a mess of his kitchen, flour was scattered on the apron he wore, and all over the counters, who knew making bread rolls was so hard! he already prepared a simple meal of ramen, but he wanted to add something more to it. and now his kitchen was a mess he'd have to clean up later, the ramen was getting cold since he made it to early, and he just used brick ramen anyway. . . he can't cook for shit!

with a frustrated huff, he threw the ramen container in the trash, grumbling under his breath about how shitty this was. he had barely managed to keep a lid on the ramen after pouring it all over the counter. what a mess.

"ugh, why is this so horrible" he sighed, pulling his hair into a messy bun and looking at the recipe again, "why do I even need salt for something that's supposed to be sweet? it's banana bread!"

there was a knock at the door, and it happened to be you, he rushed over to the door, not even bothering to take off the flour covered apron. when he opened the door you took one look at him and began laughing.

"You look like a mess Aizawa!" you snickered "anywho, how's the cooking going?"

"oh it's. . . fine." he lied, avoiding eye contact.

You raised an eyebrow at his response, clearly not buying his lie. "hm. . . okay?"

"Look, I'm just. . . not the greatest at cooking. . ." he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I can tell" you chuckled again, setting the box you were carrying on the flour covered counter. "I also made some mint scones for dessert, but I think we might have to clean this mess up first. . ."

"We? no no no, I made the mess, I'll clean it up" he insisted, grabbing a small broom and dustpan from the linen closet, and began sweeping the mess off the counters "we can just order takeout"

"or we can cook together?" you offered with a grin, picking up the ramen and rice ball ingredients. "I know your favorite food is ramen, so I thought we could start there."

"...i guess you're right..." he relented.

"good!" you grinned at the defeated tone he spoke with and set the groceries back on the counter before heading towards the oven and grabbing a pot to boil the water. as you wanted for the water to boil, you offered a scone to Aizawa while he waited.

"I feel like I should be helping, not eating the scones you brought." he deadpanned, shaking the flour off his apron

"I don't trust you near an oven, Aizawa." you deadpanned "not after what I saw"

"wow" he had a hurt expression, before sighing "I mean I wouldn't trust myself near an over either. but still."

you chuckled, shaking your head before continuing to gather ingredients. after the water had begun boiling, you had managed to gather everything you needed, which included a large bowl of water, a wooden spoon, a plate of maruchan noodle bricks, and two plates that you filled with the extra ingredients.

"can you cut these?" you gestured to the two plates of extra ingredients.

"yeah, sure," aizawa grabbed a knife from the knife block and began cutting the Ingredients at the dining table as you cooked the noodles

once the noodles were done you added the broth seasoning packets because you were too lazy to make regular broth. Aizawa handed you the chopped ingredients and you began preparing the bowls.

"And. . . Done!" you said happily as you set the two bowls on the table before looking for the silverware. "uhh. . . where's your silverware at?"

"that drawer." he gestures to the drawer between the fridge and oven.

"thanks." you went to grab two forks, and handed one to him.

He slid the fork into the bowl of ramen and stirred the noodles before adding a bit of sauce.

the two of you ate quietly for a few moments.

"hey um, about the other day. . ." he began "I'm really sorry for taking you for granted even though you cooked for me, and then saved this night by cooking for us. . . again"

"oh it's fine, it's really not a big deal," you smiled, before taking another bite of ramen. "really"

he stared down at his bowl in disbelief. "so you just forgive me without a second thought?"

you rolled your eyes playfully before taking a bite of noodles. "of course, why wouldn't I?"

". . . because I was an asshole who took what you did for granted, and then when I try to properly thank you you have to go and save the day" he deadpanned

"well don't you need a break from saving the day? Mr underground hero." you laughed, pointing your fork at him teasingly.

"what's that suppose to mean?"

you looked up at him, feigning innocence and shrugging "you've been working hard lately."

"so you think I haven't worked hard enough?" he smirked mockingly.

"no way, you're working harder than ever!" you retorted defensively. "your literally a teacher and a pro hero! how are you not exhausted?"

"I mean I get 8 hours of sleep every day. . . I think" he admitted, blushing lightly and running his fingers through his dark hair, scratching lightly at the back of his head.

"okay, whatever you say Aizawa." you shook your head and picked up your drink. "now, about the normal dinner topics, what are your interests?" you asked curiously, leaning forward and resting the plastic rim against your lips once more.

he shrugged. "I mean I like cats." he then stood of and made a pot of coffee

"uhh, you realize it's like 7pm right?"

"yeah? and?" he turned around to face you with a mug full of hot coffee in hand.

"and what do you plan on doing for your evening once I leaveif I may ask?" you asked.

a mischievous grin slowly spread across his face as he walked towards your, standing behind you. "sleeping, I'm exhausted"

"I mean I can leave now if you want."

"no, finish eating at least while I think of conversation topics" he protested

"I can just look some up" you pulled out your phone and searched 'conversation topics for dinner with a friend' and quoted one "number one, what's a super common thing you've never done or experienced?"

"getting shampoo in my eyes" he curtly responded drinking his scorching hot coffee with a deadpan expression

"two things" you began "one, how the hell have you not gotten Soap in your eyes with that mop on your head? and two, that just come out the pot, isn't it hot?"

"how dare you speak to my hair like that!" he exclaimed, acting offended. "don't talk about my hair with such disrespect!"

"sorry" you chuckled "so, number two, opinion of pineapples on pizza" you asked

"never." he answered simply, sitting back down at the table. "I feel like the only fruit that should go on a pizza is tomatoes, and that's only for the sauce"

you continued to scroll through questions "number three, If you could choose anyone, who would you have narrate your inner monologue?"

"Kevan Brighting" you both said at the same time before laughing a bitawkwardly.

"um... okay." you giggled nervously, not used to having conversations quite like these with someone you didn't know very well yet. it wasn't like your relationship was completely new, you had met before, but it seemed like you would have to reacquaint yourself with each other sooner than later...

"these questions kind of suck. . . maybe we could just watch a movie or something" you offered "Maybe The Mask?"

"sure, I like that movie" he kneeled down to go through his CDs, and pulled out The Mask after a minute or so of searching. "here it is."

after putting on the DVD, you turned towards Aizawa and noticed he was already asleep. you decided to sit and finish the movie after covering him with a blanket covered with kitties.

you then wrote a note that said: 'I took care of the dishes and then went home, I hope that was okay!' before standing up and grabbing your bag, and heading home

once you got home you greeted your Norwegian Forest cat, Fudge, with a smile before feeding them and heading to bed. as you stared up at the ceiling, you thought about how funny it was that Aizawa wasn't great at cooking, maybe you could teach him sometime? or at least, he'd get better if you helped him a lot more often

[umbralsound-xiv]

Patience And Pastry.

