#Recipes Activated charcoal uses

[exhausted-archivist]

So PSA about the Dragon Age Official Cookbook

They have a recipe for lichen bread that uses activated charcoal.

If you are on any medication you should not consume anything with activated charcoal.

I was hoping there was a disclaimer on the recipe but there wasn’t, and given that this is also spooky season it’s more relevant.

Use food dye if you want to achieve the dark black look. But please be safe and make sure the recipes are safe for you.

[starmendotnet]

RETURN OF THE EARTHBOUND FUNKTASTIC GAMEPLAY SUMMER

Hello everyone! It is with GREAT ENTHUSIASM that we would like to announce the:

But first… what IS a Funktastic Gameplay Summer?

Us Starmen.Netters are bringing back a long-beloved sitewide tradition! The Earthbound Funktastic Gameplay Summer is an event that dates back to 2001, wherein the community collectively plays through EarthBound over the course of several “Gameplay Points” (GPPs). Everyone is encouraged to play along, and our team of stream hosts will be broadcasting their own gameplay on the StarmanClub Twitch channel. In addition, we will be celebrating MOTHER’s 35th and Earthbound’s 30th anniversary!

Maybe it’s been a minute since you’ve returned to the game. Maybe you’ve never played before! The idea is to get fans, new and old, engaging with Earthbound. With introduction out of the way, let’s move on to the deets:

THE SUBMISSIONS

An integral part of Starmen history is fan submissions, where the community creates fanart about the stream events, and just EB in general. As per usual, here are the categories:

Categories!

Writing: Stories, poems, theories… if you wrote it, it belongs here! Handart: Charcoal, paintings, sculptures… if you made it with your hands, it belongs here! Compart: Digital illustrations, 3D models, pixel art… if you made it with a computer, it belongs here! AudioViz: Music, videos, fangames… if it pertains to audio/visuals, it belongs here!

Prizes!

Winners will receive shiny badges on the forum to show off their mastery of Earthbound funk, as well as forum ranks and avatars!

Of course, opening up the floor to fanworks doesn’t come without its fair share of ground rules. Don’t worry though, it’s pretty simple stuff.

Rules!

Submissions must be related to Earthbound/the Funktastic Gameplay streams

If your submission contains content that would require a trigger warning (violence, sensitive subject matters, etc.) please put it in a spoiler box with a warning.

You may submit as many pieces to one category as you like, but only one can place

You may submit to as many categories as you like

Any submission must’ve been made for this event. No previous works!

THE STREAM SCHEDULE

Keep an eye out in our Event forum for the schedule drop, but livestreams won't be the only thing we've got going on!

THE ADDITIONAL EVENTS

If you can’t catch the streams, don’t worry! The streams are only a small part of our summer programming. In addition, there will be other events to keep the party goin’! These being:

Eagleland Scrapbook (July 15th – August 24th):

Get your cameras out and your bug spray on! This summer, we’re running a collaborative photo book! At the end of the event, your photos will be assembled into a digital booklet for your viewing pleasure. So, where to start? Well, we’re limiting subjects to four categories; birds, flora, fungi, and insects.

A couple notes; you’re more than free to submit multiple photos if you’d like, and there is no judgment on the quality of the photos. Just try your best to keep the camera as focused on the subject as possible. The event ends on August 24th, so get snapping! And most of all, have fun!

EB No Natsumatsuri (August 1st – August 24th):

Our highly calibrated MoonWatch Radar indicates that activity coming from the Annual Gift Man’s base is already approaching usual December levels, and climbing! That can only mean EB no Matsuri has come early, and that can only mean one thing: time to prepare a feast for the Gift Man’s arrival! The beloved Starmen.Net tradition returns, but in a brand new form! Instead of gift giving, we would like to encourage everyone to come up with or find a MOTHER-series themed recipe, make it, and share the recipe and pictures of your delicious dish with everyone! It’s a virtual potluck, and everyone’s invited. (Can’t think of what to make? Make Your Favorite Food, of course, whatever it is!)

And now for our final announcement at this time… prepare yourselves for something very special!

A NEW AND EXCITING OPPORTUNITY

This message is brought to you by PorcBanc™

The savvy investors over at PorcBanc™ have very graciously offered all Starmen.Net members EXCLUSIVE and PRIVILEGED access to a cutting edge, Earthbound-themed surprise to our Funktastic Gameplay Summer events! A special surprise will be released to the public on July 21st, 2024. Be sure to stay tuned for more details on all your favourite Starmen.Net media channels! Remember folks:

“With PorcBanc™, we guarantee profits HAM over fist!”

Guarantees or promises made by PorcBanc and its affiliated subsidiaries are intended for marketing purposes only and do not hold any legal value.

An event™ by PorcBanc™

[it-couldbe-worse]

Ace Cream!

I lost the post! BUT! I saw a post about "Ace Cream", it was a little drawing of an ice cream cone in ace colors where the grey flavor was jokingly "concrete" but I just had to know, could someone make an ace cream cone? What is "grey" ice cream flavor? So, here we are, my collection for ace cream! I tried to get the best color matches I could.

Since vegan recipes popped up for black and grey, I searched specifically for the same for the white and purple for our vegan ace friends to enjoy, too! (l checked in the recipes myself but I am not vegan myself, so please let me know if anything in these needs an asterisk or warning)

I also tried to avoid the activated charcoal recipes as I've gotten mixed messages about the health of ingesting it and I'm not a doctor 😵‍💫

Ice Cream Recipe Links

Black stripe: Black cocoa

Grey stripe: Black sesame

White stripe: Vanilla

Purple stripe: Blueberry

Hope I did well! Enjoy!

[spiritofhyena]

Black salt / witches' salt

WARNING: do NOT mix it up with the edible black salt for kitchen use. They are both called “black salt” but one is salt with activated charcoal or salt from a volcanic area that can be used in cooking, the other is a mix of salt, ashes, and other non-edible things used as a protection or banishing spell. I personally use it as a halfway between warding/protection and banishing as I add things usually associated with banishing.

I tried to search up the origin of the “witches’ salt” but I didn’t find anything solid (but also I made only a couple of quick searches on google because I was crunching time as I did this either before/after work or sometimes during slow moments at work) so, my best guess would be that its origin might be derived from the use of salt in many folkloric traditions as a protection or to purify, mixed a bit with a concept similar to the "witches' bottle", but I digress.

Disclaimer again: I wrote most of this during work time and edited it afterwards so I can't guarantee the form and grammar used.

I first made black salt after a couple of quick searches for protection and banishing spells that could help me in my practice, as I first started I was a bit of an idiot (to quote Set) and didn't keep anything to protect myself around when doing divination and other things.

With time I noticed that it's a good all-around protection and also, with a couple of tweaks, could be perfect to also banish in a "bounce back to sender" way.

There are different recipes on the Internet and among witchy communities but they mostly differ for some ingredients added (or not added) and I believe all would work… but surely, IMHO, if you tailor them to your needs it would be more effective.

This is what I made for myself, and I'll also include the "return to sender" version.

Tools you’ll need:

a jar with a lid to store it

mortar & pestle (not mandatory: I don’t have one so I use a tiny ceramic casserole and one of those wooden pestles for cocktails bc that’s what I had at home… use whatever could do the job)

a candle in the colour you associate with protection and warding

Ingredients:

salt (duh-)

ashes (either incense ashes, firepit ashes/charcoal, soot or you could also use activated charcoal)

eggshells powder

black pepper

rosemary

bay leaves

sage (kitchen kind is perfect!)

whatever herb you associate with protection

Process:

Honestly, you should do this however it feels right for you. You could cast a circle, call the elements or whatever. I don’t do that because it’s not part of my practice. You don’t even need to cleanse or anything if you don’t feel it’s necessary: it’ll work anyway.

