#Just one cookbook is awesome I love their recipes

[kitchenwitchtingss]

50 KITCHEN WITCH TIPS TO MAKE YOU FEEL MORE WITCHY

(And other useful things I've learned over the years)

Hi! This is a list of dos, don'ts, tips, tricks, and other fun things that I've learned over the years. I always love finding more effective and efficient ways of doing things so if you have any cool things you'd like to add, leave them in the comments or reblog. I'd love to read it.

Anyways... On with the list ^_^

Light candles around your kitchen space (just make sure nothing flammable is near you)

Annotate your cookbooks with the correspondence of the ingredients.

Mediating is really good to calm the mind before cooking.

Cut oranges and lemons thinly, dry them, and hang them with twine around your kitchen

Need a cleansing tip? Open all your windows near your kitchen. Let some fresh air in.

Cutting sigils into apples, pie crusts, and carved potatoes.

Save lemon and orange rinds, freeze them, and then use them to clean the garbage disposal.

Make infused oils and honey: Things like garlic honey, lavender honey, herb oil, sun oil, moon oil, dandelion oil, and other different edible oils are very fun and useful to make.

Hid sigils in pages of your cookbooks and kitchen witch journals.

Add some plants! Snake plants and spider plants don't need too much light, and growing your own herbs in your kitchen is awesome too. Basil, lavender, thyme, aloe vera, rosemary, etc. are good fits. You could also add some plants that require more sunlight on the kitchen window sill. Like cacti and succulents.

Bring crystals into your kitchen space such as rose quartz, clear quartz, amethyst, or whatever you want the space's intentions to be.

I keep a small money tree on the sill, along with cacti for luck and protection.

Make a simmer Pot! Mostly because it makes the whole house smell good, easy, and fun.

Stir clockwise for best results!

Learning how to pickle things is actually pretty witchy. Plus, anyone could do it as it requires absolutely no kitchen experience. You could pickle any vegetable, even if you don't like pickles. I originally learned this after having to take shelter from a natural disaster. A person brought a bunch of stuff and taught us how to pickle things with different spices and herbs. Very fun!

Decorate your kitchen with your favorite stuff. Crystals, decor, heat mits, that cool mushroom cake stand you've been eyeing at the World Market for the past 2 weeks, cool looking curtains, sun catchers. Why stop there? Paint the walls, hang shelves full of marked-up cookbooks that are a little too well-loved and thumbed through.

Wanna be the person that has the amazing-smelling house every time people come over? Syrups take some time to simmer down, it's actually a pretty good time to leave it on the stove to simmer. Since syrups have a lot of aromatic ingredients, it acts as a really good-smelling simmer pot.

Hang up herbs to dry with twine from cabinets that are rarely used.

Invest in that new set of plates and cups.

Homemade jams, butter, sauces, and syrups are your best friend.

Crochet or knit your own dish rags, pot holders, etc.

Don't pour extremely hot things into a glass that's not Pyrex, it will break, and you will be very sad about it.

Don't cook anything while extremely upset or emotional (For safety reasons)

Make recipes you want to make, not just because you'll like the effect. Make it because you think it's tasty.

Chinese Five Spice works in place of herbs for protection and luck spells a lot of the time! It's cheaper to buy 1 spice than 4 different spices that total up to 15 dollars when you could just spend 3-4 dollars.

Take a shower before cooking (I don't know how to explain this one other than it makes you feel better)

Don't use microfiber/plastic material clothes on hot burners, it will fuse to the burner and melt. It is VERY hard to get off.

I don't know if I need to put this one but I did see someone do it so nonstick pan = wooden utensils and plastic utensils, metal pan = metal utensils. Do not use a metal spoon in a nonstick pan, please. It can make you very sick.

Keep your pets away from hot oil, open ovens, and hot pans.

You can proof bread dough in the fridge overnight if you don't have the time to bake, or want to eat fresh bread right in the morning.

Need a quick witchy meal for dinner in 12 minutes? Use premade tomato pasta sauce and doctor it up with thyme, rosemary, and garlic, for protection and distilling stagnant energies. Serve with pasta of your liking.

You can substitute Butter for Crisco/shortening, buttermilk for 1 cup of milk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, and heavy cream for 1 cup of half and half plus 2 tbsp of butter.

Use leftover animal bones to make bone broth

Teach yourself the art of bread scoring (It's fun, and you can show it off to your loved ones!)

Collect and hoard your own and others' family recipes.

Sometimes the food doesn't have to be a spell, sometimes it just makes you feel good and you don't know why.

Listen to your favorite music in the kitchen, it makes the monotonous things like chopping veggies move faster.

Invest in a vegetable chopper if you don't like chopping vegetables.

Find a really good hot cocoa recipe and make it once a week. Master it. Just for your own happiness because hot cocoa is really good. You could also be the friend/family member that makes the best hot cocoa ever.

Focaccia Bread Lasts a very long time, and it's very easy to make!

Keep a first aid kit near where the oven is, in case of burns, cuts, or serious injuries where time is everything.

Quick Bread and no-rise loaves are simple for beginners, tasty, and take little time. They also feel very witchy to make.

Study a bit of Herbalism! It's fun and really helps better understand the herbs you're putting into your food.

While something is boiling, put your wooden spoon over the pot to minimize the chance of something boiling over.

Try a bit of coffee magick, it's simple to get into, and gives you a boost of energy to take on the day!

If you're over 21, wine-making is a very interesting way to celebrate the sabbats. Just with that, make sure you KNOW what you're doing. With anything fermented, there's always a risk if you don't store things correctly. Apple wines, strawberry wines, dandelion wines, etc. all very cool to experiment with. If you're not over 21, vinegar is a similar way to experiment.

Hang up some witchy things, sigils, photos, cool magnets, and other things that give you joy on your fridge. (Sometimes if you are lucky they have some fun magnets at five below)

If you live in the US, for some reason, there are a lot of books in the book section dedicated to witchcraft and spirituality. At least where I live. And they are all under 5 dollars!

Teas are the cheapest and easiest things you can practice being a kitchen witch.

[portraitofalinkonfyre]

I would like to ask for part 3 of nightmare in Toronto

*ahem*

PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE

Ask and ye shall receive!

Knightmare In Toronto

Chapter 3: Meet The Neighbors, They Said!

Main Masterlist | Fic Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

The kitchen was abuzz with activity. 

As it turned out, everyone was hungry, with Wind offering to help within a millisecond of you popping the question. It was almost embarrassing how quickly you folded in the face of those baby blues staring up at you, averting your eyes as you contemplated how one child could be so damn adorable, eventually settling on marching to the kitchen and declaring that anyone who wanted to help was welcome to it, a cheerful Wind at your heels. 

It was only when you bent to retrieve the only pot you owned that Wild made his presence known, asking quietly if there were any ingredients you needed. You informed him that you had gone to the supermarket earlier, which elicited a strange look from the blonde, but you were too focused on keeping Wind from waving the knives like toys and retrieving your cookbook from the depths of the top cabinet to care. 

“Okay,” you blew the dust off the cookbook. Wind oooed and Wild sneezed, to which you issued a dry “bless you,” and flipped to the correct page. Green Bean Soup had been one of your favorite recipes when you were a child, so you didn’t see any reason not to make it for them. “I’m going to assume none of you know what a stove is?”

Their blank stares confirmed everything. With a labored sigh and quick massage to your aching temples, you tossed the cookbook on the counter, rolled up your sleeves, cracked your knuckles awesomely, and intoned: “Let’s fix that.”

Within ten minutes, you had a large soup boiling atop the stove, all thanks to Wind’s chopping abilities and Wild’s tendency to produce ingredients from his pants pockets, which you were beginning to suspect doubled as a gateway to a black hole when you caught him trying to pull what appeared to be an entire ladle from the thing. He continued to surprise you when a small vial of red powder—Goron Spice, he called it, which was both terrifying and intriguing—made its way onto the mix, while Wind flitted around the area to simultaneously snoop and ask a million questions. 

Despite the chaos, there was something inherently refreshing about being in the presence of others. You rarely received visitors, and it was nice to laugh along with Wind’s antics or Wild’s cleverly-placed quips. The soup also smelled delicious, which did not favors for your initial distrust; if they wanted to hurt me, they would have done it sooner, you reasoned, watching Wild stir the liquid—a vibrant carmine that looked just as good as it smelled, with tender veggies gliding at the surface with each flick of the ladle—as it bubbled and hissed. 

"You're pretty good at this," you said as Wild scraped the last of the chicken—the meat of choice—into the pot, already blooming with delicious, fragrant steam. "Who taught you?"

“I did,” the man’s response was swift and to the point, but only a fool would miss the soft smile in his eyes… until it turned sour and he glanced down at the soup. “At least, I think I did,” his expression darkened further. “My memories… they’re not all there.”