Sayuri was with Bexy, and so... The thought to make her a rolanberry tart for when they got home settled in my thoughts... ...I had been given the recipe. It was... Quiet, down here, so...

Mahi'a Tehrfel takes a softer approach to the stairs than usual, stopping halfway down the first set to lean over the bannister and look across into the dining area and the kitchen. They carefully balance there, remaining as quiet as possible to take in the sight.

Eir Fellfrost leans halfway over the oven, a small slip of paper in hand which he reads with some concentration. His clothes are peppered in flour, a faint trail of which leads to the counter, where a lump of pastry had been rolled into a ball. He hesitates at the sound of faint footsteps, and upon pausing for a while, seems to go back to his reading; seemingly thinking it a trick of the mind.

Mahi'a Tehrfel spends a few long moments in the silence, looking over at Eir and searching for any others in the room. When it appears to be calm they continue on down the rest of the stairs, not quite making it towards the kitchen before they speak up. "Hi, Eir! What are you making? Not rice again, I hope, there's no one around to eat it all."

Eir Fellfrost immediately jerks his head around his shoulder; suppose he'd expected someone at some point, though the nature of his reaction speaks of his alarm. Wide-eyed and silent, Eir looks about poised to run… Until Mahi'a's familiar face stops him in his tracks. A slow, quiet exhale is all that is given at first, eventually speaking. "M-mahi'a…?" He begins, voice cracking where he'd not quite wanted it to. "I-- R-rolanberry tart…" Eir begins, a little unsure. He does, however, move a little closer to the edge of the kitchen.

How long... How long was it since i had seen them last? I... It was before... Before they... ...They made me an omelette, but... I never got to see them, then.

Mahi'a Tehrfel tries to stay as still as possible where they'd ended up, hands initially clasped behind their back. They smile once they receive his attention, even if it is initially startled, eventually raising a hand to wave their fingers at him in greeting. "Yes! That sounds good. Do you need any help? Please say yes, I'm sure I can do… something to help!"

Eir Fellfrost: "I… I…" He swallows, wavering to look over his shoulder, and back. "…I would not mind help slicing the r-rolanberries. There are… So many of them…" He trails, looking to the lofty punnet atop the icebox. "…Have you e-ever made this, before?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Never!" Mahi'a announces, brightly. "I'm sure I can figure it out. Slicing rolanberries, how hard can it be?" With their confidence in tow they wander over towards the kitchen, first smiling to Eir before following the look he'd taken to the punnet. "I know it has pastry, that seems difficult to make. Everyone always complains about making pastry."

Eir Fellfrost: "…I h-have made it… Some few times. In Thavnair…" He trails. "B-but that part is done. The oven is warming… I have w-washed them, and now, they are t-to be cut into thin slices." As Mahi'a draws closer, Eir smiles; but his gaze flees away to the workspace. "…I-it is for Bexy. As a… Thank you."

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Thin slices, okay! I can manage that. Are we cutting -all- of the rolanberries? Just in case I get carried away with a knife," Mahi'a adds with a couple of nods. "It's a very sweet idea! She will love it. Thankfully I didn't see her upstairs, your secret is safe for now." They move along further, intent on looking closely into the punnet for themselves.

Eir Fellfrost: "Y-yes. Well… P-perhaps save a few? For the top, as… Decoration." Eir nods, offering a faint smile. "N-no, she is… Out with Sayuri. So i thought to… Cook? Or… Bake." Eir gives a longer pause as he wanders back, a little slower than his usual gait. "H-how… Have you been?" He asks, reaching to take the punnet and an empty bowl to hold the slices. He eyes the knife he'd set aside, but doesn't move for it.

...I do not know how people have been in my... Absence. It should not affect so much, i do not think. I have friends, yes, but...

Mahi'a Tehrfel takes a look over the rolanberries curiously, turning on the spot to follow their path along with Eir. "Oh, right, decoration," they agree with another nod. "I'm alright! I've been - uh. Alright! Well, not really, it's been very stressful. But that's gone now! I'm just glad to see you."

Eir Fellfrost pulls his lips to a frown, looking over Mahi'a. It's clear he's already trying not to cry, instead focusing his attention on the fruit in front of him. "T-the omelette was… Very nice, t-the other sun…"

Mahi'a Tehrfel hesitates, giving a short, nervous laugh. "That - I'm glad! I've been practicing, you know? There's so many things you can put in omelettes! I don't know why people don't eat them all the time…" they go on quickly. "I just figured you both might want something to eat."

Eir Fellfrost: "…We did. Food was… It… H-has not been…" He trails, and allows it to end there, inching a little closer. A new scar is visible on his right arm that runs along almost the full length of it, ending between two fingers. "…I have not eaten them o-often. But it was… It was n-nice." He nods, agreeing. "And you. You are… O-okay now?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel nods a little, not minding if his explanation was finished or not. "That's a relief! I will have to try more, I can only get better, right? I'll be a master of making omelettes, just you wait!" they profess with a grin. "Yes! I'm alright. Everyone is home, nothing else could ever be the matter."

Eir Fellfrost wilts a little unneasily, nodding. Though part of him doesn't quite agree. "I w-will be happy to eat them." He stalls, considering. "Wh-what is… Your favorite thing to eat, Mahi'a…?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel pauses for a moment or so in thought. "That's a difficult question," they say, moving a -little- closer to pick up one of the rolanberries. "I think it changes a lot. I like spicy food! Just in general. The noodles Aethwyn makes for me sometimes are very nice, though I don't know if that's the noodles or the soup. Broth?"

Eir Fellfrost: "…Broth. M-most likely. I remember. From when S-sayuri and i were in the east." He takes a rolanberry, and using one of the knives, plucks out the stem and begins to slice them with unsteady hands. "M-maybe i… Will learn to make th-that next? As… A th-thank you, to you…?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Right! That part is very good. It's soup adjacent," they determine. They look over the rolanberry in hand before taking a small look around, finding themselves a knife to help as they'd initially intended. They do take a second to observe Eir, copying how he slices the fruit for the most part. "That would be lovely! Could I help with that too? Or is that against the point?"

...It sounds nice. To... To make something together. Learning. Cooking. Better to keep my thoughts busy rather than let them run idle. Of course, there are many nice things to think of, but... ...There are a lot of horrors, too.

