#Sea Salt & Paper

[whovian223]

New to Me - March 2024

New to Me #boardgame - March 2024 @garphillgames @PlayRenegade @StrongholdGames @wizkidsgames @Game_Brewer @apegames @Zmangames_ @Pandasaurusgame @StudioBombyx @pegasusspiele

[prettyswellaus]

(Splatoon AU) Edd's Crew's Lockers

(More to probably be added and soon)

Edd

Color: Green

Stickers

Inkbrush Sticker

Inkbrush Holo Sticker

CARBV Poster

Bacon Cola Poster

SM-SM Character

SP0P-INK Graffiti

3TSCRM Character

Decorations

Comedy Comic

Pop (12 Cans)

Monkey Crab in Silly Land

Octo King Country

Super Squid Collection

Purple Loose-Leaf Binder

Sea Snail Man (Ghost)

Lucky Can

Eddsworld Cereal

Tom

Color: Blue

Stickers

Krak-On Splat Roller Sticker

Krak-On Splat Roller Holo Sticker

Krak-On Logo

OKTRVNG Poster

PTYSQD-B sticker

SQDSN-B Character

SQSK Graffiti

PXSQD-B Deco

SQSQD Poster

Decorations

Susan (His bass)

Blue Candy-Drop Can

Record Player

Rockin' Music Quarterly

Contain the Kraken

Tomee Bear

Smirnoff Bottles (3 of them)

Black Dakronik (Specifically one shoe)

Small Amp

Aqua Water Bottle

Rusty Blue Harpoon

Matt

Color: Magenta

Stickers

Splat Brella Sticker

Splat Brella Holo Sticker

FRGL Sticker

INKWR Poster

PRL Poster

King Matt Poster

BWTR-SPRGS-MR0R Graffiti

Decorations

Mirrors (2 of them. One hand mirror and one taped on the inside of the locker door)

Inkopolis Illustrated

Drip Squad

Surveyor Tripod

Pink Squid Friend

Cymbal Playing Monkey ("Little Tom")

Photos of himself (4 of them)

Micro Shelter

Japanese Umbrella

Sakura Paper Lantern

Old-School Radio

Tord

Color: Red

Stickers

Splat Dualies Sticker

Splat Dualies Holo Sticker

MNA Poster

Robot Blueprints

Red Army Insignia Graffiti

Zekko D1MND logo

Zekko MLTY logo

Decorations

Ink & Splatter

Love-and-War

Commander Cephalopod

Fangirl Comic

Romance Comic

Sci-Fi Comic

Sharktooth Comix

Sharktooth Comix-Double

Sharktooth Comix-Special

Ultra Squid

Schoolyard Scrap Jack

Tordbot Action Figure

Octoleet Goggles

Pickelhaube Helmet

Blaze

Color: Black

Stickers

Blaster Sticker

Blaster Holo Sticker

Firefin FFN-R Logo

Firefin CH0 Logo

Squidforce Logo

SQDWV-TDP Sticker

SG-BNHPHN Graffiti

Decorations

Cheesy Munchy Snacks

Ginger Ale (6 Cans)

Fiery Squid Friend

Chocolate Cereal

Orange Candy-Drop Can

Crunchy Snacks

Crusty Snacks

Processed Cheese

Salted Munchy Snacks

Tentacle Nights

Squidlife Headphones

Enchanted Robe A

Enchanted Hat

Enchanted Boots

Dusk

Color: Pink

Stickers

Aerospray MG Sticker

Aerospray MG Holo Sticker

N-Zap Sticker

Decorations

Dancing Flower

Ice Cream Box

Pink Squid Friend

Fangirl Comic

Nostalgia Power

Romance Comic

Purple Squid Cushion

[iomadachd]

Dean tends to smell of the following: Gunpowder and gun oil, both naturally and enhanced by the number of weapons he owns Murphy’s Oil Soap, which he uses as a guitar polish Sea salt from hard work and the nearby Atlantic ocean

Being raised by an ex-Marine, Dean is well versed in the phonetic alphabet as well as Morse code and hand signals.

After his old guitar was ruined by a leaky storage locker in 2014, Dean looked into replacing it with something newer and with a little more style. He settled on a Luna acoustic guitar that could also be plugged in if he ever got the urge to buy an amp. A black leather strap with a wing motif completed the set.

Even as an adult, there are times when Dean can’t handle eating a sandwich unless he’s cut the crusts off first. It’s childish, but it’s one of the rare holdouts from his actual childhood.

Dean is an excellent mimic. He has a good ear for accents and can pick them up within hours or days depending on the complexity. Scottish English Highland English BBC English Cockney Texan Southern American Boston New York Russian Belfast Irish English Cajun English French

Dean has a single stuffed animal that he owns. A plush sheep, fuzzy and soft. He doesn’t use it much, but it brings him a small amount of comfort when sleep is especially difficult. He’d be embarrassed if anyone knew, because he’s way too old to have one. Her name is Amara, although he’s never known anyone by that name.

Dean has a serious caretaker streak where he’s always trying to look after the people he cares about, in any way possible. He’s genuinely just short of a mother hen, but it’s how he shows he cares by keeping an eye on people he likes and loves.

A semi-secret hobby of his, but something he enjoys none the less. He finds it calming as hell and with the added bonus of things he can give friends and loved ones.

He definitely gives nicknames, either public or private and enjoys being called them as well sometimes. It’s a sign of affection if he has a nickname for you.

Well, favorite pre-made playlist is The Best of Led Zeppelin. If we’re talking playlists he's made and named himself, it’s probably ‘Lies I’ve Told Myself in the Cemetery at Midnight’

For Dean, it can be incredibly difficult to say those three little words. Even with family he can sometimes struggle to express how he feels. A whole life time of internalized sexism and trauma and impermanence combined with not necessarily feeling a loving attachment right off the bat means it can sometimes be a year or more before he’ll ever say he loves someone, even those he appears to be closest to. Minimum it’s usually a year to a year and a half.

His love language isn’t words, it tends to be Physical Touch and Acts of Service

Dean isn’t exactly an artist, but he does doodle with some frequency. He has a notebook full of doodles at his desk, and at home, and uses it to focus his brain while fielding phone calls or through meetings. He doesn’t doodle human figures at all, but has done some drawings of various supernatural beings in his journals as part of the recording process in addition to taking pictures with his phone. He is very precise when it comes to sigils and symbols though, and takes great care either laying them down on a large surface, or recording them on paper. Those he will fuss over for ages until they’re perfect.

Dean was a casualty of the Blip.

[soapandpaperfactory]

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[chickenfriedrecipe1]

The Vegan Lasagna Recipe - Chicken Fried Receipe | Popular Chicken Food Fried Breast & Thigh Rice chili Receipe

The finest Vegan lasagna recipe that also happens to be a fantastic high-protein pasta dish! It’s more of a comfort food recipe, suitable for both special occasions and everyday weeknight meals.

What makes this vegetable lasagna recipe stand out?

This lasagna is just as creamy and delicious as any other traditional lasagna recipe. Here are a couple more reasons that this vegan lasagna stands out:

Vegetables

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium-to-large yellow onion, chopped

2 large or 3 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)

8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

5 to 6 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you soaked your cashews, drain them and rinse them in clean water.

Blend the cashews, water, vinegar, salt, and mustard in a food processor. Blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth, pausing occasionally to scrape the sides. If the mixture isn’t blending easily, add up to 1/2 cup more water carefully, only using what is necessary. Place aside.

 Preparing the vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the onion, carrots, mushrooms, salt and several twists of black pepper. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until most of the moisture is gone and the vegetables are tender and turning golden on the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add another splash of olive oil if necessary to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add a few sizable handfuls of spinach to the skillet. Cook with frequent stirring until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with the remaining spinach and simmer for an additional 3 minutes, or until the spinach has completely wilted. Stirring frequently, add the garlic and simmer for about 30 seconds until fragrant. After taking the skillet off the heat, add salt and pepper as desired.