You nodded sympathetically as he stirred the soup, lost in thought, reaching over to tap more spice into the pot. Wild’s grin was quick, and his motions grew quicker to incorporate the powder. Wind, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, pipped up from his perched position on the counter. “That’s okay, Wild! You’re the best cook I know!”

“Thanks, sailor,” Wild’s mouth quirked up even more, and you stepped over to the dishes cabinet to give them some privacy, feeling a bit out of place. You were curious, sure, but it wasn’t your place to ask. Opening the door, you groaned, drawing both boys’ gazes. 

“Oh, for the love of—”

“What’s wrong?” Wind hopped off the counter to sidle up beside you, neck craned as he assessed the situation. 

You gestured to the nearly-empty cabinet housing your meager dining possessions: four plates, two bowls, three glass cups of varying size, a chipped mug with Grumpy Cat’s frowning face plastered to the visible side of it, and the Paw Patrol sippy cup you discovered between your couch’s cushions a year into owning it. 

Wind patted your forearm with a grin. “That’s okay! We have our own bowls,” and, just to assuage your fears, he reached into his satchel and produced a small wooden bowl, complete with a set of carved silverware and a small cup. “See?”

“That’s what eyes are for, Wind,” came Four’s voice from the living room, but there was no real heat behind his words. You had to hold back a chuckle at the younger boy’s exasperated expression, and excused yourself to the hallway when he turned to look at you with a ‘did you just hear that?’ expression. 

Once in the hallway, you made a b-line for the hallway closet, retrieving all the blankets you had, which was a startlingly large number considering you lived alone. You threw the ones that wouldn’t fit around your shoulder, then padded down to the guest room. It had been just your luck that the house had come with such a large room, nearly twice as big as your own. Until now, you had been using it as a makeshift quiet space, complete with a heavenly beanbag that you were only slightly embarrassed to admit you used more than your own bed.

You nudged the door open with your foot, immediately tossed the blankets on the beanbag when Wild’s call of “Stew’s done!” rang through the house. Scrambling back to the kitchen, you snagged a bowl and joined the already forming line, sandwiched between Twilight and Wind, their bowls at the ready. 

After getting your food, you walked to the living room and flopped down on the couch–there was no way in hell your tiny dining table was going to fit everyone. 

"May I join you?” Four materialized at your side, the steam from his bowl slightly obscuring his face. You nodded and he plopped himself down on the couch next to you. A beat passed, only broken by a sigh. "I'm sorry for scaring you, it wasn't right of me."

“You’re fine,” you spooned some soup and blew on it, glancing at him as the tips of your mouth curved up in a cheeky grin. “I would have screamed too, scared cat."

His gaze snapped to you. “Excuse me?”

You held up your free hand in surrender. “Joking, joking!”

Four rolled his eyes and you could have sworn the typically blue edges flashed a starling shade of purple for a split second. “You better be,” he said through a mouthful of soup, and you were glad there were no hard feelings. 

"What's this?" Came Wild's curious voice. He had taken up residence on the carpet, stew set aside in favor of examining your television, running his fingers across the smooth surface.

“It's called a television,” you reached for the remote. "Watch this!"

The TV crackled to life when you pressed the power button, not considering how someone new to your world might react to this technology of the future. As expected, Wild threw himself back with a shout as the latest episode of Family Feud filled the screen with an obnoxious blare, then swiftly brandished his sword in the wake of this new foe. Four also went ramrod straight and retrieved his own sword, nearly dropping his stew in the chaos. You screamed for them to stop, but it was for naught when a Call Of Duty ad joined the commercial sequence. Wild yelled in shock, thrusting his blade into the center of the television. 

ZZZZCHH!

Orange sparks exploded around the weapon, and Wild’s body shook as he was undoubtedly electrocuted, hair going every which way in a manner that would have been hilarious in any other situation. Amidst the insanity, Four attempted to pull Wild from the sparking television, only to receive what you could only assume was a very nasty shock. Twilight, Wind, and the tallest guy joined the fray just as the lights began to flicker, their barking voices melding into a cacophony of craziness.

"What in Hylia?!" Someone cried, though you didn't recognize their voice. Glancing up, you met the purple eyes of an even more ridiculously-dressed stranger. His hair was what could only be described as a warm strawberry blonde and, if that wasn't enough, he appeared to be wearing a red tunic over a long green dress with... where the fuck were his pants?

"Put some pants on, whore!" You screeched, half delirious with terror, just as there was a loud crash and Wild flew across the room, landing squarely against the family photos hanging on your wall with a stuttered oof. Your tone spiked with outrage as you beheld the current madness. "What the hell?!"

“Wild!” Wind rushed to Wild’s side, shaking his shoulder. He looked up at you, the beginnings of tears blooming in his adorable little eyes. You felt your anger slip like sand through clenched fingers, slowly stepping up to Wild’s prone form, pressing your fore and middle fingers to the side of his neck, probing the arteries below for a pulse. It was at that moment that you truly noticed the scars marring the side of his neck, long enough that they simultaneously dipped down beneath his shirt and stretched up to the base of his elongated ear. “...Is he dead?”

“I…” The silence was somber as you searched harder… only for Wild to cough and swat at your hand, eyes gazing blearily at the ceiling. 

“Hylia, it’s like fighting wizzrobes all over again…”

What? 

Despite the fact that half those words made no sense at all, you released the breath you’d been holding. You drew yourself up, still dazed by the fact that that had just happened, you brushed past a startled Twilight and blank-faced tall man, calling over your shoulder: “Someone get him on the couch–I’ll get water.”

“‘M fine,” you heard Wild murmur from the other room, followed by soft scuffling noises. You grabbed the sippy cup from the cabinet and filled it with water, returning just in time to witness Four heave the taller man by his armpits onto your couch. Impressive, was your first thought, followed by: I don’t want to imagine the overtime, when you passed the crackling television, still impaled on the massive sword. It was a fucking miracle your house hadn’t caught on fire in the chaos. 

“Here,“ you handed the cup to Wild, who took it with a baffled expression, though it didn’t stop him from dutifully chugging the thing. “...Dare I ask why you stabbed my television?”

“That’s a fancy term for a mimic,” the pantless stranger snapped, mirroring your posture. You instantly stood straighter, ready to square up if needed. The stranger snorted at your half-glare, expression darkening suspiciously as he scanned your home. “Where are we?”

You tried not to look at the sword attached to his belt, crossing your arms over your chest and slightly cocking your left hip in a manner that you hoped conveyed the seriousness of the situation. “My house.”

The newcomer blinked, and Wind stepped in, excitement regained. “This is Legend, he’s with us–”

“Uh huh,” you muttered under your breath. 

“–and this is (Y/n), we’re staying with them until everyone else gets here.”

You felt your expression soften–Wind was a cute kid–and it was only mildly difficult to manage a short wave; you definitely weren’t here to make enemies out of any of them. 

“Sup.”

Bafflement swept across Legend’s face as Wind mouthed the word to himself, though neither of them had a chance to reply when a heavy series of knocks came down on your front door. For a moment, you froze, feeling like you had just been caught red-handed, but quickly flew into action when Legend stiffened, hand falling on the hilt of his sword. “Put that away,” you hissed as the barest glint of steel flashed in your field of vision, fearlessly batting his hand down and rushing over to the door with a hurried “stay right there” to the gaggle of men in your living room. 

“Hiiii, Cindy,” you said as soon as you cracked the door open, praying to whatever deity you could that she wasn’t here to bitch about how your petunias interfered with the HOA guidelines. “What can I do for you on this,” you were going to say ‘fine day’, but that felt a tad too cheery for the insanity that had occurred in your living room alone. “...acceptable afternoon?”

“Finally,” your neighbor tossed her freshly highlighted bangs from her face, but you were more surprised that her demon spawn children were nowhere to be seen, likely congregating elsewhere to commit more crimes against the local wildlife. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

You deadpanned, ignoring the hushed whispers behind you. Cindy’s brows lifted, and she tried to peek behind you, but you squared your stick shoulders and fake coughed. “I don’t know, Cindy, what time is it?”

“It’s too damn early, that’s what it is,” she said despite it being after five o’clock in the afternoon. “I’ve always considered you a sensible neighbor–”

“Hold on,” you held up a hand, bafflement creeping into your expression. “Why are you here?”

“For god’s sake, (Y/n),” she put two fingers on the bridge of her nose and you felt your exasperation ebb minutely–seems like you weren’t the only one who had a hard day. “What are you doing, screaming like that?“

“...Um.”

“I get that the Tic Tac app condones all these newfangled things, but that’s no excuse to involve the neighborhood in your shenanigans–”

What. The. Fuck. 

