#Mini Ice Cube Tray Recipes

[spendingyen]

Mocha Frappe and Grimace Shake

First the recipe for Mocha Frappe

Ingredients:

3 cups of brewed coffee

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup chocolate syrup

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup of half and half

3 tablespoons whipped cream

and 3 tablespoons of chocolate syrup

set aside 1 1/2 cups of the coffee for the frappe and freeze the remaining coffee in an ice cube tray, this might take over night so when you make this mocha frappe, make sure to plan ahead 🙏

Place the ice cubes in the blender

and add the chilled coffee, sugar, chocolate syrup, milk, half and half. Then blend them all together until it’s all combined!

And serve! this can serve about three people depending on the size of your cup

Feel free to add whip cream or more chocolate syrup

omg and cocoa powder if ur feeling extra

(mini mochis make the drink really fun to drink too, coffee jelly too!)

by the way, i haven’t experimented this yet but if you want a caffeine free one, chocolate milk works

just freeze the chocolate milk and do the same thing!

Now Grim𒅒𒈔𒆙-

the Grimace Shake recipe! 💜

ingredients:

1 cup of frozen blueberries

1/2 cups frozen raspberries

2 scoops of vanilla icecream (i already have a recipe for vanilla icecream so let me know if you want home made icecream for this one)

1/2 cup whole milk

unfortunately the color of the shake in this recipe wouldn’t be the funky purple you see from mcdonald’s, so i think the naturally solution is more berries unless you resort to food coloring 💔

but even if you add more berries, it wont come out to look like the mcdonald’s grimace purple or whatever they put in it (i’m a bit unhappy about using food coloring in my stuff 😅)

in a blender add the blueberries, raspberries, whole milk and vanilla icecream, (if your using food coloring, put it in the blender)

and blend until it’s all smooth

and serve! feel free to add whip cream and maybe extra berries for decoration, and i’m gonna say this again mini mochi makes it so fun to enjoy 😻

[bathsalt12]

What Are Shower Steamers?

Bath Salt shower steamers are specially crafted tablets designed to transform your daily shower into an aromatic and therapeutic experience. When placed in your shower, these steamers release essential oils and fragrances that envelop you in a soothing or invigorating mist, making your shower feel like a mini spa session. Unlike bath bombs, which are designed for soaking in the tub, shower steamers work with the steam and water from your shower, offering a quick and convenient way to enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy.

Benefits of Using Bath Salt Shower Steamers

Aromatherapy: Infused with pure essential oils, our shower steamers offer targeted aromatherapy benefits, helping to relax, energize, or relieve sinus congestion.

Convenience: Perfect for those who don’t have time for a long bath but still want to indulge in self-care.

Versatility: Whether you’re starting your day with an energizing boost or winding down with calming scents, our steamers cater to your specific needs.

How They Differ from Bath Bombs

Bath bombs are designed for immersion in bathwater, creating a colorful and fragrant soak. Shower steamers, however, are activated by water and steam in the shower. They don’t dissolve in a tub but instead fizz on the shower floor, releasing their scents directly into the steam. This makes them perfect for shower lovers who want the benefits of bath bombs without the need for a bath.

Types of Bath Salt Shower Steamers

Our Bath Salt shower steamers come in a variety of formulations, each designed to address specific needs:

Relaxation Steamers

Infused with soothing essential oils like lavender and chamomile, our relaxation steamers help to calm the mind and body, making them perfect for evening showers.

Energizing Steamers

Start your day with a burst of energy by using our energizing steamers, featuring invigorating scents such as citrus, peppermint, and eucalyptus.

Sinus-Relief Steamers

Combat congestion and breathe easier with our sinus-relief steamers, which contain powerful essential oils like eucalyptus, peppermint, and tea tree.

Aromatherapy Steamers

Tailored to enhance your emotional well-being, our aromatherapy steamers include blends like rosemary for mental clarity, ylang-ylang for mood enhancement, and geranium for balance.

How to Use Bath Salt Shower Steamers

To maximize the benefits of your Bath Salt shower steamers, follow these simple steps:

Safety Precautions

Always check the ingredients for potential allergens, especially if you have sensitive skin. Avoid using steamers with harsh chemicals or artificial fragrances. Consult a healthcare provider if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding before using steamers with certain essential oils.

Duration of Use

Our shower steamers are designed to last the entire duration of your shower, typically dissolving over 5-10 minutes. For longer showers, consider using two steamers.

Ideal Water Temperature

Use warm to hot water to create enough steam to disperse the essential oils throughout your shower, enhancing the aromatherapy experience.

Proper Placement in the Shower

Place the steamer on the shower floor, but away from direct water flow. This will allow it to dissolve slowly, releasing its fragrance over time.

DIY Shower Steamer Recipes

If you’re feeling creative, you can make your own shower steamers at home. Here’s a basic guide:

Basic Recipe Ingredients

1 cup baking soda

1/2 cup citric acid

1/2 cup cornstarch

Water in a spray bottle

20-30 drops of your chosen essential oils

Customization Ideas

Personalize your steamers by adding dried herbs, flower petals, or natural colorants. You can also adjust the strength of the scent by varying the amount of essential oils used.

Storage Tips

Store your homemade steamers in an airtight container to prevent them from absorbing moisture. Keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

Mold Options

Use silicone molds in fun shapes or even ice cube trays to create custom steamers that fit your style.

Essential Oil Combinations

Experiment with combinations like lavender and eucalyptus for relaxation, or lemon and peppermint for an energizing shower experience.

Best Practices for Maximum Enjoyment

To fully enjoy your Bath Salt shower steamers, incorporate these best practices:

Incorporating into Your Self-Care Routine

Make shower steamers a part of your daily self-care ritual by choosing scents that match your mood or the time of day.

Creating a Spa-Like Atmosphere

Enhance your shower experience by dimming the lights, playing soft music, and using a plush bathrobe to create a relaxing, spa-like environment.

Pairing Steamers with Complementary Products

For an even more luxurious experience, pair your steamers with our Bath Salt body scrubs, lotions, or facial masks that complement the steamer’s scent profile.

Buying Guide: Choosing Quality Shower Steamers

When selecting shower steamers, consider these factors to ensure you get the best product:

Price Range and Value Considerations

Our Bath Salt shower steamers offer a range of options from affordable to premium, ensuring there’s something for every budget without compromising on quality.

Popular Brands and Reviews

Look for brands like Bath Salt that are known for using natural ingredients and have positive customer reviews. Our steamers are crafted with care and loved by many for their potency and effectiveness.

Red Flags to Avoid

Avoid steamers with artificial fragrances, synthetic dyes, or harsh chemicals. These can irritate the skin and diminish the benefits of aromatherapy.

Ingredients to Look For

Choose steamers made with natural essential oils, baking soda, citric acid, and other gentle ingredients. Look for added benefits like menthol crystals or organic herbs that can enhance the steamer’s effects.

With Bath Salt shower steamers, you can elevate your daily shower into a rejuvenating and aromatic experience, perfect for any time of day. Whether you’re looking to relax, invigorate, or simply indulge in some self-care, our steamers are a simple yet effective way to bring a little luxury into your routine.

[aaalanasblog]

🌸 DIY Collagen Gummy Recipe 🌸

On my weight loss journey, reprogramming how I eat and think about food has been key to losing 70+ pounds while building muscle and keeping my skin’s elasticity.

I wanted to find ways to make my favorite snacks healthy and ended up making these gummies!

They’re packed with protein and collagen, helping rebuild muscle, hydrate the skin, strengthen the bones, help with signs of aging in the skin, and more. You can easily get 20-40g of protein with this alone!

Eat these whenever you have that “I need something sweet” thought 🤠

You’ll only need the following things and 20-30 minutes (15 of them spent waiting for the trays to cool down):

• 2 cups of your juice of choice (I used Lipton Citrus Green Tea + POM pomegranate juice together)

• Fruit Puree: 1 cup of frozen fruit + 1 tbsp of honey + a squeeze of lemon juice

• (optional) 1.25 scoop of Super Reds Powder (jam-packed with antioxidants and vitamins)

• 16-20 tbsps of Grass-Fed Gelatin (the kind I use is linked here!)