Spread ¾ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread 1 cup of the cashew cream evenly over the noodles. Top with half of the veggies. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce.

Top with 3 more noodles, followed by another 1 cup cashew cream (save the leftover cream). Then add the remaining veggies.

Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top to evenly cover the noodles.

Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil around the top of the lasagna, making sure it’s taut so it doesn’t touch the top. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for about 5 to 10 more minutes, until it’s steaming and lightly bubbling at the corners.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes, so it has time to set and cool down to a reasonable temperature. Drizzle leftover cashew cream on top (if it’s too thick to drizzle, thin it out with a small amount of water first). Sprinkle vegan Parmesan and fresh basil on top, if using, then slice and serve.

For more delicious recipes to check

Zucchini lasagna recipe

The Spinach Lasagna Recipe

Pork Chop Recipe

Classic Lasagna Recipe

popular food recipesfried rice recipepotato soup recipechili recipechinese chicken fried rice recipe

[starryse]

Coffee V.S. Man

Seungcheol x Reader

Fluff, (kind of) clingy Coups, gn!reader

885 words

Summary: The one where Seungcheol was left flying around the kitchen with his tongue hanging half out in desperate need to cool off the sizzling of his fried tongue.

Today, you realized just how sweet your boyfriend really is. But also how much of an absolute blonde he could be- though you decided to just blame that on the constant bleaching of his scalp; he couldn’t help the damage it did.

“Babe”

You hummed in response, brushing off the fact he was talking to you, focusing on the freshly brewed salted caramel latte in front of you. Your tongue was poking out between your lips, teeth biting down on it as you concentrated on perfecting your drink that had miraculously taken you a whole 3 hours to perfect. How, you may ask? Well you’d blame it all on that conniving best friend of yours who couldn’t keep his little tiger paws off of it because it, “smelt so heavenly he just had to submit to the aroma”. Today, you also realized how much of an absolute nuthead your best friend was.

Seungcheol stood next to you in front of the countertop, his arms leaning onto the edge in an attempt to peer over your shoulder to see the drink you had divided all your attention to. He was curious as to how some little cup of coffee had managed to steal his precious partner away from him so much that he couldn’t even get you to breathe his way; even when he told you to “blink three times if you need help”.

The newly dyed blonde huffed when he realized there wasn’t anything special about the creme colored drink, in fact, if he didn’t know specifically what it was when you told him earlier, he’d have thought it was ground coffee from your Keurig. There weren't any fancy swirls in the sweet foam on top of the coffee, nor were there sprinkles of sea salt or drizzles of caramel, so what the heck was his s.o. and group member getting all hyped about?

So he tried to capture your attention yet again, sneaking his arm around the lower side of your back and resting his hand just below the arch. His fingers prodded at the waistline of your jeans, pulling them in and out of the barrier that separates your skin and the rough fabric. He stood still, observing your features for any sort of reaction.

But alas, he stood like the fly that was stuck on the fly paper hanging from the corner in the living room, watching you ignore his very obvious pleas of neediness.

Grunts of displeasure sounded from Seungcheol, his lips pursing in annoyance at your lack of acknowledgement. He was normally a patient person, it came from being the leader of 12 very hyperactive boys who couldn’t manage to sit still and obey commands for no longer than 5 minutes. But this? This was a feeling of abandonment (he’s so dramatic). Oh God he felt like a stray dog staring at you with large puppy eyes and a permanent pout that made his lips look like that of a fish. Time to amp up the big guns.

Seungcheol let out a sigh, one that he knew was whiny and laced with desperation; all the years of listening to Seungkwan paid off. He inched just a tad closer so he could feel the bone of your hip pressing against his, keeping his arm securely placed around your neck waist, as well.

Nothing.

He was this close to getting on his knees and begging you to at least say something, and in any way you wanted him to if you get the jist. But no. He shall remain strong- kind of.

“Baby baby baby baby bab-“

You closed your eyes, breathing in a deep inhale through your nose, “Cheol I swear to God”

The male straightened at that, eyes wide in shock at the sudden sound of your voice. A wide grin quickly spread across his face, his hands quickly finding themselves to grab at your cheeks, “Yes! You have spoken!” Seungcheol cried out, the cool breath of air he let out blowing strands of your hair in front of your shoulder, “I thought I’d never hear your voice again because of that stupid coffee”. His gaze was directed towards the small white cup that was now held in between your hands, brown eyes drilling daggers at the drink as if it were to just up and walk away.

You rolled your eyes, snorting in response as a teasing smile drew over your lips, “well Hosh seemed to love my coffee,” you shrugged your shoulders, “ but I guess I wouldn’t expect you to since you find it stupid”

And now the boy who was currently clinging onto you was flustered at your targeting words, his mouth opening and closing several times before he eventually mouthed a shut up and gently took the ceramic from your hands. He mumbled a few remarks along the lines of I’ll show you who likes it, me, your boyfriend, that’s who. Ah the fragile male ego, you loved how easy it was to poke at it.

Of course, his rush to prove to you he was an even better supporter to you than Soonyoung had him gasping like a dragon. Seungcheol was left flying around the kitchen with his tongue hanging half out in desperate need to cool off the sizzling of his fried tongue.

[sapphicscholar]

Just realized the other thing I sent had nothing to do with the "what's your favorite" ask. So, here's another: what is your favorite cookie recipe?

Ooh okay I was gonna go with my chocolate chip cookies, which are always a winner, but I feel like everyone already has their own preferences for that. So we'll go for a slightly less "sweet" but very delicious cookie, and you can have my rosemary shortbread recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter 2/3 cup of sugar (I like to use powdered for consistency) 1-2 tsp honey (optional, though I like it!) A splash of vanilla extract 2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp chopped rosemary (can do more or less to taste)

Directions

Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and honey until they're smooth. In a second bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and rosemary, then slowly stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Just stir until they're combined; it'll be a little crumbly, especially if you opt for no honey. Then press into an even layer in a pan lined with parchment paper. I use an 8" circular pan because I like my shortbread a little thicker, but you can also spread it across a 9" pan for crispier cookies. Before they go in the oven, you can sprinkle just a bit of sugar or sea salt flakes across the top. You don't need to, but I think they're both super tasty depending on whether you want to amp up the sweet or savory. They bake for about 35-40 minutes at 325 F.

Oh and you should cut them before they cool because otherwise they'll shatter and crumble everywhere!

Feel free to distract me from day 3 of my conference with "what's your fave x" asks!

[earthstory]

Swim with a Viking

The ocean is in constant motion. Forget about waves and tides here - in the grand scheme of things, they don't move that much water. We're talking about the 'global ocean conveyor belt'. A vast, global circulation system driven by the Sun and the spin of the Earth, which moves water from surface to the deep and back, and between every ocean basin on the planet.

This cycle is big and slow. Water that sinks into the depths in the North Atlantic won't come back to the surface for 1300-1500 years. This means that if you were to go swimming in the North-East Pacific, there's a fairly good chance that the last person in that water was a Viking. The image above shows us how old the deep water (2500 m) is in different parts of the world.

This system is more correctly called 'thermohaline circulation'. It is mainly driven by changes in temperature ('thermo' = heat) and salinity ('haline' = salt), which determine where water sinks, and where it rises to the surface. Once water sinks or rises, the path of the currents is determined by the rotation of the earth, and the shape of the continents. This global cycling of the oceans determines long-term climate, fuels the productivity of the ocean, and maintains global chemical cycles that keep the planet in balance.

