#a spinach is worth just 1

[hauntingblue]

Mosf realistic thing in the sims is selling an avocado for 15 simoleons

[delvvsional]

Food Log - Nov. 29, 2022

Breakfast - skipped

Lunch - 1/2 steak and arugula sandwich from panera (250 cal) + small salad w/ 1/2 boiled egg & green goddess dressing (132 cal) = total 382 cal

Dinner - 4.5 oz baked potato (120 cal) topped with 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese (45 cal) + 1 tbsp plain hummus (35 cal) and 4.5 oz baby carrots (40 cal) = 240 cal

Total: 622 cal

Exercise: none yet (going to do this after my haircut tonight)

Water intake: 72 oz and counting

[shuttershocky]

Is there any power scaling discussion that will inevitably make you feel the need to respond, no matter how irrelevant power scaling is to the actual media in question?

"How did Nero defeat Vergil at the end of DMC5 he's only 1/4th demon he should be much weaker wahh wahh plot armor"

First of all, Nero won because he wanted to win more than Vergil did. Second of all, Vergil's used to fighting an agile clown like Dante and not a brute gorilla like Nero who has no problem with just grabbing him and slamming him into the dirt repeatedly until he cries uncle.

BUT ALSO we know that human blood fuels demons in Devil May Cry. They have to consume it to grow their powers, which is why these guys keep powering all their infernal machinery with blood and why the tree whose fruit is kingmaker of the underworld must feed on human blood.

Before Nero, it looks like Vergil and Dante's strength came from being the sons of Sparda, who was Mundus' strongest soldier and was able to solo all of hell for his lady love.

But honestly I think a lot of their power comes from their nature as hybrids. When Urizen consumes the same fruit that made Mundus king of the underworld, he gets torn a brand new asshole by Dante working with an 8 year old's logic (if Vergil cut himself in two with the Yamato, maybe stabbing myself with Rebellion glues both my sides tighter?) and it actually works.

Not only is Dante's SIN Devil Trigger form written down in Nico's notes as matching (or even surpassing) Sparda's peak, he crushes Urizen both before and after the latter consumes the fruit containing human blood worth millions, completely mystifying the demon king because what the fuck kind of bullshit powerup is that?

Urizen's only able to match Dante's strength once V fuses his human self back into him to recreate Vergil.

I think being a demon-human hybrid basically acts like an infinite human blood battery. It's already inside you and never runs out because your body just makes more blood. The demonic side isn't granting the power, it's granting the abilities; the human side is the gas fueling this killing machine.

The whole time Sparda was turning on his own hell legions for Earth pussy he was unknowingly stumbling into the blueprint for creating unbeatable demonic super soldiers, and had no idea.

Every time Dante defeated the likes of Mundus or Argosax they must have been calling horseshit because there's no way they're getting destroyed by this buffoon just because he's Sparda's son when fighting skills aren't something you inherit like it's hair color, not realizing Dante's powers are fueled by his own blood (and plenty of self-stabbing).

This means that Nero is not inherently weaker than Vergil or Dante by having less demon in him, because it's the hybrid nature itself being their strength.

While Nero's powers aren't as mature as theirs, his demonic strength is enough to grab both Dante and Vergil's SIN devil trigger forms and push them back when they charged at full might, and in fact he's physically strong enough to lift giants like Goliath and ragdoll them around like their name is Bluto and he's just eaten a can of spinach.

Dante even points out at the end that Vergil cut off his own son's arm for more power and the son still kicked his ass anyway. By the end of DMC5 Nero doesn't need the Yamato anymore to do Buster moves, he can shape his own aura into arms to punch and grab things just as effectively, making him completely independent from actually using any devil arms to fight (he only needs human weapons like Lady does). He's strong enough that Dante trusts him with protecting the world by himself while Dante goes to hell, which is a big ask given you know, everything in DMC 1-4.

TL;DR - Nero strong

[flintandpyrite]

I finally made a saag paneer that tastes as good as the restaurant kind and I had to write it down

Adapted from the serious eats vegan saag recipe except obviously it's not vegan. But trust me! tofu cooked this way tastes way better than any store-bought paneer I've tried, don't ask me why, it just does.

1 lb firm tofu

2 tbls miso paste

1/2 a lemon worth of juice

salt

pepper

neutral oil

1/2 a large red onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch ginger, minced

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 dried red chili

1 cardamom pod, crushed

1/2 large tomato or 1 roma tomato, diced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

20-24 oz frozen spinach or a mix of frozen spinach and frozen mustard greens

2 tbls plain full-fat yogurt

1/4 cup heavy cream

For the tofu:

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a bowl, mix the miso paste, lemon juice, and 1 tbls oil with a fork until homogeneous.

Press the tofu between some paper towels to get the moisture out, then cut it into cubes, about 3/4" on each side. Add the cubes to the miso mixture and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place some parchment paper on a sheet pan and spread the tofu cube over the parchment in a single layer. Bake for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is firm and slightly toasted.