Eir Fellfrost: "I… I-would like help." Eir speaks in a quiet voice, wide eyed and a little hestant. He takes a step closer to Mahi'a. "…I w-would like your company. I… M-missed it. I still have a bedtime story to read to y-you. And a s-stuffed animal to find." He gives the most fleeting of smiles, dipping his head to a nod, looking to Mahi'a.

Mahi'a Tehrfel blinks, then lets out a soft laugh. "Yes! The bedtime story, that's true. I've been looking forward to it! I also -really- want to see what stuffed animal you pick…" They mull over that thought for a second, laying aside the slices of rolanberry. "I've missed you a lot. It's not the same without you around! Every time I came down here I expected to see you by the oven, or eating with Sayuri…"

Eir Fellfrost: "I… Would h-have liked to have been…" He nods, a little unsteady for it. "B-but i am here now, h-hm? I… I am no chef. But there is a… C-comfort to cooking… Especially for my f-friends." Eir dares another smile, brightened by Mahi'a's presence. "…I… M-missed being home. But it is… Good, to be back."

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "You're basically a chef! All of the food you've made is wonderful. The food I have tried, anyway!" Mahi'a announces. "You are a wonderful friend for that and more! See, this is even more of a reason why I need to learn more. I can make so many things for you in return! I… might have to test them a few times first, though!" To that thought they nod, then their expression softens. "It's very good to have you back."

Eir Fellfrost: "Well, i have h-had… Many, m-many cycles of practise." Eir pauses. "-Many- cycles. But if you ever cook for me… I would not say no to eating it." Sighing, a little more at ease, he continues to slice through the rolanberries, one after another. "…O-only because people came to h-help. You… Were one of th-them, yes?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel beams at him. "A little bit more than me! I still might test it, I don't want to make you sick! I have done that to myself before. Meat is a scary thing to cook," they say, making a face at the thought before smiling again. They continue helping with the rolanberries, getting into more of a rythym with slicing them. "Yeah! I saw you, briefly. But Neoma got you away, that was the biggest relief."

Eir Fellfrost: "W-we had to… G-get away." He slices more of the rolanberries, setting them in the bowl when done, a small pile of stalks amassing between them. "Vex. B-bexy says… She will look for her. I… I hope they find her. That she makes it out." The hesitance brings him to a standstill, then. "Did… D-did they hurt you, Mahi'a…?"

...I know Mahi'a helped. Helped to bring me back. I... Do not know if they were hurt for it, but... ...The guilt, if they were, i... ...I already feel guilty enough.

Mahi'a Tehrfel's expression falls into a frown, a little hesitation before they lower their head in a nod. "Vex, yes. She's nice, she spoke to me a bit… a couple of times. I thought she would come out when we were there, but…" they trail off, a small shrug of their shoulders. "They didn't - I mean, I got into a fight, so a little hurt! But that's how it goes. I'm okay!"

Eir Fellfrost: "…She… Risked herself. To… To get us out. I.. H-hope she is… Still alive…" The guilt is more than evident in Eir's features, but he takes a deep breath to steel himself. "…B-but you are okay." Eir confirms. He picks his gaze up enough to look Mahi'a over a little more properly, then. "Y-you… Met her too?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Me too," Mahi'a agrees quietly. They give him another smile, then look down at the berries they're slicing into a… semi-neat pile. "I'm okay!" they confirm, "In one piece! And I did. I was… looking at the places Bexy had hurt their people. She was told to go and investigate, and we came across each other! Then I saw her again later with another of them."

Eir Fellfrost: "…She.. I-is not well liked b-by them. But Bexy says… Says she will get h-her back. I believe her." He slices carefully with a knife; there's still rolanberries left, but Eir moves for the pastry, now. "I… W-want to thank people… S-somehow. I… Cannot dance, or run, o-or… So… I cannot go s-so many places. So… Cooking w-will have to do."

Mahi'a Tehrfel hums quietly in agreement. "I bet she's not. She tries to fight with them, argues… as much as she can do," they say with a sigh. "I hope Bexy does. I will try to help, if she lets me." They watch him move away, then look back at the rolanberries, reaching over to carefully push away a small group of them, saved for the decoration Eir had mentioned. "Well, let me help when you do all of this! All the silly little things, even if I can't make most of it. I can cut things up! And… Mix things? Whatever is needed that will make it less work!"

Eir Fellfrost moves to gather the rest of the instructions. "N-now… We bake the base. A-and… Use cream to fill the bottom of it, when it i-is done. I… Am o-only following instructions." At the mention of Mahi'a helping, Eir's expression shifts to one of alarm, to one of fear. "H-help? You… You are… G-going to help…?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel they slowly nod along, imagining the steps as they are said. Simple enough. Their mouth opens to ask a question, yet at the sight of Eir's expression they stop, uncertainty flooding them instead. "I - uh. Is that��� bad?" they ask after a second of panicked thought.

Eir Fellfrost: "-- N-no. It…" An uncharacteristic whine leaves his parted lips, and he moves to step in and wrap Mahi'a into a hug. "I-- D-do not… Want you to get h-hurt, Mahi'a…"

I--- I--! No. No, i... I cannot ask them not to go. People have to go. To help. Would i, if i was well? If i was... Strong enough, or brave enough to fight? ...I have to stop being so... Selfish...

Mahi'a Tehrfel remains still, their brief panic turning into confusion. There's a couple of seconds where they continue not to move even while being hugged, yet they slowly move to wrap their arms around him in turn. "No one is going to get hurt," they manage shortly afterwards. "Not here. I will make sure of it, everyone else will too."

Eir Fellfrost: "People… Th-they have got hurt enough, y-yes? A-and…" He swallows, steadying himself, but doesn't let go. "I… A-am just… Scared. Y-you are very brave."

Mahi'a Tehrfel tightens their hold on him ever so slightly, holding him in the hug firmly. "They have, but they won't here," they repeat. "It's safe here. Everyone will protect you, Bexy, me…. anyone in the company. They'll all protect each other too. Hopefully… you won't be as afraid after a while. But it's okay that you are. We're here no matter what."