Your jaw nearly hit the floor–did she think you were having an orgy? It was so… so hilariously wrong that you were temporarily rendered speechless, helplessly listening to her spiel about adequate soundproofing and some other bullshit about using protection that you didn’t have the brain power to comprehend at the moment. It didn’t help that there was an audible gasp from within the house that followed her initial words as one of the boys ultimately came (har har) to the same conclusion you had. 

When you did find your voice, it came out in choppy half-sentences that did absolutely nothing to help your case. “I’m not– why would you–”

“Oh, honey,” Cindy tossed her hair in one flawless move. Distant screaming could be heard from her property and you cringed at the thought of having to call the fire department so soon after last time. “Before you–” she leaned close, and you backed away, unintentionally revealing Wind’s head poking out from the living room wall. ”–there was me.”

With that, your neighbor was gone. You remained at the foyer, leaning against the door frame for support, expression completely drained of any and all emotion. Every one of your thoughts was centered around the complete and total madness that had just occurred until Wind whispered. “Is she gone?”

You closed the door and collapsed back onto it, battling with the distinct urge to scream like a maniac. Four wandered around the corner and plopped himself against the wall next to you. You allowed yourself a few moments of silence, only moving when the tallest man’s bulky form entered the hall, flanked by Twilight, Wild, and Legend, who was the first to speak. 

“That was…” if you had been paying attention, you would have noticed the faint redness on the tips of his ears. 

“I need a nap,” you groaned, massaging your temples for the nth time today. The tallest man stood a bit straighter when you fixed your sights on him. “How many more of you did you say were coming?”

“Three more,” he glanced up and you half expected to see another one of them dropping from the ceiling. When nothing happened, you sighed and ran a hand through your hair. 

“Okay, the guest room is just down there–” you pointed at said door for emphasis. “–and mine is the one after it. There should be enough blankets for y’all, but I can go on a supply run if anything ends up on fire…” you paused, tone taking a distinct, pleading undertone when you continued. “Please don’t set my things on fire.”

“You have our word,” the tall man promised, laying a hand over his heart, and you felt marginally better. 

“Rad. Now,” you clapped your hands. “Who wants croissants?”

This chapter fought me tooth and nail, so please be gentle!

[pastelstarmie]

Hi! I love your banjo playing in Cheap Dirty Horse and saw you were doing asks! So here is one:

Do you have any recipes you recommend? (Especially sweet ones)

Thanks!

Hey!!! Thank you so much!!! Banjo is really cool and I still feel like I'm just figuring banjo out consistently tbh and like learning all it's lil tricks!!

Sweet things are definitely my vibe!! I love baking over cooking!! My go to cooking tends to be like stir fry or like a random fried rice with whatever I have in! Normally with waaaaay too much soy sauce because it's my fave thing! Although I had a ramen phase where I'd make different versions every week and mess around with flavours! I got the original recipe from an Overwatch cookbook and just had fun with it!!

In terms of a specific recipe though I'm really basic 😅 I love making like chocolate chip cookies, victoria sponges or millionaire shortbread, but!! With millionaire shortbread if you make the shortbread base you can do all kinds off stuff! I've done like a yuzu shortbread base, a pumpkin spice base, a vanilla and chocolate chip, one and it really changes the vibe!!

I did make a bread wreath, but it had chocolate spread and hazelnut in-between the like plaits with raisins and sultanas and it was incredible!!

Omg actually!! I also make an apple crumble cake which was incredible!! Your cake is similar on theory to a carrot cake but with apple, s a like vanilla sponge, with apple chunks, cinnamon and nutmeg. THEN!! you make a custard icing/frosting and pipe in in the middle and on top, where you add some quiet fine crumble mix (you can make your own or buy it) and sprinkle in the middle and on to for texture and that is awesome too!!

Sorry I maybe went on for too long and got excited 😅

[ghostlyarchaeologist]

I need to know more about the 1920s and 1840s cookbooks if you are willing to share! How did you acquire them?

What recipes have you tried and how did they turn out?

Any fun (mis)adventures with them? (Ingredients not sold any more or that don't mean what they meant back then, etc)

Gladly!

(Edit: I am putting this under a cut, as it has gotten very long!)

(I apologise for the state of my phone camera! I tried my best! You drop your phone in a wet trench and it's never the same after...)

So, a few years ago I ended up helping at the bring and buy book shop that ran in my local village, where I was mostly the muscle who hauled around, went through and put out the boxes of books that would get donated (and there were a lot!)

The idea of going through the donations was to weed out books that weren't able to be sold on, whether they were in too poor a condition (mouldy, incomplete), something we already have a million copies of (50 shades), or just wholly unsuitable! (I'll leave that to your imagination!) I didn't mind doing it as I could just pop in my headphones and zone out for a couple of hours.

So, there I was one Saturday, listening to my tunes and sorting through donations when I came across a very old, grungy book, held together with sticky tape and with only its front cover. Now, old books fascinate me, so I opened it up to the copyright page and almost fell over when I read MDCCCXL - 1840! At that point I knew this thing was coming home with me! And for a grand total of 25p, it did!

If you can't see what the cover says, it's 'Domestic Cookery By A Lady.' This is also repeated on the copyright page.

Look! Isn't it awesome? Now, I would love to show you every page, but there's a lot, and I'm showing you two books, so you'll just get the highlights, I'm afraid.

First things first though, here's something that I love about this book.

See that? The pages all still have indents from the printing press, even after 183 years!

The contents! As you can see, this book covers a lot! It's not just recipes. There's directions on carving, guidence on servants ('One is never to retain a cook who is not fond of her occupation.' for instance, and 'A servant must possess a natural regard for cleanliness, or all the pains in the world will never render her cleanly.'), guidence for servants (aka, how to clean everything!) a wide variety of recipes as well as how to pick the best produce and when certain things are in season.

And just as this book couldn't get any more awesome, it's got pictures too!

Go look at that last picture again for me. You see those dark splodges on the right of the page? Know what they are? They're fingerprints! Fingerprints! Proof that somebody touched and used this book all those years ago! You can't tell me that's not awesome!

I will admit that I have not tried any recipes out of this book, so no misadventures, but I love reading them. There are some that I'm not sure I'd even want to try!

Stuffed cod's head, anyone?

Mock turtle soup?

Of course, if you want real turtle, there's also how to kill and prepare one of them...

How to make coffee.

Also, how big is this blooming cake!?

Not to mention the time it will take!

Anyway, Tumblr has a photo limit on posts and I still have another book to show you, so I will leave you with this final remark on cooking for the poor, especially the bit about the crust of bread.

Mmm, yum!

Onto the next book!

It came from the same place as the last, but this time at the grand cost of 30p! (Inflation, y'know?)

This one is a cookery textbook from Strathearn College, Edinburgh. Copyright page says 1925. Cool, right? Ah, but it gets better!

Ann Burlt Oct 9th 1929. She's the original owner of this book! And she made lots of notes, too!

At a guess, these were her favourite recipes, what page they were on and how many eggs they required.

And one she didn't like! I was pretty sure that there was one recipe that was crossed out with a NO! next to it, but I couldn't find it, so maybe I was wrong.

She also amended some recipes:

Additionally, there's also a few extra special things in this book too that I at least got very excited over:

Bookmarks! This one is a scrap of newspaper, sadly no date on it.

A mini booklet regarding changes to telephone charges. Now, remember that this cookbook is from the 1920s.

Look at the second paragraph on the left. 1970. 1970! This book was still being used in 1970!

And this one, which doubles as both a recipe and a bookmark! And must have been in that book for a while as it's stained the page!

I have tried one recipe out of this one, which was a Roly Poly and was very tasty! I would show you but it would seem I have one more image I can add to this post, so instead I will use it to show you something I never, ever, want to have to try, ever!

Sardine Eclaires? Really?

Excuse me while I go quietly vomit somewhere...

Anyway! Thanks for the ask! I love being able to show these off and wildly flail about things that I think are interesting, and I hope you enjoyed the ride too!

[strongbookthoughts]

Notes on Pie Style by Helen Nugent

Baking books are usually either art books or actually good cookbooks. Pie Style manages to be both.

Okay, first, the recipes. I didn't make any of 'em because I am in a fricken heat wave and don't want to use my oven right now. But I do enough baking to know a good recipe when I see one. These recipes look awesome, and the recipes are detailed enough for a beginner to follow pretty well. I could completely ignore all the decorating information in the book and still make good pies.

Now, the decorating techniques are all gorgeous. And most of the tools are things that I could roll down to my local craft store and find. If I bought all of them in one go, that would probably cost me several hundred bucks. But a lot of the pies only use a roller or a few cookie cutters. And some, like a wood grain roller, come up a lot!

So yeah, if I ever get cool weather this winter, or just want to make a fancy treat for a gathering, I might hit up the library to get this one again.

BTW, can I just say that I LOVE the library for having cookbooks? I get access to so many tasty, pretty ideas, and I don't have to find shelf space in my own house for them. LOVE IT.