Light the candle (ofc if you think it’s needed) and put the ingredients in the mortar, a little bit at a time, to grind them a bit and most importantly mix all of them. Focus on your intention, if you feel you need to recite something to enchant it then do it. Mix all the ingredients, I usually start with salt, add eggshell powder, all the other ingredients and then another bit of salt at the end to “close” everything.

If you want to give it a little “boost” you could write on a bay leaf “I am protected” or the like and then burn it (do it in a fireproof container! bay leaves are nasty burners and like to pop a lot!) to “activate” it and mix it to the rest of the ingredients.

When everything is all mixed, then you can pour it into the jar and close it. It’s up to you if you want to seal the lid with some wax or not. I do not do it because if I decide to redo it I can open it and clean the jar more easily before preparing the new black salt.

Again, it’s up to you if you want to charge it under the moonlight/sunlight or in some other way: do what you feel that's right to do.

And that’s it! Congrats you made black salt that will protect your space!

For the return-to-sender version:

add more pepper

slap also some paprika or better some chilli pepper powder

also put there some garlic

you can add other ingredients you associate with banishing

add a bay leaf (or also a piece of paper) with the intention written on it like “the harm/malicious intent is returned to who cast it” or whatever you feel right

complete!

[moopsy-daisy]

Make Your Own Cosmetics, Get What You Actually Want

Once you've been in zero waste, eco friendly, solarpunk/lunarpunk circles for a while, it's easy to forget the steps you took when you started. There are lots of DIY projects I've been doing for 10+ years now, and I keep doing them because they work (for me). Yet, when I sit back and think "am I doing enough?" I always gloss over the myriad things that have become part of my everyday life.

Making these things won't save the environment, but you'll get products that meet your needs on your terms, will save you money, and you won't have to worry about a company discontinuing your favorites. Plus, it seems like a lot less packaging to just buy a brick of beeswax and toss in some kitchen stuff you already had to make makeup.

Henna

I got really lucky, I always wanted red hair and henna is a natural dye that only comes in red. Well, more of a coppery tone. But, here's the other cool thing: the henna process is anti-fungal and controls dandruff. Half the time, I remember to color my hair because my scalp starts getting itchy 6+ weeks later and I start to get flakes. Coloring my hair takes care of my scalp and I don't need dandruff shampoo to keep it healthy. It's cost-effective, buying high quality henna for a year's worth of color (for my length and thicc hair) is about $60 for 18-months' of materials. I mix it when I need it, and keep the powder in the freezer. Pro-tip, if you or your partner don't like the grassy, hay-like smell of henna, add cardamom or ginger powder to the mix. It doesn't change the color but it'll knock down the scent.

I learned everything I needed to know about Henna for Hair here: http://hennaforhair.com and buy through Catherine's store because I know I'm getting real, quality henna powder.

Oh and a cloth wrap for your hair will let you keep the henna covered without wasting plastic wrap every time you redo your roots. I've been using the same 'turbie twist' wraps for years now. I made them from old t-shirts and they're stained as fuck. Who cares? This is basically their only job.

Carmine Lip Color

No, it isn't vegan. Yes, it's made of bugs. It's also a spectacular color, the insects aren't abused in the process of gathering or raising. They're actually parasites on nopal cactus, they have a simple niche and serve it well. I learned this lip stain recipe from Humblee & Me, and have found that the anti-bacterial doesn't seem to be necessary, ymmv. A 2.5 gram sample pack of carmine from TKB has lasted me almost a year and I wear this almost daily. I find that the glycerin really helps keep my lips from drying out too badly, so I wear my lip stain even when I'm not planning on being seen by other people. I spend about $20 on lip color for a year and that's including the bottles I use to store it (tiny eyedroppers work best imo) and the glycerin. Not quite zero waste but darn close.

Note: I'm still trying to find a simple recipe for black goth lipstick that I like. So far, my attempts have had a nasty texture and aren't worth the trouble.

Eyebrow Fill

My favorite brand of eyebrow liner discontinued the best color I ever found, so I decided to make my own. Beeswax, cocoa powder, activated charcoal, and almond oil made a little pot of eyebrow fill that suits my needs beautifully. Go super light on the charcoal until you know you've got the color you want. My brows are pretty dark but not fully black, so I do a dark chocolate sort of shade. I think I made my last batch about 11 months ago and it's still half full. I use it daily, apply with an angled brush, and it's never given me breakouts or anything. I don't even wash it off, because I am lazy.

Body Powder/Dry shampoo

Growing up in California, I didn't need this stuff. Living in Oregon? Summer would be awful without body powder. It's also a nice way to have a fragrance on. Pour your favorite perfume (I love Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab oils) onto a cotton ball, put that ball in a jar with a bunch of corn starch. Shake. Leave it for a month. You now have scented body powder. It's a decent dry shampoo, too, I just brush it into my dark hair and it disappears.

Tooth Powder

There is NOTHING wrong with using conventional toothpaste if it meets your needs. I have particular reasons for using tooth powder. These include hating the taste of most toothpaste and needing to avoid fluoride because of my particular thyroid condition. (Fluoride isn't bad for everyone! It isn't ideal for everyone. Figure out what you need!) I make my own tooth powder, it works well enough for me and I don't hate brushing my teeth like I used to. 1 part baking soda, 1 part bentonite clay, some ground cloves. Mix it up, keep in a glass jar (metal will bond with the clay, bad things happen, this is why we use glass or plastic for storage). $20 of materials = LOADS of tooth powder.

Cutting Hair

It's way easier than you think. I cut my own hair and I do a graduated bob which is a little more complex than most at-home cuts. I taught myself. I use decent shears (don't use scissors) and a Wahl hair trimmer set. Learn this skill on yourself, and when people find out you can do hair, they'll come to you for their own needs. Great way to provide mutual aid (one of my parents is trans and getting haircuts in a salon would be extremely stressful for her, so I cut her hair and save her money and suffering). You could also do skill trades! I trade haircuts for massages from a massage therapist friend, for example.

Protip: Dust yourself with body powder before cutting hair, it makes the little shards of cut hair way less prone to sticking to you. You'll still want a shower but it'll just be less icky.

[vanilla-cigarillos]

Black Salt in Witchcraft

Black salt is like eggshell powder, it’s one of those things that you’ll hear a LOT of whenever you’re digging into witchcraft practices. In this post I’ll be detailing what it is, what it’s used for, and how you can make it yourself!

What IS Black Salt (In Witchcraft)?

Not to be confused with anything used in culinary arts, black salt is salt that has been naturally dyed with (usually) charcoal/ashes. It’s used primary in protection work, from the belief that it helps in warding against negative energy and entities.

How to Make Black Salt -

Ingredients:

Coarse sea or kosher salt

Your choice of the following:

Fire pit ashes

Black food coloring

Black pepper

Activated charcoal powder

Instructions:

Combine salt and black additive of your choice

If you want to charge it, leave it in the sun or moonlight for ~12 hours

How to Use Black Salt -

If you believe in using gemstones: put your protection gemstones of choice in a bag of black salt to cleanse and recharge them 

Sprinkle it around the perimeter of your house to guard the home

Use it as an ingredient in your spell work recipes to improve the protective qualities of your work

Mark the perimeter of your outdoor sacred space (will stain indoors) when you cast a circle to protect you during ritual work

[mosscaller]

'Tis the season..