• Mini-Ice Cube Trays (the kind I have is linked. It includes the storage and scoop too!)

• Other tools: a large measuring cup, large pot, spoon, and whisk

Steps:

1. Put your fruit purée ingredients into a pot on medium heat (add a splash of water or leftover juice if you’d like!)

2. Once cooked down, mash with a spoon (or use an immersion blender if you have one)

3. Add your juice of choice to the pot and mix together

4. (Optional) Add the Super Reds powder and whisk together

5. Slowly whisk in the gelatin powder. Continue to whisk until fully dissolved.

*tip: the warmer the liquid is, the easier it is for the gelatin to dissolve!*

6. Once it’s hot enough to almost simmer, transfer everything back to the large measuring cup

7. Pour into your molds. Be careful to not use too much in each tray!!

8. Pop into the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

Done! 💘

[lizseyi]

Flavour Blaster™ Gift Guide - From Stocking Fillers To Unique Gift Ideas, We Have It All!

We all know how fun a Flavour Blaster can be whilst working behind the bar - it’s time to bring the magic home. 

Although we developed our Flavour Blaster with hospitality in mind, the experience of the aroma bubble was created for everybody, regardless of their bartending experience. 

With such a range of versatile aromas being a trigger pull away, even your grandparents can experience the joy of the Flavour Blaster! Remember, we’re not just an aroma bubble - we have so much more to offer! 

Whatever your budget, we have the perfect gift for your loved ones, so you can share your passion for mixology and their love of delicious drinks!

Flavour Blaster MINI

Of course we have to start with our showstopper gift - the Flavour Blaster MINI.

Designed as a pocket friendly, smaller version of our Pro 2 model, it’s the perfect size for your kitchen countertop or bar trolley without taking up too much space. Using disposable tanks rather than reusable, it’s as easy as filling the tank and pulling the trigger! Now you can impress all of your guests from the ease of your home! 

It’s the perfect gift for the gadget lover, foodie, home bartender or the person who has everything!

Gift Vouchers

Not sure what to get? Let them choose! 

We offer a range of vouchers redeemable across our site, so they can pick out what they want, when they want. 

Glassware

Looking for a more budget friendly stocking filler? Our bespoke glassware range is surely on their wishlist! 

Our quirky icecream, flamingo and jellyfish glasses are sure to impress, whether you’re a glassware aficionado or not! They're also now available in larger packs of 6*, perfect for family gatherings and parties! *UK only currently.

Looking for something more suave for the James Bond in your life? Our Diamond Rocks glassesare the perfect accompaniment for that bottle of Whiskey you have tucked under the tree. 

Would you like ice with that? 

Why settle for cloudy, broken ice when patterned, ultra clear ice is only a button click away! 

With our Ghost Ice kit, you can create crystal clear ice cubes that even bartenders will envy!

Impress your guests with patterned ice created in seconds by our Ice Designer Tray - simply place your ice on top of your chosen design and watch the pattern melt into the ice. 

The World's Best Cocktail Kit (UK only)

Looking to get a gift for the budding mixologist in your life? Why not treat them to our complete Cocktail Kit? It comes with everything you need to get started with cocktail shaking including speed pourers, two strainers, a shaker and jigger! 

Our cocktail kit is currently only available in the UK but sign up to our free loyalty scheme to be notified when they become available worldwide!

Cocktail Book

Need a quick stocking filler for under £15? Our cocktail book is the perfect addition to anyone's recipe book collection! With hand drawn original illustration and original recipes, it provides plenty of inspiration for your next cocktail night. 

[fabulousfamilyfinds]

Christmastime is Family Time.

Why not get the whole family involved in making some tasty treats for the big day. Whip up up a batch of Mince Pies or get creative with your own Gingerbread men. Check out these recipes below that are fun for all the family to enjoy, and be sure to show us your fantastic creations.

Polar bear peppermint creams

Ingredients

250g icing sugar

1 egg white, beaten

few drops of peppermint essence

15 chocolate sweets (we used Waitrose blue and green chocolate beans)

Method

STEP 1Sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl. Mix in the egg white, a little at a time – stop adding it when you have a soft dough that feels like plasticine.

STEP 2Add 3 drops of the peppermint essence, mix well and taste. Add another drop if it isn’t minty enough.

STEP 3Roll half the mixture into 15 balls, about the size of cherry tomatoes, then flatten them with your hand to make the bear heads.

STEP 4Place on sheets of baking parchment on a large board or tray. Using half the remaining mixture, make blueberry-sized balls and flatten them out onto the heads to make snouts. Add chocolate sweets for the noses.

STEP 5Use the rest of the mixture to make the ears. Shape them into tiny balls and press them gently into the top of the heads with your fingertips. Use a cocktail stick to shape the eyes.

STEP 6Leave the polar bears to dry for 3-4 hrs, or overnight. Eat within 1 month.

White chocolate unicorn bark

Ingredients

600g good-quality white chocolate broken into squares

food colouring gel of your choice (we used pink, purple, blue, yellow and green)

1-2 tsp hundreds and thousands

1 tbsp jelly sweets

4 tsp mini marshmallows

Method

STEP 1Measure all your ingredients into separate bowls. Heat the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-sec bursts until melted, stirring each time. Or put it in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) a pan of simmering water (an adult should help with this bit). Stir frequently until the chocolate has melted smoothly.

STEP 2Pour the melted chocolate into four or five small bowls. Use the food colouring to dye the chocolate in the colours you like best. Food colouring can be very strong, so start by adding a tiny amount, mixing well, then add more if you like.

STEP 3Line a large tray or board with baking parchment and spoon the different coloured chocolates onto the parchment in puddles, in any order you like. The different colours should start to join up and become one big puddle.

STEP 4Use a skewer or a cocktail stick to swirl the colours together, but don’t swirl too much, otherwise the colours will blend into one. Gently shake the tray from side to side to help the chocolate sit in an even layer and fill in any gaps.

STEP 5Decorate with your sprinkles, sweets and marshmallows. Leave the chocolate to set in a cool place, or overnight, until set hard. Then break it into pieces and place in gift boxes lined with baking parchment. Will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Christmas rocky road

Ingredients

100g butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for the tin

250g Christmas biscuits, such as shortbread or chocolate biscuits

75g shelled nuts (use up a bag of whole nuts, or bits and bobs from the baking cupboard)

100g mixed dried fruit (such as raisins, cherries or glacé ginger)

75g Christmas sweets (candy canes, marshmallows or jelly sweets)

400g milk or plain chocolate (or a mixture of both), chopped

140g golden syrup (weigh this straight into the pan you will use for melting)

2 tbsp sprinkles, or more sweets, to decorate

Method

STEP 1Butter and line a 20cm square tin, or use a 20cm square silicone mould. Break the biscuits into pieces – they need to be no smaller than a pea, but not too chunky or your rocky road won’t hold together.

STEP 2Halve any larger nuts either by snapping them or carefully cutting with a knife, then combine them with the biscuits. Halve any large pieces of dried fruit and chop or snap sweets into smaller pieces, then add these to the bowl.

STEP 3Melt 300g of the chocolate, the butter and the golden syrup carefully in a pan set over a low heat, stirring occasionally, then pour this over the biscuit and nut mixture and mix together so the chocolate covers everything.

STEP 4Tip the mixture into the tin, then level the top – it doesn’t need to be completely smooth. Melt the remaining chocolate in the microwave in short blasts, or in a heatproof bowl over a small pan of simmering water, then drizzle this over the top and sprinkle with the decorations. Chill for at least 3 hrs or overnight before cutting into squares. Will keep in the fridge for three to four days.