[amethyst-ghoul-backup]

While I work on some requests here are some Era 4/5 Ghoul cooking and baking headcanons:

(Includes Mountain, Aether, Dew, Rain, and Swiss)

Mountain: Absolutely AMAZING at both cooking and baking but prefers baking, memorizes recipes really easily and enjoys testing out any new recipe he finds, loves making pastries with choux dough and his favorite thing to make is eclairs but finds puff pastry to be really annoying to work with.

Attempted to make a croquembouche (basically a tower of cream puffs held together with a kind of caramel) once, ONCE, but then he accidentally bumped into it and it collapsed and he cried for like 40 minutes. Aether sat with him and tried to comfort him as he sat in disappointed silence and REFUSED to talk about it.

Aether: Okay at baking but pretty good at cooking, likes getting recipe ideas from cooking shows, he and Mountain cook most of the group meals for the ghouls, he loves making any kind of Italian food but his favorite thing to make is bread, he makes a really good herb and sea salt focaccia, with fresh rosemary and thyme from Primo’s garden of course.

He found an old Emeritus family cookbook while cleaning out a storage room one time and made one of the recipes he found for Terzo and he loved it (and maybe cried a little bit because it reminded him of the food his mother used to make). He cooked for Terzo at least once a week after that because it filled him with so much pride when Terzo complimented his cooking. After Terzo’s death, Aether left the cookbook on his bookshelf and didn’t touch it for a year. One time Dew had a cold and refused to eat because even the idea of eating anything was making him nauseous. Aether offered to make him anything he wanted and Dew quietly admitted that he would eat Pastina if Aether made it. After that, Aether brought some of the recipes back out and makes them for the pack occasionally.

Dewdrop: Absolutely ATROCIOUS at cooking, somehow kind of good at baking, doesn’t like making pastries because of how exact the measurements have to be, loves making muffins and his favorite to make are blueberry but would never admit it.

He also enjoys sitting in the kitchen while Mountain bakes and helps a little bit sometimes, but really just likes to lick the spoons and bowls (and steal some cookie dough when Mountain isn’t looking). Every so often, in the early morning when the rest of the pack isn’t up yet, Mountain will ask Dew to make muffins for the pack while he makes the rest of their breakfast.

Rain: REALLY bad at both cooking and baking, like he could burn a pot of water if left to his own devices even though it shouldn’t be possible, has ruined multiple pots and pans, accidentally set the stove on fire once and screamed so loud Aether, Mountain, and Cirrus RAN to the kitchen because they thought he was being attacked.

Doesn’t have a favorite thing to make because everything he makes comes out burnt, but LOVES to eat. Will be the taste tester for anything and everything the others make, can and will fight Dew for the leftover batter from whatever Mountain makes. One time Copia was passing the ghoul wing and heard loud growling, worried that something happened he burst into the common area only to find Dew and Rain in a standoff over who got to lick the bowl covered in brownie batter that Mountain was holding.

Swiss: Possesses a little skill in both areas of cooking and baking but isn’t awesome at it, boxed mac and cheese and pre-prepared baking mixes are his go-to, but he can make the basics like scrambled eggs and a decent grilled cheese, likes to spontaneously bake boxed brownies or cupcakes because it’s little work for what, in his opinion at least, is a delicious reward (no hate to boxed baking mixes I love them too Swiss).

He does make great edibles though, like he is the go-to if you want an edible that doesn’t taste like weed, which can be dangerous. Accidentally left a pan of STRONG weed brownies unmonitored in the kitchen one time and when he came back and they were gone he panicked a little bit. On the plus side, they didn’t make it out of the ghoul wing so he didn’t have to worry about stoned Siblings of Sin or a pissed-off Sister Imperator. On the downside, they were very strong and so Swiss had a whole pack of stoned ghouls on his hands. Luckily Aether and the ghoulettes ended up sleeping it off but Dew, Rain, and Mountain did not. Rain went back and forth between staring at himself in the mirror and eating anything he could find in the kitchen. Dew chased his own tail for 40 minutes and then joined Rain in the kitchen and microwaved a bunch of string cheese because he “wanted fried mozzarella sticks but all there is is this stupid unfried mozzarella so I’ll fry it myself in the microwave.” (which is not how that works.. at all) Mountain almost gave Swiss a heart attack because he was just sitting in the dark facing the wall and Swiss is pretty sure he didn’t move or even blink for almost 3 hours.

[innerslumber]

I went to the Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes exhibit and wanted to share for anyone who has not seen it. I am under the impression that the installation changes from location to location so I wanted to show this snapshot in time. I fully admit to being biased in what I will post so if you want to see a particular character, please let me know! Apologies ahead of time for my crappy photo taking skills.

🔴⚫️🔴⚫️🔴

Wade Wilson (Deadpool)

Okay, see that picture above? Yeah. That's it. I looked through the whole exhibit and only saw that ONE wall display of Deadpool. Is it possible that I could have missed something? Yes. But do I think I did? Not really.

Which makes me basically think, what the hell man?!?! Where's Deadpool?! If you got space on the wall for freaking Morbius then where is my Merc with a Mouth??? Also his reading material of choice? 👇👇👇

Did @vancityreynolds commission this particular art installation? Because this is exactly the kind of shit he would pull to troll Chris Evans.

The ONLY saving grace from my disappointment was that as I was approaching the wall art of Deadpool, the sweetest and most adorable child voice says: "Look! It's Deadpool!" with happiness and glee. Then his (who I assume is his mother), said: "Oh. My. GOD." with the disgust and disdain reserved for a forgotten box of takeout that got shoved so far to the back of the fridge that it became its own ecosystem and is now declaring independence.

The sheer willpower I had to apply not to burst out laughing was monumental. Knowing that Deadpool is out there corrupting our youth to the horror of their probably sensible parents brought me so much joy. It was just enough to overcome my sadness that this exhibit had no section for Deadpool.

But you know what wasn't going to let me down? That's right, The Gift Shop. Because Deadpool ain't gonna be showcased in the legitimate exhibit space but oh no, capitalism don't care about optics! There's shirts! There's magnets! There's hats! THERE'S COOKBOOKS!

And of course it was going to be a chimichanga recipe! Did we ever have a doubt? I will say this looked better than Captain America's Beef Tongue Terrine recipe that was also in the book. (Sorry Steve...)

Oh and speaking of more Deadpool and Captain America synergy, remember I mentioned hats? Yeah. Just a whole ass display of beanies that only came in two designs. Like...this was a CHOICE, okay? It can't be a fucking coincidence that they only had these two options.

Honestly by the time I was done my 5th lap of the gift shop, I wondered if this is how Cameo Chris Evans felt watching Free Guy and seeing Ryan Reynolds just do whatever the fuck he wants with the shield.

I mean, I know I sound like a whiny punk ass but not even a single comic cover of Deadpool? 😭😭😭 Omg the fangirl tears I would have wept at seeing a Spider-Man/Deadpool cover! Did Ryan and Andrew kissing at the Golden Globes mean nothing to you, Marvel?!?!

Fuck No! I love that museum, okay? They do awesome work. This was obviously an oversight done by the person I blame any time Marvel shits its pants: Kevin Feige. Maybe also the Russo brothers.

Uhh...well I got these.

Look how adorable little Cap is!! 😍😍😍

Shut up, Ted Lasso! It was worth it! I already have a bunch of stuff with your mug on it so I wasn't going to buy more! Now this is me, walking away into the sunset with my precious cargo. Sayonara motherfucker!

(And sending vibes to the next location for the Marvel exhibit to show some damn Deadpool. Don't let me down!)

[edisacornball]

My 2022 Fics, Ranked!

I did this last year, and it was honestly a really good way to end my year, by meditating on what I most enjoyed writing, what I was most proud of, and what I thought I could improve. It really helped me to go into the next year thinking about how to be even more of the writer I want to be. So of course I'm doing it again!

At least this year should be easier than the twenty-seven fics I ranked last year.

What I find really hilarious is that this year, my ranking happens to line up perfectly with each story's number of hits. (As in, my favorite has the most hits, least favorite has the least.) Apparently, this year I agree with how much everyone else liked my work!

(Ranked from least to most favorite)

8. Yin and Yang: The First Soul Mates Continuation — I feel kind of bad for this one because it's basically just last by default. This is a fic I adopted from another author, and I'm still finishing up my first chapter for it. So it hasn't really actually gotten content yet and is sort of sitting in this half-published purgatory. Once I update it, I'm going to do a major overhaul, and I'm super excited to start working on it, so this is a ranking of potential, lol.

7. Alchemy Started in the Kitchen — I mean, I love these recipes a lot. I've been cooking them for years. But I mostly just published this so people would have a chance to actually reference these recipes without me having a really long author's note. I just don't really see myself as a cookbook author, I guess?