For the sauce:

Heat a heavy frying pan (I used a 10" cast iron) over medium heat and add 2 tbls neutral oil. When sizzling hot, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the cumin seeds and cardamom pod and stir again. Allow this to cook until it starts to stick to the pan slightly, about another 5 minutes.

Add the tomato dice and stir to unstick any of the onion mixture from the pan. Cook until there is no more liquid in the pan and the tomatoes are falling apart, about 5-6 minutes.

Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and red pepper to the pan and stir to mix. Add the thawed greens and stir to distribute the spices. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the greens are warm and cooked to your taste.

turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt, 1 tablespoon at a time, until fully mixed. This will prevent it from clumping. Then add the heavy cream and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Finally, add the tofu cubes and stir to distribute them. Serve with dal masoor chilla, rice, and turmeric chutney.

[unexpectedyarns]

Tired of the prices of fast food skyrocketing from greedflation while the food gets worse (as if it were possible) due to enshittification?

I will show you how to make a deli-grade sandwich for $2.54.

I make these 6 at a time. It takes about 20 minutes to make and wrap all 6.

Lunch to grab and go for the whole week (or just to grab at home when you're low on spoons) - or with a bowl of hot soup, they make a good supper.

NIKKI's $2.54

$8 DELI SANDWICHES

Thin sliced ham 1lb $4 (use half) $2

1/2lb Genoa or spicy salami 3

1/2lb sliced chicken/Turkey breast 3

Sliced cheese package of your choice 3

Ciabatta rolls, croissants, hamburger buns) 3

1/4 jar of sliced pickles ($4 jar) 1

1/2 onion, sliced thin (6 in a bag $3) .25

$15.25 / 6 sandwiches = $2.54

NO TOMATOES, SPINACH, OR LETTUCE. THEY GET YUCKY IN A DAY OR TWO.

You will also need:

Any sandwich dressing you want (Italian dressing, ranch, Mayo, yellow or brown mustard)

Parchment paper or waxed paper or blank newsprint (rolls of this can be bought super cheap at a paper supplier. Last you a year or more).

Rubber bands

Lay out the buns. Dress the top of each bun and press it to the bottom half to distribute dressing.

Put a slice of cheese on each half.

Put 2 slices of chicken or Turkey breast folded in half

Lay some pieces of onion around. (Stage 1)

Add two slices of salami.

Add pickles. (Stage 2)

Take 4 thin slices of ham and fold each slice in half and half again. (Stage 3)

Put the top cheese and bun on (stage 4)

Cut rectangles of parchment/waxed paper/newsprint.

Lay the sandwich a little over a sandwich width away from the corner nearest to you but lined up with the far corner.

Bring the front of the paper up over the sandwich snugly and fold in the right corner, also snugly.

Fold the sandwich over toward the far corner, then fold the left corner over what is now the bottom of the sandwich, tightly.

Roll the sandwich the rest of the way toward the far corner, then secure the wrapping with a rubber band. Save your rubber bands and reuse them.

IT IS IMPORTANT to wrap the sandwich tightly because that will meld all the layers together so they don't slide around later when you eat it.

Now you have nearly a week's worth of sandwiches. You spent a little over $15, which isn't even 2 days worth of sandwiches out of a window.

YOU'RE WELCOME!

[nightbunnysong]

Unlocking the secrets to hair growth

Introduction

Whether you're dealing with thinning hair, or simply looking to enhance your look, understanding the science of hair growth can be a game-changer. In recent years, people have turned to simple, natural remedies with compelling anecdotal and scientific support. This article explores three key practices—cold showers, rosemary water, and a diet rich in specific nutrients—that could transform your hair care routine.

1. Cold showers

Cold showers might seem daunting, but they offer more than just a wake-up jolt. One of the most intriguing benefits of cold water is its ability to improve blood circulation. When you expose your scalp to cold water, your blood vessels constrict, and then rapidly dilate, flooding the scalp with nutrient-rich blood. This process enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to hair follicles, potentially boosting hair growth.

Moreover, cold showers help to reduce scalp inflammation and irritation—two common culprits behind hair loss. A calmer, healthier scalp creates a better environment for hair to thrive. So, while that cold rinse might make you shiver, it could also be giving your hair the vitality it needs.

2. Rosemary water

For centuries, rosemary has been revered not just for its culinary uses, but for its medicinal properties. When it comes to hair care, rosemary water is gaining recognition as a natural tonic that could help stimulate hair growth. The magic lies in compounds like rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid, which have powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.

These compounds do more than just cleanse your scalp—they actively enhance blood circulation and protect hair follicles from damage. In fact, research has shown that rosemary oil can be as effective as some prescription treatments for hair loss, making it a natural alternative worth trying. Regular use of rosemary water might just be the key to revitalizing your hair and maintaining a healthy scalp.