Gingerbread men

Ingredients

225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

salt

2tsp bicarbonate of soda

ground ginger

cinnamon

75g unsalted butter

100g soft brown sugar

100g golden syrup

Method

STEP 1Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Sieve the flour, salt, bicarb, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Heat the butter, sugar and syrup until dissolved. Leave the sugar mixture to cool slightly, then mix into the dry ingredients to form a dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 mins.

STEP 2On a surface lightly dusted with flour, roll out the dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Stamp out the gingerbread men shapes with a cutter, then re-roll any off-cuts and repeat. Place your gingerbread shapes on the lined trays, allowing space for them to spread. Cook for 10-15 mins, then remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Mince pies

Ingredients

1 large jar mincemeat (about 600g)

2 satsumas, segmented and finely chopped

1 apple, finely chopped

zest 1 lemon

little icing sugar, for dusting

For the pastry

375g plain flour

260g unsalted butter, softened

125g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

1 large egg, plus 1 beaten egg for glazing

Method

STEP 1Place 375g plain flour and 260g softened unsalted butter in a bowl and rub together to a crumb consistency.

STEP 2Add 125g caster sugar and 1 large beaten egg, and mix together.

STEP 3Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and fold until the pastry comes together, be careful not to over mix.

STEP 4Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 10 mins.

STEP 5Scoop the large jar of mincemeat into a bowl and add 2 segmented satsumas, 1 finely chopped apple and zest of 1 lemon.

STEP 6Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

STEP 7Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick.

STEP 8Using a round cutter (about 10cm), cut out 16 bases and place them into muffin trays. Put 1½ tbsp mincemeat mixture into each. Brush the edge of each pie with a little beaten egg.

STEP 9Re-roll out the pastry to cut 7cm lids and press them on top to seal. Glaze with the beaten egg, sprinkle with the extra caster sugar, then make a small cut in the tops.

STEP 10Bake the mince pies for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool before releasing them from the muffin trays and dusting with a little more icing sugar before serving.

For more inspiration and recipes see the link below, hours of fun to be had in the kitchen coming up to the big day. Just don't forget to leave some out for Santa and his busy and thirsty Reindeers!

[splootdogwalkers]

Beat the Heat with Homemade Dog Popsicles

Beat the summer heat and treat your furry friend to refreshing homemade dog pupsicles! These frozen treats are easy to make and provide a cool and tasty snack for your canine companion. Here's a simple recipe to get you started:

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana

• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt (make sure it's safe for dogs)

• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (xylitol-free; xylitol is toxic to dogs)

• 1/4 cup water

Optional Add-ins:

• Blueberries

• Strawberries

• Carrot bits

• Chopped apple (remove seeds and core)

Instructions:

1. In a blender or food processor, combine the ripe banana, plain yogurt, peanut butter, and water. Blend until you have a smooth mixture.

2. If you want to add some extra nutrients and flavors to the pupsicles, stir in some blueberries, strawberries, carrot bits, or chopped apple.

3. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays or silicone molds. You can also use small paper cups or a mini muffin tin if you don't have molds.

4. Place the molds or ice cube trays in the freezer and let them freeze for at least 3-4 hours or until completely solid.

5. Once the pupsicles are frozen, remove them from the molds and store them in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag.

6. Whenever your dog needs to cool down or deserves a special treat, give them one of these pupsicles. Be sure to supervise your dog while they enjoy their frozen treat, especially if it's their first time having one.

Fresh Dog Food Online Store India - These homemade dog pupsicles are a fantastic way to keep your furry friend hydrated and happy during hot summer days. The natural ingredients will make for a healthier alternative to store-bought treats, and you can customize the recipe to cater to your dog's taste preferences and dietary needs. Just remember to feed these treats in moderation, as they are meant to be a special occasional treat and not a regular part of their diet. Enjoy the summer with your pup!

[roses-red-and-pink]

Oh also recipe if anyone wants it. My husband can’t have butter (or any saturated fat 😕) so these are vegan.

Dark chocolate (I just buy a big bar and chop it up and melt it)

Filling base recipe

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp non-dairy milk

1/4 tsp flavouring

Melt chocolate and coat the bottoms and sides of your molds (I use mini ice cube trays from the dollar store). Set in fridge for 15 min or until firm. Make sure the sides are sturdy/thick enough. Fill each chocolate with your filling. It should be the consistency of a thick paste. The above filling recipe fills about 6 chocolates. Cover the filling with more melted chocolate. At this point you can add a topping to let you know what is inside such as coconut or almonds. set for an hour in fridge. Pop out of mold and enjoy.

Filling variations

-orange extract with almonds on top

-add 1 1/2 Tbsp shredded coconut

-mint extract (use only a few drops of extract bc it’s strong)

-peanut butter instead of the sugar filling

-maple extract with walnuts on top

Homemade chocolates. Flavours are mint (no topping), orange (almond topping) coconut (coconut topping) peanut (peanut topping).

My husband has so many food sensitivities that buying chocolates is a no go. But luckily he loves my homemade ones! I’m excited to surprise him when he gets home.

[sweetnsour1]

4:00:04

Fluff, Todoroki x female reader, part 4 of 6

Go back to Part 1

“Shoto, can I use you real quick?” You glared at Mina before she could say anything. She shut her mouth, but stuck out her tongue before turning back to her phone.

“Yes, of course.”

"Perfect!" You smiled at him before leading him away from the sofa.

You showed him the two silicone trays on the kitchen counter. He looked closer and saw one was made up of skulls and the other was smiley faces. A different colored liquid was in each tray.

“Can you freeze these so I don’t have to wait? Pretty please.” You clasped your hands together and widened your eyes. He hummed and touched them softly. The frost spread across the trays. You looked down at them and frowned.

“Oh shoot. I forgot to put the sticks in first.”

“I’m sorry, y/n. Should I melt them?” Your waved away his apology.

“Don’t worry, Sho. Ice cubes are even better. They won’t know the difference anyway.”

“Who are they for?”

“Zuku..." You pointed at the bright yellow tray before the black. "...and the brat.”

“Oh.” You poked at his side, choosing to ignore that all you felt was muscle.

“Don’t be jealous. I made some for you earlier."

"You did?" You grinned at the way his eyes sparkled at the news. You turned to the freezer.

"They’re in there though. Didn’t want you to make your own…Oh, they might be done now!"

You practically bounced across the room in your excitement to unveil your project. Honestly, you had only made some for your friends as an afterthought. You started to worry it might seem weird that you made something just for Todoroki. Although...you had.

You pulled out a tray that was noticeably larger than the two he had helped you with. He was predictably quiet as you set it on the counter and slid it towards him. There were four light green snowflakes with green popsicle sticks placed inside. You watched his face for any signs of annoyance. He'd never been annoyed with you before, but there was always a first time, right?

"Um, I tried to pick a flavor that'd go with your lunch...let me know if they're awful. I should've tasted it before-" He popped one in his mouth. You hadn't even noticed he grabbed it from the tray. You blushed as he pulled it out again and licked where it was beginning to melt. He tilted his head and his hair fell, showing off the grey eye and hiding the blue. Damn...you loved when he did that. So cute.

"Wasabi." He traced his tongue along the snowflake once more. "And apple?"

"Oh, well the recipe was Green Apple and Wasabi...and there's also some lime. Sorry, did I put too much wasabi?"

"No." Your eyes followed his tongue as it ran across his lips this time. "It's delicious."

Your body moved before you realized what you were doing. Your lips brushed against his. You jumped away from him when you felt his body stiffen at your touch.

"I'm-I'm so sorry. I don't know why I-I have to...not be here now."

You ran out of the room, leaving a very stunned hero with popsicle dripping down his hand.

Poor Shoto...one day he'll get to the end of his confession mini series.

Read part 5

Until then, here's the masterlist.

Join the tag list

[lovely-necromancy]

A Cure for Insomnia CH. 10

Even with the fatigue you felt after your laughing tic, you couldn't go to sleep at all last night. Which isn't a big deal, after all you are a chronic insomniac who has had an on off sleep schedule this week.