6. With Hands Raised to the Sky — This one's kind of an "it's fine" story to me. I liked writing it, and there's not really anything wrong with it, it's just not a fic that gets me really excited or emotional. I was just sitting in the hospital and extremely bored and didn't have access to all my WIP chapters, so I entertained myself by writing oneshots instead.

5. The Light We Let In (On the Subjectivity of Pain) — I only added one "chapter" to this collection this year, so it's almost more like ranking a oneshot. Same problem as With Hands, since I wrote it during the same time span, but baby Rory immediately makes me get much more attached to any fic and have more fun writing it.

4. Grafted — Agh, I love this one. It hasn't gotten very far into the story yet, and I needed to pause a little bit to work out a little bit more of my plotting, but I'm so looking forward to getting back to it. I'm especially looking forward to introducing Ed and Al to the Elrics, plus also getting more into Tree and her love of tattooing.

3. And Yet a Trace of the True Self Exists in the False Self — This was one of those fics that just sort of hits you all at once from nowhere, and then you look back and wonder how that even happened. Well, no, I know how it happened, I had an autistic meltdown day and coped with it by putting the experience into words. But sometimes I still just like going back and rereading this one to remind myself that it's okay to have days like that. And pretty much every comment I've gotten on this has ended up making me get choked up, because everyone is saying that they relate, that they needed to see characters going through experiences like this as a kid... This one has a special place in my heart.

2. The Lost Years — This one. I love every time I work on writing this one. There's just something so delightful about Ed's reactions to the modern world and getting a chance to work in some of my own city into a story for once. I've also been struggling a little with writing this one for now just because... Well, showing even Edward Elric getting smacked down into the mud from late-stage capitalism kinda suck and hurts like hell. This one just hits differently than my other fics, and I love it for it, even if it's painful.

1. The Other Side — Of course, this one is the winner. We're getting into the end of this one now, and it's always awesome to start tying together all these threads that you've been hanging for so long and watch the story start finalizing and becoming a complete picture. I was really hoping to get it done before the end of the year so it wouldn't be on next year's stats too (guilt about keeping it going so long, much?), but that's just the way it goes, I guess. I'm hoping to finish this one really soon, and I'm having a hard time not dancing in my seat until then!

Overall... I think that while I didn't publish as many things in terms of quantity and fic count, I still had a really productive year, especially considering how hectic it was. I was working a lot more on my long-form writing this year, and a lot of the work I did is like an iceberg and can't be seen on the surface. (Like how I wrote over 400k, but published less than 90k.) This year was really about putting the work in to deepen my work and become a better writer in the long run, and I'm proud of that.

See my rankings from last year! My 2022 AO3 Wrapped

[zeawesomebirdie]

Once you get this, you have to say five things you like about yourself, publicly. Then you send this to ten of your favourite followers (positivity is cool!!)🌈🌈

Omg thank you for this Nixie!! These are always fun to do!!

1) I have the most awesome fashion sense, cowboy aesthetic ftw

2) my writing is exactly the kind of thing I want to read and I love that for me 😌 (and I have more wips that are almost finished, they're coming just as soon as I get time off of doctors appointments!!)

3) I'm really good at baking bread and making jam (and also canned pie filling!!)

4) I really love that I can sit and read cookbooks cover to cover and actually get to enjoy all the cool quirky historical recipes

5) and my taste in movies is impeccable, esp the black and white ones!

[thegongoozlerreacts]

Welcome Home: Halloween Update

well hey would you look at that !! the website got updated for Halloween!! very very excited for what new stuff we've got this time

(also yes i know this update came out a while ago i just didnt have the time to check it out until now ok !?!?!? its been weighing on my mind since i found out about the update)

spoilers under the cut

lowkey got jumpscared from the change LOLOL

Wally is so cute!! and Home's little witch hat?? and the drawings on the rock too??? adorableee

OH MY GOD !! THEY CHANGED THE LITTLE PIXEL ANIMATIONS TOO???? IM EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE OTHER NEIGHBORS LOOK LIKE IN THEIR COSTUMES

ok heading over to the News page for more info on the update

OMG COOKBOOK PAGES??? what if i cooked these recipes. lets see what exactly they are before i'll decide on cooking them (or trying to cook them LOL)

'Our source has yet to send the full book. I don’t understand why. What is it worth to leave it out? Ripping out pages… What a waste. It takes so long to get everything off of them. Still, we’re patient, aren’t we. If you are reading this, please hurry.'

kinda ominous... i do wonder why they cleaned up and sent only a few pages maybe theres smth up w the whole book?? maybe they dont have the whole book ?? or maybe like, it was just like that and the book's pages are just separated and messed up very interesting

THERES A WALLY DARLING COSTUME?? NO WAY ?? dude its sooo insane how theres just so much merchandise and stuff for this show but its just all lost media like how did that happen?? only time will tell i guess

ooh and another audio recording !! im excited to check it out !! listening to the neighbors' chat and interact with each other is so entertaining

something big is on the way after Halloween, maybe a Christmas/New Years thing?

'Don’t forget to wave down below!' hmmmm sus past news updates have ended with 'don't forget to wave up high' so why is it different now? cuz its Halloween? maybe something to do with Wally's costume being that of a demon?? this change is very interesting

i dont have any idea what it could mean or why it changed, just that it is significant so i guess its time to move on

time to check out the merchandise page!!

omg !! so cute

first the cookbook

OMG ITS SO CUTE !! LOOK AT THEM THEYRE JUST SILLY LITTLE GUYS !!

oh my god. the little rice crispies in the shape of the neighbors faces. GRAHH SO CUTE !!! also Poppy and Sally !!

FRANK AND JULIE !!! also Julie is SLAYING that outfit i want to have that too

now i want to make these. hopefully i'll be able to in the future

how did Wally get even CUTER WTFFF also Barnaby as the caramel apple thats so. it fits him very well

next is the storybook record

yo !! this is an AWESOME cover !! also everyone's costumes?? SALLY's costume?!?!? she is SLAYING that look tbh

wait im laughing at the crispy sweets cereal LMFAOO it was endorsed by them so it makes sense but it just looks so out of place

"However, this particular audio rip skips at 16:56 and quickly jumps past Sally’s dialogue to 18:51. Although the sound between these times is incomprehensible noise, we have transcribed what we could." interesting, i wonder what sorts of secrets are hiding in that alright time to listen

very creepy opening but that makes sense since its a halloween thing

SPITS OUT DRINK BUG SPOTTED i will click the bug after checking out all the new merchandise stuff

the bug is in the way of the transcript lmao

'The Macabre Menagerie of Monstrous Mischief-Making' so is that what Halloween is called in their universe? a fun but very long name lmao

"They ought to make one for the Narrator, though..." aww

the more Sally audio i listen to the more i love her

SALLY: [Scoffing] Oh please, dear narrator! Of course they have!

NARRATOR: Of course.

so the characters are aware of the Narrator?? damn then Sally and Poppy really shouldve made a treat for the Narrator

im laughing at the hesitation the Narrator has when declaring Barnaby's costume lmao??

im cackling

BARNABY: Oh yeah, the invitation said it was a Macaroni Macramé Marmalade Moose? I ain’t sayin’ all’a that, I think Terror n’ Treats is better. It’s got a little genie-say-quoff to it!

SALLY: Wha— t-that’s je ne sais quoi you— You beast!!

somehow Barnaby manages to annoy almost everybody pretty easily (and by everybody i mean Frank, Julie and Sally) its very entertaining

also i agree that Terror n' Treats is a banger name i think that the very long name is the name of the party and not the holiday but either way both names are very fitting for Halloween

the ba-dum-tss when Barnaby makes a pun is sooo funny

i think Sally is like the embodiment of that one tumblr post where its like 'we should normalize nicholasnames. extending names instead of shortening them' or smth its very funny

'Magnificently Marvelous, Majestically, Mystifying Macabre Menagerie of Momentously Monstrous Mischief-Making Celebration' im amazed at how Julie managed to make the already long name even longer AND keep the alliteration

'Is that my favorite regular over there? Gang way!' i ship

'Oh! Did Frank bring one of his fancy molds again?' I SHIP

the Narrator's voice sounds familiar but im not sure why

NARRATOR: Julie waved her hand up excitedly and- Was that thunder? It’s a beautiful day outside!

he sounds so shocked lmfao sounds like something realll spooky is going on

Eddie being the only one being jumpscared by Julie lmfao

WALLY: [Underneath the others’ laughter.] Ha. Ha. Ha. …I don’t get it. Ha. Ha. Ha. IM CACKLING LFMAO

HOWDY: You better believe it, Sal! -So there I was at the counter of Howdy’s Place!- The home of everything you need and everything you don’t, by the way- Just mindin’ the shop, wipin’ down the counters as I do. Admiring the array of wonderful products that you, too, can purchase and enjoy—

NARRATOR: I think we ought to save the advertisements for television, Howdy.

now i understand why he reminds me of an old-timey radio announcer because he's lowkey literally a walking advertisement and i can respect the dedication to be a real-life in-person midroll ad

Howdy sounds genuinely scandalized that his product got marked down so far it became 100% off also?? Eddie genuinely being afraid of this too?? im cackling

SALLY: You… can’t be serious!