3. Eggs

Eggs are often celebrated as a superfood, and when it comes to hair health, they certainly live up to the hype. Rich in high-quality protein, eggs also contain biotin (vitamin B7), which is essential for the production of keratin—the protein that forms the structure of your hair.

But there's a catch: to unlock the full benefits of biotin in eggs, they need to be cooked. Raw eggs contain avidin, a protein that binds to biotin and prevents its absorption. Cooking denatures avidin, freeing up biotin so your body can absorb it more effectively. So, the next time you whip up an omelet or scramble some eggs, know that you're not just satisfying your hunger—you're also nourishing your hair.

4. Additional tips

Beyond cold showers, rosemary water, and eggs, there are several other science-backed strategies you can incorporate into your routine for optimal hair health:

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found in fish like salmon, flaxseeds, and walnuts, omega-3s are vital for scalp health. They help reduce inflammation and provide the essential fats needed for strong, healthy hair.

Zinc: Zinc is crucial for tissue growth and repair, including your hair. A lack of zinc can lead to hair loss, so make sure to include zinc-rich foods like pumpkin seeds, nuts, and shellfish in your diet.

Vitamin D: Often dubbed the "sunshine vitamin," vitamin D plays a role in creating new hair follicles. Regular sun exposure and foods like fatty fish or fortified milk can help keep your levels in check.

Iron: Iron deficiency is a common cause of hair loss, particularly in women. Incorporating iron-rich foods like spinach, red meat, and lentils into your diet can help keep your hair strong and vibrant.

[photos from Pinterest]

[cerastes]

It’s great that IS4 will have better distributed and more “fun” oriented intensifiers (called ‘Natures’ in this case, until they release an official term, if they change it). Waves in IS3 were, to be frank, rather shoddily implemented, starting with the way Arts damage gets kneecapped horribly bad. In IS4, it’s instead a general, smaller Damage Reduction for both Phys and Arts.

The Hope handicap in IS3 was the reason a good amount of people didn’t really even try or stuck to People Skills squad: it was too early, too much

3* non-reserves cost 1 Hope. That immediately changes how IS is played at a fundamental level: Kroos 3* is a great addition to any team because of her innate good damage, spinach compatibility, and 0 cost… But is she worth that precious 1 Hope when your 6* mainliners will cost a whooping 7 Hope? Suddenly that Reserve Sniper seems a whole lot better at 0 cost. It’s a pretty big ask at Waves 4: Even if you only consider Waves 7 as the max difficulty for the purposes of scoring, that’s still way early to throw such a huge change into the mix. Nature 6 seems more apt, and note it only affects 4* and up. I think it’s a step in the right direction; at Waves 4, using Reserves is fine, but at Waves 13 and up, by the time enemies receive their Floor 2 buffs, that’s already a stat heft the Reserves will struggle to compete with, and they have no Skill to even the field. Yes, Waves 8 and above is flexing and testing your own limits, but this can and should also be fun, and getting Hope-starved so badly is a huge turn off to a lot of people, so they use People Skills squad. Then they get bored because using anything but People Skills squad on Waves 4 and above means dealing with the Hope drought.

I also would like if they made Natures more apparent in the UI tbh. This is definitely not an HG blunder, but a concerning amount of people didn’t know (maybe don’t know) that there’s a ladder of difficulties in IS3, because AK players hate reading or are allergic to tutorial text or some other phenomenon, so I had plenty of anons saying IS3 was easier than IS2 and in the same ask asking what these Waves I spoke of were.

All in all, I hope IS4 ends up feeling better than IS3. I do like IS3, but it was a bit of a letdown, to be dorothy frank. I think the Seaborn aesthetic was not really used to its fullest (maps are boring slates of light blue with a pretty boring bgm). It was fun grinding out the Week 1 Waves 15 clear, but after that, it didn’t grab me nearly as hard as IS2 did with it’s excellent aesthetic and replayability.

When it comes to bosses and minibosses: IS3 minibosses are kiiiinda mid. IS2’s Golem and Jetman are fun, the Clown was scary depending on your build, the… Shooty dude was mid, and IS3 midbosses feel like him for the most part.

I like Highmore Boss more than Phantom Boss, I think Highmore is a really good boss and map. Last Knight is the single most miserable boss to fight in the game and very boring even when you know what to do, and somehow worse than Big Sad Lock. Ishar-mla is fine, not bad, not very good, just fine, which is a bit of a letdown for me, considering Mouthpiece is one of my favorite bosses in the game. Jury’s still out on Boss #4, hope it’s good, Playwright isn’t phenomenal but he’s good.

My thoughts on the state of IS3. Though these are various criticisms I have for it, I do wish to note: it’s still a fun mode, and I think a great learning experience: balancing a roguelike or roguelite is not easy and it wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be, but it’s still a fun game mode.

[itsbenedict]

From the beginning | Previously | Coin standings | 4/18 | 2/2

Adea, with the finely-honed mom skill of Bothering Customer Service People, decides to loudly play NOSE KARATE GAMES ASK TO SEE MANAGER, but no one responds- she attracts the attention of some glitch-ghosts before Walter slaps a wing over her mouth.