After twelve fifty-two hit and you still weren't tired or even close to doing your tired tics you did the only thing you could think to do on this technical Saturday morning. You started on your weekly tidy of the house. Bless whatever powers at be that you ended up in this cottage outside of town rather than an apartment unit surrounded by neighbors. The amount of complaints you would've gotten would have surely gotten you evicted.

It's not like you could stop this behavior, well you could but if you start doing nothing when you have spurts of insomnia you'll get lazier when you need to be productive. Banking on the fact that you'll just do it when you have insomnia. It happened all the time when you were in school, and while that worked for a while it wasn't a healthy way to cope with your sleep disorder.

You've found doing productive things or anything you would do when the sun was up typically helps you regulate you circadian rhythm faster than it ever did when you just laid in bed praying for sleep to take you.

It isn't at all surprising when you finish your chores around two forty that morning. With nothing better to do and not being at all in the mood to do any attempt at art or reading. You decide to settle in to watch a movie. It starts with scrolling through Netflix and seeing Coraline, then that turns into Paranorman, which turned into Corpse Bride, several episodes of the old Twilight Zone.

By the time you were finished with the fourth episode it was already one in the afternoon. You really needed to start baking if you wanted fresh cookies for the movie tonight. Setting up your monster movie hard drive to play a movie for background noise you set out on baking.

It's a super simple recipe you started using back in high school but it's always a hit at parties. Maybe it's because you fold candies, chocolates, nuts, or whatever topping into each cookie individually. You can't say for sure but everyone loves them, and you think that's nice.

Creaming butter while the sounds of a woman screaming in agony as a zombie eats her lower intestine seems very much on point for you. However, you soon find yourself drowning out the movie as you hyper focus on the mixing of ingredients. You tripled the recipe, hoping to make a mixture of mini sugar cookies, mini chocolate chip cookies, and mini mini M&M cookies. If you had thought about it more you might have grabbed a jar of maraschino cherries to add them to the mix. Although you think three batches of mini cookies might be a little excessive so four may have been overkill.

'Oh well, no turning back now.' you think preheating the oven for four hundred degrees and roll tiny half inch dough balls while you wait.

After about fifteen minutes you assume the oven is hot enough to start baking. You line the first tray up all with sugar cookies. You only get two thirds of the bowl down on that tray. It was your biggest one too. Setting a timer for ten minutes so you could turn the cookies to let them bake for another three after that, you turn your attention to folding a handful of chocolate chips into the next bowl's dough balls. Placing the new chocolate chip dough into the bowl holding the rest of the sugar cookie dough as you go. You nearly finish that when the timer goes off to spin the tray. Honestly at this rate all your dough will be ready before you even have one bowl down. You hope you can finish baking in time for the movie.

It's five o' two by the time you put the last batch in the oven. You've been cleaning as the cookies baked and now your kitchen is nearly clean once more. Just a few more dishes to do after that batch comes out and you pack up the cookies.

Letting the most recent batch have a chance to cool you start placing all the cookies in your three largest containers. You'll need to grab a fourth container for the last of the cookies, but all the cool cookies are now ready for transport.

And with how early in the evening it is you should eat something now so you can have some room for snacks later. Time to finish off that pizza. Taking a slice out to the bins and placing it neatly on the ground for Chonk, whenever it is he decides to come and claim it, you turn back around to finish baking and get your dinner. After pulling the cookies out and setting them to cool you reheat your dinner for tonight.

Sitting down, plate in hand, you're just able to catch the shift into the next movie. Teen Wolf 1985 starring Micheal J. Foxx. Not a scary movie by any means but you keep it in the storage drive for rainy days. And even though today isn't raining you think it'll be a good watch.

You can not believe how utterly painful that was to have just watched. It was so average that it might as well not had the werewolf aspect at all! The acting was average, makeup was ok for the time, but the writing was just the worst. And the ending basket ball scene? It felt like a cheesy early 2000s Disney Channel original movie. You're pretty sure if you combined several Disney movies you'd have that exact plot. Hell Don't Look Under the Bed was scarier than that, and it was a better story too.

Checking the time you see you have about the average length of a Disney Channel movie before you have to leave. Good because you really want to watch Don't Look Under the Bed now. Switching over to your Disney+ account you find said movie and rush to put everything up as it runs through the beginning credits. With cookies packed away and the containers stacked and ready you plop back on your couch to immerse yourself in the early 2000s “horror”.

Just as the hand comes from under the bench to caress Fran a knock rings through your home, effectively startling you. Your eyes shift over to your front door, it's nearly eight thirty on a Saturday who or what is all this far out? Getting up from the couch you make your way over to your door, unlike every horror movie you have your phone and contacts pulled up and ready to dial. Phone behind your back and thumb hovering over Hollis' contact you open the door. Where three figures greet you.

Tim stands in front of the other two, dressed in dark jeans a gray tank top and red flannel with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. Brian stands behind him and to his right, he's wearing regular jeans and an olive v-neck. Jesus fucking Christ is it 2012 and no one told you? Toby off to Tim's left is in black jeans a black t-shirt with a green short sleeve button up that has a little alien head pattern. Well, they don't look like they're here to murder you with an ax, so you move the hand from behind your back and let it rest by your side.

Missing the two tense gazes as you move the appendage.

“...Um, hi?” what would normal people do in this situation? Was this even a normal situation to find yourself in, what with three men you've just met at your front door.

Tim seems to be looking for his words, he must be out of his element as well. On the other hand Brian seems content to let Tim flounder around for a bit, all the while Toby wrings his hands together. You can't tell if it's from nerves or his tics.

“Hey..uh, so you mentioned Saturday Dead. But we're new so..and we..” Tim is even worse with human interaction than you are.

“We were wondering if 'stop it' if you wanted to ride with us and give us directions.”

Oh that makes sense.

“Yea sure thing, c'mon in. I'll go get ready.”  You give the men some space to enter your home. Then lead them to your living room,

“Make yourselves comfy.” you say as you leave them to change.

Once in your room you lock the door, although you believe you have a good reading on Toby to not be the type you can't be too safe around new men.  You opt to change into the first shirt you grab from your closet, black t-shirt with several flatwoods monsters on it along with the phrase 'squad goals' and a pair a black joggers. Perfectly comfy for a chill movie night at the crypt.

“That was fast.” is the first thing you hear when you reenter the living room.

Toby had no problems making himself comfortable in your home, since he is sitting on the couch, seemingly watching the movie with your fidget cube in hand. Brian and Tim, on the other hand, were leaning on the wall separating the living room and kitchen.

“What d'you mean?” you asked Tim confused, tilting your head to the side.

“Well, uh” he seems embarrassed by this for some reason, “women normally take a long time changing is all.” Ooooooh now you get it he's a misogynist.

The room goes quiet with Tim's stupid opinion. Toby ceases all fidgeting, Brian however looks as though he's a cat that caught a canary. He must enjoy the pain and embarrassment of others, the dick.

“Mmmh I don't think that's true,” you'll let this one slide but Tim's on thin ice, “Anyway I'm not a woman. I'm trans agender.” Tim has the decency to look embarrassed for stuffing his foot into his mouth. But it isn't really his fault you never mentioned your pronouns or lack of gender to him, and you mix and match your masculine and feminine days. Understandably you won't blame him for not knowing your pronouns but that misogynistic comment will still be marked as a red flag.

“I am so sorry.” and he truly does sound sorry for the slip up.

You shake your head and shoo away his apology, “It's good, you didn't know.”

“We ready to go?” you ask looking around the room. Tim and Toby nod, the younger man moving off the couch to stand with you all when Brian speaks up.

“Actually, Toby don't you have to use the restroom?” Said man pauses on his way over to your little group, “No.” voice laced with confusion and irritation.

Tim jumps in with a stern, “I really think you should.” Toby cuts his eyes at Tim and Brian.