..to remember that 'activated charcoal' can render oral birth control ineffective. It can also make other medications ineffective.

Please, if you're going to use it in recipes...let people know so it doesn't fuck up their meds.

It'd be real fucked up if you didn't alert someone to this.

[acocktailmoment]

Poison Blackberry Martini !

Ingredients:

2 ½ ounces gin (5 tablespoons. May sub for vodka)

½ ounce dry vermouth (1 tablespoon)

½-1 ounce blackberry syrup*, (1-2 tablespoons, to taste)

Ice cubes

Black food color or activated charcoal** (optional)

Instructions:

If you haven’t made your blackberry syrup yet, follow the blackberry syrup recipe. And place a martini glass in the freezer for a minute or fill it with ice (to discard before adding the cocktail).

Add gin, vermouth and blackberry syrup to a cocktail shaker, add ice cubes and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain it through a fine mesh strainer into a chilled martini glass.

If you want that extra Halloween flare, add a tiny bit of black food color, stir and then serve.** You could also add activated charcoal when you are shaking the other ingredients.

Notes:

* Recipe for 1 cup Blackberry syrup: 50 g sugar, ½ lemon, 125 ml water, and 150 g fresh or frozen blackberries. Add sugar, lemon juice, and water into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend in a blender along with berries. 

** If using black gel color, it will sink to the bottom eventually, so just stir it again. Drops of food color make a longer-lasting color, but not as dark. Activated charcoal gives a nice black color all the way through, but will make some residue on the glass when you drink - could look even more Halloweeny!

Courtesy: Stine Mari

This article was not sponsored or supported by a third-party. A Cocktail Moment is not affiliated with any individuals or companies depicted here.  

[puppyexpressions]

5 Ways to Keep Your Pet Safe During A Cookout

Summertime and cookouts often go hand-in-hand. From barbecued ribs to potato salad and sweet treats, many family gatherings revolve around this warm weather tradition. Our pets are family, and most pet owners want to include their pets in family gatherings and activities. Many pets enjoy the added attention from visiting family members, and they likely will drool in anticipation of a delicious piece of steak or burger that may accidentally fall from the grill.

 However, grilling and cookout activities can be dangerous to pets, and lead to burns, skin irritations, choking, and sometimes deadly gastrointestinal (GI) problems. We want to ensure your pets are safe during summertime cookouts, so follow these five cooking safety tips.

#1: Keep your pet away from the grill while cooking

The sizzling aroma of fresh meats and veggies on the grill can be enticing not only to people, but also to pets. However, an active grill holds many pet hazards. Pets should be kept more than three feet from grills, because the dangerous grilling flames and heat can lead to burned paws and singed whiskers on curious noses. Therefore, never leave an active grill unattended. 

Additionally, ensure you prevent pets from accessing the fat and meat trimmings that build up and become trapped below the grill. Pets lack the proper enzymes to digest rich, fatty foods, and ingestion can result in GI distress, inflammation, or potentially deadly pancreatitis.

#2: Never leave grilling accessories in a pet-accessible area

Many tools are required to ensure a successful grilling venture. However, these tools can injure pets. Ensure you keep all grilling tools, such as skewers and cooking tongs, out of paws’ reach to prevent traumatic injuries from sharp edges, or burned tongues in pets trying to sample your recipes. Additionally, store charcoal bags in a pet-safe location to prevent ingestion. Although charcoal is not toxic to pets, ingestion can still lead to GI problems, choking, or blockages that may require surgery in some cases. 

Store all plastic ware and storage containers in a non-pet-accessible location, to prevent a dangerous ingestion. Your pet also may be tempted to lick residual food particles off the foil, and accidentally ingest some of the foil, which can lead to GI blockages. Diagnosing this type of blockage can be challenging because the foil is not visible on an X-ray.

#3: Avoid sharing your plate with your pet

We understand that your pet’s longing eyes and drooling muzzle can be impossible to ignore while you prepare your barbecue feast. However, many popular grilling foods, spices, and side dishes are dangerous to pets, and can lead to GI inflammation, blockages that may require surgery, or potentially deadly toxicities. Never hesitate to call your if you are concerned that your pet has ingested a toxic food, and always keep the ASPCA Animal Poison Control number readily available. 

Common cookout foods dangerous to pets include:

Bones

Raw meats

Hot dogs

Garlic, onions, or other members of the Allium family

Ketchup  

Corn cobs

Salty snacks, including pretzels, chips, peanuts, and popcorn

Desserts, or any chocolate

Alcoholic beverages or desserts with alcohol

Sugar free foods, such as jello

#4: Use caution with bug repellent and sunscreen around pets

The rising temperatures bring an abundance of biting insects, including mosquitoes and fleas, which can carry infectious diseases and parasites dangerous to pets. Bug repellent and citronella candles are as much summer staples as swimsuits and cookouts. However, never use human-intended insecticides on your pet, and ensure your pet is a safe distance away when you apply bug spray to yourself or in the yard. Most commercial repellents contain ingredients that are dangerous to pets.

Veterinary-prescribed flea, tick, and heartworm prevention products are the safest, most effective way to protect your pet from hitchhiking pests. Additionally, excess ultraviolet exposure can lead to sunburn, or skin cancer, in some breeds. Never apply sunscreen directly on your pet without veterinary advice. Many human sunscreens contain ingredients such as zinc oxide, or para-aminobenzoic acid, that are toxic to pets.

#5: Ensure your pet can be identified

You can easily become distracted during the chaos of family or friends arriving to share the fruits of your barbecue labor. Ensure that your pet is microchipped, and wearing a secondary identification such as an embroidered collar or tag. Curious pets may accidentally sneak out the front door during the excitement of arriving guests. A microchip is the safest, most effective, and only permanent means of identifying your pet, should they go on an unplanned adventure. Always ensure your pet’s microchip registration is kept up to date with your current contact information.

[exhausted-archivist]

Comparing and Contrasting Recipes From the Cookbook to Previous Mentions: The Differences, Similarities, and My Thoughts

A full list of recipes that have been previously mentioned in the series, coupled with my thoughts on the cookbooks working recipe in comparison.

I find interest in the fact that the working recipes have little to no grounding in lore as they are often in contradiction to the lore blurbs that accompany them or are in direct contradiction of in game recipes in instances that don't seem apparent as to why they made the ingredient change. Fluffy Mackerel Pudding being the exception to this.

But I broke this into 4 sections:

Previous Dishes Recipes and Their Differences

Drink Recipes

Lore Differences, General Notes

Short Summary of Opinion

Going to put all of this under the cut as it is super long.

Previous Recipes and Their Differences

Antivan Gnocchi This one was a curious one, as the dish was only recently introduced into Thedas in Tevinter Nights. I enjoyed the lore blurb for this recipe as it really anchored in some food and cultural facts you only hear in the anthology. However, the lore blurb describes the gnocchi as dressed with leeks and cheese sauce but then the working recipe... distinctly lacks any leeks and instead goes for a rather basic pine nut pesto sauce. Which puzzles me why they didn't just simply describe that rather than what is in the lore blurb.