He suggests that ELECTRIC BOLT LEFT US they COLLECT BUTTERFLIES, herding them together into one of those dense swarms that seems to allow them to reach the fennec fox who keeps dropping off supplies for them. It's not a bad idea- but it's tricky to corral loose butterflies in a ghost-crowded juice bar without antagonizing some ghosts.

The two of you split up, and- well, Adea gets sort of attacked by some of the ghosts she ticked off. They phase right through the both of you, but there's a chilling sensation and a loss of motor control involved, your limbs flailing involuntarily as they do so. It's disconcerting, and Adea takes a couple hits to her Soul Integrity from smacking against tables and the like, but otherwise things go much smoother than might be expected of a bug-corralling operation in an extremely haunted room.

The swarm, this time, doesn't reveal a fennec, but rather a tired looking cat polishing a glass at the bar. They can't say they've ever been asked to serve drinks to a cloud of butterflies before, but they appear to take the whole affair in an uncanny stride, and accept the CAFÉ VOUCHER. It's good for 20 Coin's worth of the house menu:

Some newfangled experimental INHALED FOODS that come in compressed air canisters (2)

A SPRINGLIKE CARD that resembles something from hanafuda but isn't quite the right season (2)

A tulpa of a little pony who embodies the spirit of generosity, so you always have a MIND RARITY at hand (2)

You could get poked with a cocktail umbrella. "YOW," SHRIEK US, because that toothpick end is pointy. (2)

Ever want to be traumatized by fae teaching you math? Now TRIG FAIRY TRAUMA can be yours, for only (2)

Jack wants to just get in the car and drive, but I BUCKLE UP, JACK. It's the law. (5)

There's a DOMINANT ICICLE hanging over the bar that's clearly the boss of all the other icicles. (4)

They sell SELTZERS, APTLY, by the sea shore. Or, shorter: by the sea, sure. Sheesh. (1)

There's a bee waiting in line to order behind you. It's going to be the BEE'S TURN next. (1)

Ol' Zed over there on the house piano is playing ZED'S TUNE, but he takes requests, for (1)

And lastly, if you're boring or watching your weight, you can always just order some SPINACH SALADS (2).

(All of these options restore hunger at least proportional to their cost, but may have other effects. How much of each the 20-Coin voucher will buy will be determined by the spread of results on this poll, rather than chosen by a single winner. You can also choose to PORT POLYTHEISTS and spend your own Coin to purchase extra rations.)

Continued

[paldean-sandwich-rater]

A sandwich.

It contains ice cream, whipped cream, sponge cake, meat balls, broccoli, pineapple, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, rice, noodles, mac and cheese, bacon, beef jerky, dried fish, seaweed, one of every Pokemon berry, jam, olive oil, lotus, dragon fruit, ravioli, ramen, tempura, teriyaki chicken, macaroons, escargots, mint, pepper, salt, sugar, croquettes, pickles, apples, avocados, sausages, bell peppers, grapes, pizza, a donut, cheese, more cheese, even more cheese, mushrooms, mustard, olives, a fried egg, a scrambled egg, blueberries, a poached egg, chawanmushi, a red bean bun, mochi, bbq sauce, chicken nuggets, french fries, takoyaki, pancakes, mackerel, salmon, coffee beans, spinach, a tiny bit of corn cream soup, ramensanga, fettucine alfredo, a plain bagel, pretzels, chocolate chip cookies, sweet potato, yam, potato, scallions, scallops, squid, crab stick, fish balls, fish cakes, oyster sauce, silken tofu, barley, cereal, paprika, oysters, red snapper, sea bass, plums, bean sprouts, garlic, string cheese, camembert, swiss cheese, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, yogurt, brinjal, a macdonald’s happy meal (without the toy and the packaging of course), truffles, caviar, tapioca balls, fried chicken, century eggs, cake sprinkles, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, milk tea (just a tinge), coffee (also a tinge), pudding, pumpkin, honey, mutton, mashed potatoes, bananas, icelandic fermented shark that they bury in the ground for months, raisins, dried mangoes, a drop of water, jelly, nata de coco, prunes, roasted pork, rosemary, bee pollen, peas, deer meat, rabbit meat, fish maw, ham, turkey, m&ms, chub, fufu, watermelon, winter melon, rock melon, coffee jelly, cacao, carrots, blueberries, black tea, dumplings, carrot cake, beetroot, purple cabbage, corn, celery, edamame, red beans, black beans, green beans, kidney beans, cashews, peanuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, walnuts, chickpeas, almonds, daikon, MSG, tamales, anchovies, tabbouleh, lions mane mushroom, chicken of the woods, kelp, octopus, durian, kimchi, crème fraîche, popcorn, cotton candy, everything bagel seasoning, capers, pears, marinara sauce, bittercress, butter cream, every single iteration of galarian curry, sushi, sashimi, kale and a very very specific ramen bowl (without the actual bowl) from a very particular shop located in Iwatodai.