This circulation process is... complex, but here are the basics: the density of seawater is determined by its salinity and temperature. Hot, fresh water is less dense, and cold, salty water is more dense. Imagine a bucket of seawater at the equator - the hot sun will heat it up, and cause a lot of evaporation, which will make the water more salty, and more dense. However, if you poured your bucket into the ocean in the Carribean, it wouldn't sink because it's warmer, and therefore less dense, than the water underneath. Now take that bucket on a long journey North, let's say Iceland. It's much cooler up there, and your warm, salty bucket of water gets cold. If you poured this cold, salty water into the sea off Iceland, it would sink. This cold, salty liquid is about as dense as seawater can get.

Once it gets moving, the water has momentum. Dense, sinking water pushes the water underneath out of the way, and shunts it along the ocean floor, directed by the shape of the ocean floor, and the spin of the Earth. As the Earth spins, there's a tendency for water to be 'left behind' - think about what happens if you suddenly move a glass of water (don't try this near your computer!) - the water wants to stay still, and sloshes up the side of the glass. This is basically what happens to an ocean current: as a current moves South in the Northern Hemisphere, it will gradually bend to the right, as the movement of the Earth 'leaves it behind'. This is known as the Coriolis Effect, [and is the reason that water going down a plug-hole spins clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, and anti-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere - we originally put this in here, but it's NOT TRUE! The Coriolis effect is far too weak at this small sale to have an effect - the design of the basin is more important in which way your pughole-water spins. Thanks to our readers for correcting this.

An ocean current will flow along, affected by Coriolis, until it hits a barrier (i.e. a continent) and is deflected. This sets the path of global thermohaline circulation.

Our bucket analogy, while ridiculous, is pretty much what happens. Ocean circulation is mainly driven by warm salty water zooming North up the Gulf Stream, cooling and eventually sinking in the North Atlantic. There is a constant 'underwater waterfall', as this dense water sinks and begins to flow South. This deep current hugs the East coast of America (Coriolis, remember?), and eventually joins the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which flows round and round the South Pole. Tongues of this circular current lick up into the Indian ocean, and into the South Pacific. The South Pacific current heads North East until it hits North America, where the water has nowhere else to go, and is forced to the surface. This is why the Pacific Coast of the USA has such delightfully cold water, and it's somewhere around here that you might be able to swim with the Vikings. Once on the surface, The water starts its slow journey back to the North Atlantic, via the Indian Ocean, round the Horn of Africa, in the ferocious Agulhas current, and back up the Western Atlantic to form the Gulf Stream, which keeps Western Europe warm. These currents are unimaginably vast. The largest one, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, flows at 125 Sverdrups. That's 125,000,000 cubic meters per second. Or 50,000 Olympic swimming pools per second. Or 600 times the flow of the Amazon (largest river on Earth, by discharge). And yet, despite the size of these currents, one complete circulation can take up to 3000 years.

The picture above is complex, but doesn't begin to scratch the surface of these global ocean processes. Oceanographers spend their entire lives trying to work out the peculiarities of ocean currents, and how they tie in to climate and our daily lives. A pressing question at the moment concerns the flow of the Gulf Stream: melting of ice sheets have the potential to disrupt a lot more than Polar Bears. The worry is that as the Greenland Ice Sheet melts, it will dump a huge amount of fresh water into the North Atlantic. As we know, fresh water is less dense, and could mix with North Atlantic water and stop it sinking, and take away the main driving force behind the 'conveyor belt' circulation. It's almost impossible to work out what this would do to ocean circulation. The world is as we know it because the ocean currents move the way they do.

OB

Image Credit: http://goo.gl/FBMrdr

, via http://goo.gl/TRNhc

NASA

Further Information: - The ocean currents in action (video):http://goo.gl/UHsJ6m

Watch the Gulf Stream flowing and cooling (video):http://goo.gl/xvIXXH

More detail on thermohaline circulation (NOAA):http://goo.gl/m2HMZm

And a lot of detail (Scientific paper):http://goo.gl/FBMrdr

[stereksecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @cousinshelley!

You said you liked hurt/comfort, missing scenes, concern, denial overcome by sheer determination and affection and rescues, so I hope you'll like my retelling of that scene from S3 in Derek's loft! 

Read on AO3

*****

The Feeling of Happiness

Derek had almost forgotten what happiness feels like.

He certainly remembers it differently, more vibrant, more all consuming, chasing Laura, being chased by Cora in turn, hugging his mum, winning the championship game.

But then he hadn't been happy since he’d been a teenager, and now he's an adult, finally happy again after all the time that has passed. He has changed a lot as a person, surely it only makes sense that his feelings of happiness have changed, too. What he remembers are the childish feelings of a boy about inconsequential things; what he feels now is the happiness of an adult, in love.

That’s what Jennifer always says - they are in love and they are happy.

It’s hard to remember a time before Jennifer was part of his life. And whenever she’s gone it seems empty without her, the hours passing by in grey monotony when she’s teaching, making them hard to keep track off. The hours when she’s with him are a haze of fuzzy happiness. There’s still the threat of the Alpha pack and whoever is responsible for the sacrifices, but it seems less immediate now than it felt a few weeks ago.

Sometimes, especially when Jennifer isn’t there, the nagging thought enters Derek’s mind that he should be doing more about those threats, should work harder at protecting his pack, what’s left of it at least, but Jennifer’s presence soon calms him again. It’s like she says - rushing won’t help here, they’ll need just a little more patience and time. What they are waiting for Derek can’t say precisely, but it must be worth it if Jennifer thinks so.

And anyways, it’s his pack, his decision. Noone is going to question him.

If only because no one else seems to be around anymore. He thinks he saw Cora once before school a couple of days ago and Peter is surely lurking around somewhere, but that’s it. Everyone’s busy with school, Jennifer says, tests and papers coming up, so Derek doesn’t bother them either, content to wait for them. Jennifer tells him what they’ve been up to anyways - it sounds as though they’ve been little mischiefs like always, especially Scott.

There’s something like an itch at the back of his mind, a similar feeling to having a word on the tip of your tongue, some thought or memory that wants to move forward into your conscious, but is blocked by something. Something about Scott being the mischievous one doesn’t match, but Derek can’t think of what is wrong with it. Scott has always had a knack for trouble, hasn’t he?

The sound of the loft’s main door opening draws him out of his wandering thoughts, and he realises that he never even heard anyone come up the stairs. The adrenaline rush of that realisation cuts like a knife through the cotton ball fluff filling up his brain.

The first thing he notices is his scent.

Warmth is the overwhelming impression it leaves, hot cinnamon and bright sparks. But not the sparks of a fire soon burning to ash, like Kate, but the sparks of firework, of the stars in the sky. Burning yes, but bright and beautiful, not signalling death and destruction. Oh, there’s still danger, a spark is what starts the fire after all, but it’s a threat turned outwards, to protect, not to attack. All of that is dampened right now, though, as if buried at the bottom of the sea, underneath mountains of water and salt.

“Grief,” his mother’s voice echoes in his mind. “That’s what you are smelling.”

Grief and the acid tang of fear.

Derek is moving before the thought has fully manifested, making it to the door in a few big steps, hand curling around Stiles’ shoulder and drawing him into the loft, barely acknowledging Scott behind him.

Stiles’ eyes are wide and his face is pale, shock written all over his features. Derek’s hold tightens and his eyes rove over Stiles’ frame, nose twitching as he tries to figure out whether Stiles is injured, if he’s in pain.

“What is it?” he asks urgently, voice cracking from disuse. He and Jennifer don’t talk much, and when they do, Jennifer usually takes over most of the conversation. If it can even be called a conversation. Derek’s mind feels clearer than it’s been in weeks and many things are starting to look stranger than he thought they did. But he can’t focus on that right now, not with the tears threatening to spill from Stiles’ eyes.

“My dad,” Stiles starts and then has to swallow, whether words or a sob, Derek can’t tell. “My dad, she has my dad, Derek.”

“Who has?” Derek asks, but even as the words leave his mouth another curtain rises and he knows what Stiles is going to say before he opens his mouth.