Eggs à la Val Foret Originally mentioned in a note in Trespasser. It is described in the cookbook to have tons of cream and in the original note to have a cream sauce. However, the working recipe does not follow that criteria, using hollandaise sauce and giving this recipe a form of eggs Benedict, leaving the first case for why the recipes in the cookbook are likely not adhering to canon.

Black Lichen Bread This one I almost didn't include as the specification of black lichen has never been mentioned before in canon. However, we do know that in Origins we have mentions in Orzammar of lichen bread and in the lore blurb it specifies "this is lichen bread not bark bread" so I'm running with that. My thoughts on this particular recipe is the fact that instead of using a grain that would give a brown colour and mixing something like black seasame of gel food colouring to achieve the dark colour and instead used activated charcoal. Which shouldn't be anyone's first choice due to the known risks of consuming activated charcoal. Which is a whole post in and of itself that I went into here.

Dwarven Plum Jam The plum jam was first mentioned in Origins and has been remarked on multiple times since. There isn't really anything to contradict here in terms of the lore blurb, the working recipe throws me, because this recipe is not meant for long term storage outside of the refrigerator. Which is arguably not made clear enough as the final step says "The plum jam will keep for up to 6 months sealed in a cool place. Refrigerate after opening." Which contradicts the last line of the previous step "Store the jars in the refrigerator." As minor as they seem, these are pretty big distinctions. A cool place does not necessarily mean you keep it in the fridge, and this has to be kept in the fridge. The recipe doesn't call for any sugar so there is nothing actually preserving this for long term storage outside of it. So, it really isn't stressed at all and the wordage is conflicting. I would have adapted this for a smaller batch because 4-5 - 14oz jars in your fridge of the same thing take up a lot of space if you aren't giving them away. Additionally, I'd use allspice instead of cinnamon and vanilla extract. If you bloom the allspice before putting it in the plum reduction you get a much larger depth of flavor and you get the notes of vanilla and other things with it.

Fish Chowder First mentioned by Zevran in Origins while speaking of Antiva, the lore blurb carries the same theme. Speaking of how it is a dish that will bring you to Antiva city. There isn't much to speak of in terms of pre-established ingredients, however I find that the working recipe is a bit rich for a dish to be served to folks between a tannery and the coast. Which is a theme I have noticed in general with recipes of the poor or lower class. Instead of using them as simple, low-effort, and sort of beginner recipes they seem to evolve into one of the more complex. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I would have preferred they took advantage of more humble recipes from lore as such things and add additional notes of possible things they could include to "elevate" the recipe as it is called.

Fish in Salt Crust This is Avvar in origin and first mentioned in the DLC Jaws of Hakkon. The lore blurb and in-game description say that this is made by wrapping the fish in pungent leaves and cooked on banked coals. However where the in-game description specifies that the fish and leaves are wrapped in clay, the cookbook's lore blurb replaces that with salt. To be honest when I heard it was wrapped in pungent leaves and clay/salt, I was thinking something akin to banana leaves or something of the sort. The working recipe however uses thyme and rosemary, herbs. Which is an understandable and accessible swap, however the conversion of clay to a salt crust confuses me as there are casserole dishes, terracotta dishes, and other cookware means to replicate the "clay" wrapping while cooking in an oven. Especially considering the recipe calls for 4.5-6.5 lbs (2.04-2.95 kg) of salt I think a cookware swap would have been more economical. That said I do love a good salt crusted fish.

Fish Pocket Though referred to as fish wraps by The Iron Bull in DAI, these are the same dish. The lore blurb says that they learned this recipe from the Bull's Chargers. Which would imply the working recipe is roughly the same. However in the game Bull describes it as fish wrapped in thin bread. The working recipe has these more akin to a hand pie or pasty, wrapping the store-bought salmon filet in pizza dough with minimal seasoning of salt, parsley, pepper, shallot, and egg.

Fluffy Mackerel Pudding This recipe first debuted in Origins thanks to Mary Kirby and Sheryl Chee. It is in reference to the original weight watcher recipe and also the secondary example as to why the recipes likely aren't canon outside of the lore blurbs. The recipe in-game and the cookbook lore blurb calls for celery, eggs, mackerel and onion. The in game recipe also calls for Antivan pepper (Thedas replacement for cayenne), green pepper, mustard, salt, mace, cardamom seed and specifies the mackerel is to be poached. The working recipe calls for potatoes, smoked mackerel, butter, eggs, black pepper, and ground nutmeg. An entirely different dish for obvious reasons, as this dish was a play on a weight watchers recipe.

Found Cake First introduced in Origins and described very little aside from how it had likely seen better days as well as having mabari spittle on it. Something the lore blurb of the cookbook references. A new aspect of this cake coming from the cookbook is that it is a chocolate cream variety topped with white frosting and strawberries. Much like the item icon in Origins, though it should be noted the item icon is also shared with the sugar cake. As far as the working recipe, it's simple and sounds delicious.

Goat Custard This one is technically introduced in Inquisition, however it is not a desert custard but a savory one. It's actually not a custard at all but a broiled goat head. So, a very big switch up! I do enjoy this recipe as a whole though, from the wonderful short lore blurb to the rather simple recipe.

The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew Previously only mentioned on a loading screen of DA2, this stew in the lore blurb is kept the same. A mysterious meat stew made every day, but not knowing what exact type of meat you might be eating. Personally, I find the working recipe in the cookbook too elaborate for a tavern that is known for its ill-reputable clientele and is described as smelling of sour ale, vomit, and desperation. The working recipe calls for olive oil, onion, garlic, pancetta, ground pork, tomato paste, dry red wine, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, canned corn, red bell pepper, chili pepper, bay leaves, allspice berries, clove, salt, pepper, paprika, caraway, oregano, sugar, lemon, and parsley for garnish.

Heath Cakes Another recipe that debuted in the World of Thedas Volume 2 under 'The Whole Nug' section on page 295. It also notes that it is traditionally made with halla butter but can be substituted with goat or cow butter, same as in World of Thedas. Hearth cakes are noted to be "common Dalish fare".

Lamb and Pea Stew This was a stew first mentioned in Origins and has been jokingly referred to since, even in the cookbook. Alistair's version of this dish is a uniform grey colour that leaves Leliana unable to discern that there was even lamb in the stew. Though the cookbook calls this King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew, it is clear in the lore blurb that Alistair's opinions on Fereldan cooking is incorrect save for throwing it in a large pot. Overall the working recipe is fairly basic; potatoes, oil, onions, ground lamb, tomato paste, beef stock, canned peas and carrots, pepper, paprika, butter, cream, nutmeg, cheese, and thyme. However instead of a stew, this working recipe instructs you in what would better be described as a casserole. Which isn't the first time that the cookbook deviates so strongly from the dish name or even lore description.

Llomerryn red Mentioned in the recipe for Merrill's Blood Soup and is another recipe that debuted in the World of Thedas Volume 2 under 'The Whole Nug' section on page 286.

Nug Pancakes A dish first mentioned in Origins along with the famed nug-gets. A recipe, unfortunately only referenced in the cookbook. Over all the gist of these is the same and the working recipe itself takes on a more developed and savory path than one would expect for something deemed to be a child's favorite. And by that I simply mean it is a high effort meal that I couldn't really see being served regularly outside of Orzammar's upper castes of nobles, royals, and warriors. As in Orzammar such spices as sugar, coriander, cumin, spicy hungarian paprika, chili powder, and the like would all be expensive surface imports.