Eir Fellfrost pulls his lips into a line, doing his best not to cry, holding Mahi'a a little tighter. "S-safe. I… I know you are right. That… That things will be… Okay again. A-at some point. But you are here. A-all of you. I am n-not alone." He gives a small waver of a breath, and slowly pulls his arms away. "S-sorry. That was a little… M-much." He begins, slowly rubbing at his hip. "…W-what is… Your favourite dessert…?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "You're not! And you won't be. Not for as long as you need or want everyone around," Mahi'a adds, gradually releasing Eir once he begins pulling away. "It's… okay! I have missed hugging you too, you're very good at it." They smile over at him, linking their hands together. "Ooh… I like most desserts. Cakes are good, and cheesecakes! Especially the ones with all the fruit syrups on top. They're the best. What is -your- favourite?"

Eir Fellfrost: "I… I have m-missed you. You a-always have such… K-kind things to say." Eir smiles a little gently, returning to the pastry and rolling it flat. "…I like… Fruit. Lassi i-is nice. Peaches are a favourite…"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Only things that you deserve to hear!" they say quickly, looking down to the pastry - hiding the brief flash of embarrassment in their expression. "Lassi… I am not sure what that is! I can always find out and try to see how it's made, though. Maybe I will have to start leaving fruitbowls outside of your room when I don't see you…"

Eir Fellfrost: "A-all tthe fruit in my room was… It was… Not good to eat. W-when we got back. A-and my plants…" He sighs, a little deflated. "…P-perhaps i can… Salvage some of them." He lays the pastry over the dish, neatly tucking in the edges. "It is a yoghurt and fruit drink. Good for unsettled stomachs… It hails from Thavnair." Eir replies, a little straight-faced. "Predictibly."

...My plants. I... Should tend to them, soon enough. See what can be saved. I have watered them in hope that some can be salvaged, but... It is... Not looking so hopeful.

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Oh no! I… it makes sense. I'm sorry, I wish I had thought, I could have tried to water the plants or… whatever else you do to plants," Mahi'a hesitates. "Maybe I could have asked someone. But we can get you more fruit! And maybe the plants will get better! They can be strong, right? Seem bad for a little bit, but then they will bounce back as good as ever!" They nod a little at their train of thought, then smile again. "I will find a recipe for it! It can't be that hard to make!"

Eir Fellfrost: "P-perhaps. W-with enough tending. I… I a-am trying." Eir smiles, a little half-heartedly. "The th-thought is a kind one. A-and i… W-would be happy to recieve it. S-so long as you try it, too!"

...Bad for a little bit. But... Bounce back. Were you talking about me, Mahi'a...?

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "They will appreciate it! Did you know some people talk to plants? They think the plants can hear them. I don't know about -that- but… maybe how much you care for them will have some affect!" They take a second to look over the pastry Eir had laid out, impressed by the neat presentation. "I will try it! It does sound very good, I can't see how yoghurt and fruit would ever make a bad combination."

Eir Fellfrost: "I… H-have heard. I have not… Spoken to them? Though… Suppose i am a quiet enough p-person. A c-conjurer w-would have better luck, i th-think." He gives the faintest of chuckles, taking the tart base to set in the oven. "I m-made persimmon cakes th-the other sun. They were g-good, too."

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "I could talk to them. I have a lot of things to say, especially to plants," Mahi'a says, adding the last part with a small frown. It passes soon enough. They spin on the spot to continue watching Eir curiously, eye following the pastry's journey into the oven. "You did? They sound good! It feels like you can make almost anything."

Eir Fellfrost: "Th-they were only t-tiny. I will m-make more, next time." Pastry in oven, he looks over his shoulder; cheeks colouring a little. "I… I g-gave one to Sayuri. We had a picnic. I… Proposed, to her." The admission brings warmth to his features. "Y-you are the first i have t-told…!"

...Happier things. I am getting married. It does not make the bad go away, but... To know there is happiness still to be had. Mahi'a is often a reminder of this too. After the Locket, they were the first to come and find me... Always so happy, and full of enthusiasm. I have seen them sad, several times... But they bounce back.

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Like cupcakes? Can you make… persimmon cakes that look like persimmons? That would be adorable!" Mahi'a says with a bright smile. They listen along, taking a couple of moments to register what exactly is said, eventually grinning at Eir. "You -did-? That's incredible! You're going to get married… you basically -were- already married, but it will be official! That's great! Congratulations!"

Eir Fellfrost: "I c-can try. It.. W-was the first cake i made in… A v-very long time. But she… Sh-she said yes. I… W-was going to ask her in Thavnair, but…" He hums, dipping his head. "…Th-thank you, Mahi'a. I… S-should probably ask. Y-you… Will c-come to the wedding…?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Of course she did! Anything else would be impossible!" Mahi'a says excitedly. The comment about Thavnair causes a little confusion, though they assume it is best not to ask. "You want me to go?" they ask after a short pause, surprised. "I would love to go! I have… not been to a wedding? Not that I remember. I have to dress fancy, right?"

Eir Fellfrost: "She… She said she would have said yes… M-much sooner. B-but yes. We will marry here, in Eorzea. I will learn… Traditions? There is a… Pilgrimage involved. A-and yes.. Fancy. But you are always fancy, Mahi'a. I-in your own way."

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "There -is-? Do you have to go far?" Mahi'a asks, observing him curiously. "Do you go together? If you do… that could be a fun adventure! Then the fancy ceremony itself. Surely I need to dress -fancier- than normal? Though I appreciate you noticing, I do try very hard!"

Mahi'a Tehrfel jokingly attempts to pose, yet mostly ends up laughing at themselves.

Eir Fellfrost chuckles faintly, though gives a small wince as his hand darts to his side. After a pause and a conflict of emotions on his features, he nods. "Y-yes… Together. To see the Twelve. I… D-do not believe in… Any deity, r-really. Do… You?"

Eir Fellfrost: "Th-they have stones. I f-found a book on the shelf about th-them."

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Ah…" Mahi'a pauses, running a hand through their hair. "Not really. No. A lot of people here do, though! I know about some of the stones, there are a couple in Coerthas! They're in very pretty locations."

Eir Fellfrost: "I… Still have n-not been. I know it is cold. Which… Is your favourite p-place?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Of the stones, or Coerthas? The latter is a much broader category! But if the stones, Halone's is my favourite. It's in a cave full of ice, with reflections everywhere! It's very pretty."

Eir Fellfrost: "That… Sounds so nice. B-but… Cold. N-not that i have any quarrel with the cold. O-obviously. And we will not be going until i am… A-at least a little better. And i have something s-suitable to w-wear. Where is… Your favourite p-place to see, besides…?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Yes, you need to be warm! It can be a bit surprising if you're not used to it, though it's not too bad after a while! Other than that… Huh. Looking from Ishgard over the Sea of Clouds is amazing, though if you don't want to go into the city, there's an observatorium that can give you a great view over some of Coerthas!"