HOWDY: As serious as a heart attack! I was practically GIVING IT AWAY! But what was the buy of the century left unbought?!

SALLY: [Laced with sarcasm.] I’m… dying to know.

HOWDY: It was… The very sheet I’m wearing!!

EDDIE: [Eddie screams again!] I knew it!!!

HOWDY: Available now for only… For only… 100% off! [Howdy lets out a sound of anguish as he begins to dramatically cry]

NARRATOR: Barnaby patted Howdy on the back as the caterpillar cashier cried into his shoulders. Maybe these stories are starting to get scary…

im laughing im cackling theyre so silly so funny

'He held the flashlight but it… It’s upside down. Barnaby could you turn that rightside- Oh, thank you.' HELP?? pls. love that

WALLY: Yesterday, I went on a walk. I saw a kite, stuck inside of a tree. When I kept walking, I saw Barnaby. He was practicing his ball-balancing tricks. Then, I saw Eddie delivering the mail to Poppy’s house.

[He paused.]

…Oh! I almost forgot. I also saw a bug, sitting on a leaf. It reminded me of Frank. After that, I turned around and went home.

SALLY: …And what part of that story was supposed to be scary?

WALLY: Oh. I don’t know if it was scary. I had a nice day.

FRANK: Well, I liked the part in your story about the bug, Wally.

this is so cute?? Wally's just the most a silly little guy the music while he was talking im laughing

SALLY: [Sally begins, her tone serious and grave.] Have you ever wondered… Why it is that we stay indoors every night?

oh im kinda scared of this now

'...It is because this town is rumored to have visitors at night… Something from deep within the forest, far beyond the hills and mountains… No one knows what it wants or where it’s going, just that it is persistent.. Just that it arrives here.' very interesting, wonder what it could be and how true it is

and now the audio's glitched out on 'what it is searching for' and it scared the crap outta me glitched out audio is scary as hell

oh wait what ?? the audio came back and it is very clear huh... i wonder why the restoration team couldnt hear it because its not in the transcript and they mention that the audio cuts out at 16:56 and comes back 18:51 and right now there is audio at around 17:16

fascinating

see look this is in the transcript instead of what shes saying right now

[Sally’s Audio is inaudible. If listeners can make out the audio, please help to decipher it with us and your fellow fans. Thank you.]

ok Sally's story about the supposed creature that comes up at night scared the shit out of me and what makes it scarier is how clear the audio is like it doesnt have any static-y noise like the rest of the audio, its very clear

then when she stops talking i was waiting for a jumpscare but it was just Poppy walking in with some treats

NARRATOR: Oh yes, thank you- To all you out there on this Terror N’ Treats night, eat plenty, be merry, and be careful… You never know what will come rustling and scratching into the night! Happy haunting and don’t forget to wave up high!

[The NARRATOR cackles villainously as the audio draws to a close.]

bro the Narrator's evil cackling is terrifying also !! 'don't forget to wave up high' !! it makes the inversion of it on the News page stand out more because its not just a Halloween thing, right??? this official Welcome Home merch storybook audio says it the way its always been said before, so why is the News update different???

very very interesting

well then time to move on to the final new merchandise

THE WALLY COSTUME !!! it looks so goofy LMFAO

truly amazing

now that ive seen everything on the merch page, time to check out the new bug video

the bug is cute tho but its a spider and i am afraid

its called listen

BARNABY: Oooh Sally, you’re killin’ me! So much gabbin’ just to explain why you’re dressed like a clown! …Come to think of it, I should’a known earlier— ya do look a bit funny t’me.

LMFAOO BARNABY !!!

ok so this seems to be a continuation of what happens after the storybook audio, or like at the very least connected to the party its all the neighbors chatting with each other which is very cute

the video started with the usual static that the other bug videos had, and the transcript says 'The camera (?)' so its safe to assume that this is from Wally's perspective

ok uh the video and audio started distorting um.

OH I JUST NOTICED THAT THE CARAMEL APPLE STARTED MOVING

zooms in randomly on the caramel apples in the shape of the characters

i think thats a Wally one behind the Howdy(??) one

a bite was taken out of the apple and no one was shown to have grabbed or bitten it so. i think this is canonical confirmation of Wally's weird thing where he stares at a food, blinks, and then theres a bite taken outta it cuz thats how he eats i guess??

hmm the transcript is a little interesting too, but i might just be reading too much into it

'[Visual ID: Something… Has happened to the apple. A bite has been taken out of it, I think.]'

'[There is a brief pause. What is he doing.]'

hmmm could Wally be the one writing these transcripts?? idk these little things remind me of the way that Wally talks (and of the things he's said before)

'[It sounds like Barnaby pats the camera.]'

further confirmation that its Wally's perspective

and like all the other bug videos, it ends with the audio glitching on Wally's name and static

wait ok so i went back to the distorted part and i thought it was weird that if the perspective WAS Wally, then why is the camera not looking at the apple?

and then i remembered that the video briefly zooms in on a caramel apple with Wally's face

and it might just be the video distortion but it looks like it blinks and after that the apple has a bite taken out of it

but thats obviously not Wally so maybe its more of a hint of whats really happened for anybody who doesnt know Wally bites with his eyes

well to end this on a less scary note and more of a spooky one,

!!! THE STICKERS OF THE NEIGHBORS IN THEIR COSTUMES!! SO CUTE !!

well, thats it for the Welcome Home Halloween update byebye !!

[thedisneychef]