And the top and bottom buns are somehow made from 50 different kinds of bread in a checker box pattern.

It comes with a picture.

Ingredients: I am not typing all of that out again. What the fuck.

Smell: You’ve taken an entire food court’s worth of food and made it into a sandwich. This isn’t even possible. Why am I considering this. 3/5

Taste: How do you eat this. 2/5

Texture: You get like 5 different foods every bite. This is not balanced. There is no harmony. This sandwich is the embodiment of disorder and chaos. 1/5

Presentation: The fact that this even looks sandwich adjacent is a fucking miracle. You don’t get full points though. Because I don’t like you. 3/5

Would Chunk Eat It?: He would eat maybe 1/50th of it. So no. 1/5

Final Score: 2/5

Critic’s Notes: Why would you waste this much food. Just host a party. Donate it. Something fucking anything I am begging at this point.

[shoku-and-awe]

Don't mind me, just saving some salad recipes I heard on NPR

Vidal's salad aka Jay's dad (serves four people)

Ingredients: 1 pound of green beans, 3/4 pounds of tomatoes, 1 hard-boiled egg, pinch of salt, and splash of fish sauce.

Blanche the green beans: Cook them in boiling salted water for about three to five minutes (until they are cooked so they have a little give when you bite them). They should be sweet and bright green.

Put green beans in cold water to stop them from cooking.

Slice the tomatoes any way you want.

Add tomatoes to green beans.

Option to add a hard-boiled egg on top as well.

Season with salt and add a little drizzle of fish sauce.

Annette Sacksteder's bowl of life salad (makes about four days worth of salad)

Clean and assemble:

2 heads of lettuce such as romaine

1 bunch of spinach

1/2 bunch of rainbow chard (raw is ok)

1/3 bunch of cilantro

1/3 bunch of parsley

6 radishes including their greens

1 grated carrot

1 grated beet

1 cup of red or green cabbage

[speedlimit15]

i made the most amazing sandwich just now

recipe below lol

2 pieces of long sourdough lightly toasted for bread

right out of the toaster spread one side of each piece with a thin layer of butter, let that cool while you do the rest of this stuff

smash/chop one clove fresh garlic and a sprigs worth of rosemary leaves (like 1-2tbsp i suppose)

hopefully you have a boiled egg, if not boil one real quick: bring water to a nice strong boil FIRST then gently drop cold egg into boiling water for 5min:soft 7min:med 9min:hard then place in bowl of ice or very cold water for a while

now go back to your toast. it should be fairly room temp by now and the little bit of butter should be fully soaked up, so go ahead and spread a thin layer of mayo on there. if you’re out of mayo, and you have an egg and 1/4 cup of oil and a lemon or lime and some salt (and a whisk or hand mixer or immersion blender to make it easier), no you’re not out of mayo, go look up a five minute recipe, you will have very good mayo once you follow that

anyway, hopefully you have pesto. if so, use a spoon to put a little on each slice of toast and use the back of the spoon to spread it around thinly on top of the mayo. if not, whatever, no big deal, chopped fresh basil leaves will also work well here, but either way sprinkle your fresh garlic and rosemary mixture evenly over top of this. crack some black pepper all over that shit and parmesan if you’re fancy

put some spinach or other leafy green on one side of the toast. this will be your bed for your eggs and also a nice leaf for your body to enjoy. optional tomato/onion here as well if you have and like them

now go ahead and peel your boiled egg if you haven’t, then cut it in half and then each half into halves. do this over the sandwich to make sure no egg drops on the floor or counter or whatever especially if it’s boiled softer. arrange the pieces nicely on the toast, you can add a second egg if your toast is big enough

ok, so we’re almost done. sprinkle a little salt on the egg pieces, pepper too, parmesan if you’re like me, then take extra virgin olive oil and BARELY zigzag it across that sandwich. like a light drizzle at most you know. then do the same with some balsamic vinegar. you can also skip the oil and vinegar and use a premixed vinaigrette

then put your second piece of toast on top and you’re done! if it’s more than 5 inches across i suggest cutting it in half to make it more manageable

this is called jess’s fancy egg salad sandwich

[fastwiemagie]

My favourite salad (with a little bit of everything)

You need:

bag of mixed greens (I like to have rucola (dictionary says it's called arugula in English? Though rucola is Italian I think.. so idk you may know that one too!) and baby spinach in it, for example)

2-3 handfuls pasta of your choice (I like to use one's with fancy shapes for this salad, but it's not necessary)

smoked tofu (my favourite is Black forest tofu by Taifun, but you can use other tofu flavours as well)

can of chickpeas

3-4 little pickles (if you have bigger ones, you need less)

6-7 dried tomatoes in oil

half a big cucumber or 2-3 snack cucumbers (i like the snack ones but are a bit more expensive usually)

1 or 2 apples

add whatever else strikes your fancy! I've added walnuts before, blueberries, grilled vegetables I had leftover from a BBQ, etc. I've put edamame in this time for example.

