#bell peppers are on thin ice

[evanpetersgfhihi]

୨⎯ 𝓫𝓵𝓸𝓰 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓭𝓾𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷⎯୧

♡ about me ♡

౨ৎ you can call me elodie (she/her) ^^

౨ৎ 15 yrs old

౨ৎ deer disguised as an insane teenage girl

౨ৎ infp and aquarius

౨ৎ hopeless romantic

౨ৎ married to evan peters, cillian murphy, kurt cobain, tim burton, emma watson, taissa farmiga, mia goth, winona ryder, helena bonham carter, elizabeth grant and brittany murphy

౨ৎ hobbies: reading, writing, girlblogging, listening to music and true crime pods, watching movies and shows, baking and yapping with my very few but lovely friends

౨ৎ books: the bell jar, the virgin suicides, my year of rest and relaxation, christiane f, the seven husbands of evelyn hugo, the picture of dorian gray, the silent patient, the secret history, tributes of panem, harry potter, enola holmes, truly devious, the little prince and literally anything by kafka, rick riordan and holly jackson

���ৎ movies: girl interrupted, black swan, thirteen, american psycho, perks of being a wallflower, jennifers body, pearl, buffalo 66, coraline, dead poets society, léon: the professional, the menu, the craft, my girl, i believe in unicorns, ten things i hate about you and literally anything by sofia coppola, tim burton, david fincher, greta gerwig, wes anderson and studio ghibli

౨ৎ shows: ahs (favs are murder house, coven and asylum), skins, gilmore girls, bojack horseman, stranger things, asoue, obx, heartstopper and ianowt

౨ৎ music: lana, mitski, nirvana, hole, mazzy star, fiona apple, ethel cain, deftones, radiohead, the smiths, fleetwood mac, tv girl, marina, tyler the creator, queen, david bowie, arctic monkeys, the nbhd, ayesha erotica, solya, bambi baker and a lot more

౨ৎ other things i love: art, poetry, cats, deers, swans, iced coffee, dr pepper, trees, old parks, cemeteries, coquette, grunge, y2k, lego flowers, spotify, tumblr and pinterest

♡ about my blog ♡

i'll post relatable girl stuff, my interests, fashion inspo, moodboards, random thoughts and whatever i feel like ^^ everythings mine unless i say otherwise

dms are always open if you wanna talk or be friends <3 i love meeting new people ^^ if you wanna be moots just tell me in my question box! you can also ask anything there, i love answering to these ^^

dni: racists, homophobes, transphobes, fascists, pedos, nsfw blogs, probably forgot some but yeah im a minor and liberal so i think you get the idea of what i don't tolerate

healthy and pro recovery ed and sh blogs without triggering imagery and stuff are totally ok but if you romanticise this shit, (re)post thin$po or scars and dont want to get better pls pls dni or i will report you bc im trying to improve my mental health and that stuff is not helping at all

♡ other socials ♡

other blog (dark green and gloomy aesthetic)

yap blog (for yapping, reblogging and answering questions)

spotify (it's kinda messy im sorry)

pinterest (i post more whispers there)

⁠♡ ok i hope i did this right byeee angelss ⁠♡

[holdupjack]

Just Put On The Fleece

——————

Pairing: Hermione Granger x Fem!Reader

Warning: sexual suggestions

——————

Third Person P.O.V:

7th Year

Y/n strolled towards Hogsmeade with a smile as snow fell all around her. The lake was completely iced, she could see a few students skating atop its surface.

Snowflakes fell onto her bare arms as some students gave her strange looks at her choice of clothing. She wore just her white button-up and pants, which wasn’t up to most people’s standards when it came to this type of weather.

She didn’t pay them any kind though, instead continuing her peaceful walk to Pippins Potions to stalk up on some ingredients for her next class.

As much as Y/n didn’t feel all the nervous about catching a cold, she did however look over her shoulder every once in a while.