Where to Get Recipe Cards: Tips and Options

As an avid home cook, I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. But sometimes it's hard to keep track of all my favorite meals! That's why I love recipe cards – they're a great way to store and organize your favorite dishes. In this article, I'll talk about where you can get some awesome recipe cards so you can start collecting delicious recipes today! There are lots of places that carry recipe cards, from online stores to craft stores. You can find them in different sizes and styles, so there's something for everyone. Plus, most come with dividers which make organizing even easier. With these handy cards, you'll never have to worry about forgetting how to make Grandma's famous lasagna again! Online Stores I love to cook, so getting my hands on some new recipe cards is always a fun way to freshen up the kitchen. One of the best places I've found for finding quality recipes is online stores. They have a great selection of both physical and digital recipe cards. Plus, there are even cooking apps available with tons of delicious dishes! Digital cookbooks can be a great resource too, because they often provide detailed instructions that make it easy to follow along while you're in the kitchen. You can also customize your own digital cookbook by selecting only the type of dishes that you want to try or ingredients that you’re comfortable working with - which makes them perfect if you’ve got specific dietary restrictions or allergies. No matter what kind of recipe card I'm looking for - whether it's something complex or simple - there's usually an option out there somewhere. With just a few clicks, I'm able to access hundreds of different recipes from around the world without ever leaving home. Craft Stores I'm looking for some recipe cards to make a special scrapbook, so I'm wondering if there are any craft stores that have scrapbooking supplies? I know I need some craft tools too, like scissors, tape and glue, to put it all together. Plus, I'm sure I'll find some decorative accessories that will really make it look amazing. I'm sure I can find all the supplies I need in one of the local craft stores. Does anyone know of a great craft store that has everything I'm looking for? I'm sure it'll be a fun shopping trip to find all the items I need! Scrapbooking Supplies I'm always on the lookout for an easy way to organize my recipes and share them with family. Craft stores are a great place to find recipe cards that can help me do just that! Whether I want something simple, like plain index cards, or something more decorative, like scrapbooking supplies, craft stores have what I need. Plus, they often carry other helpful items such as photo albums and labels so I can easily store all of my favorite recipes in one convenient place. With all these options available, it's no wonder why craft stores make organizing recipes easier than ever before! Craft Tools Once I have all my recipes organized, it's time to get creative. With the help of craft stores, customizing each recipe is easy! Not only do they offer a variety of printing techniques like embossing and stamping, but also supplies such as scrapbook paper and stickers that can really make each card special. Plus, there are even tools available for laminating or making photo cards so I can add an extra personal touch to any recipe. It's amazing how many ways I can customize my recipes with just a few items from the craft store! All in all, crafting stores provide me with everything I need to create unique and personalized versions of my favorite dishes. Decorative Accessories Now that I've created my recipes, it's time to add some extra flair with decorative accessories! Craft stores are the perfect place for finding one-of-a-kind items like hand painted designs and vintage embellishments. These pieces will instantly give each recipe card a unique look and feel. Plus, with all the colors and textures available in craft stores these days, I'm sure to find something special for every dish I have. It's so fun to browse around and get creative when picking out decorations - who knows what kind of beautiful creations I'll come up with! With just a few simple additions from the craft store, my recipes can become truly extraordinary works of art. Specialty Stores Moving on from craft stores, specialty stores are another great place to find recipe cards. These retail establishments generally have cookbook collections that feature various recipes with unique ingredients. Many also offer pre-made recipe cards in their aisles so you can pick and choose what works best for you. The advantage of shopping at specialty stores is that they often carry hard-to-find items like spices, herbs, and sauces not available anywhere else. This makes it easy to get the exact flavor profile you’re looking for without having to make trips all over town or order online. Plus, these shops usually provide helpful staff who know their product lines inside and out and can help point customers toward just the right item. All in all, specialty stores are an excellent option if you want to find some truly special recipe cards for your collection. Vintage Stores I love exploring vintage stores for recipe cards. It's always so much fun to flip through different boxes and find something unexpected. I'm often surprised by the variety of recipes available in antique markets and second-hand shops. You can easily find all kinds of traditional or modern recipes, as well as ones from other countries and cultures. There are also plenty of rare finds that you won't be able to get anywhere else. If you're lucky enough, you might even come across a card signed by someone famous! Even if it's not an autograph, any recipe card with its own history is a great addition to my collection - it makes me feel connected to everyone who cooked this dish before me. Vintage stores offer lots of unique items beyond just recipe cards too; like old kitchen utensils or cookbooks written decades ago. So don't forget to take your time browsing the shelves because there could be some interesting surprises waiting for you! Diy Recipe Cards Creating your own recipe cards can be an incredibly rewarding and creative experience. For those looking for a unique way to showcase their favorite dishes, DIY recipe cards are the perfect solution. With just a few easy steps, you can create beautiful, personalized card that will make meal planning easier than ever before. Designing your own recipe cards is simple and fun. Start by choosing a desired format - like photo postcards or letter-sized paper - then choose a theme or style that reflects your personality and culinary tastes. From there, pick out any decorative elements you'd like to include - such as colorful borders or images of food - to give it added flair! Finally, get creative with the recipes themselves; use bright colors and eye-catching fonts to really make them stand out on the page. Making homemade recipe cards doesn't have to be overwhelming either; start small with simple ingredients and instructions, adding more complex flavors and techniques over time if desired. Plus, with all the creative ideas available online for inspiration, creating unique recipes has never been easier! So grab some supplies, fire up Pinterest, and get ready to craft some delicious one-of-a-kind creations that everyone in your family will love. Frequently Asked Questions How Long Should I Store My Recipe Cards? Organizing recipes can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be! Whether you choose to store your recipe cards digitally or physically, the important thing is that you find a system that works for you. Storing them digitally will make them easier to access and organize; however, if you prefer having physical copies of your recipes then they should be kept in an organized binder or folder so they're easy to find when needed. As far as how long to store your recipe cards goes - that's up to you! Keep them around as long as the recipes remain relevant or until you want to update them with new ones. Are Recipe Cards Expensive? Recipe cards can be a great way to organize and collect your favorite recipes. Depending on where you get them, they don’t have to be expensive either! You can find recipe cards at most grocery stores for just a few dollars per pack. If you search online, there are even more options available with different designs or styles that may better suit your needs - plus many of these sites offer discounts or free shipping too. Can I Share My Recipe Cards With Friends? Yes, you can easily share your recipe cards with friends! Whether you’re looking to gift a friend or family member one of your favorite recipes, send them the card digitally so they have it forever. It’s also an excellent option for sharing multiple recipes if you have too many to give away in physical form. Plus, there are plenty of digital platforms and apps that make this easy so get creative and get sharing! How Do I Protect My Recipe Cards From Damage? Organizing and protecting your recipe cards is key to ensuring they last for years. To protect them from damage, you can customize a recipe book with tabs or dividers to easily access the recipes you need. Additionally, consider using plastic covers to protect each card from spills and other kitchen mishaps. You could even laminate them if you want an extra layer of protection! With these measures in place, you'll be able to keep your precious family recipes safe without worrying about having to replace them anytime soon. Do I Need To Buy Special Materials To Make Diy Recipe Cards? Making your own recipe cards can be a great way to save money and show off your creative side. But do you need to buy special materials? The answer is, it depends on what kind of design options and choices you want for your recipe cards. If you're looking for something more basic, like just cutting paper into card shapes or printing out some designs from the internet, then no special materials are required. However if you want to get fancy with lamination, calligraphy pens, glitter glue or other craft supplies, then yes - that could require an investment in additional materials. Conclusion In conclusion, recipe cards are a great way to store and share your favorite recipes. They can be found in many different places, from stores to online retailers. It’s important to take care of them so they will last for years: make sure you store them properly and protect them from damage. You don't need special materials to make homemade recipe cards either - just some cardstock or paper, plus a few other supplies that you likely already have around the house. All in all, having recipe cards is an affordable and fun way to keep track of your favorite dishes! Read the full article

[esoehh]

Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites by Monica Eng and David Hammond

Book Details: 

Title: Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites

Author: Monica Eng and David Hammond

Publisher: 3 Fields Books; First edition

Pages: 168

Release Date: March 21, 2023 

Genre: Travel Dining Reference 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

Italian beef and hot dogs get the headlines. Cutting-edge cuisine and big-name chefs get the Michelin stars. But Chicago food shows its true depth in classic dishes conceived in the kitchens of immigrant innovators, neighborhood entrepreneurs, and mom-and-pop visionaries.

Monica Eng and David Hammond draw on decades of exploring the city’s food landscape to serve up thirty can’t-miss eats found in all corners of Chicago. From Mild Sauce to the Jibarito and from Taffy Grapes to Steak and Lemonade, Eng and Hammond present stories of the people and places behind each dish while illuminating how these local favorites reflect the multifaceted history of the city and the people who live there. Each entry provides all the information you need to track down whatever sounds good and selected recipes even let you prepare your own Flaming Saganaki or Akutagawa.

Generously illustrated with full-color photos, Made in Chicago provides locals and visitors alike with loving profiles of a great food city’s defining dishes.

My Thoughts: Awesome Combination

Made in Chicago is an awesome combination. It's a travel guide, history book and cookbook all rolled into one. Add some great photographs to that and you have a real winner! The collection includes many of Chicago's iconic foods that reflect the wonderful variety of cultures of the city. 

Having lived most of my life just thirty minutes outside of Chicago, I spent many hours and days in the city. One of the things I've always enjoyed the most is trying the different foods that the city is known for. The authors have flawlessly taken those foods and provided their histories, recipes  and some wonderful pictures which make this such a wonderful collection. Whether you're a foodie, a Chicago traveler, or just plain curious, this book is definitely for you. You won't be disappointed. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

                       -------------------------------------------------

About the Authors:  

Monica Eng is a reporter for Axios Chicago and cohost of the podcast Chewing. She has worked as a food, culture, and investigative reporter at WBEZ Chicago Public Radio and at the Chicago Tribune, where she was nominated for five James Beard Awards for writing. David Hammond is Dining and Drinking Editor for Newcity/Chicago magazine. He regularly writes on food- and drink-related topics for Wednesday Journal and the Chicago Tribune. He is a founding member/moderator of LTHForum.com, a site celebrating Chicago’s mom-and-pop restaurants.

[but-master]

What’s your favorite pastry or fruit?

"I think I'd have to say that it's the bryndons that the castle kitchen makes! They don't make them too often, but I love them!

As for fruit, sometimes we get strawberries here, and those aren't bad! Fruit is a bit of a luxury, though, so I don't get to eat it often!"

[practicalsolarpunk]

I was raised by parents who never taught me the basics of anything. I’m trying to learn how to do the basics of taking care of myself and others in a solar punk way. Do you have any recommendations on where to start. All i know how to do is sew and i have a basic grip on how to garden

This is a really fantastic question, and I actually have a basics/getting started masterpost in progress that you'll probably find helpful once I get it finished. In the meantime, here are some thoughts.

When it comes to deciding where to start, many people want to jump into something big - start a community garden or organize a renter's union in their building or convert their whole apartment to solar power. But if you're starting from a place of "my parents taught me nothing useful," think smaller. Learn how to take care of yourself first, and then you can expand it to others. Like a garden, you have to plant the tiny seeds first and invest time and water in them before you get big plants that can feed others.

Since you didn't mention any specific basics or skills you want resources and thoughts on, I'm going to cover a lot of general ones here. If there are specific areas you want more information/resources on, please feel free to respond (or send in another ask)!

Gardening: I stand by the assertion that the best way to learn about gardening is throw some seeds at some dirt and see what happens. If you're an apartment-dweller with no balcony or patio, try a small pot or a bottle tower garden in a windowsill. Even one of those houseplants that survives in low light will give you experience in what a plant needs to live. This post has some resources for gardening without spending money.