As weird as it is for one grown man to tell another to go to the bathroom, let alone two grown men, you quickly remember Toby's CIPA.

“Dude the drive itself is gonna be nearly an hour plus the two hour movie. The Cryptonomica only has one bathroom and like thirty people will be there tonight.” You assumed you'd also get a glare for insisting on the matter. But you only get Toby's furrowed brow in response and he looks uncomfortable right now, not intimidating. He's probably embarrassed that his new acquaintance...friend? Is also present for the topic of his bathroom habits.

With another glare to Tim and Brian, Toby pushes past you and down the hallway. Normally this would leave you in an awkward situation but thankfully you have escape tasks!

Marching over to the entertainment center you turn off the TV. Spotting your fidget cube on the table where Toby left it, you decide to pocket it just in case he'd want to use it for the movie.

A loud thud startles you and you look up to see Tim picking up a few books that fell from the bookshelf.

'Weird...' you think as you watch him place them back onto the shelf they fell from.

“A...sorry.” as he places them back you notice one side of the shelf is tilted downwards. It must've just lost that little nub that holds the shelf up in that corner. You probably have a few spares floating around in one of your trinket holders.

You give Tim a small 'it's fine' as you pass him on your way to the kitchen. Cookies all set on the counter you go over to your fridge and grab the popcorn bag off the top. Opening the fridge and retrieving the Surge for Kirby you are all set on your snacks for tonight.

Placing the Surge and popcorn on top of your cookie containers you go back to the living room to join the boys in waiting for Toby. Who is already coming out of the bathroom, drying his hands on his jeans....He knows you had a towel for that right?

“We should be good to leave now.” Brian says turning from Toby to you.

“Ok yea, after you guys.” you side stepped  back into the kitchen doorway to let the men pass you.

“Want some help?” Toby asked as he walked closer. And as much as you wanted to say no you had it, you really didn't want to drop the Surge and have a big mess everywhere.

Nodding to him, thinking he was just going to take the things at the top or even the top container with them. Toby reaches out and barely brushes your hands at the bottom before taking the entire load into his own arms.

It felt like someone rubbed sandpaper across your knuckles and fingers where his hands touched. The burning sensation persisted even long after his hands had moved away.

It's the first time you've gotten bad vibes from Toby's touch. He's probably in a bad mood, his touch hasn't held much intention before but this hurts. Or you could totally be reading too much into this with too little sleep and you just aren't having a tactile day. You never have tactile days really just small windows where if someone is lucky they can squeeze a pat on the shoulder or a high five out of you.

“Hey, that's not helping.” you call out following the men out of your home.

“It's not?” he asks, “Then what is it?” why's he have to sound so smug about this.

“Condescending.” Toby blinks in surprise at the no nonsense tone of your voice.

You weren't harsh with your words...at least you don't think so. You were just stern in how you said them, wanting to get your point across.

Turning from the men you lock your door and check twice to make sure. When you turn back to face them you grab the top two containers of cookies, and subsequently the popcorn and Surge laying atop it, from Toby.

“This is helping. I could do this much at least.” Toby nods dumbly as you pass them and make your way to the cars.

“We can take ours, we'll drive you back.” Tim says unlocking their little sedan.

That seems fine, after all if you ended up wanting to stay later Kirby would totally let you crash on the couch in the basement and take you home in the morning. Or whenever he woke up tomorrow. And that way you wouldn't be keeping the boys too late. It is their first Saturday Night Dead and first time meeting most of the young adults in town. The night was bound to get draining.

You agree and hop into the back seat on the driver's side, Toby sliding in from the opposite side, leaving Brian to take the passenger seat and Tim to drive. You and Toby place the cookies in the middle seat and you thank him for his help. He quickly nods and looks out the window, knee starting to bounce slightly.

“Where am I going?” Tim asked as you all got buckled in.

“Ok, so we can either drive all the way through town or drive through the forest and across the river.”

“Which is faster?” Brian chimes in as Tim bristles.

“Forest.” You do catch Tim's reflection rolling his eyes at your reply.

To be fair with this group you wouldn't chance getting stuck in the forest on your way to a horror movie night. Like that's kind of a horror movie cliché right there. You and Toby are young enough that you're sure someone would mistake you two for late teens, in fact you know it's happened to you several times in the past week alone. While you're fine going into the forest at night by yourself it's only because horror movies don't center around one person dying in a forest by some ancient entity.

'But they do start that way.' that thought almost makes you want to cut back on your nightly hikes, unfortunately you have no other coping mechanisms for your insomnia other than hiking or driving. So you'll ignore that thought for now.

The car is quiet as everyone waits for someone to respond. Toby's knee bouncing is more obvious as it begins to jostle the car. He's also staring down at his hands, still red from his picking yesterday, wringing them together. Clearly the stationary car is getting to him, he breaks the silence.

“Will someone fucking say something?”

“Sorry,” you say gently to him, “Yea we can just go through town. Tim do you know where Whistle's Auto is?”

“Uh yea,” you catch his quick glance towards Toby in the rear view mirror.

“Cool just head in that direction and keep on Highland Street.”

That's all you had to say before Tim was shifting gears and driving off. You notice quickly that he's a faster driver than Toby was. It's yet to be seen if that should make you uneasy, you'll have to see how well he breaks.

When you guys had made it through town and Tim came to a stop in front of a sign proudly stating 'Welcome to the Cryptonomica' they were understandably concerned by the lack of a building or any other cars. You get out of the car and grab two of the cookie containers, when you made a grab for the other two and the snacks on top Toby kept them out of your reach and exited the car as well.

“So where is...everything?”

“Oh we have to hike. The shop's further in the forest.” you say as you walk on past Tim.

“You said people were gonna be here.” Brian chimes in.

Right this now looks like you have dragged them to a parking lot in the middle of no where in a small town that they don't really know people in. Great going YN. Way to look like the bait for a weird cult looking for sacrifices.

“Yea the Hornets. They're the local “biker” gang.” the stunt group probably had the dirt bikes out today, it was nice enough for it.

Understandably the men hesitated before following you. Toby was the one who quickly caught up with you, perks of longer legs, and matched your speed to the shop. It didn't even take five minutes before you saw the shop and a few Hornets out front smoking or just plain loitering.

A chorus of “YN!” “Hey we missed you last week.” “Yo, did you hear..” rang through as you greeted the group. Upon seeing the containers of cookies the chorus was replaced with cheers and you were given excited praise as they made way for the four of you to be let in. So embarrassing, you flush under the praise getting a little energy boost from it as well. Your mood however changes when you lock eyes with the person running the booth tonight. Keith Warren, second in command and assistant manager of the Hornets. Despite having no beef and all the same friends you two have never clicked. It's almost your thing to be completely rude to each other when you do interact.

“Warren.”

“LN” his disdain is clear too, “Ten dollars bucket.” he hadn't even looked at you the jerk!

“Forty tonight, brought friends.” you placed the containers you had on the table as you dug the money from your wallet to pay for you all.

Keith does look up at that, literally the only time more locals come in is during Halloween when they want to get into the spooky season. So he's surprised to see three new faces attending Saturday Night Dead.

“Hey there, name's Keith.” you roll your eyes as he introduces himself to the group, you'll just slip away now since you already paid.

“Rude!” Kieth calls out, “Small talk!” you respond. You vaguely hear the rest of the introductions and Keith waving off the guys when they try to pay again. Oh maybe you should have actually told them you'd pay for their tickets, you thought it was obvious you invited them and they even drove you here. It's just polite that you cover their tickets this week.

Soon Toby is back by your side, you have a feeling you won't be able to loose him tonight if you tried, as you walk through the shop and towards the trap door in the back. The trap door that leads to the panic room converted into movie theater on Saturdays. Once you get down you bee line for the table in the back that is already half filled with snacks and some sodas. With Toby still following you he copies your moves of opening the containers and placing them on the table. You take the Surge and popcorn away from Toby, throwing the popcorn over in the direction of your corner seat and bring the Surge over to the man working on the white screen set up.