Peasant Bread Originally shown in the novel Masked Empire as Michel de Chalon watches the Dalish make it for their midday meal and reminds him of his mother making it. Like the novel, the lore in the cookbook keeps the basic ingredients the same, a simple recipe of wheat, salt, and grease. The difference between the novel and cookbook lore is their chosen topping, Michel's mother would top his slice with sugar and the cookbook suggests butter and jam. The working recipe however, calls for an alternative of active dry yeast, flour, sugar, milk, egg yolks, and butter.

Pickled Eggs Another recipe that debuted in the World of Thedas Volume 2 under 'The Whole Nug' section on page 285. It is also noted to be a popular Fereldan tavern food and cure all. The difference in tone between the two recipes is 'The Whole Nug' is written by an Orlesian and views the recipe with distaste, and the cookbook's narrator is Fereldan and speaks with a fondness. The recipe itself differs in that the World of Thedas calls for sugar, salt, vinegar, water, and boiled and peeled eggs while the cookbook - which notes it is providing a base recipe that you can customize - lists onion, bay leaf, allspice berries, cloves, mustard seed, peppercorns, dried chili pepper, caraway, water, sugar, salt, white wine vinegar, and eggs. It also suggest alternative herbs and spices such as rosemary, tarragon, dill, thyme, and curry or to include aromatics like beets, bell peppers, squash, and garlic. Overall, this is one of my favorite working recipes for how its formatted and how it encourages more openly with trying different seasonings. Though, I think the World of Thedas recipe is better as a "base" to build from. So if you do want to experiment, I think reducing to those basic 5 ingredients and building from there is the best way to go about it.

Roasted Cave Beetles Previously mentioned in the Dragon Age Tabletop RPG (TTRPG) in the Buried Pasts adventure, the dwarves eat the beetles in the shell after roasting them.

Roasted Wyvern This is an Orlesian and Avvar favored meal item, mentioned in Da2 and in World of Thedas Vol. 2. There really wasn't much description on the method of roasting, seasoning or anything. So there really was a lot of room to play with this. One thing I found curious was that they use turkey legs in the working recipe for wyvern meat. It is an interesting choice and one likely made due to the size of a turkey leg, as you can't necessarily make turkey steaks like the wyvern steak mentioned in the Rusted Horn.

Sera's Yummy Corn Another recipe that debuted in the World of Thedas Volume 2 under 'The Whole Nug' section on page 295. It was written in her hand and displayed as if it was slipped in. Like in the lore burb of the cookbook, it is specified that the corn used has to be yellow and "not that weirdly checkered stuff". That it needed to be "cake-hot, not forge-hot" and it required no pot or wrap, simply "steal-heat-peel". However, in contrast to both of those, the working recipe of the cookbook makes what would be a humble and delicious snack a little more. Introducing herb butter composed of parsley, chives, clove, red onion, butter, ground mustard, and has you boil the corn (it suggests pre-cooked?) in milk and sugar, before you grill or broil it and top it with chili pepper rings.

Smoked Ham from the Anderfels There really isn't much to say about this famous gag in Dragon Age. First mentioned in the dlc Mark of the Assassin, we get the first idea of what exactly is on this ham in the cookbook lore book. It comes with different glazes, Devon's favorite being a glaze composed of apples and apricots.

Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie Originally mentioned in Dragon Age 2 and later in Dragon Age Inquisition, this dish is spoken to be both Sebastain Vael and Samson's favorite dish. It is a recipe that appeared in the World of Thedas Volume 2 under 'The Whole Nug' section on page 283. The working recipe in the cookbook vs The Whole Nug differs a fair bit. To start, the amount of ingredients between the two, the cookbook having 23 and The Whole Nug having 15. I couldn't really compare the two in which I would prefer, but I do have a leaning towards The Whole Nug due to it being more adaptable as well as being intentionally anchored in-world.

Stuffed Vine Leaves These were first depicted in the comic Deception, where they are in a tavern in Tevinter and in the background you see someone eating what looks like dolmas or stuffed grape leaves.

Sugar Cake Another Origins item, this cake is described as being a simple pound cake dressed in strawberries and sugar-cream icing. However, the lore blurb and the working recipe directly contradict this. The lore blurb describes it as a humble mixture of butter, sugar, and almonds. Then, directly references a line from the origins item description about how it is "the perfect pick-me-up after a long day of travel." They seemed to have given the cream icing and the strawberries to the aforementioned found cake and turned this into a simple pound cake with almond topping. Which works well enough, however I think if they swapped the names on the two recipes they would make more sense. The working recipe calls for such little sugar, I didn't quite get as much sweetness as one would expect from such a cake.

Turnip and Mutton Pie Previously mentioned in Inquisition on the Rusted Horn's menu in Crestwood, this is another recipe with more play for the cookbook as the game only offers the detail that such a dish is worth 3 coppers. The lore blurb in the cookbook makes it sound like a humble and filling dish as well as describing it as a double crusted pot pie versus just a top crust. Which is what the working recipe gives you. Which isn't surprising and is of little consequence one way or the other, especially considering that the working recipe is for an 11-inch (27.94cm) pie.

Drink Recipes

All of my opinions on the alcoholic drinks is that they should have had a mocktail version, and if not all a good chunk of them would have worked well as mocktails.

Another opinion of mine that you will see pretty regularly is that most of these drinks have listed ingredients in lore and are usually remarked on in the lore blurbs. But the working recipes are so far removed it is rather jarring. Which circles back to my previous opinion of the fact they could have made these mocktails.

Antivan Sip-Sip Introduced in Inquisition, there is no official ingredient list for this one. Simply this description: "Careful, this one's mean. Attic-raised mean. Popular among highborn who wish to seem dangerous, but more at home grasped by the neck by those who actually are." A description that is vaguely referenced in the lore blurb. As far as the working recipe goes, it's simple coconut rum, Jägermeister, and pineapple juice. Honestly, it could be a mocktail but I don't think it's really a missed opportunity here that it wasn't unlike some of the others.

Chasind Sack Mead Described in Origins as "A brutishly strong honey liquor, reminiscent of warm summer days, apple blossoms on the wind with an unexpected aftertaste of father going off to war, never to return. Bitter, to say the least." The lore blurb makes another poetic description in the same vein where it is more akin to the changing of the seasons; "First, there's a near-overwhelming rush of honey, tinged with the sour-sweetness of apple blossoms, that fills the mouth with all the bright warmth of a summer's day. But as the initial sweetness fades, there comes an unexpected bitterness, reminiscent of the slow decay into fall, then winter." They're both distinct and evoke a certain flavour profile to the mind. Now I likely won't be making this at any time, so I cannot speak to how well the working recipe captures that flavour. But the ingredients it lists vaguely evoke the potential of it in theory of what I know for these ingredients. It calls for apple juice (unfiltered), pure culture brewer's yeast, water, honey, St. John's wort, meadowsweet, verbena, and kieselsol.

Dragon Piss This one is interesting because while it has this description in Origins: "The name is probably figurative, but no one knows for sure." It actually has its first draft of a recipe from a twitch stream where the recipe is "1oz light rum, 1 oz dark rum, fill with iced tea". The cookbook recipe is a far departure from that, as it calls for raspberry brandy, sparkling wine, and blue curaçao liqueur; as well as lighting it on fire. The main spectacle of this drink is that it is lit on fire. I think the twitch recipe is a good foundation of a mocktail as well as sticks more visually to the name. Could have been a mocktail.