“Ms Blake. I’m sorry, Derek, I know you and she are, you know, but, she tried to kill Lydia, and then she took my dad. She’s going to kill him!”

Derek’s stomach twists at Stiles apologising.

“We are not,” he starts denying, before admitting: “I mean, we are, or were, I guess, but it’s all fuzzy, I don’t know.”

Stiles’ scent sharpens and his eyes narrow.

“Fuzzy?” he asks and Derek shrugs.

“I don’t really remember, the days just run one into the other. It was mostly just her, and me, happy and in love.”

It’s disturbing to hear himself speak and not recognise his own voice. Already he can feel his panic and worry slipping away, though, buried under a blanket of wool.

Stiles’ face hardens - Derek almost doesn’t realise it; it’s hard to focus, his eyes seem to want to slip away from Stiles as though he’s a piece of wet, slick soap in the shower. That’s what Derek feels like, too, under water, sight and scent and hearing all impeded.

Stiles’ voice cuts through the cotton in his ears, though, sharp and angry: “I’m going to kill her. Twice. I’m going to kill her, make Peter bring her back to life and kill her again. Once for my dad and once for Derek.”

“Stiles, killing can’t be our answer,” Scott interjects from behind him, and Derek had completely forgotten he was even here.

“Scott, she roofied him,” Stiles interrupts him, voice steely, only the tiniest hint of a tremble revealing the outrage that has overtaken his scent. “She whammied him with magical roofies and did God knows what to him, all while pretending to be his girlfriend and telling him they were in love!! You are right, death is too good for her, we’ll definitely need to resort to torture.”

His scent has turned almost rancid with hate, and Derek’s stomach both jumps and turns at the thought that it is for him, unleashed in his defence.

“Stiles, no,” he presses out, keeping his thoughts together somehow getting harder again. “Not for me.”

Don’t dim your light with hate, or something equally cheesy is what he wants to say, but his brain seems to have been replaced with cotton wads, making it impossible to form full sentences.

“Dude, someone’s coming,” Scott suddenly says, and again Derek is shocked at how lacking his senses are right now - or he would be shocked, the panic reduced to a faint sensation under the calming blanket of what must be Jennifer’s spellwork. Vaguely he’s aware of Scott tugging Stiles into the shadows of the loft, until they won’t be immediately visible from the door, but all his focus is now on what approaches from behind those doors, or rather who.

Now that he’s aware of it, he can feel how the spell works to keep him calm, filling him with fake content and a weak imitation of love. “Happy and in love.” Ha! But still the awareness is not enough to shake it off entirely, making him feel trapped inside his own body, inside his mind.

“Derek? Derek, where are you?” Jennifer calls as she’s entering and Derek feels compelled to answer.

“Right here.”

“Thank God,” she breathes, looking and sounding frazzled. Only an hour ago, Derek would have stepped towards her, tried to comfort her. “Something happened at the recital. At the school. Okay, I need to tell you before you hear it, before you hear any of it from them.”

“From who?” Derek presses out, trying to act as naturally as possible, or like he thinks he acted when fully under her influence, but it’s not working. Already he can feel her amping up the pressure, the desire to please her, to agree with her whatever she says growing despite his best efforts to push against it with his own will.

Jennifer’s eyes have narrowed in suspicion, but for now she’s playing along, apparently not yet willing to break the illusion.

“Scott, Stiles. They're gonna tell you things. Things you can't believe. You have to trust me, okay? You trust me.”

There’s weight behind those words, a weight that presses Derek down, makes him want to agree, reassure her. It’s only with the greatest effort that he gets a question out instead:

“What is it?”

“Promise you’ll listen to me,” Jennifer insists and this time Derek thinks he can almost see the tendrils of her magic, feel them snaking around him, binding him.

“I promise,” he says and doesn’t even have to be forced to do so, because it’s not a lie. He’ll listen. But that doesn’t mean he’ll believe a single word she says. It must be obvious to Jennifer, too, because she changes tracks.

“They're already here, aren't they? So... they told you it was me? That I'm the one taking people?”

“We told him you are the one killing people!” Scott pipes up, finally coming forward with Stiles in tow.

Jennifer scoffs.

“Oh, that's right. Committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour. That way, I can get back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. That makes perfect sense!”

Her mask is finally slipping, but her hold on her magic, and thus Derek is as strong as ever. It even feels as though the bands around him are tightening.

“Where’s my dad?”

Once again Stiles’ voice cuts through all the layers holding Derek captive. The sheer desperation in his voice carves into the wall built around Derek’s senses and the sharp mix of anger and fear, fire and acid in his scent blows the cobwebs from Derek’s mind.

But it is the single tear that finally spills from his wet eyes that washes away the last remnants of Jennifer’s control. It’s as though Derek can breathe freely for the first time in weeks, when he hadn’t even realised he’d been close to suffocating before. His thoughts and feelings are finally his own again, not dictated to him, and what overwhelmingly dominates them is relief and gratitude. And worry. For the Sheriff, but even more so for Stiles and what the loss of his last family member would do to him.

Jennifer’s voice distracts him, but now it carries no compulsion with it.

“How should I know? Derek, tell me you don’t believe this!”

It’s a fair enough last ditch effort, but it’s clear to Derek that she knows she has lost. Her hold on him has been broken, whatever spells she wrought, enchantments layered, curses spat, they have no power over him anymore. Derek doesn’t know how or why, but he knows Stiles has played a part. There’s a faint memory of a story his mom once told him that might help explain what just happened here, about a boy who ran with wolves and a wolf who played with fire, but the details escape him for now.

One thing he does remember again though, is the feeling of happiness.

And it’s not what Jennifer tried to press into him.

It’s the memory of Stiles’ smile. His cheering when he’d put down the mountain ash line, the twinkle in his eyes when he teases Derek, the fond grin that’s reserved for Scott.

It’s Stiles.

[tres-fidelis]

A Different Christmas Eve

Snow boots crunched on the freshly-packed, flaky crystals caking the sidewalks and streets. One had to be weary of the frozen particles melding into the cemented passageways, but thankfully the bits of melting salts helped ease the stress of falling flat on your ass. Fewer and fewer people traversed the open shops and warm cafes since the most well-known, well-preserved holiday quickly approached. Just in the blink of an eye. 

To some this time of year meant a break, an allotted time to spend with far-off family or close friends enjoying their company and presence. Gift exchanging was another big tradition of this so-called Christmas, along with a large gathering of food. 

To others, like the slender female reporter dusting off stray snowflakes in her black locks, it didn’t mean too much. Another day, in her book, and another day to crack down on year end work. 

“Just one more day now...” Jayden spoke to herself while shaking off the excess snow from the bottoms of her boots. It wasn’t blizzard-like but the snow picked up to a steady pace from this morning’s sprinkles. She set the boots aside her desk in front of her window just so the sun’s rays could help melt the sitting puddle beneath them. After tucking her jacket over her chair and violently tussling her hat, Jayden trekked to the break room for the first cup of the day. 

Not too many co-workers today, considering most took off for holiday travels or prepping their own homes for the impending stampede. Good on them. Most if not all of her team rightfully deserved their break especially after all the overtime hours they pooled during several virus outbreaks. A few stranglers hung around finishing off last minute writing edits, some audio techs had small tweaks to finish, and of course, there’s always a skeleton crew of reporters for the live casts. 

Eventually they’d hike out of the office toward their own destinations...

...but Jayden had plans to stay for most of the day. Besides, there wouldn’t be anyone to entertain at her own home nor did her and her mom plan to travel elsewhere. Christmas was never kind to them, and although Jayden greatly appreciated her mom’s attempts to have at least one decent Christmas in her life she rather refused from any participation. If it never worked out, then it’s just not meant to be. 

One steaming cup of coffee. Black, as she needed a bit more energy boost to wake herself up. Today’s itinerary involved conquering a well known sea of undocumented files and boat load of video edit organization. Fun stuff indeed! 