These... All sound lovely. Maybe, when we go to each place, we will have many little picnics. See what we can find from our travels... ...I look forward to it.

Eir Fellfrost: "That… Sounds nice, too. A-and… High up. If my legs feel kind t-to me, maybe i will ask to climb it." Eir considers quietly what to bring for such a trip, quietly humming to himself. "It w-will be n-nice. I h-have yet to go so f-far North. There are a lot of… Traditions, that i still do n-not know of."

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Going high up means that you get the best views! It's fun to climb on the walls of Ishgard too, though it's a long way down. Well… I assume it is. Does anyone know how far down the ground under there is?" Mahi'a ponders, eventually shaking their head. "If it's a big pilgramage you'll probably find a lot of traditions on the way! It'll be interesting to hear about afterwards!"

Eir Fellfrost: "It… W-will be nice. I am lookiing f-forward to it. A-and… Also to being m-married. A… L-little nervous about th-the ceremony. S-sayuri has help with her vows. I… Hope mine will at l-least be f-fitting." Another small tilt of Eir's head is given. "…You have… N-never been to a w-wedding?"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "I bet whatever you say will be wonderful! She will think so more than anyone else, as long as it's how you feel!" They excitedly move around before stopping themselves, leaning back against the counter to try and resist the temptation. "No… I know people who have got married! But I didn't know them very well, or… I was busy…"

Eir Fellfrost: "It.. W-will. Even if i mess up… We will still m-marry." Eir beams warmly, and retrieves he tart pastry from the oven, carrying it in a teatowel to set in aside. "Ah… It looks as it s-should. We need to wait for it to cool… A l-little. Put in the f-filling, and the rolanberries on t-top. I… H-hope she likes it…"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "You will! And it will be incredible!" Once Eir moves they step away from the counter, leaving plenty of room for him to bring over the cooked pastry from the oven. Once it's close they give it a curious look over, uncertain how it's -meant- to look, yet pleased all the same. "You're almost done! She is going to love it. Going out of your way to do something like this means a lot!"

Eir Fellfrost: "A-after all she has done for me… It was the v-very least. She s-saved us. B-brought back our things. I… Do not know how to bake so m-many things. But it has been nice to l-learn. Where i… Cannot do anything else."

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "It's going to be perfect! And you can do plenty! Learning how to make the tart is only proof of it! Everything else will come back in time," they say, offering him another smile. "Don't worry about what you think you can't do! You're already doing a lot. You wouldn't tell anyone else to overexert themselves!"

Eir Fellfrost: "No…I… W-would not." He nods, quietly. "I… I f-feel a little… Guilty." He confesses, moving with the filling to the side, and pouring it into the thin casing. "S-sayuri mentioned. A-about wanting to help g-get Vex back. And i… I panicked… A-and begged her n-not to."

I felt the need to confess to... Someone. Someone who would understand. Mahi'a speaks a lot, but they are a good listener, too. Perhaps it is why i feel so at ease speaking with them...

Mahi'a Tehrfel moves forwards, resting against the counter again to watch him fill the casing. "I… understand that. After everything, it'd be hard to let her out of your sight again. Maybe we could do it without her? But… she is very strong, too. If she knew she had to come back to you then she wouldn't let anything happen to her."

Eir Fellfrost: "N-no. But…" He smoothes the cream out with the back of a spoon. "…N-not them. Anyone b-but… Them. They would lunge for her a-again. I… I cannot lose her. I cannot l-let them take her. She w-would be a… Target." He frowns quietly, staring at the half-made dessert. "…She… Said she would… S-stay. For m-me. But i feel so g-guilty asking h-her to…"

Mahi'a Tehrfel hums. "If she said she will stay for you, that's her decision too. She doesn't want to make you hurt any more than you do already," they reason quietly. "You want her to be safe, that's nothing to be guilty about. And she will know that Bexy will do whatever she can to help Vex, with or without the help of others."

Eir Fellfrost: "I… I know you are right. B-but still." He gives a half-smile, nudging the tart towards them. "D-do… You want to help me arrange th-the topping…?" Eir asks, layering flat pieces over eachother from the outside in, like a spiral. "…I-it is not… Usually with so much f-fruit. But i got the recipe f-for it from the cook. She eats one… A-almost every sun…"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "You're going to worry no matter what! That's okay. Afterwards, maybe you will feel better about this situation? We'll see!" they say brightly, leaning over to watch him layer the pieces on the tart. "Yes! I want to help, this looks fun," they say quickly, gathering up a few slices of the berries in their hand carefully to assist. "A whole tart every sun? That's… wow. I kind of feel as if I'm missing out!"

Eir Fellfrost: "…I like f-fruit. And i do eat… Much of it. But… This is. It seems a little… Excessive…?" Eir questions, layering more rolanberries. "…I w-worry. Always. About Sayuri. About my f-friends. It has always been th-the same." He offers a simpering little smile, seemingly not too upset about the fact that he does.

Mahi'a Tehrfel looks over the tart as it's built up, adding the slices of rolanberries to follow Eir's pattern. "If I was really hungry… I'm sure I could eat a whole tart. Maybe she eats it over the whole day!" they suggest. "So much worrying! We have to prove you wrong sometimes then, it's easy to say don't worry, but when everything goes well there's no argument!"

Eir Fellfrost: "…P-perhaps. I would get bored of eating th-the same thing…" The last few slices are settled on top, and the rest of the whole rolanberries sit as deoration in the middle. "W-well. You need not prove me wrong. I am h-happy to be wrong… If you are s-safe." Eir smiles, looking to Mahi'a. "…Th-thank you, for helping. It… It was nice. For this. A-and… To see you, after s-so long…"

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Maybe… if it was your -very- favourite food, though?" Mahi'a asks, looking up at him curiously. "I know I don't need to! But… I will be safe no matter what! If I stay here or I help, I promise. I'm not going to give you any more reasons to worry on top of that." They nod a couple of times, observing the tart with their smile, then directing it up to Eir. "You are welcome! I'm -always- happy to help! And… spend time with you altogether!"

Eir Fellfrost: "Even if it w-was my very f-favourite… I think. B-but it would take longer." He offers a brief laugh, turning to Mahi'a. "…You… You are a good f-friend, Mahi'a." Eir offers them the warmest smile, much more at ease from when they had first arrived.