For the dressing you'll need:

water

1-2 table spoons of lemon juice

1-2 table spoons of sweet-sour mustard (also works with spicier mustard though, I just like the sweet-sour kind most)

1-2 table spoons of agave syrup (you can use honey if you're not vegan)

1 table spoon of soy sauce

1-2 table spoons of (apple) vinegar (can use any vinegar though, just add a bit sour & acidic flavour)

binch of salt if it tastes too sweet

really make the dressing to your taste, I like these combinations.

I'll also drizzle some olive oil on top of the salad

For the salad ingredients: chop everything finely, even the mixed greens salad! It just incorporates better with the other ingredients if you chop it smaller as well. Cook the pasta until well done and fry the tofu.

You can prepare this salad in advance for your work lunch and bring it in a container with you. And enjoy! :)

@worth-beyond-a-number-scale asked to be tagged if I end up posting some of my favourite recipes, so here you go friend!

[shuttershocky]

Does lone trail have any operators worth getting a skill to m3?

Let's go over the Lonetrail ops. As always, this is my personal opinion on their skills so you don't have to follow it, etc etc

Muelsyse's S3 is probably the only one from a purely meta standpoint that you'll want to M3. Her S2 has basically the same stats (DP gen, SP cost, +ATK, etc) except S3's effects for both melee and ranged clones are usually better in most cases.

Her S2's not a bad skill either though if you primarily use ranged clones for Mumu and just want to DPS with them.

If you are like me and are going to raise Ho'olheyak regardless of how bad she is (she's release-Passenger levels of bad), then M3 her S2. It's basically a better version of Caster Amiya's S2 with 30 SP cost instead of 100 and a chance to levitate enemies on hit, though you shouldn't actually be relying on the levitation since the chance is 15% and the skill hits random enemies (so you will be in RNG hell).

Don't specialize in Ho'ol's S3, even if it's her main skill. The gains on it are so bad on an already awful skill. If the tornadoes were actually AOE and not single target then I'd consider M3ing it, but as it is right now reducing SP cost from 64 to 60 and increasing levitation time from 2 seconds to 2.2 is way too little. I will of course, be ignoring my own advice M3 it anyway, but you're probably not Filipino and I'm only doing this because Ho'ol is, so I'm warning you to not emulate me.

If you're going to use her, Melanite's S2 actually isn't a bad investment. The SP cost goes from 18 to 15 (and can hold two charges, so fully charged goes from 36 seconds to 30, not bad!) and the damage boost at close range goes from 450% to 500%, which is a huge ATK scale multiplier for an AOE skill. If you get her module, Melanite's S2 becomes a very rare source of AOE evasion ignore (I actually don't know if anyone else has AOE evasion ignore) for groups of dodging enemies, which is usually rare, but not unheard of (such as the Durins from Gavial's event clumping up together). It also works in IS as a spinach/spaghetti skill.

Finally, there's Silence the Paradigmatic. Her S3's cost scales dramatically with specialization, going from a 42 SP cost down to 30(!) which is pretty wild when the skill itself lasts for 60 seconds, or twice its own cost. However, specializing in it doesn't increase Silence's ATK power or the effect of her shelter, so it really is just for boosting its uptime. It also extends the length of her get out of jail free card immortality from 7 seconds to 10 seconds, but surely 7 is enough for you to actually heal the guy that's almost dead, right? Also, keep in mind that her S3 can only be used twice in a stage for balance reasons (can you imagine keeping your whole team immortal for a whole stage forever with an SP cost that low) so only pop it in the most crucial moments.

On the other hand, Paradigmatic's S2 also scales really well with specialization, going from 30 SP cost to 24, but also DOUBLING her ASPD boost from +30 ASPD to +60, and increasing the shelter boost effect of her support drone from 2.4x Talent 1 to 3x. When she gets her module that makes her heal for 100% of her ATK instead of 75%, her S2 becomes much stronger.

[unhonestlymirror]

Rating food of the countries I've been to, from West to East:

Disclaimer: it's veeery subjective

***

Spain🇪🇸 : 7/10. It's okay. I expected their fish and seafood to be better, tho. A LOT of relatively cheap fresh juices, 10/10 for health. They also make surprisingly amazing pasta and surprisingly average paella.

France🇫🇷: 9/10. Never visited cafes or restaurants there, but Carrefour has an incredible variety of good meat. I love their pineapple pie, too. There are a lot of products for vegetarians, Muslims, and, in general, different people who have different eating styles. There's a lot to see. And omg, their bazaar days are something worth attending: I still regret that I never tried clams with white wine.

UK🇬🇧 : 6/10. Not impressed. Something tells me that they deliberately make fish-n-chips that terrible. But I absolutely loved the strawberries under hot chocolate, which was sold by two cheerful Polish girls near Madam Tussaud museum.