“Present.” Kirby pays no mind to you as he struggles with the screen. So you wait silently for him to just kick the thing and move on. Like clockwork Kirby kicks the bottom cover and the rest unravels perfectly.

“I need to replace this.” he says, just like he does every week.

“Oooh thank you.” he grabs the battery acid marketed as a beverage and spirits off. Weird guy.

“That's Kirby, he runs this place. Normally very chill but between the Picnic and movie night he ….just needs a break.” it's the nicest way you can put it. Toby just nods and scans the room wringing his hands together uncomfortably. You've noticed he hasn't ticced once since leaving the car, maybe he's suppressing them despite how anxious he clearly is.

Doing your own scan of the room you see that Tim and Brian haven't made their way in yet, Keith probably talking their ears off. Better them than you, you suppose. You're about to ask Toby if he wants to find them when the local power couple walks in.

“Party starting soon my dudes sit tight!” Jake announces as he and Hollis walk in to take their usual seats.

“Op spoke too soon babe, YN's here.” Hollis let out a chuckle when you rolled your eyes.

“Came without a soap box, hope cookies are suitable.”

And both are already grabbing a few of your mini cookies before they've even sat down. You really are glad you made them. Remembering Toby's with you, you introduce him to your friends.

“Tobais these are my friends Jake,” the blonde smiles warmly, “and Hollis.” They cover their mouth and toss a peace sign up as their mouth is still full. “And this is my friend Tobais.” he raises a hand to greet them.

“Hey, you're the new guy over at Auto right? You fixed Katrina's bike up quicker than Lewis ever does.” When Toby nods Hollis continues, “Man she's been saying how much smoother it rides now. Think I can stop by this week and get you to take a look at mine?”

“Yea, that should be fine.” and with that the two began to talk shop, literally. They just started talking about Hollis' bike. Normally all the Hornets do their own maintenance on their bikes but their motorcycles still need inspections and what not. This is really working out for you, your friends all getting along.

Thankfully it seems the topic calms Toby down a little, and you can see a head twitch or two make it's appearance as the two speak. Hollis being the chill person they are, and being used to your own brand of tics, makes no comment or acknowledgment of his tics.

Jake pulls you into a conversation about plans for a hang out at H2Woah that was fun, later after all the picnicing was done. Said he wanted to try surfing in the wave pool, you aren't sure about it but you agreed you'd teach him at least the basics of surfing if he taught you how to snow board. Didn't take much for the deal to be sealed.

Tim and Brian finally made their way down to the basement and you raised a hand so they could find you and Toby. Really it wouldn't have been too difficult but with everyone starting to pack in you didn't want anyone to be out of the group. Introductions had been made and everyone took to their seats.

You were already in the corner opening your popcorn when Toby sat down on your left blocking you from the rest of the room. Thinking on it if Toby wanted to eat he'd probably be too self conscious of his scar to take his mask off.

“Hey...actually would you mind if we switched?” he just gave you a lazy look before standing up and letting you scoot into his previous spot before sitting down in your spot. This way you could in theory block the view of his scar later.

You notice how his eyes dart in the room, despite Brian and Tim being just behind you two Toby still seemed on edge in the space. He has looked a bit uncomfortable all night, maybe that's why he was sticking to your side. You're way less outgoing than Brian is and Tim seems content to let him do his own thing. You feel bad, like you pressured him into coming and now he's paying for it. Toby looks a few minutes away from ripping the skin around his nails off again and you don't want a repeat of that.

“Here.” you whisper as the lights go off, handing Toby the cube from your pocket.

It's a quiet moment between you two as the trailers of the DVD play out and Toby focuses in on the cube. You note how he gravitates to the marble and joystick sides the most, always moving his thumb across each in a counterclockwise motion before reversing for a beat. Counter counter switch counter counter switch counter counter counter switch.

Once he found his rhythm with the toy you see tension leave his shoulders a little. Is he even able to feel the tension in his muscles?

You shift focus to the screen as the opening credits play out. And if you weren't sitting so close to Toby you'd missed the clucking sound coming from him. Knowing he'd get more anxious about his tics in this “quiet” setting you opt to ignore them and focus on the movie. After all the more relaxed he is the less likely he is to tic meaning the less anxious he is and more he can enjoy himself tonight.

About a third of the way through the movie you catch Toby sliding his mask off one ear, letting it shield his scarred cheek, and grabbing a handful of popcorn. You can't hide the giddy grin on your face from the action. To say you were worried about Toby not enjoying tonight was an understatement. But he had to have felt some comfort to slide his mask off in public, right? Your reassurance comes in the form of another handful of popcorn, as Toby pays no mind to you and only to the demon currently dancing on the screen.

With a terrible movie playing and a less anxious friend at your side you settle down a bit more yourself. Barely noticing when your head falls on Toby's shoulder as you slip into unconsciousness.

You wake up to the roaring of Kirby's snores and popcorn in your hair. A typical Sunday morning for you since arriving in Kepler.

[antiquatedfuture]

Antiquated Future Fall Newsletter

NEW ZINES

Assisted Living- From one of the modern masters of the sentence comes this handsome pocket-sized chapbook of four gloriously oddball short stories. ($6) Behind the Zines #8: A Zine About Zines- The upswing in wrestling zines, amateur press associations, a brief history of Razorcake, so much. ($3)

Being- A lyrical memoir that works to put into words what it is to be transgender. It’s a book about relationships, about growing up, about the body and mind, about desire, about parenting, about how we adjust to huge changes, and about whom we know ourselves to be. ($6)

Digna- Part personal zine and part workbook zine, Digna looks at how healing can occur through both sound and the dream realm and how the two can overlap. ($7)

Glean Zine- A compact introduction to gleaning, food waste the world over, and how we can begin thinking differently about our food habits. Gorgeous comics and illustrations from the one-and-only Nicki Sabalu (DIY or Don't We) throughout. ($5)

Hope That Clears Things Up: Six Ideas Rejected by Warby Parker- A series of strange and confrontational pitches to online glasses retailer Warby Parker. In the tradition of Joe Wenderoth's Letters to Wendy's, Jim Joyce (of Let it Sink zine) creates something strange, uncomfortable, and oddly hilarious. ($2) How Restaurants Work- An art zine about working restaurant jobs. Weird food photos, strange receipts, and words about the reality and injustices of food service. ($10) Lizard Men- A short collection of men posing with reptiles on Tinder. ($2)

Radical Domesticity #2: The Sewing Issue- How to sew on a button, how to sew in a zipper, the differences between scissors, how to measure yourself correctly, and so much more. ($3) Radical Domesticity #3: Summers Up- Herbs and flowers to save the bees, ice-cube tray recipes, communal living, and more. ($3) Radical Domesticity #4: Wintering- Preparing for the fall and winter months. A guide to deciduous leaves, DIY bird feeders and seed, recipes for hot beverages and warming foods, how to keep a cold at bay. ($3) Reclaiming Dreams for Survivors- A short zine to assist abuse survivors that have issues around sleeping and dreaming. Going through herbs that can assist in this process, the zine offers a range of techniques and possibilities. Available in English and Spanish versions. ($7) Reclaiming Our Ancient Wisdom- The new edition of Reclaiming Our Ancient Wisdom is a deeply researched "guide for practiced herbalists and midwives to better serve the women of their communities." Benefits and safety issues, historical context, herbal implantation inhibitors, and so much more. ($7)

Starvation Mode- Seattle's Elissa Washuta mini-memoir on struggling for culinary control. ($6)

Tin Can Telephone #7- Various delves into the obscure: an in-depth of '60s Doctor Who novelty records, a primer on library music, interviews with Unread Records and Andy Rench, zine reviews, great photos. It's always such a treat. ($5) User Not Found- A pocket-sized chapbook on social media and life in the digital age. In a single, long-form lyric essay, Felicity explores our collective addiction from a variety of angles. It's a many-layered joyride of a think-piece. ($6) We, the Drowned #4: The Inevitable- The latest in Jonas Cannon's continued series of odd and hopeful stories about connection and disconnection. The highlight: a conversation between Jonas, Cindy Crabb (Doris), and Alex Wrekk (Brainscan) about regret (or the lack thereof) and the many possible paths that could have been. ($3) Women of Color Zine #15- Place-based representation in children's publishing, Black women bookworms, and so much more. ($5)