Mahi'a Tehrfel grins at him. "Maybe she saves some! A secret icebox full of tarts for emergencies…" they theorise. "You're a great friend too, Eir! You make everything better when you're around!" Another glance is given down to the tart, then back up to Eir their attention goes. "…I might go and try to sleep! It's been a little difficult but… I do feel tired. As good a time as any! Will you be okay?"

A... A great friend. That i make everything better... I... ...Do i? Truly...? ...It warms me so much to hear it...

Eir Fellfrost: "P-perhaps. Perhaps i w-will ask her." He grins, which softens to something more heartfelt. "…Th-thank you. You… You get rest, y-yes? I will be fine. I h-have my book to r-read… A-and Sayuri will be back s-soon." He nods. "A-and i will see this to Bexy. I will tell her you h-helped."

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "You should! If you give her a tart, she should let you know where it goes. That's only fair," Mahi'a nods. "I will rest! But - but you don't need to tell her I helped! I only did a little bit. You did all the hard work!"

Eir Fellfrost: "Y-you helped." Eir repeats, adamant. "B-but… Yes. Things will be better. They already are." He smiles, looking over the finished dessert. "…Rest well, y-yes? We will find s-something nice to cook, n-next we talk."

Mahi'a Tehrfel sighs quietly, though it's not quite as serious as it could be. "Fine!" they say, feigning defeat playfully. "I helped a tiny bit. But we will find something nice! Maybe I can look for -more- recipes… I should go before I get carried away. Have a good night, won't you Eir?"

Eir Fellfrost: "I will do m-my very best." Eir promises, turning to clean up the kitchen.

Mahi'a Tehrfel: "Good! Then I will see you soon! With… recipes and whatever else I can find in tow!" they announce with a small laugh, making their way towards the stairs. "Goodnight! See you soon!"

Eir Fellfrost: "Goodnight, Mahi'a!" Eir calls from across the kitchen, a clatter of pans in his wake.

...It was so nice to see them again. I have been so... Anxious, about seeing others in house. What they might say. How they might react... But Mahi'a is nice. They are always nice, to me. ...I will have to learn this noodle dish they spoke of...

[elemental-queen-writes]

So, as someone who's gluten intolerant, I get asked a LOT what foods I can eat.

I've also had people flat out tell me that foods that ARE safe for me to eat, aren't.

So, here's a handy little basic guide for all you people out there who don't know much about this, but are curious:

What Is Gluten?

Gluten is the name of a group of proteins often found in wheat, and some other grains. It's also the thing that makes your bread stick together and give that bready goodness, and help your foods stick together, like a kind of glue.

Foods That Contain Gluten:

Wheat

Wheat varieties and products like spelt, durum, semolina, couscous, farina, farrow, kamut, einekorn, wheat bran, wheat germ, emmer, seitan

Rye

Barley

Triticale

Malts (From barley)

Anything made with flour from the above grains.

Alcoholic beverages made with the above grains. (Most distilled drinks are fine, however, but that needs to be checked out on a case by case basis)

Crumbed and battered foods with the above grains.

Yeast, depending on source.

Foods That DON'T Contain Gluten:

Fresh fruits and vegetables.

Potatoes

Beans, seeds, legumes and nuts that are unprocessed.

Rice

Amaranth

Arrowroot

Buckwheat

Corn — cornmeal, grits and polenta labeled gluten-free

Flax

Hominy (corn)

Millet

Quinoa

Rice

Sorghum

Soy

Tapioca (cassava root)

Teff

Unprocessed meats. Like steak, chicken, pork...

Bacon.

Milk.

Foods That May Cause A Reaction:

Oats.

Yep, oats, while in themselves gluten free, (and apart from cross contamination issues, which can occur with all the above grains), have a protein called Avenin, which is similar to gluten, and can cause a reaction in some people like gluten would.

Seems easy enough to get around, right?

Wrong.

Remember I said above gluten acts like a glue?

Wheat flour is cheap.

Wheat flour is a very common thickener. I've personally seen it in ice cream, soups, stews, even soy sauce.

It's also used in a lot of corn or rice products, like crackers, tortillas, corn chips, noodles (yes, I've seen it in rice noodles), and sometimes the seasoning on potato chips. (There is nothing more infuriating than finding rice noodles containing wheat. It's just cost cutting, and stupid.)

Some of these products don't need wheat flour to hold them together, but wheat is cheap, and can bulk out other foods. It can also make sauces look better, and give a nice texture.

It's used in a lot of packet gravy mixes.

Barley is a commonly used flavouring. I've seen it in soups, stews, chocolate...

Yeasts can also contain wheat traces.

Even foods that don't have wheat as an ingredient, can contain traces.

A lot of processed foods have wheat in them. Again, cheap and glue.

Glucose syrup can be gluten free, depending on the source.

So basically, I have to read every label. Some products are gluten free, and then the company decides nah, and doesn't change the label (This has happened to me). Thankfully a lot of gluten free products label as such, so if you've seen foods you're sure are gluten free labelled that way, this is why. It encourages gluten free people to buy it, and the buyer doesn't have to read every freaking list of ingredients. Which is exhausting.

Things I've Had Ignorant People Argue With Me Over

You didn't think I was going to make a post like this without some humour in it, did you? Of course not! So here's the dishonour list, of conversations I've had.

"All potato chips contain gluten."

"Not the ones marked."

"Are you sure?"

"What if they're just saying it?"

"They won't."

"Are you sure?"

"They'd get fined and/or sued. All allergens have to be listed by law."

"Rice isn't gluten free."

"Yeah it is."

"Nope, all grains contain gluten."

"Not all grains. Trust me, rice is gluten free."

"No, it isn't."

"Ok, I've researched the shit out of this, are you telling me I'm wrong?"

"Rice isn't gluten free."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Listen to me next time."

"Are you sure that avocado is gluten free?"

-blinking in astonishment- "Yes."

"You're sure?"

"Yes!" -pause- "Do you want me to google it for you?"

"No, I'm good."

"Vegemite is gluten free, they don't need to bring a gluten free version out."

"It's the yeast."

"They're just doing it to charge more."

"...They're the same price..."

"Yeast is gluten free though."

-three linked articles later-

"Oh. Why did you just tell me that?"

"Because you were arguing with me again, and it's more fun this way."

"Gluten free is healthier."

-extended laughter- "Nope. There's a lot of additions to try and mimic what gluten does."

"But it's all natural ingredients."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Everyone knows it. Because gluten free people like to be healthier."

"Trust me, it's not true."

"Everyone says gluten free is healthier."

"They're full of bullshit."