The Emerald Valley This cocktail from Inquisition is a recipe from The Gilded Horn like many on this list. But for this drink, it calls for: a spirit distilled by Chantery sisters in Lydes from over seventy herbs and flowers, topped with egg-white foam and dusted with nutmeg. A rather specific spirit to say the least. So much so the lore blurb for this drink is only two sentences long and focuses on that. Meanwhile the working recipe calls for ice cubes, bourbon, herb liqueur, simple syrup, heavy whipping cream, egg yolk, and freshly grated nutmeg. The only overlap between the two is the nutmeg dusting. I do wonder why they went with bourbon and made what is in essence eggnog with less spices. The shift from egg-white foam topper to what seems like would have been a good herb infused liqueur or an herbal simple syrup and making it akin to a mule or mojito. If they really wanted to keep with the strong herbal taste a St. Germain would have been a good base to build off of. Could have been a mocktail.

The Golden Nug From Inquisition, this recipe from The Gilded Horn calls for effervescent (fizzy) white Seleney wine, dash of West Hill Brandy, and a splash of pomegranate juice, muddled with raspberries and a sprig of royal elfroot. The lore blurb also specifies all this but the royal elfroot and describes the drink of having a pinkish hue. The working recipe however calls for ice cubes, grapefruit juice, gin, tonic water, and rosemary for garnish. A departure from the fizzy white wine and brandy combo with pomegranate and raspberries. If they were going to keep it alcoholic, I think a better swap would have to keep everything but swap the white wine for tonic water and making this a brandy and tonic based cocktail with pomegranate and raspberries vs a grapefruit gin and tonic and still achieve a soft pink look. Could have been a mocktail.

The Hissing Drake In-game recipe from The Gilded Horn which includes: cinnamon-infused whiskey, dark Llomerryn rum, Hirol's Lava Burst. Two of those three recipes are pretty easy to find here, and the Hirol's Lava Burst which "tastes of burning" would have been replaced with a high-proof alcohol and/or mixing in hot sauce or garnishes with spice - as it does in the working recipe. However the working recipe amounts to a bloody mary, having: Lemon juice, salt, vodka, tomato juice, tabasco, worcestershire sauce, pepper, sea salt, celery rib, pickle, spiced jerky. Coupling the working recipe with the lore blurb, it feels a little weird to have a drinking contest with bloody marys. But, people can and do have weird choices for drinking contests. Could have been a mocktail.

Hot Chocolate Bull's personal mission in Inquisition, making cocoa with Orlesian guimauves. Overall the working recipe is fine, it is a simple cup of cocoa and they even direct you on how to whip your own whipped cream.

Lichen Ale First mentioned in Origins, this ale is known to be toxic to everyone who drinks it but non-dwarves especially. Something the lore blurb stresses heavily while noting that they made changes to remove the risk and fear of poisoning. Overall, a pretty straight-forward and fun piece. Just looking at the recipe and the things with substitutes I deem it: Could have been a mocktail. Especially because it could have been fun to have recipes for making your own Kahlùa.

Rivaini Tea Blend First introduced in The Masked Empire novel as a favored tea of Empress Celene, its listed ingredients were cinnamon, ginger, and clove. However the lore blurb for this recipe creates a whole new mixture of peppermint, lemon verbena, oregano, and licorice root, then cites the blend as the one that Celene drinks to alleviate her headaches. I'm not too sure why the change in that, but it is noteworthy. The working recipe itself calls for: peppermint, lemon verbena, oregano (flowers and leaves), mixed edible flowers (elderflower, mallow, and marigold), licorice root, vanilla bean, black tea, and honey. Overall it is a good and tasty mix, but one I would not be taking for headaches. If we followed Celene's reasoning for it - an aid for headaches, a better bet would actually be the original recipe as ginger and clove can help with headaches and migraines. Peppermint can as well, but the addition of the various floral notes as well as black tea and vanilla bean wouldn't. Not that the cookbook is necessarily providing the recipe for that purpose.

Lore and General Notes

In the recipe for nug pancakes, it notes that the taste of nug meat is akin to that of pork and rabbit, which is different from the pork and hare approximation from Origins.

The Jade Ham we see as a weapon in Inquisition is a smoked ham from the Anderfels with a specific glaze.

We've heard very little of Anderfels agriculture and animal husbandry prior to the cookbook. Save that they have apples that are small and bitter and largely import dried fruits. The cookbook introduces the fact that pig farming does profoundly well in the Anderfels, resulting in bigger pigs and by extension hams.

The cookbook introduces for the first time the existence of international connoisseurs as well as sharing just how widespread the use of goat milk is, seemingly more prevalent than cattle.

Chasind Sack Mead recipe mentions Chasind Wildwine, an ale that was originally only mentioned in the TTRPG and is made from a specific type of grain native to Ferelden called ryott.

Short Summary of Opinion

Overall my general opinion on the cookbook is that the lore elements are fun and I enjoy the references and nods to the series. The photos are very campy and fun, and doesn't take itself too seriously and also builds on nods towards the series through merch references. I feel like the cookbook is a solid 5/10 and I'm not really disappointed in it. It was more than what I expected and had the thing I was most excited and hopeful for: food and culture lore.

But I'm sure if you've read this far, my main issue with this cookbook, and something that is wholly a personal preference from my own work in this area as well as an opinion built from my other game/franchise cookbooks like World of Warcraft, Dnd, Critical Role, and Elder Scrolls being some of my favorites.

But I find the disconnect in the recipe description, recipe name, and lore blurbs from the actual working recipes a sizable detractor. I personally am not a fan of it simply telling you to get store bought ingredients - like the hollandaise sauce which is a simple recipe - instead of providing that recipe and suggesting the store bought as an alternative. A preference that comes from my own dietary restrictions meaning half of the "just buy store bought" requires me to look up a separate recipe elsewhere. Leading the book to feel a touch incomplete.

I also stated before in the drink section just how much it doesn't sit well that there aren't any mocktails and your only non-alcoholic options are tea and hot cocoa. I think they could have really explored that more and developed some really fun and inclusive drinks for those who don't/can't drink alcohol.

I also noticed, that this publisher who does a majority of game franchises or just media franchise cookbooks, is that they didn't have one of my favorite things about the Elder Scrolls cookbook, which was the Dietary Considerations chart. It was in the back of the cookbook and the chart had every recipe that fell in one or multiples of the following categories:

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten-free

Easily made vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free with simple alterations

The fact that the Dragon Age cookbook didn't have this was disappointing to say the least and makes this rather inaccessible for people with such needs. I also have just a general distaste for the fact that all but 2 of the 9 drink recipes were alcoholic. That there was no attempt to offer mocktails, which not only feels like a missed opportunity but also just a limiting one on accessibility when it's pretty clear that working recipes are not mirrors to their in universe counterparts.

A big thing for me in modern cookbooks is accessibility, from difficulty, to ability to add alterations, and actually putting efforts into non-alcoholic drinks that aren't just hot chocolate or a tea blend (though I do like that they did a tea blend.)

This book is definitely more for a fan who wants to look into a fun recipe every now and then but mostly was there for the lore blurbs and just the sort of fan service of it.

[lizhi-art]

Idk if this is something people discuss and I’m just not in those circles but I feel like the lack of public awareness about the usage and effects of activated charcoal, especially with all these new health and beauty “hacks” and such, is like—genuinely unethical?