Before she had left to start her walk towards the Village, she had run into Ginny. Now this wasn’t unusual, since they were good friends, but she was even better friends with Y/n’s girlfriend.

Hermione Granger.

The two have been dating for a little over two years now, and to say the least, Hermione was not a huge fan of Y/n’s disregard for winter wear.

They have gotten into fights about it, but they were never huge or harmful. They were just little spits the couple had from time to time around the holidays.

Now Ginny was a little instigator, she loved to get Y/n in trouble with Hermione, and Y/n knew it. Granted, she would never say something to harm their relationship, but Y/n with no coat? Going out into freezing temperatures?

Fair game.

So now Y/n had eyes in the back of her head, almost like she was waiting for her girlfriend to appear out of thin air like a horror movie.

Y/n couldn't help but smile fondly as Hermione's concerns echoed in her mind. Always the protective one, her bushy-haired bookworm. Not that Y/n minded - it was just one more way she knew she was loved.

Reaching Hogsmeade at last, she hurried inside Pippin's Potions to escape the icy kisses peppering her skin. The familiar jingle of bells greeted her, along with friendly shopkeeper Irma Pippin herself.

"Afternoon dear! Back for more fluxweed I see. Winter rolling in already?" The old witch chuckled, taking note of Y/n's sparse attire as she gathered the ingredients into a small pouch.

"You know me Irma, a little chill never bothered me much." Y/n chuckled, exchanging a few knuts for her purchases, placing the pouch into her pocket.

"Though my darling Hermione might avow otherwise..."

Just then, the bells jangled loudly once more. Speak of the devil and so she shall appear, it seemed! Y/n turned with a smile to greet her favorite furious witch.

"Hello, love! Fancy running into you here..." Y/n chuckled nervously as she backed up slightly, almost bumping into Irma as Hermione stepped closer with a stern glare.

“Don’t you ‘hello love’ me! What are you doing out in the snow with no protective clothing!” She says with gritted teeth as the older witch just chuckled as she walked to the back of her shop, muttering ‘if you break it, you buy it’.

“Uh…” Y/n said nervously as Hermione stepped even closer.

Y/n flashes her best disarming smile, hoping to soothe her darling's ruffled feathers. "Now now love, you know a little chill doesn't bother m- oof!"

She's cut off as Hermione shoves a giant fleece throw into her arms. It's garishly orange and covered in little purple cauldrons.

"Here, now you have no excuse. Put this on at once before you catch hypothermia," Hermione huffs, fussing over Y/n until the monstrosity is wrapped snugly around her frame. Only her scowling face remains uncovered.

"There! Don't you look cozy?" Hermione states with a smirk, obviously loving the form of punishment she had procured for their way back to the school.

“I’m not wearing this.” Y/n declared as she playfully glared back at Hermione, who was not happy to hear the defiance.

“We can do this the easy way, or the hard way,” Hermione says as she grasps Y/n’s face and squishes her cheeks together.

“You’re going to make me swallow my tongue” Y/n muttered as Hermione gave her lips a quick peck and let the girl's face go.

“Now, will you be a listener today, or will I have to ‘accio’ you all the way back to my dorm?” Hermione asks as Y/n crosses her arms and grumbles to herself.

“But I don’t wanna wear this atrocious thing” Y/n whined, which made her girlfriend roll her eyes and sigh, placing her hands on her hips.

“Seriously, Y/n-“

That was all she could get out before the garment was tossed back at her, and the jingling of bells was her only indicator that Y/n had just made a break for it,

“What the- Y/N!” Hermione yelled angrily as she pulled the clothing away from her face and dashed back out into the village. Her eyes darted from left to right, soon landing on Y/n, who was standing at the end of the block with a shit-eating grin.

Y/n's mischievous antics would be the death of her, Hermione swears it. With a steely gaze, she marches purposefully down the street, fleece trailing menacingly behind like a wrathful cape.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" she calls as she closes the distance. But Y/n only grins wider, dancing nimbly out of reach.