Switzerland 🇨🇭: 6/10. Migros has nice buns with spinach and those Japanese "sandwiches", overall, your whole salary is gonna be spent on food. (Lithuania core lol😭) McDonald's there SUCKS.

Norway🇳🇴: 4/10. I expected a lot for some reason. Prices gonna cause you a heart attack, the quality is gonna give you a second heart attack. Also!!! THERE WAS NO FISH IN THE SHOPS EXCEPT THE CANNED!!! I was deeply injured. Norwegian salmon is super popular in Ukraine, how can they not have any normal fish in the big supermarkets...

Germany🇩🇪: 1/10. I may be just unlucky, but every time I visit Germany and pick a random cafe with lots of people(!), it has the worst food I've ever tasted in my life. It's like that scene from Desperate Housewives: "Really? A woman who orders Chinese food for Christmas dinner cooked a pineapple pie?" I understand now why Ukrainian women often marry Germans. My heart bleeds when I see what exactly you eat. I want to cover you with a blanket and cook you a normal soup.

Czech Republic 🇨🇿: 7/10. The soup was nice, ставлю вподобайку👍

Poland🇵🇱 : 8/10. Soup in bread, my beloved. Doughnuts were some kind of overcooked in oil, tho.

Montenegro🇲🇪: 10/10. I love you. I love your salads, your seafood, and I LOVE YOUR LEMON ICECREAM!!!!!

Slovakia🇸🇰: 7/10. I don't really remember what I ate, I am sorry. But I was really impressed with your supermarkets for some reason. Gotta visit it again.

Hungary🇭🇺: 6/10. It was my first time I've ever tried street food, and I liked it. You guys know how to cook meat.

Greece🇬🇷: 7/10. One day, I'll find the guy who can cook Karavidopsiha and beg them to cook it once again. Nice fish!!! I remember your arbutus honey as old women remember their best lovers. But. One time, a man served my family with unpeeled shrimps in batter. :/ What the hell was that? Is that some kind of a national dish I'm not aware of? Minus three points for such bullying.

Cyprus 🇨🇾: 7/10. I shouldn't be obsessed with your carob tree pastille that much.

Lithuania🇱🇹: 10/10. I love you. Although, I'd love to spend less money on food too. I love your Maxima and Rimi and Iki. I love your cafes. I love your bakery, I love your cocktails, I looooooove your soups, and I love your Asian food too. It's very easy to become an alcoholic with such delicious wines and tinctures.

Latvia🇱🇻: 11/10. Oh my god. Oh my god. I'm on my knees. Your cream chanterelle soup and Lidl croissants and marinated onion and šašlyk and fish and dairy products🛐🛐🛐. You guys know how to serve. I've never seen such pretty food designs anywhere. And of course, Lido. It brings me in tears of joy and makes me remember Puzata Hata. No, for real, is there any dish you don't know how to cook?

Finland🇫🇮: 7/10. That's okay. Nice street food.

Belarus ⚪️🔴⚪️: 9/10. Oh my dear Belarus, you're gonna be the best chef in Europe once you're free from russia. I wish I ate more machanka and drank your pine tincture when I had the chance. I love your chicory, it's a bit greyish, but it's much more delicious than an average chicory. Delicious meat in the shops. Other food is soviet-like, which makes me nauseous.

Ukraine 🇺🇦: ♾️/10. Вітчизно моя! Ти як здоров'я, наскільки ти цінна, тільки той знає, хто тебе втратив. I don't know if my favourite shops still work. I loved every single cafe I've been to, yes, even that shitty prorussian Mafia and Eurasia. I loved Puzata Hata. I loved Khlibna Kava, and its amazing cherry cupcakes. I loved Moloko Vid Fermera. I loved little kiosks with fresh Makadamia nuts and huge variety of vegetables and fruits. I loved Flagman and Silpo, Lvivśki croissants, and chocolate shops. I loved my seafood store. I loved giant frappes in Shevchenko Park. I loved my Continent with its old classical French background songs. I love my Japanese food stores. There are so many places I love. I used to find my bazaar so ugly and dirty, but I would give everything to buy the sea ​​buckthorn jam from the cheerful old lady. But it's not gonna happen. My bazaar was shelled by russians to the ground.

Turkey🇹🇷: 9/10. Your Katmer, seafood soup and baked shrimps(?) are something 🛐.

Jordan🇯🇴: 7/10. Nice! You cook paella better than Spain, be proud of yourself. Although, I'd love to not be scared for my life as a woman all the time. Your bazaar seemed very interesting, but unfortunately, I don't speak Arabic. And I am a woman, which also sucks, I guess. I was totally covered in black, except for the face and hair, and people still stared at me like on a zoo exponate. McDonald's kinda sucks too, but not as much as in Switzerland.

Egypt🇪🇬: 7/10. It's okay. I've tasted only hotel food.