Bc like, if you take any medications whatsoever then activated charcoal is going to Fuck You Up. Activated charcoal binds to toxins and drugs and prevents them from being absorbed by the stomach lining, allowing them to pass through the body less harmfully. It’s used when someone has ingested some poison or overdosed on a drug and they need to prevent it from being absorbed before they can start other steps to save someone. Other than that, it doesn’t really have any benefits.

So if you’re on any medication at all, activated charcoal will suck that up and prevent it from actually doing it’s job. And I think it’s so crazy that so many of these health products and recipes that advertise the “benefits” of activated charcoal never mention that it can be harmful.

[ricoydelicioso]

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Say goodbye to stained teeth!

This DIY teeth whitening secret might just change your life! 🦷🥥🌟

🤔Ever thought of using turmeric and coconut oil for teeth whitening?

It’s time to ditch those chemical-laden products and embrace this natural, safe, and effective alternative!

🌟Benefits : Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent, helping to keep your gums healthy, while coconut oil is known for its antibacterial properties.

This combo not only whitens your teeth but also promotes overall oral health.

👩‍🍳Here’s the simple recipe: • 1 tbsp organic coconut oil • 1 tsp turmeric powder Mix both ingredients to form a paste.

💡Storage: – Store it in a small airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

🔍Comparison: – Unlike commercial teeth whitening products that may cause tooth sensitivity and enamel damage, this natural remedy is gentle on your teeth and free of harmful chemicals.

🌱3 other natural teeth whitening methods :

1️⃣Baking soda + water : – Mix equal parts and gently brush your teeth for 2 minutes before rinsing.

2️⃣Apple cider vinegar : – Dilute with water (1:3 ratio) and use as a mouthwash before brushing. 1-2 x per week (max)

3️⃣Activated charcoal : – Dampen your toothbrush, dip it in activated charcoal powder, and brush gently for 2 minutes.

Try this amazing DIY teeth whitening hack, and let your smile shine bright! 😁✨

[rabbitcruiser]

National Barbecued Spareribs Day 

National Barbecued Spare ribs Day is celebrated each year in the United States on July 4. Think about it, July 4 is also Independence Day, and the day is celebrated by grilling various kinds of meats and vegetables. Barbecue lunches are common and everyone is eager to show off their grilling skills! Spare ribs were intended to be served grilled. Short or long, over charcoal or gas, and in the heat of summer with various dips and sauces: that’s the way to enjoy spareribs. National Barbecued Spare ribs Day reminds us that the summer is incomplete without a barbecue with friends, family, and spare ribs!

History of National Barbecued Spareribs Day

Spare ribs are cut from the lower portion of the pig. The ribs are severed from the breastbone behind the shoulder and taste a bit different from the rest of the body. Though ribs have more bone than meat, the fat in them makes spare ribs more tender than other kinds of ribs. Spareribs are typically sold smoked, meaning you can easily grill them with a dry rub or some barbecue sauce. Spareribs can be made more delicious and tender by an extremely long cooking time at a low temperature.

People all across the world enjoy the rich succulent flavor of pork, and they all have their delicious recipes for spare ribs. The Chinese cut the ribs quite short, steam or fry them, and serve them with a flavorful sauce. The Cantonese prepare them with a sweet and savory sauce, while some may skewer the ribs on long forks and cook in a covered oven.

The Irish have their unique recipe too. In County Cork, people prepare spare ribs by boiling them and eating them with potatoes and turnips. This dish is known as “bodice” in Ireland. In America, almost every community has its recipes for spareribs. From bodice to Chinese braised spare ribs, you can taste every preparation in the country’s restaurants. America is home to the most delicious spare ribs in the world and grilling them has become an Independence Day tradition too! Even if you aren’t much of a cook, you can enjoy National Barbecued Spare ribs Day by having your fill of the delicious food.

National Barbecued Spareribs Day timeline

1909Commercially Produced Barbecue Sauce

Heinz sells the first commercially manufactured barbecue sauce.

1944Electric Grill

George Foreman makes the first electric grill.

1952Modern Barbeque Grill

George Stephen builds the first modern BBQ grill.

2006Barbecue Nation

Nationwide barbecue restaurants chain in India.

National Barbecued Spareribs Day FAQs

Why are spare ribs called spare ribs?

The term comes from the German ‘Rippenspeer’ which translates to ‘spear ribs,’ as this cut was traditionally roasted on a spit or spear.

Are spare ribs good?

Spare ribs require low, slow cooking time to become nice and tender. They are great for smoking, braising, and grilling. They taste even better with spice rubs and sauces.

What are the meatiest ribs for BBQ?

Country-style ribs are the meatiest variety.

National Barbecued Spareribs Day Activities

Go out for spareribs

Grill some spare ribs

Try a new spare ribs preparation

Celebrate National Barbecued Spare Ribs Day by treating yourself to some delicious spare ribs. This is the perfect celebration for those who don’t grill or who would like to explore different recipes for spare ribs.

So you have never grilled spare ribs? National Barbecued Spare Ribs Day is the perfect day to get started on your spareribs journey. Try your hand at the family recipe or experiment with something new.

We all have our favorite spare ribs preparation. But why not taste something new on National Barbecued Spare ribs Day? Get a taste of your friend’s favorite spare ribs recipe or set out to find something you have never tasted before.

5 Facts About Spareribs

Its weight is predetermined

Preparation time can be long

Spare ribs have less meat

There are four types of pork ribs

There’s an ideal serving size too

Spare ribs weigh between two to five pounds.

The longest time taken to prepare spare ribs is 80 hours.

Yet they are a favorite for their delicious taste.

They are baby back ribs, country-style ribs, St. Louis-style ribs, and spareribs.

The ideal serving size for ribs is one pound per person.

Why We Love National Barbecued Spareribs Day

America’s favorite

It’s an occasion to celebrate with family

It’s a celebration of versatile food

Barbecued spare ribs are America’s favorite grilled food. National Barbecued Spare ribs Day is a celebration of America’s recipes and cuisines!

National Barbecued Spare ribs Day is a best-enjoyed celebration with friends and family. Gather your friends and family and treat them to a wonderful meal of barbecued spare ribs and grilled vegetables.

National Barbecued Spare Ribs Day is also a celebration of a versatile food found in several cultures across the world. The day unites us through common food habits.

Source

[endgame-steve-is-not-real]

I am sorry for continuing to fuel your obsession but I was left alone with my thoughts so I thought about cottagecore stucky💖💖💖

with the flowers that they have around their garden, would they have marigolds and calendula since those are good for repelling insects (calendula petals are also edible and used for making cosmetics), would they also have some sage since burning it repels mosquitoes?

Also for their tea garden I feel like they'd have chamomile, lavender, and maybe some mints. I also feel like they'd have a lemon tree bc you can use lemons for a lot of things. Maybe they'd grow pumpkins too, like the type for eating/making pie. I feel like Bucky would probably have some vintage recipes for various pies including pumpkin.

Also with Steve's art, how do you feel about the idea of him making his own paints and making taking some of the flower petals from the garden and drying them and grinding them to make pigments to make more organic paint colors. Also I feel like they'd have a fireplace and/or outdoor fire pit, if Steve uses charcoal for drawing maybe he could make charcoal sticks/pencils from the burnt wood in the fireplace instead of buying more expensive/fancy charcoal for his art.

Also how many indoor/house plants do they have and which one of them would be the plant dad. Do they have any bird feeders in front of the windows for Alpine to look at?