As the slumped gremlin shuffled along back to her designated cave, someone’s loud, deep voice startled the others tapping away at their own spaces. Her chief? Didn’t he have a train to catch later on today? 

“Garner! I need ta see you in m’ office b’fore ya start yer papahs.” 

“...oh...okay?” What could she have done now? 

The holographic doors slid close as Jayden sat in front of her chief’s desk. Just as messy as hers, if not even moreso with the extra stack of papers on the table behind him. 

“What’s up? You n-”

A pause. 

Her jacket in one hand, and her dripping boots held in the other which were extended out to the reporter without the chief speaking a word. 

“...C...Chief...when...why do you...”

“B’cause from this moment until th’ 2nd of next month, y’er officially on break.” 

...on break?

“...Chief...you know I signed up for my hours. I planned that all in advance...so...there’s no way I can go on break. I still have a lot...” 

“Garner, you’ve been workin’ yer ass off this entire year. Overtime, weekend hours, tryin’ ta get yerself into more trouble by comin’ in when ya came outta th’ hospital, e’vn offline work. I’ve noticed.” 

Ah dammit! 

“I don’t mean ta pick favorites here or of’er my personal opinins, but out of th’ ‘hole crew th’ one who most deserves a decent break is you. I can’t thank ya enough fer all th’ time ya dedicate to yer team, to th’ endless amount of work ya do round ‘ere, and even takin’ cases th’t aren’t even yers. But...ya gotta rest that thinker of yers, else it’s gonna overload.” 

Jayden huffed a sigh. “Look...Chief. I’ve ALWAYS worked through the holidays, even when I was an intern I came in to help out anyone in need. I don’t get why, especially around this time, when we have SO MUCH-”

“It’s not jus’ me again.” 

“...what?” 

Her chief gently chortled with an amused grin peeking out from his mustache. “It’s not jus’ me again who wanted to give ya this break. Don’t tell me ya forgot who requested time off for you during that Mav’ virus outbreak a few months back?” 

...Signas? 

“Sir, please just...I don’t understand why he requested this break for me but-”

“It wasn’t jus’ him either.” 

“...WHAT?” Who else could have even known her work hours at this point in time? 

The old veteran took a seat at his desk, clicking away on his keyboard until a screen projected upward. It didn’t expand too far but to a comfortable size for both Jayden and the chief to watch. Rocket News’ security had amped up over the years to a point where security cameras had been placed in more crowded areas, for example the studio rooms and office spaces. 

A piece of footage played on the projected screen, just a few days ago when Jayden was sent out to the field for the day. Sometime in the afternoon all the other workers came to a complete halt in their work. Eyes averted to the entrance, all locked on two individuals strolling straight to the chief’s office. 

Two individuals anyone in the city could recognize on the spot. 

Two S-Class ranked Maverick Hunters. 

“A...A...AXL!? HUNTER X!?! Ho-....wh-....what were they doing here!?!?” 

“They were here...concernin’ you.” 

“....me?” 

“Yes. They sure had a lot ta say, but...ta put it simply, along with Commander Signas’ personal request of approval, those two came ‘ere ta express their own opinions ‘n thoughts. Hunter Axl in particular was quite outraged ‘bout yer work hours fer th’ holidays. But, X calmly explained his own requests ta authorize a necessary break, ‘nd I believe he also stated ya already had reserved plans fer Christmas Day?”

 “...I...” That wasn’t even a cemented plan! She appreciated X’s offer but happily declined due to her work hours. Unless...he must have used that as a reason to get her out of work. Then he passed this knowledge on to Signas and Axl, thereby creating this entire avalanche of surprises. 

They didn’t have to do this. No one...had to do this. 

No point fighting against Signas, or Axl and X for that matter. Two S-Class Hunters and the head of the Hunter base couldn’t be beat by her own will to blaze by the holidays. With a defeated sigh, Jayden accepted her jacket and boots from the chief. 

“....okay. Fine. I won’t come back until the 2nd.” 

“‘N I don’t want ya workin’ out from home, ya hear? This is a time ta enjoy yerself, have a nice time with yer mom. I bet she’d like ta have ya at home fer a few days.” 

“...maybe.” Unless her work called in at the last minute. Museum work didn’t couple like news work, but when duty called you have to answer the need. Her boots slipped back on, still a bit toasty, then two arms popped through the jacket sleeves. Her chief followed Jayden down to the lobby, just in case she had any bright ideas of slipping off to the news room and snag extra work. 

“Tell yer mom I wish her well too. I saw th’ new exhibit this past weekend. Woman poured her heart ‘nta that new display.” 

“...thanks...I’ll let her know.” 

Satchel strapped to her side. She was ready to brave the increased snow flurry but stopped just outside the front entrance when her chief called out. A happy greeting, with a large smile and even a wave. 

“Merry Christmas Garner!’

“....Merry Christmas.” 

[screamlikeroisin-blog]

hello ! shay here and this is my lil’ banshee bb roisin. she has the start of a pinterest board here (x) and has a page for her overall stats here (x). she’s still a work in progress but i love her and i hope you all do too !!!

MADELAINE PETSCH, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER, BANSHEE   / deep in the pacific northwest lives ROISIN ALANNAH WALSH. i heard they’ve been living there for four years and last saw them hanging around the devil’s brew cafe, i think they might’ve been drinking coffee to offset the effects of rampant insomnia. at twenty-five years old, roisin doesn’t look a day over twenty-one.  everyone around here always associates them with lips painted the color of bruised blackberries, the edges of a worn tarot deck clutched in an anxious grasp, and the clear quartz pendulum hung on sterling silver around the sweep of her neck. hope they enjoy their stay !

(TW: DROWNING, CANCER, SELF HARM & ALCOHOL ABUSE)

Growing up, Roisin had it all. The only child of an Irish immigrant father and American mother, she wanted for nothing. While they weren’t rich what they couldn’t afford was more than made up for in love. Her childhood home was a modest tudor situated just a half hour from the New England coastline. Having grown up in Killeen Ireland, her father believed that there wasn’t a malady that couldn’t be cured by sea sprayed caress of the ocean wind. Any malady, that is, until Roisin started transitioning into a banshee at the tender age of 16. Up until then her childhood had been rather uneventful. Highly intelligent, Roisin had breezed through school with high grades and a lengthy list of extracurriculars that would have impressed any parents. Her close knit group of friends had seen each other through from kindergarten all the way to the hallowed halls of high school. Everything was looking bright, until the summer before her sophomore year.

The days of summer vacation were numbered and not wanting to squander a single one, Roisin drove herself to the beach. The ocean was deceivingly calm on that Tuesday afternoon, so much so that Roisin was drawn out further than she realized. By the time that awareness had set in she had already started to panic, her lungs drawing in great gasps of air and her limbs flailing in a desperate bid to save herself. As she slid down into the depths she couldn’t help but wonder at the sight of her copper curls against the sunlit blue of the Atlantic. Her next memories were of salt chapped lips and the push of air through a nasal cannula. The Catholic priest at her bedside whispered to her distraught parents of miracles and her deliverance to the shore with the kind of absolute faith she would come to envy.

Roisin could have sworn that part of her died that day.

That following winter, on one dreary December night Roisin experienced her first vision— one of her mother, paper skin clinging to a wasted body that was surrounded by a chorus of beeping machines and pumping IVs. The cacophony of sound slowly faded until the only noise she could hear was the rattling sound of her mother’s last breath. So frightened by this experience was Roisin that she insisted her mother make an appointment to see her doctor. The news came less than a month later— Constance Walsh had stage four breast cancer. She would not live to see the next year.