Sources for this post:

[transmalewife]

Bake bread with garlic. Here:

idk like, 1-2 tablespoons of live yeast, put into warm (NOT BOILING HOT) water, probably like a half a cup. wait 5ish minutes for it to foam up a little. if it doesn't foam, your yeast was dead (rip).

add about a cup of flour. maybe a little more warmish water. some salt, like a teaspoon or two. crumble up some parmesan cheese if you want. MINCED GARLIC! be as generous as you want. I do like, a big ole spoonful.

mix all that shit up. add more water or flour if the spirit moves you. google a picture of bread dough if you don't know what it should look like. move it from the mixing bowl into a loaf pan (some will say to let it rise in the mixing bowl, but they are wrong and should be gently shushed).

let it rise for like an hour. stick it in the oven at about 350-375 F, convert it to C bc I know you're European and use the other unit, you're probably better than me and it's fine. leave it in the oven for something like 15 minutes.

GARLIC BREAD. also mix some garlic salt (or salt and garlic powder) into butter. spread that shit on your nice bread.

you're welcome, I love you, I have never measured shit in my life and I will not start now

Sadly, I'm allergic to gluten and it's genuinely so funny to me that you can fit a bread recipe in a tumblr ask bc gf recipes are like 20 pages with recommended extraneous reading and also take a week to make. 15 minutes in the oven i'm gonna cry.

I just realised i forgot to add garlic naan to that poll which is unforgivable

I was mostly aiming for quick and dirty methods to get your garlic fix, like if i'm going for something fancier i'll make some garlic butter but rubbing a crisp garlic clove onto crunchy toast is its own special thing. however I do appreciate this ask a lot, I love that you took the time to write it out and I really hope someone who sees this uses it and I'm also gonna try the parmesan and garlic in dough method. it could also be good in pasta dough i think

I really really respect the no measurement baking I'm also like that. never understood ppl who are like you can eyeball cooking but you need a lab scale a candy thermometer and a higher power on your side to bake. idk that sounds like a you problem. maybe yeast just likes me more. I can make apple pie in a rice cooker with no scale or measuring cups

I cannot, however, make bread. or at least I couldn't, until last week. Like I have never achieved anything even remotely edible when making gluten free bread, let alone somthing actually good, but then suddenly, out of nowhere I managed to make something that looks and tastes exactly like sourdough rye, and my delight at being able to eat garlic toast again is what inspired that poll. I made it twice now, and I fully expect this to become a weekly thing I can't remember when i last enjoyed eating bread. all gluten free bread you can buy is either basically plastic wrapped cardboard or vegan ridiculously healthy with the taste and consistency of the last pickle on a platter of finger food that has been laying on a table and warming up all night

So, here goes the recipe, if only to show how hilariously complex gluten free baking is (though if someone actually makes this I'd be overjoyed):

mix 1 cup teff flour, 1/4 cup brown rice flour, 1 tablespoon almond flour and 1 teaspoon ground flax seed (I just put flax seed through a food processor so it's pretty coarse) in big jar with enough water to make a paste. put the lid on loosely and leave to ferment at room temp.

after 2 days pour off the water that gathers on top. mix one cup of clean water with like idk 3 or 4 tbsps of the paste and cook stirring continuously until it gets dense and gel-like. leave to cool. mix 1/4 cup of brown rice and/or buckwheat flour with enough water to match the consistency of the paste. add it into the jar with the cooled mixture, mix everything, put lid back on loosely and leave for another day.

attempt to make teff injera and fail miserably. (yes this is an essential step, I did it both times. Idk if I have a bad recipe or my teff is not right. I'm gonna try to get dark teff flour and leave it for longer. anyway). give up and decide to use the rest as sourdough starter. I do think this could be a quick and easy alternative to proper sourdough starter for gluten baking as well. t

from now on I'm following a bakerita gluten free sourdough recipe, but with some pretty major changes. mainly in the amount of water, I had to nearly halve it. I know my flat is pretty humid, but I wasn't expecting it to affect baking this much,.

for the preferment: grab whatever's left of the teff batter, probably around 200g, add enough brown rice flour and water to get it to the 330g from the recipe. leave it to grow for 1-3 hours (I'd like to try longer at some point but i'm impatient and my schedule's tight)

instead of the psyllium husk: mix 10g ground flax seed with 20g honey and 150g boiling water, leave covered to let the flax seed gel a bit. when it cools down to blood temp add about half a teaspoon of yeast bc you don't really trust your starter.

mix that with the preferment and add 15g of olive oil

for the dry ingredients i switched some types of flour with similar ones, i'm also using potato flour not starch. I've been using them interchangeably in baking for years and it really doesn't matter much, potatoes are mainly starch if you exclude water. as most you'd just use a little less starch than you use flour.

so: 10g guar gum, 12g salt, 100g potato flour, 60g tapioca flour, 80g buckwheat flour (don't have sorghum) and 80g brown rice flour. whisk really, really well or the gum will cause clumping.

mix your dry into your wet, stiring with a spoon. then keep adding buckwheat flour until it pulls away from the sides and you can sort of almost manipulate the dough with well floured hands for a couple seconds instead of instantly sticking to it horribly. then dust with corn flour (not corn starch).

form it into a ball by rapidly moving the bowl in a circle and making the dough roll inside it. (touching gluten free dough only brings misery.) line bowl or collander with teatowel, dust with corn flour and put the dough in there, cover with edges of tea towel, leave to rise in the fridge overnight

preheat oven to 220C with cast iron pan inside, transfer bread into hot cast iron, cover with something (i use upside down stainless steel bowl) bake 45 mins with cover then another 50 uncovered, leave to cool completely either in oven with cracked door or on cooling rack. don't even look at it until it's cold

understandably, you are then too tired to put anything on your delicious bread more complicated than just rubbing a garlic clove on it

[fcukfodmap]

Day 13: Completely Cromulent low- FODMAP Poutine Gravy

Last Sunday, I made my first attempt at making a low-FODMAP gravy for poutine, as every single store-bought gravy mix I have looked at is on the no list. It didn't go great, and I ended up with Very Weird Gravy. Taking lessons from that debacle, I have tried again, and the results are completely cromulent! To the recipe!

ETA: I've since learned that broths are mostly on the no list due to celery or onions. If I made this again, I'd use beef-style Better Than Bullion mixed with the requisite amount of water, as that seems to be low-FODMAP in smaller servings.