Sewing: I don't know if your sewing skills extend to mending, but if not, it's definitely something to look into! I've made entire dresses and quilts and I still find most of my sewing is repairing and mending other stuff. We have a mending tag, but I also love YouTube for this. Searching "how to mend X" (e.g. "how to mend hole in crotch of jeans") gives you a bunch of awesome tutorials. (And if you want to learn more sewing techniques, I highly recommend historical sewers on YouTube - Bernadette Banner and Morgan Donner are my favorites.)

Cooking: This is one of those things that's great for you (easier to feed yourself), great for gardening (growing fresh veggies is even more useful if you can cook things out of them), and great for community (humans be bonding over food). I don't have any particular resources for this, as my general philosophy is "if you can read, you can cook" - a good recipe will tell you everything you need to know to make it. If you don't have a good cookbook to work from, Smitten Kitchen has very clear recipes, many of which aren't difficult or time-consuming at all.

Building Community: One of the foundations of solarpunk is that it's about community. Even if you start out doing it by yourself, eventually you need a community to do bigger things. My favorite way to start is by meeting the neighbors. Taking over some food (cookies are great) and introducing yourself is a great way to open a relationship. We also have a community building tag for more ideas.

Finances: Not the most solarpunk of topics, but we have to be able to financially survive the current capitalist hellscape if we want to be able to do anything useful for anyone. I highly recommend Bitches Get Riches for this (website here, tumblr here). They're not specifically solarpunk, but they do have the "anticapitalist punk big sister" thing going on.

Integrate the 7 R's: There are more R's to sustainable living than just "Reduce Reuse Recycle". See this post for a primer.

Explore permaculture as a design system: Permaculture is often understood as a method of gardening, which isn't really accurate. It's actually a design system that can be used for a bunch of different areas of your life to make them more eco-friendly/solarpunk. I highly recommend Heather Jo Flores's work for more about this concept - this article is a good place to start.

I'm sure there are more things that I'm not thinking of right now. If you have more specific questions or topics you want me to cover, please ask! I love tracking down resources for people, too, so if I don't already have something I'll do my very best to find it.

- Mod J

[ptergwen]

i saw this tik tok where someone give their bf custom lego figures of them self’s (the small ones and they were so cute:,)) ) and i was wondering if you could write something where the reader gives that (and more like a camera!) to peter for christmas:)

(and may and happy and there too!)

warnings: some suggestiveness? kinda?

a/n: merry christmas to everyone celebrating i hope today is filled with love and light for you all and that you stay safe <3 enjoy! more to come :D

-

you’re at peter’s and aunt may’s for your intimate christmas celebration, along with happy. the four of you are huddled in a circle in the living room while you exchange gifts.

may kicked it off with a cookbook from peter. it also serves as a gift for himself, since he’ll no longer be subjected to taste testing her experimental recipes. peter’s turn is next, following the order of the circle.

“alright, what’s it gonna be?” peter asks around your group.

he rubs his hands together as he looks over the pile of presents.

“how about that one?” may points to the one in question. “i just love the wrapping, those little dancing elves.”

she glances between you and happy as if to ask who it’s from. you nod toward happy with a snicker, his cheeks burning bright red.

“you did this, hap?” may gawks and gestures to the carefully decorated box. “the bow and all?”

happy scoffs, trying to downplay his efforts.

“kid deserves something nice,” he replies. “besides, dum-e helped.”

may leans into happy so she can plant a grateful kiss on his cheek, which earns a teasing wiggle of your eyebrows.

step-uncle of the year.

peter is still preoccupied by sorting through presents. he finds another that piques his interest, holding it up to his ear and shaking.

“y/n?” peter calls for your input. “what d’you think about this one?”

your face lights up upon recognizing the present in his hands.

“ooh, that’s from me!” you squeeze peter’s knee. “you’re gonna love it, pete. open it, open it!”

peter grins at your excitement, bumping his knee with yours gently. you hook both arms around his bicep and rest your chin on his shoulder.

“i’ll do yours after, happy,” he decides, your gift seated in his lap. “but first, i gotta know what’s in here.”

“sure, kid. it’s not going anywhere… i hope,” happy mumbles the last part.

he hopes?

rubbing his arm for comfort, may flashes you and peter a smile.

“well, you heard the lady. open it!” she encourages. “pressure’s on, huh?” peter chuckles, gazing over at you.

you take one of his hands and set it atop the box in response.

peter sees you beaming through his peripherals when he begins to tear the paper. he does so painstakingly slow, eyes continuing to dart from the box to you. this waiting game is torture because you’ve been anticipating his reaction for the longest.

the gasp peter lets out once he finally has it open makes the suspense worth it.

“no way!” he squeaks. “is this me as a freaking lego?”

sure enough, the figure is dressed in peter’s usual attire of a flannel and cargo pants with his gelled hair to match. it’s accurate even down to the smile.

there’s also a lego to resemble you. peter retrieves it from its case before his own.

“and, oh my god! this is you!”

he waves it around to show may and happy. may pushes up her glasses to get a better look, happy’s brows raised curiously.

“y/n,” peter actually giggles your name. “babe, this is… these are… they’re awesome! how’d you do this?”

you tilt your head up towards him with your same toothy smile.

“they’re custom made,” you reveal. “‘cuz i know you have, like, every other lego set in existence. not this one, though.”

peter pecks your lips sweetly, his free hand settling on your thigh.

“thank you so much, baby,” he speaks only loud enough for you to hear. “you managed to combine my two favorite things. you, and legos.”

“aw, pete. of course,” you coo. “you’re the sweetest. merry christmas, my love.”

peter pulls you in for more kisses, you gladly reciprocating.

“blew our gifts right out of the water,” may whispers to happy, shooing at the legos. “we’ll see about that,” happy challenges.

you break the kiss with a mischievous smirk, grabbing both of the legos. peter chews on his lower lip.

“wanna play?” you prompt him.

he takes his lego back from you and lowers his voice to respond, tone serious as he warns…

“don’t tell ned.”

[librarian-stacks]

17 Days of 17

Day 3: wonwoo+purple+books

a/n: please do not repost/edit/steal this drabble. it is fluff. i tried something different.

————————————————————————

You scan the titles on the shelves, not really looking for anything in particular, but more so just wasting time while your boyfriend shops for his own selection. You had left him somewhere in the philosophy section, but that was nearly ten minutes ago, so who knows where he is now. He just handed you his iced americano, and said he would be right back, leaving you to browse on your own.

Not that you minded. You enjoyed the bookstore dates you two would take, usually with a coffee in hand as you two wandered through the shelves. Sometimes you two didn’t find anything, other times it was armfuls of interesting titles. Today, however, you aren’t having much luck in finding anything that interests you.

“Did you find anything?”

You turn to see Wonwoo standing there, balancing about four books in his arms, and you can’t help but let out a short laugh. “No, but it seems like you did,” you tease as you reach over to take the thickest book from him.

He shrugs and shoots you a lopsided smile as thanks, repositioning the other three in one arm. “I didn’t find anything in the philosophy section, but I found a couple in humanities. And a poetry book that looked interesting,” he explains. “And a cookbook for Mingyu. He was saying he needs new recipes to try.”

You grin at his words and lean over to kiss his cheek lightly. “You’re so cute when you talk books.” You pause as you hold out his coffee to him, and he takes it after pushing his glasses back up his nose. “You ready to go then?” you ask.

He shakes his head and glances around. “I wanted to look in the music section too,” he answers as his eyes settle back on you. “Is that okay?”

“Of course it’s okay. I’m not going to tell you no.” You hook your finger through his back belt loop and smile as you follow him through the shelves. You stop short, however, causing him to stumble backwards into you with a grunt.

He blinks and turns to you in confusion, only to see you staring at a shelf loaded with classic titles. “What?” he asks, trying to figure out which book you are looking at.

You let go of him and near the shelf, reaching for a purple and silver cover with your free hand. “Babe. Edgar Allen Poe,” you nearly whisper. You rub your thumb along the ornate silver detailing around the border of the cover, smiling as you read the words “The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe” in a crimson script on a deep violet background.

Wonwoo tips his head as he steps to your side, resting his chin on your shoulder. “I like the cover.” He pauses as he kisses your cheek, smiling as you continue to stare at it. “Get it. You don’t have any Poe at home.”

You bite your lip and look over at him, furrowing your brow. “I don’t know. It’s just one of those silly bookstore classic collections,” you protest, your gaze dropping back down.

He nudges you gently with his shoulder and smiles wider. “Yes. Besides, the cover is awesome. You love purple,” he points out.

You stare at the cover a moment longer, before nodding once and stacking it on top of the thick book already tucked into your side. “You’re bad for my bank account, Jeon Wonwoo.”