The mind she once trusted to solve math problems or buoy her through the valley of grief began to betray her. Roisin was plagued by the onset of nightmares foretelling of all kinds of death and destruction. Even her waking moments were not safe. The once bubbly and precocious girl became withdrawn and hedonistic, her schooling and friendships falling to the wayside as she became trapped in the prison of  her own mind. Seeking solace from these thoughts, Roisin turned to self-harm and alcohol to furnish a temporary escape. The reprieve they offered sustained her through to her high school graduation. Without the familiar structure that school offered or any kind of direction for what she wanted for her future, Roisin’s destructive tendencies amped up. Unwilling to lose his daughter, Breccan Walsh had Roisin admitted to a psychiatric stay. The irritation of being pulled out of her reverie soon gave way to a kindling hope that the doctors would be able to help her. This hope was blighted as she descended into visions of the staff and patients around her. She was released, weeks later, her system laden with prescriptions that left her numb and blank.

As the years went on Roisin started to claw her way out of the dark hole of her mind. While the visions and nightmares still plagued her, she started to find ways of coping that were, albeit marginally, better than what she had turned to before. Reading and a steady caffeine addiction allowed her to combat insomnia. Unable to accept a faith that allowed for such suffering, Roisin turned to atheism. She channeled her clairvoyance and the anxiety that accompanied it into reading tarot cards. Anything that could make her feel some semblance of normal was fair game. In that vein of thought, Roisin started researching her symptoms— a choice that would lead her to move to Arcane Falls at the age of 21.

[paleorecipecookbook]

11 Ways to Enjoy Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have quickly risen through the ranks of the superfood world. Paleo-friendly and insanely versatile, we just can’t get enough of this popular tuber!

These powerful veggies are made up of complex carbohydrates that help balance your energy output throughout the day. Good sources of complex carbs like these sweet treats help keep your blood sugar levels steady without dips or spikes.

The vibrant orange hue of these tubers tells you right away that they are a fantastic source of beta carotene. Beta carotene converts into vitamin A in your body, which provides some fantastic anti-aging benefits.

Chock-full of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium, it’s pretty easy to see why sweet potatoes are on the superfood list. (1) Sweet potatoes are also one of the best sources of antioxidants in the vegetable world. (2) What’s not to love?

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

Sweet potatoes are sweet, starchy tuberous vegetables that vary in hue from orange, white, and purple. The long, slender, orange variety, dubbed “yams”, are actually not yams at all, but, in fact, sweet potatoes.

When the long, slender, orange sweet potato was introduced to the United States, the name yam came into play to help differentiate between the color varieties of sweet potatoes.

A true yam is of the Dioscorea genus and grown in tropical climates. Rough with thick, fibrous skin, with white to rosy or purple-hued flesh, true yams must be cooked in order to be consumed. They’re poisonous otherwise. (3)

Although yams are growing more and more common in the U.S., they are usually found in the international sections of your grocer.

Sweet Potatoes: 11 Different Ways to Eat Them

Mega-nutritious and completely satisfying, you can enjoy sweet potatoes prepared in a savory fashion or sweet, as the name suggests. Try them baked the classic way, or dressed up with complementing spices, fruits, sauces and herbs! Here are 11 ways to enjoy these sweet spuds.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

If you’re a veteran sweet potato lover, then you need not look further than the purist preparation: the baked sweet potato.

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, then prick your scrubbed and dried sweet potato with a fork a few times all over and place on the sheet pan. Into the oven they go for an hour or more.

Roast until impossibly tender and even to the point the caramelized natural sugars run down the sides. Split the sweet potato open and dab with grass-fed butter, coconut oil, coconut manna, sea salt, maple syrup – whatever you pleasure may be!

Twice-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

This preparation is rather elegant and a great way to make a showstopper presentation out of our beloved baked sweet potato. The twice-stuffed potato essentially involves roasting, scooping, seasoning and then piping back into the shell. Here is how it goes:

Roast your sweet potato to perfection (as we discussed above) and be sure to throw an extra potato or two on the pan to ensure that you will have ample filling.

Let your roasted sweet potatoes cool down a bit before handling. Halve and scoop the flesh from each half, leaving enough behind in the skin to reinforce a sturdy shape for your filling.

To the scooped flesh, add an egg, butter, salt, maple syrup and preferred spices. Whisk until very smooth, almost like a thick frosting. If you need to add a bit of coconut milk or other preferred milk to achieve this texture, please do so.

Fill a piping bag fitted with a tip with the seasoned filling, and pipe artfully back into your potato skins. Bake once more for 20 minutes at 350°F.

Your twice-stuffed potato will be slightly puffed and completely delicious. Top with herbs, pomegranate seed and pecans, or even a tasty stone fruit relish.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

A sweet potato purée, or rustic mash, is a fantastic carrier for your favorite animal protein and vegetarian entrees. Serve with chicken, steaks, meatloaf, meatballs, fish filets, roasted veggies, and Portobello mushroom steaks.

Simply scoop the flesh from the roasted potatoes and whisk it in, or use a fork to mash it. Add grass-fed butter, salt, and a bit of coconut or hemp milk to make it all the more creamy.

If you dig the combination of sweet and savory, try adding a touch of cinnamon, smoked paprika and maple syrup to this mash-up as well. You can also keep leftover purée on hand to make Paleo pancakes and breads. It’s even a great egg replacement for your favorite Paleo baking recipes.

Sweet Potato Chips

If you crave crunchy and satisfying, there’s sweet potato chips. You can season them with warming spices or stick to a light sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt; both are delicious choices but the trick lies in the slicing.

To get your slices ultra-thin, as well as uniform so your chips will crisp up at the same time, opt for a mandolin. My number one rule is to go slow, practice, and keep your eye on the prize.

Mandolins are fantastic tools for any home cook to create ultra-thin and uniform slices of all of your favorite veggies. Unless you have superior knife skills, investing in a mandolin is a game changer.

Preheat your oven to 400°F, toss your slices with melted coconut oil and preferred seasonings, and be sure to spread them out on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer with plenty of room between slices so you create crispy, not steamed, chips.

Keep an eye on your chips over the course of 10 to 20 minutes, agitate them a few times and rotate the pan halfway through. Enjoy with guacamole, soup or straight from the pan!

Sweet Potato Fries

For quick sweet potato fries, preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice sweet potatoes into matchstick-sized pieces and place them in a bowl with melted ghee, salt and pepper. Feel free to add any of your favorite seasonings here – paprika and garlic powder taste great! When the fries are evenly coated, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes until crispy.

PS: You can transform sweet potatoes into curly fries, too!

Sweet Potato Soup

A sweet potato and roasted red pepper soup with cashew milk is creamy, unique and satisfying. Start with grass-fed butter and sauté your mirepoix (carrot, celery, onion) until tender.

Add chopped sweet potato, skin and all, along with jarred, or home-roasted, sweet red bell peppers. Cover with chicken stock, bone broth, or vegetable stock and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender.

Add to a high-powered blender with a handful of soaked cashews and some water. Blend until ultra-smooth.

Tip: A blended soup should be the texture of heavy cream, so you may need more water than you think!

Add your perfectly-blended soup back to your pot and season with salt to taste. Add a squeeze of lemon to balance and add a touch of acidity to your soup. Now you’re ready to cozy up with your favorite chair in front of the fire!

Sweet Potato Salad

Potato salad is always a fan favorite. In the colder seasons, I love to make sweet potato salad with warming spices and homemade aioli with lots of Dijon mustard.

There are plenty of Paleo mayos on the market, as well as some amazing hacks to make your own avocado or cashew-based mayo swap.

To really amp up your potato salad game, try using purple, white and golden varieties. Chop and roast your favorite varieties of sweet potato and throw into a large mixing bowl.

Add plenty of salt and warm spices like allspice, coriander and cumin. Chop fresh savory, rosemary, sage, and thyme along with garlic and red onion, and a couple small handfuls of your favorite seeds or nuts like pecans, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts or black sesame.