Completely Cromulent low-FODMAP Poutine Gravy

(serves 4)

2 tbsp lactose-free butter

2oz leftover sirloin, diced into small cubes

4-5 radishes, chopped small

1 tbsp rosemary, chopped very small

3 tbsp brown rice flour

1 1/2 - 2 c beef stock

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat, then add the sirloin and the radishes. Cook until the radishes are crispy, stirring often.

Add rosemary and cook for 30 sec or so to bloom, then add the brown rice flour and mix so it makes a paste. Slowly pour in the beef stock, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, and let it thicken, about 5 minutes. You can cook it for longer to reduce.

For the rest of the poutine, I baked a lot of leftover Five Guys fries (4 c?) for 15 minutes or so (basically while I was working on the gravy), then threw on the curds (1 c?) for another 2-3 minutes to make them melty.

Layer fries and curds on a plate, ladle over the gravy, and then garnish with a fried egg and the green parts of green onions.

Given how often I'm resorting to fries when I'm eating out, I suspect some variation of poutine is going to become a mainstay while I'm on this stupid diet. I found lactose-free butter yesterday, which I think works better than vegetable oil when making gravy, but you could use a vegetable oil instead.

I think the leftover sirloin I had really made the gravy, but I suspect you could make ok gravy without it, it just wouldn't be as flavorful. The rosemary was something I had in the fridge, but, as usual, you could use whatever green herb makes you happy slash you have on hand.

The weird gravy I made last week was so discouraging, but I'm really glad I made another attempt. As tighten up these recipes, I feel less and less deprived, which is a very good thing.

Disclaimer: I am no dietician. I'm doing my best to minimize FODMAPs in my diet, but it's possible for me to be misinformed or mistaken about various ingredients.

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

Good news! Not only did I have ONE packet of sazón left in the cupboard, I also had all the right bulk spices (except I couldn't find the saffron 😔) to bulk the packet up to enough for flavoring a whole 2.5cups of rice, so I'm gonna get to have as much yellow rice as I want this weekend 🍽

The chicken got a key lime and herb dressing marinade curtesy of wifey, so I added a little salt, a smidge of lemon pepper, and a coat of blackening spice and am letting it simmer in a layer of oil on the stove. Once that's done I'm gonna pull and slice the chicken, add some balsamic vinegar and pink peppercorns to the drippings in the pan, then dump the cucumber slices I made up into those to fry up real quick

Ahhhhh man, I really missed an opportunity to have done a dairy/gluten-free version of a buttermilk chicken cutlet, goddamnit!!!

Well, the good news is, everyone loved the key lime dressing, so I'm sure we'll get it again if the gentleman who sells them at market has them in stock again, and I never DON'T have gf breading crumbles of some sort around, even if it's corn grits or masa harena, or almond-potato flour blends.

Ah, fuck I keep meaning to do the peach compote and I keep being too busy lmao, Imma really need to buckle down on that tomorrow, or the remaining peaches will have fully gone off. Maybe I'll see if any of the crabapples out front are ripe, I bet a spiced peach-apple compote would be to DIE for over street corn biscuits....it's been ages since I made a good batch of drop biscuits, I bet the spices I'm using tonight would actually be perfect for it too. I dunno how I feel about there being meat drippings in the compote, but I don't actually think it'll be a bad thing? Hmm. I may not risk it. We'll see. I am definitely gonna match the spices to street corn drops tho, cuz I absolutely want to try that combo.

I wonder if we have any good roots that I could bake up with heuvos rancheros for it? I know we're out of rutabagas and sweet potatos, and I'm not actually sure if we got carrots or not. Maybe I'll stop by the community fridge later this week to see if anyone has donated roots we could use. I bet a radish or rutabaga or maybe even turnip would do well.

[petermorwood]

DD also posted about these...

...and mentioned how to make (if you can't get) oat flour:

To start with: If you have trouble sourcing fine-ground oat flour, but do have access to an electric coffee grinder or spice grinder, you can use that to grind down either flaked (oatmeal-style) oats or pinhead (porridge) oats until you have enough flour to make up 230g/2.5 cups. Please note that blenders are no good for this job; neither are food processors. (Also, a note here for the gluten-intolerant: to make sure you're safe from cross-contamination, please make sure you're sourcing your oats, either rolled or as flour, from a processor that does not also handle wheat in its factory.)

*****

For a long while kitchen fine-grinding duty here used a Braun coffee-mill like this one, which has a fixed cup and blade (i.e. it can't come apart for cleaning).

Despite that cleaning limitation and its small capacity, the Braun has in its time ground coffee, sugar, rice, oats and various spices.

On one occasion the spice was a couple of dried Habanero chillis, which a couple of days later and thanks to inadequate brushing-out of residue, resulted in one of the hottest cups of coffee I've ever tasted.

Lesson learned...

*****

The best thing for milling purposes is an attachment we bought for our Kenwood. It's a "Compact Chopper / Grinder" which includes several lidded jars.

Just the business for herbs, spices, nuts and of course turning grain into flour. As the second photo shows, it comes apart for cleaning, and while I'm not saying that was a main selling point, it was Well Up There. ;->

We carried out some experiments the other day before posting this, testing flaked and pinhead oats first in the standard blender which came with the Kenwood, then in the small grinder.

(Our Magimix / Cuisinart food processor wasn't included; it's a chopper-kneader-slicer-grater, not a grinder, and we already knew from past experience that it wouldn't work with this.)

We confirmed at once what D has put in her recipe: an ordinary blender - which includes free-standing ones - won't work either. It's meant for things that are, or become, liquid and flow down onto the blades.

Neither kind of oats would do this without repeated thumping of the blender jug, and sometimes not even then since (I think) the plastic jug was getting static-sticky. Would a glass jug have worked better? We don't have one, so don't know.

The small grinder, however, was as I said before: just the business.

First with the flaked / rolled oats; about 20-30 seconds was enough.

Then with the pinhead oats; these needed a bit longer, 30-40 seconds, to create equally fine flour.

Of course attachments aren't much use without the Big Machine they attach to, so anyone interested in small-scale flour milling could get an inexpensive coffee-grinder with a removable cup (easy cleaning, yet again).

I've seen variants with two cups, one for grinding hard things like grains and seeds, the other for chopping softer things like fresh herbs.

If one of those had been available Way Back When, we might have got it instead of the little Braun.

That said, TBH I doubt anything "inexpensive" bought nowadays will still be working after 30+ years, as the Braun has done.

And Habanero coffee is still an optional extra... :->

Two kinds: the basic crisp thin oatcake, and a baking-powder raised variant.