Never be fucking sorry I think I'm in love with you a lil bit<33

YES. YES. yes to all of it. Alpine watching birds at the cottage is possibly the most peaceful thought I could ever have. you are a genius 🤌😭

Steve making his own art supplies is so fucking cute and just SO Steve like OF COURSE Steve would do something like that.

Steve is Obsessed™ with charcoal sketching cus he use to do that all the time before the war and he fucking loves leaving charcoal marks all over Bucky *cough*activities*cough*

Steve using flowers to make different colors and experiencing all the different things he can do with it and the never ending possibilities is just afshaajsvs. Imagine curious lil Steve finding out he can make his own paints and doing all the research he possibly can and after SEVERAL failed attempts ending in adorable pouts that Bucky was more than happy to kiss away, he finally finally got it right and now has a whole pallette of organic paints which he made himself????? And he is so fucking proud of himself?????

And the pumpkin and lemon tree!!! Growing up my grandparents had 2 lemon trees in their front yard and i have so many good memories with lemon trees and like ohhhhh all the goddamn lemonade that Steve would make, he is BIG on using everything from his garden and making minimal trips to the grocery store. Bucky is just happy he doesn't have to leave the house much often and gets to spend more time in his garden. All the pies they made with the pumpkins they grew and and all the gallons of lemonade they made.

They would have those big transperant dispensers which are constantly in use and full of different stuff either one of them made that day

Dispensers like these 👆

And their house smelling like sage is such a soft feeling oh my 🥹🥹 obvs they had to be careful with certain plants to not trigger any bad memories for Bucky and stuff but yesss they grow lavender which I think is Steve's favourite (because it's my favourite i think I'm projecting lmao) cus like you look at Steve and you just KNOW he smell something flowery and it's most prolly lavender and they have all the flowers growing right in front of their main entrance like thiis

Their kitchen have a back door that leads to their herbs and tea garden cus that's the sensible thing lmao and the kitchen is always smelling nice even when they r not cooking/baking something.

Over all the big picture is Bucky and Steve sitting in their kitchen, Steve still has some paint splatters on his hands, they are drinking thier tea with mint and lemon, the house smells like sage while alpine is sitting on the picturesque window sill watching the birds near the bird feeder that steve put up himself, there is pie in the oven which Bucky made and Steve would like to say that he helped a bit but he was just snuggling and distracting his husband, thus the reason Bucky ALSO have paint on his neck and hands and everything is peaceful and birds chirping and all that Disney bullshit im going to go cry happy tears for my boys now thank you ✌️

[fuckyeahilike]

Use heat retention to cook without spending money on gas or electricity

If you’re trying to save on gas or electricity, one thing you can do is to use heat  retention to cook your meals. 

The basic idea is that you kick things off by cooking your food in a lided pot for a short amount of time. Then you quickly stick the lided pot inside a box lined with towels or clothes or hay, something that functions as insulation, you cover the pot with some more towels, and leave it there for a few hours. The heat it retained will do the rest of the cooking without the need to actively apply any more heat to it.

It’s a similar principle to a slow cooker/crock pot... only for free. 

These videos explain how, and provide you with a few recipes that you can try to test this method for yourself.

Frugalgreengirl - All About Heat Retention Cooking!

COOKING IN A COOLER?!?  Yep!  Heat retention cooking is an important skill that I think everyone should have.  It can drastically help save on electric or propane, help with disaster preparedness or even just help keep heat out of the house.  Plus it's easy and does not require any special items to buy!  Most everyone has everything they need right now!  Plus it is super eco friendly!

FGG Survival Stew Recipe: 1 Pound dry green lentils 1 Cup Augason Farms Vegetable stew blend 1 Can Diced Tomatoes 2 Tsp. Parsley 1 Teaspoons EACH: Garlic Powder, Coriander and Cumin 1/2 Tsp. Salt (or to taste) 1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper About 10-11 Cups Water (or stock/ broth, if you prefer) Add all ingredients to large heavy pot, cover and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 2-4 minutes. Place in HRC and leave there for about 1 1/2 (or up to 2) hours. Do not open to stir or check on it, as this will allow valuable heat to be lost. Enjoy!

emmymade - Save $ Cooking in a CARDBOARD BOX | 1909 Fireless Cookery Recipe

This old method of cooking conserves fuel by using insulation to trap in heat which slowly cooks your meal. So, let's build a haybox, cook a meal, and see how it tastes.

Sorted Food - 2 Chefs Test THE WONDERBAG: A Non-Electric Slow Cooker!

Every now and then, we come across a gadget that really catches our eye. Whether it’s a stylish design, a functional purpose, amazing craftsmanship, sustainably made or has life changing benefits. And in today’s episode, we’re reviewing a gadget which ticks all of these boxes... Behold, the WONDERBAG!

This handy gadget has helped to improve the lives of many communities, particularly those in developing countries who spend endless hours collecting firewood and charcoal. We’ve decided to use our platform to raise some money so that more wonderbags can be made for those who really need it.

RoseRed Homestead - Make a Wonder Bag and Bake Bread

Need to bake bread when the power is out?  Here's your answer--a Wonder Bag!  Make a Wonder Bag from pillow cases, an old sheet, or any fabric you wish.  Then use your favorite bread recipe to make  tasty loaves of crustless bread.  You will need an off-grid burner of some kind to boil water for 10 minutes and that is all the power required.  The rest is just wait time.  Be prepared!

[vanilla-cigarillos]

Black Drawing Salve Recipe

Activated charcoal, plantain, and other healing herbs can help draw toxins from your skin in a safe, non-invasive, and effective manner. This is an easy recipe to relieve and draw out splinters, venom from bug bites, stings, infection and boils, or soothe rashes or itching, etc. This funky little jar of magic is one of the most natural ways to treat a variety of issues.

How Does It Work?

Activated charcoal has been used since ancient times as a detoxifier and purifier. The charcoal helps clean the wound and pull out the offending object.

Comfrey is well known to speed up wound healing (A.K.A. knit-bone). Plantain and St. John's Wort are great healing herbs. St. John's Wort is also great for helping soothe pain. Castor oil is a viscous oil that has excellent anti-microbial properties. Bentonite clay is used because it enhances the detoxification and drawing action of the activated charcoal. Beeswax is not only healing to the skin, but it is what creates the "salve" feel of this remedy.

Ingredients:

A scant 1/3 cup of the herb infused oil (it's ok to use regular olive oil in a pinch, however consider getting a Mason jar of oil infusing so it's ready for next time!) The herbs used are Plantain, Comfrey, and St. John's Wort in equal measures

2 - 3 teaspoons beeswax (if you like a looser, more “ointment” of a salve, go with 2 teaspoons, but otherwise I recommend using all 3)

If you live in a very hot area, then consider a bit more beeswax in your salves

If you live in a very cold area, then you may be able to get away with less beeswax

1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons Castor oil

1 tablespoon Activated Charcoal

1 tablespoon Bentonite Clay

Around 30 - 60 drops of your essential oils of choice (make sure to research impacts!)

Instructions:

Combine your infused (or not) olive oil and the beeswax in a double boiler. I just use a pint size (wide mouth) Mason jar set in a pan of shallow water---about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Set the burner on low. Melt the beeswax into the oil. Once the mixture is all liquid, remove from the heat.

Add the charcoal and the bentonite clay. Make sure you stir well

Add in your essential oils (if using)

Pour your salve into a jar

Leave it to set up until it's firm

How To Use:

Remember that charcoal stains!

Spread it over the wound or splinter, then wrap it with a bandage

Make sure to keep it stored in a dark and cool place!