Stir in plenty of aioli, a bit of apple cider vinegar and another handful of either dried tart cherries, cranberries or even pomegranate seeds.

Let sit in the fridge for an hour or two before enjoying; the flavors will marry and you will have yourself a very tasty, Paleo-friendly sweet potato salad.

Sweet Potato Paleo Pie

This is a homey, satisfying and just sweet enough treat to enjoy throughout this entire holiday season. It’s indulgent, but loaded with healthy perks.

Delightfully familiar if you are a pumpkin pie fan, sweet potato pie will satisfy that craving and then some. Try this easy Paleo recipe for Sweet Potato Pecan Pie here.

Sweet Potato Latkes

Latkes are traditionally made with potatoes and served with applesauce and sour cream. These sweet potato versions are delightful when served traditionally, but I prefer to eat with an egg-over-medium plonked on top. Enjoy these sweet potato latkes as a breakfast, a side or a quick snack.

Shred scrubbed and dried sweet potatoes with a box grater until you have about one cup. Add shreds to a bowl with one egg and 1 tablespoon of coconut flour.

Zest and juice one lemon and add a large pinch of sea salt. Add your favorite herbs and spices to taste. I like to use seasonings like cumin, crushed garlic, fresh sage, or allspice.

Stir your mixture until just incorporated. Heat a high-heat oil, like avocado or coconut oil, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. There should be enough oil that it comes about half the way up the latke when in the pan.

Working quickly, scoop a couple tablespoons of your mixture into the hot oil and spread out to form a nice, round layer, not more than a ¼-inch in thickness. Add as many more as you can to the pan as long as there is plenty of room between latkes so you can flip with ease as well as ensure a nice golden color on each side.

Keep an eye on the heat and oil as you take out the finished latkes and add more to the pan. You must allow new oil to come back up to a hot temperature before adding new batter to the pan. Drain on paper towels and top with your favorite additions or enjoy right away.

Sweet Potato Crostini

Using sweet potatoes as a landing site for all sorts of toppings is a fail-safe, Paleo crowd pleaser! Try slicing and roasting a slice of sweet potato and serve piled high with some fabulously delicious toppings.

Swapping the common toast point for a perfectly roasted round of a sweet potato will let your Paleo buddies dive into holiday platters with ease. Some great toppings are pestos, nut butters, savory fruit relishes, dips and other thick sauces like tapenades or guacamole.

Sweet Potato Noodles

Sweet potatoes shredded into long, luxurious “noodles” have proven to be worth their salt in the decadence department. You can use a spiralizer to make these noodles, or even a vegetable peeler to create long strands that are Paleo-friendly and hold up to classic pasta sauces.

You can blanch these noodles quickly, or enjoy marinated or even raw. Sweet potatoes can carry a multitude of flavors and pair so nicely with classic tomato sauces, vegan-style cashew cream-based Alfredos and most certainly pestos.

(Make This Next: Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole)

The post 11 Ways to Enjoy Sweet Potatoes appeared first on PaleoPlan.

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[outfitandtrend]

[ad_1] When we’re kids, we take baths for obvious reasons: The whole “learning to bathe yourself” thing, for starters. Mom & Dad can control the temperature (and don't have to get wet themselves). Nothing is out of reach for those short arms. Rubber duckie time.However, as soon as we graduate to the shower, baths are forever in the past—at least for most of us. Why would you soak in your own filth after waiting 10 minutes for the tub to fill, when you could be showered and done by the time it’s finished?Well, that bathtub in your house could play host to your new favorite pastime. There’s a lot of untapped leisurely potential in that tub, and we would like to convince you to reconsider it. Maybe once a week—even just once a month!—but you also need to approach it with that leisure in mind.Baths are kind of gross. Like, you’re soaking in the water with your sweaty feet and dirty backside. So, we say start with a quick shower to do the actual washing, shampooing, and so forth. Get yourself clean before you hop in the tub. That’s when the leisure begins—it’s not about bathing to get clean, but bathing to feel incredible, both superficially and spiritually. Below are the products we recommend picking up to enhance the experience, and to turn your bathroom into a veritable spa. No, we don’t expect you to stock up on hundreds of dollars of products just to take a bath. But if you're in the market, picking up one or two will absolutely elevate your luxuriating.Bath OilOn its own, warm water can dehydrate your skin by extracting the natural oils in your skin. A splash of bath oil will yield opposite results: Those nourishing oils, which often include jojoba, moringa, and rosehip, instead leave skin soft, supple, and radiant. (I find it helps to wipe the tub down with a paper towel after the bath, when using oils—it’s a super easy cleanup.)The Best Bath OilTom Dixon bath oilRosehip, moringa, and carrot oil make for a luxurious soak. This product can be pumped into the bath (and produces a light foam), and can also be used as a body oil, massaged directly into the skin.Bath SaltsMineral-rich bath salts can soothe and nurture the skin—it’s like a full-body version of a relieving foot soak. There’s a reason that salt-rich bodies of water like the Dead Sea are sought out for their remedial powers, too; while you won’t reach 34% salt content or anything, you can get the same soothing benefits with a sprinkling of bath salts. Watch your agonies float to the surface as you soak in satisfaction.The Best Bath SaltBathing Culture mineral bath saltsA blend that combines mineral sea salt with purifying green clay, and skin-nourishing jojoba oil.Bath BombBath bombs are typically a fragrant, mind-clearing mixture of bath salts, essential oils, carrier oils, and natural extracts that help calm and hydrate the skin. Drop them into the drink, and they’ll dissolve and do their thing.The Best Bath BombPrima CBD bath gemCome for the skin-calming CBD, stay for the relaxing epsom salt and nourishing meadowfoam oil.Terry Cloth Towel and RobeEvery guy needs a really great bath robe (which inevitably turns into a house robe, for any and all occasions). The same goes for a set of bath towels, and not just because you want your guests to know that you take good care of yourself—but because you actually do take good care of yourself. In both cases, terry cloth checks all the boxes: It’s oh-so-soft, dries quickly, is easy to care for, and it looks far more expensive than it is. (A minor investment for major longevity and quality.) [ad_2] Source link

[planttrainers]

This Rutabaga Ginger Soup is delicious and for our Jewish friends…it’s even Passover approved! . Rutabagas, or swedes,  are an awesome vegetable. I don’t read about them often or hear of people adding them to recipes a lot. I kind of think of them as the forgotten vegetable. This powerful vegetable is a hybrid of cabbage and turnip. I tend to think of it as a turnip-sweet potato. Rutabagas are high in antioxidants, vitamin C and have been known to help fight cancer. . So why not bring home rutabaga and throw it into your repertoire? Adding ginger to the recipe really amps up the anti-inflammatory properties of this soup too. . Ingredients: • 2 medium rutabaga, skin chopped off • 2-3 tbsp veggie stock • 2 cooking onions chopped • 2 stalks of celery, chopped • 5 cloves of garlic, chopped • 3” ginger, peeled and chopped • water to cover the vegetables in the pot • sea salt and pepper to taste • ½ tsp ginger powder and (optional) • ½ tsp turmeric powder (optional) . Garnish: • chopped parsley • hemp hearts (optional) . Directions: Preheat oven to 400° 1. Chop off the skin of the rutabaga and wash your knife, cutting board and rutabagas. Chop the rutabaga into 1-2 inch cubes and place in the oven on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Allow it to bake for 30 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the vegetables. 3. With 5 minutes left for the rutabaga to bake heat pot and add onions and stir on and off for about 5 minutes. Use the veggie stock if it starts sticking. Add garlic, celery, ginger salt, and pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The add rutabaga and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 4. Put enough water to cover all the vegetables in the pot and add ginger and turmeric powders. 5. Bring to a boil and then allow it to simmer with the lid on for about 40 minutes. 6. Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly. 7. Using an immersion blender, blend soup adding a bit of hot water until it reaches desired texture. 8. Garnish and serve. 9. This can also be eaten cold. It is great! . Enjoy! (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CM-Tk1KpSE5/?igshid=hikgg08lwqkh