Sakartvelo🇬🇪 : 10/10. Our guide forgot about our existence, and we had to find any source of food to not die from hunger, so we went to your local bazaar and asked to fry some cheap fish. It had lots of bones, and I hate fish with bones, but I ate it all, and it tasted amazing.

Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦: 6/10. Most of the week, I just cooked some simple spiceless products like pasta and eggs from the small store. You are far from the level of grocery stores in Turkey. Although, your cold orange juice bottle saved my life from dying in the middle of the desert.

Qazaqstan 🇰🇿: 7/10. I don't really remember your supermarkets, I guess they were okay. But your bazaars are definitely something worth attending. Millions of varieties of honey with millions of tastes and very salty hard cheese Kurt.

[the-oceankin-collective]

Salty recipes

For a taste of the ocean.

Vegetarian recipes

1. Salted caramel popcorn

I’ve personally had this and it’s delicious

2. Chocolate covered potato chips

Yet another one I have had. it’s a bit of a acquired taste

3. mozzarella sticks

Yet another one I have had. they are best freshly cooked

4. Pasta with garlic and oil

For this if you don’t have/want spinach

Just add some salt.

Meat recipes

1. Sausage, kale and chilli pasta

Add some salt and it should be delicious.

2. Salt cod with root vegetables, cream and bacon.

I haven’t tried this but it sounds good

3. Steak and ale pie

It tastes good. But Personally I’m not fond of meat

Hope you find something you like.

(🦭mod Zeph)

[grayve-mistake]

that one grilled cheese post got me thinkin about how a lot of people just make instant ramen as it is without adding much to it and I wanna point out that the key to making it more interesting (and more nutritionally balanced if it's something you're eating a lot of long-term) lies in understanding the basics of traditional/restaurant style ramen. There are basically three fundamental steps to making good ramen:

1. Some kind of flavored oil. You can use something more traditional like chili oil or sesame oil, but really if you're just worried about making a good meal on a budget you can use any kind as long as it has some kind of aromatic flavor to it. Any oil that's been simmered with a bit of garlic or onion works just fine [or honestly... if you're really not feelin the extra effort that day you can just add a little bit of melted butter because butter makes everything taste good. you didn't hear this from me, don't tell the food purists]. This just adds a little bit of depth to the flavor that makes it stand out.

2. A good broth. I know instant ramen comes with a seasoning packet for the broth, but adding that to some vegetable stock makes the flavor a lot deeper and more satisfying than if you just add it to some water. You can use vegetable broth, chicken broth, beef broth, etc from the grocery store and that'll do just fine (I'm vegetarian so I like my vegetable stock), or you can rinse and boil any vegetable scraps you have from other recipes to make your own (you can save carrot ends, vegetable peels, etc etc in the fridge for this, or you can use whole vegetables for the broth, whatever works). If you'd like you can also add in your own spices and seasonings instead of just the packet. Just use something besides plain water, I know it's a little extra money but it's worth it, promise. A little bit of soy sauce in the broth also goes a long way. Also, if you want to make the broth a little richer.... add a little bit of milk or half n half. it makes it creamy and it's awesome with the flavored oil from the first step. For spicy ramen I love adding just a little bit of sugar or honey for a sweet and spicy effect, but it's up to you.

3. (and most importantly) toppings. Literally just anything you have in your fridge works for this honestly. Spinach? Cheese? Eggs? mushrooms??? throw it all in while the noodles are boiling in the broth. (if you want a poached egg just crack it over the noodles once it stars boiling and then put a lid over the pot. the steam cooks the top of the egg. If you wait just long enough to see the top of the egg turn white and then take the ramen off the heat right away the yolk will be runny, but if that's not your thing you can wait a little bit longer.) My favorite toppings vary but generally I like to have a protein (tofu, eggs, mushrooms, a meat substitute, etc etc), an aromatic (green onion and garlic are my favorites), and some kind of vegetable (spinach, carrot, corn, etc), and then optionally something else for a bit of extra texture like crispy fried onion or seaweed (you can find seaweed in the asian food section of most grocery stores from my experience for not a lot. You can go completely wild with the toppings though. Just about anything on ramen can be good if you set your mind to it. You can use more expensive authentic ingredients or you can use whatever you can find at your local stores or whatever you got at the food bank if you're like me.

Once you've figured out what ingredients you want to use, basically you just do the following steps: pour your broth into a pot and bring it up to a boil. Add in your seasoning packet if you'd like. [Optionally, add in your half n half or milk as well. if it's half n half add a tbsp or two, if it's milk add a little more.] Add in your noodles. When the noodles have started to cook, add in any of your toppings that you'd like to cook or soak up to flavors of the broth. [If the toppings don't need cooking, arrange them on the ramen right before the last step]. simmer for a couple minutes, then carefully pour into a bowl. Lastly, pour your aromatic oil over the noodles. That's it! One pot, not a lot of cook time, and a good way to liven up your ramen if you're tired of your usual method. And that's how even on a bit of a budget I can make ramen that looks like this;

Have fun!