NEW BOOKS

Excavation: A Memoir- The debut memoir from the great Wendy C. Ortiz. ($15) Incandescent: A Color Film Zine, Issue 16- Hay, high chairs, salt mines, forsythia, dried flowers, things on fire. All of this and more in the latest issue of our favorite photography journal. ($14) Liar: A Memoir- When Rob Roberge learns that he’s likely to have developed a progressive memory-eroding disease from years of hard living and frequent concussions, he is terrified by the prospect of becoming a walking shadow. ($15) Pretend We Live Here: Stories- In her debut collection of stories, Genevieve Hudson explores the idea of home and what it means to find one: in the body, in the world, in other people. ($13)

NEW MUSIC

Antiquated Future Records: The First Seven Years compilation- Nineteen songs from the first seven years of our label. Slightly-skewed pop, indie rock, lo-fi folk, oddball electronic, and soundscape wizardry. (cassette + digital download) ($5) Dorothy Carter- Troubador- Otherworldly hammered dulcimer lushness. Surprising, largely instrumental, with splashes of Dorothy Carter's mystical Malvina Reynolds-esque vocals. (cassette) ($6) Indira Valey- Yemas- A series of seven short rituals offering brief peeks into alternate dimensions, past lives, and dream worlds. (cassette + digital download) ($7) Nicomo- Views- A smart six-song EP of breezy pop songs soaked in an ethereal haze. An early-morning hangout album meets complex after-dark mood music. For fans of Mega Bog, City Center, Shaggy Sample, Karl Blau, and Stephen Steinbrink. (CD) ($10)

[pajamaqueencooks]

Aromatic Pastes

How often have you passed over a recipe because it called for a slice of ginger or a single sprig of thyme, and you just knew you wouldn’t be able to use up the rest of that tiny, expensive package of greens? Don’t feel bad—we’ve all done it. But I’m here to tell you those days are over. Meet your new best friend—the aromatic paste. No more wasted greens, no more sad, wilty basil in the drawer, and perhaps best of all, no more time and patience wasted mincing garlic into itsy-bitsy pieces.

When you're counting Spoons, being able to completely skip the mincing steps considerably speeds up a lot of recipes, while upping your flavor options, and the cost-efficiency of your ingredients at the same time. By the time I get home from work most days, the idea of peeling garlic, as small a task as it is, can seem exhausting, let alone dealing with other fresh herbs. With a collection of these pastes, whipping up top-notch food is within reach, even on an exhausted weeknight. Personally, I always stock a large mason jar of garlic paste, along with smaller jars of ginger and chive pastes, and then whatever might possess my passing whimsy. Mint in summer? Sure! Basil? Why not?

In general cooking terms, aromatics can encompass any mixture of fresh and dry spices, herbs, or other flavorings that, as the name indicates, add potent aroma and flavor to cooking. In this case, though, we’re only concerned with the fresh and, thus, perishable types. Think garlic, ginger, basil, chives (pictured above), rosemary, lemongrass, cilantro—the works. And, better still, if there’s a particular combination that you use constantly (say, ginger and garlic, if you cook a lot of Asian-style dishes), you can mix them together into a flavor-packed mixture, saving yourself one more step when it comes time to cook.

This is one of the simplest and most magical tricks in my arsenal, and it’s so basic that it’s barely a recipe. All you need is a medium-to-large batch of your chosen aromatic(s), an air-tight container (Mason jars are my go-to), a food processor/chopper/blender, and a smidge of oil and water. Citrus or citric acid are optional additions, if you like the taste, or are worried about your paste keeping. Generally speaking, the combination of refrigeration and oil is enough to keep a paste fresh for up to two weeks, but, if you’re worried, a dash of the citric acid in lemon juice will make your paste damn near invulnerable. If even the superpowers of citric acid don't reassure you, there are always herb cubes (and all kinds of other food-saving-savvy cubes)!!

Aromatic Pastes

Ingredients

1/2 cup or more aromatic(s) water neutral oil (such as canola, light olive, or sunflower) Lemon juice or citric acid (optional for preservation/citrus flavor)

Notes

If you plan to use garlic, save yourself some misery, and buy the pre-peeled cloves. Most upscale grocers and Asian markets will sell them this way at a very modest markup—at my local Asian market, I pay under $4.00 for a jar that probably holds over a cup of garlic cloves. If you deal with a lot of fatigue, the extra few bucks are more than worth the energy spent meticulously peeling multiple heads of garlic.

If you have a small food chopper or mini-food processor, or can borrow/buy one (they usually run only $25-$35), they are far-and-away the best tool for the job. You can use a full sized food processor or blender, but you may want to make a larger batch—the less full the processor bowl is, the more the machine will struggle to circulate and properly chop the ingredients. If you only have a larger machine, don't stress—make a double or triple batch: the extra can be frozen into herb cubes whose lifespan is nearly infinite.

Directions

If your aromatics don't come pre-peeled/washed, wash thoroughly. Pick out any bad pieces, trim roots or dried ends, and/or peel.

If you're working with an herb like rosemary with a tough, woody stem, remove herb leaves from the stem.. If you're using ginger, cut into slices or large chunks.

Set up food processor/chopper, and add aromatics. Be sure you have enough aromatics to fill the bowl to at least 2 inches, or the blades won't be able to work properly.

Run the processor on the highest setting, and wait. Depending on what aromatics you're using, it may take only a second or so, or a minute or two for things to get broken down. If you want to use it, add 1-2 tsp. of lemon juice (or equivalent citric acid) during this step.

If it's been a minute, and the paste isn't as fine as you'd like it to be (a matter of preference), add water, one teaspoon at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.

Use your smallest spatula to scrape your paste into your container—be sure you have at least an inch to spare!

Add 2-4 tbsp. oil. You can stir the oil in if you'd rather, but if you do, be sure to add enough oil so that there is some covering the top layer.

Voila! You have a supply of fresh aromatics ready to put to use at a moment's notice!

Most aromatics and herbs last at least 1-2 weeks, but you should be sure to check for mold or mildew each time you open the jar, just in case.

[sfiretail]

Uses For Your Chopper: SFI Retail

Unlike its big brother, the food processor, the food chopper is weightless, can be kept easily in a cabinet, and does not hog unique counter space. Now that you’ve seen the food processor that fits your needs, there are several forms to put that small workhorse to good use.

1. Mincing or chopping veggies. Orange carrots, celery, green peppers, onions, broccoli, garlic, or whatsoever you ought to add to a salad, chilli or stew recipe. Warning: the blades work fast, so a couple of seconds will yield larger pieces while maintaining control for a longer time will mash the food.

2. Guacamole, anyone? Press chunks of avocado into the container and sprinkle lime juice, dried onion flakes and garlic salt for an easy guacamole spot.

3. Homemade marinara sauce. Mix tomato and onion pieces, garlic, basil, and oregano. Friendly on the stove or in the microwave, and voila! Over pasta, homemade marinara is so much more tasty than canned.

4. Homemade baby food. Boil up sweet potatoes, green beans, apples, or whatever your baby desires. Permit the food to cool and puree until achieving the desired consistency. Hint: you can freeze the pureed baby food into an ice cube tray and freeze. When prepared to use, pop out the expected number of cubes and thaw in the microwave, checking the temperature before feeding the baby!

5. A fruit smoothie. Mix yogurt with berries, banana, pineapple or peach pieces and your chosen liquid to blend a quick, single-size smoothie.