[earthstory]

Rock salt traces the Great Oxygenation Event

Between 2.5 and 1.6 billion years ago the amount of oxygen in our planet's air rose in stages (with a third burst in the late Precambrian which some have linked to the evolution of complex shell secreting life) as photosynthetic cyanobacteria slowly exuded it into the sea and air in a period known by the capitalised label in the title (see https://bit.ly/2EgOWqc, https://bit.ly/1d4DqjU and https://bit.ly/2EhpWPF). At first it was soaked up by the reduced (see https://bit.ly/1I4XWKt) iron in the water, and precipitated out as rocks known as BIFs, for banded iron formation (see https://bit.ly/1OCAiuq, https://bit.ly/2qdTpFa and https://bit.ly/2uWo9A7), before gradually rising in the atmosphere. This of course paved the way for the spread of life forms that use the more energetic aerobic pathway of respiration (such as us) and for the evolution of minerals such as oxides and carbonates in a process of coevolution of rocks and life (see https://bit.ly/2m0bUJS). New clues to this epoch have emerged from a drill core, extracted from nearly 2km down in Karelia in north western Russia. It brought up 600 metres of evaporite rocks that had precipitated when a 2.3 billion year sea repeatedly dried up, and is therefore made of a mixture of salts, including table salt (aka halite or sodium chloride, see https://bit.ly/2uWquLp and https://bit.ly/2uWquLp) and calcium sulphate. Within these salts are trapped gas bubbles, which the research team analysed to see what they could tell us about the levels of oxygen, both in the ancient atmosphere and dissolved in the long gone seas from which the salts formed. Sulphates in the rock also serve as a proxy for atmospheric oxygen, since it results from the weathering of pyrite and the washing of the result into the sea by rivers.

The first surprise was that the rise at this early stage of oxygenation proved to be much more than had been thought. The amount of sulphate present indicated that the amount dissolved in the ancient sea was at least 30% that of modern levels, which will require a rethink of what constraints, were imposed by the environment on the world's burgeoning life forms. It also indicates that net oxygen production was roaring ahead that long ago, implying that the spread of oxidation around the globe's surface environments may have been more rapid than thought. The overall geochemistry also implies the GOE was a rapid event, geologically speaking, rather than a slow one.

What remains unknown is whether the cause is linked to increased photosynthesis or a change in biogeochemical cycles that allowed oxygen to accumulate quickly. This salt is a billion years older than the previous record holder, making it a unique record of long gone times,. Such units often dissolve later in geological time, or extrude out to the surface as diapirs making this unit a unique record of a long gone near unimaginable past, since it has given us our first direct quantitative evidence of the direct chemistry of air and ocean in a period about which little is known.

Loz

Image credit: Aivo Lepland/Geological Survey of Norway https://bit.ly/2q0vcCc https://bit.ly/2Gx62T3 https://to.pbs.org/2q12Vvw

Original paper, paywall access: https://bit.ly/2H3Wuji_ _

[a88cbd]

Indulge and relax simultaneously with CBD-infused recipes!

Benefits of Cooking with CBD

Baking and cooking with CBD is a great way to enjoy delicious eats and treats all while reaping the benefits of this healing oil. On the market, there are a variety of premade CBD-infused treats. However, making your own CBD goodies is an easier way to control how much cannabis oil is used and what ingredients are in the recipe. Not to mention, making your own CBD snacks and dishes is a great way to save money (as most CBD edibles range from $15-30!).

When thinking about CBD treats, most people’s minds might automatically think of brownies—they’re a cliche cannabis dessert. Sure, those chocolatey squares are the perfect baked good to include CBD oil in, but there is so much more you can do with cannabis oil than merely adding it to brownies.

From savory recipes like pasta dishes and salad dressings, to recipes that satisfy your sweet tooth such as creamy smoothies and chocolate chip cookies, there is truly a recipe for everyone regardless of dietary restrictions and cravings.

Savory Recipes

Pesto Pasta

Recipe Inspired by The Herb Somm

There’s something to be said about a delicious plate of pasta. Yes, the carbs are satisfying and yes there’s something therapeutic about twirling your fork in the noodles. But have you ever tried a CBD-infused pasta dish? The combination of fresh garlic and parsley combined with pine nuts and CBD oil creates a great-tasting meal that’s perfect for at-home date night or when you need to carb-up the night before a busy day.

Here’s what you need:

1/2 cup of fresh parsley

1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon of pine nuts

2 fresh garlic cloves

2 tablespoons of olive oil

4 teaspoons of A88CBD CBD Oil

A pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Here’s how to make it:

Start by washing the fresh parsley and cherry tomatoes

Next, place all of the ingredients from above into a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy

Add the pesto to premade noodles such as angel hair pasta or chickpea pasta for an added protein boost

Summer Salad Dressing

Recipe inspired by Living Freely Gluten Free

The best part of summer is debatably fresh, nutrient-packed salads. And what better way to get an additional dose of wellness than by adding CBD oil into the mix. After a long day, relaxing outside with a delicious salad full of in-season ingredients is the perfect way to wind down. Plus, adding some CBD oil to your salad is an easy way to help destress.

Here’s what you need:

1 cup of fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 dropper of A88CBD Cinnamon CBD Oil

Here’s how to make it:

First, wash all of the fresh strawberries until clean

Then, add all of the ingredients into a food processor or high-speed blender until completely smooth

Prepare a salad by combining crisp romaine, fresh sliced strawberries, diced red onion, and goat cheese (or substitute for dairy-free cheese!) in a bowl

After preparing the salad, drizzle with the CBD salad dressing

Sweet Recipes

Morning Mellow Green Smoothie

Recipe Inspired by The Plant-Powdered Dietician

Have you hopped on the green smoothie trend yet? If not, now is the perfect time to get in on it. Morning green smoothies are an excellent way to pack in vegetables and other superfoods, and now, you can amp up your smoothie even more by adding CBD.

Here’s what you need:

1 cup of greens (such as kale or spinach)

1 frozen banana

1 dropper of A88CBD Orange Cream CBD oil

2 tablespoons of hemp seeds

1/2 of a small avocado

3/4 cup of dairy-free milk of choice

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Here’s how to make it:

Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, adding more liquid as needed

Chocolate Orange Energy Balls

Recipe Inspired by Oh She Glows

Energy balls have been all the rage recently. Since people have been working from home, snacking is inevitable. But reaching for a healthy snack can be hard to do when there are chips and cookies staring at you from inside your pantry. Luckily, energy balls are a great and delicious alternative to snacking on junk food.

Here’s what you need:

1 cup of pitted and softened Medjool dates

6 tablespoons of hemp hearts

3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons of shredded coconut

2 teaspoons of coconut oil

1 teaspoon of A88CBD Orange Cream CBD Oil

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of water, if needed

Here’s how to make it:

Start by soaking the pitted Medjool dates in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften

After soaking in hot water, drain all liquid from the dates

Then, add all ingredients including the softened Medjool dates into a food processor or a high-speed blender until a dough forms, adding water as needed to blend

After processing, line a baking tray with parchment paper

Next, shape the dough into balls and place onto the parchment-lined tray (optional: before placing on the tray, roll each ball into some shredded coconut)

After using all of the dough, freeze the energy balls for about 20 minutes until firm

Making delicious CBD-infused dishes and treats is easy! A88CBD CBD Oil is available in two flavors: Cinnamon and Orange Cream. The A88CBD CBD Oils contain high-quality hemp and have 5mg of CBD per serving, perfect for helping you relax and relieve stress. Are you going to try one of the recipes above or maybe create your own? Make sure to share your food image on Instagram and tag us at @a88cbd so we can see your tasty creations.