6. Chopping nuts. Throw some in to add smaller-size nuts to your recipe. Or, to count a nutty flavour to a recipe without chunks, your mini can finely chop them to complete a crumble or paste texture. Hint: you can make your nut butter using a chopper. 

7. Dog treats. Don’t ignore your furry friend! Curbly shares this comfortable dog treat recipe that can be prepared with your chopper.

8. Chocolate chunks. Add pieces of chocolate to cookie recipes or spread them over ice cream sundaes. The words make my mouth water.

9. Salsa, salsa, salsa! You can create restaurant-style salsa from canned tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro, but chunky salsa is easy with a chopper.

10. Making homemade pesto. Homemade pesto is tasty on pasta, and you can fast bring together a batch of basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto in this convenient little appliance.

True, sometimes a few quick chops with a knife is most straightforward. But when your ingredients require more attention, let the chopper do its thing. To get a chopper, search for an electric chopper online.

[thecookingpotnet]

4 Mini Pie Recipes Using An Ice Cube Tray

https://thecookingpot.net/4-mini-pie-recipes-using-an-ice-cube-tray/

4 Mini Pie Recipes Using An Ice Cube Tray

Visit #thecookingpot #food #recipes # #health #healthy #cooking #chef #dinner #newrecipes #goodfood #yummy #tasty

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With Halloween coming up, the influx of candy in the grocery store aisles may mean temptation is lurking around every corner. While those sugary sweets might feel frighteningly detrimental to your healthy diet, you can whip up some equally satisfying but guilt-free homemade Halloween candy at home in little to no time at all!

Swapping your Halloween candy with these healthier alternatives will make the Halloween season much less spooky—at least when it comes to your health.

When it comes to simple Halloween candy, it doesn’t get much easier than four ingredients! These candy bites are made with corn flakes, peanut butter, brown rice syrup and chocolate chips. With the beloved combination of peanut butter and chocolate—plus just a bit of crunch—these bites have all the indulgence of a candy bar without the guilt. Get the full recipe here! >

There’s something about the classic combination of peppermint and chocolate that makes it a favorite Halloween treat for many. This simple recipe makes small “gem-sized” candy bites that have a hint of coconut, too. They’ll satisfy your sweet tooth while still clocking in under 100 calories per serving. Get the full recipe here! >

The combination of chocolate and raspberry has a decadence about it that really makes it feel like a gourmet treat! These chocolate raspberry cups are made using just four ingredients—frozen raspberries, chia seeds, coconut oil and chocolate chips. We also have lots of suggestions of healthy swaps to switch up the flavor and texture of these delicious treats. Get the full recipe here! >

If you’re someone who loves the flavor combo of mixing sweet with salty, then this is a fudge recipe you’ll have to try. Fudge is one of those desserts that seems difficult to make when in reality, there’s not much more to it than mixing! In little to no time at all, you can whip up a decadent treat to enjoy. Get the full recipe here! >

Chocolate peanut butter cups are perhaps one of the most beloved Halloween candies out there. But they’re also packed with sugar. Our version cuts down on the amount of sugar from the store-bought variety using just three ingredients—chocolate chips, coconut oil and peanut butter. They’ll still satisfy your sweet tooth but without completely derailing your healthy eating regimen. Get the full recipe here! >

Think bite-sized pecan pies that you can whip up with a handful of simple ingredients. Simply blend the ingredients, pop in the freezer to set and enjoy! The result is that decadent fudge taste and texture that makes it so craveable—all with the delicious appeal of pecan pie. Get the full recipe here! >

If you love pumpkin flavored treats, then this delectable candy is sure to become a new favorite. These truffle balls have a tasty filling made from pumpkin puree, cashew butter, maple syrup, blanched almond flour and pumpkin pie spice. The filling then firms up in the fridge before being dipped in its chocolate coating and once again heads back to the refrigerator to set. The end result tastes like a mini, portable pumpkin pie smothered in chocolate. Make these for Halloween or any other fall holiday; they even make a cute gift! Top them with chopped nuts or cacao nibs for some extra crunch. Get the full recipe here! >

At under 100 calories per serving, these chocolate pecan caramel bites are a healthier way to indulge your love of chocolate. They’re the perfect combo of pecans, caramel and Nutrisystem NutriChocolaty Wafers. Plus, they are simple to make and assemble. Get the full recipe here! >

If you’ve never made chocolate bark before, it involves melting chocolate, sprinkling in desired add-ons and spreading on a sheet pan to set in the fridge. Our chocolate bark recipe is super simple using just dark chocolate, orange zest and coarse salt for a tangy “salted orange” flavor. Break off a piece to satisfy your sweet tooth without getting your healthy eating plans off track. Get the full recipe here! >

These delicious snack bars use six simple ingredients, including rice cereal, cocoa powder, peppermint extract and chocolate chips, to whip up a gooey-chewy bar that is so satisfying to bite into and enjoy. It’s a great alternative to diving into the candy bowl and overindulging on sugar. Get the full recipe here! >

Here’s another delicious fall-inspired fudge recipe that’s incredibly simple to make. Just puree walnuts with coconut oil, maple syrup, maple extract and stevia (if desired), and pour into an ice cube tray to set. Besides being delicious, this fudge also packs in six filling grams of fiber and five grams of protein. That makes it a fudge you can feel good about. Get the full recipe here! >

If you love the flavor combo of mint and chocolate, then these brownie bites are your perfect indulgence! Instead of turning to the candy bowl, whip up these bite-sized brownies which have just 87 calories per serving. Avocado is the secret ingredient to making a creamy and healthy mint filling in these delectable treats. Get the full recipe here! >

Another mint plus chocolate combo, this peppermint cup recipes will yield 10 homemade candies that clock in at just 49 calories each. They’ve got the refreshing sweetness that you desire and they’re just the right size to pop in your mouth and curb your cravings. Get the full recipe here! >

No flavor quite summons the “fall feels” like pumpkin spice! And now you can enjoy it in a decadent fudge that is super easy to make and won’t put you in a sugar coma. Simply mix together some ingredients like almond butter and pumpkin puree, transfer to an ice cube tray and pop in the freezer to set! One piece of fudge is just 82 calories. Get the full recipe here! >

As we’ve said before, it’s hard to go wrong with the powerful flavor duo of chocolate with peanut butter! And unlike traditional candy bars which can be a diet disaster, these bars are actually made from healthful ingredients like dates, peanut butter, oats and even some Vanilla Nutrisystem Shake Mix for more protein and flavor. Get the full recipe here! >

Instead of grabbing a handful of syrupy-sweet candy corn, this parfait will get you into the Halloween spirit but without the empty calories. While it’s technically not “candy,” the sweet flavors and creamy cottage cheese are sure to satisfy your cravings and keep you full. It layers diced pineapple, orange and cottage cheese for a healthy snack with spooky spirit. Get the full recipe here! >

This creamy and decadent fudge has the fabulous flavors of chocolate and peanut butter. But it uses just peanut butter, unsweetened vanilla almond milk and some Nutrisystem NutriChocolaty Wafers, so you can indulge guilt-free. Simply mix up the three ingredients, spread in an ice cube tray and freeze to set. Get the full recipe here! >

Our Pumpkin Spice Bars are just as delicious as a store bought candy bar. They’re crispy yet chewy and filled with bursts of pumpkin spice flavor. At just 52 calories per serving, they are totally Nutrisystem-approved. Get the full recipe here! >

Apple picking season is upon us! We’ve lightened up the classic caramel apple so that you can enjoy it while you lose weight. These Chocolate Caramel Apples are super tasty and less than 100 calories. Before the chocolate and caramel hardens on the apples, we top them with crushed nuts for some extra crunch and healthy fats.  Get the full recipe here! >

Dates are pretty much nature’s candy. We stuff them full of creamy almond butter and sprinkle on various toppings for a wholesome homemade candy recipe that you can feel good about. Get creative with your favorite healthy toppings, including chopped almonds, shredded coconut, chocolate chips and pomegranate seeds. Get the full recipe here! >

via Wealth Health