"Now now love, can't we discuss this civilly over butterbeers? I'm parched from all this invigorating exercise!" Y/n teases as she continues to back away.

"The only thing you'll be drinking is that foul lake water if you don't surrender yourself this instant!" She stays with a scowl as she watches the snow fall onto her lover's hair and bare skin.

But when has a threat ever stalled this rogue?

With a cheeky blow of a kiss, Y/n pivots on her heel and bolts down a side alley.

“Y/n Y/l/n!”

Hermione gives pursuit, weaving deftly through the village streets. She tries her best not to bump into anyone as she chases Y/n down alleyways and stairways to different streets. At last, she corners her favorite miscreant in a dead end.

"Gotcha!" she crows, triumphantly diving forward to wrap Y/n in her fleecy fate. But the rogue is too swift, spinning nimbly aside with a peal of laughter.

"Is that the best you've got, bookworm?" Y/n taunts, dancing just out of reach again. Her playful grin mocks Hermione's frustration to new heights.

"Why you impertinent—" Lunging again, Hermione feints one way then tackles the other, taking her willful partner by surprise. They tumble headlong into a snowbank, wrestling fiercely as the flakes fall upon their flushed faces.

"Yield, you beautiful scoundrel!" Hermione growls between giggles, wrestling the fleece around Y/n's struggling form at long last.

"Now take your medicine like a good girl." She smirks, pinning her captive beneath triumphant hips, Hermione then leans down to deliver a punishing kiss.

Well, as punishing as a kiss between two love birds can be.

"Let that be a lesson to cross me again, my darling rogue." She whispers when she pulls away, affection softens her stern eyes, and melting away Y/n's resistance completely.

"Oh very well, you've bested me, Granger. Have your victory - this time." Y/n sighs dramatically as she grins up at her girlfriend, and finally accepts her fleecy prison.

"I believe you have an apology to make, you hoodlum." Hermione chuckles, securing Y/n firmly in place as they stand up from the snowbank.

“How about another kiss instead?” Y/n asks with a smirk as she wraps the fleece around their heads and gives another peck to her girlfriend's lips. Hermione just chuckled and happily accepted this form of apology.

So deciding to be a little daring as well, and since they were hidden in a small alleyway, Hermione jumped into her girlfriend's arms. Y/n fell back into the snow, holding onto Hermione tightly as she pressed kisses onto Y/n’s face and lips repeatedly.

Hermione wasn’t this affectionate usually, at least not in public, but that didn’t mean she didn’t love these moments. Where Y/n would do something idiotic, like refusing to wear proper winter clothing, and then make Hermione chase her around Hogsmeade like they’re thirteen again.

A tender smile curves Y/n's lips as her darling bookworm showers her with affection. Moments like this make all their spirited misadventures worthwhile, reminding her anew why she fell for this fiery soul.

"I love you, you know," she murmurs between caresses, gazing up at Hermione with open adoration. It still amazes her sometimes - that such a brilliant witch could love a roguelike her in return.

But love Hermione does, with a passion to match even Y/n's flame. And so their game of chase leads ever onward, whatever obstacles life sends their way.

For now, lost in each other's arms amidst the falling snow, the world beyond fades away. No cares nor duties intrude on this perfect moment, shared alone between two hearts entwined as one.

“Do you mean it?” Hermione whispered as she stared at Y/n with a curious expression, but the tugging smile at the corner of her lips told Y/n that she just wanted to hear her say it again.

“Awe my lovely Gryffindor, I love you more than the ocean loves the shore” Y/n chuckled as she kissed her once more, earning a happy hum from Hermione.

“Aren’t you poetic today?” Hermione whispers as she kisses down Y/n’s jaw, earning a soft purr as the snow melts against her back. Y/n blushes under Hermione's teasing, always rendered bashful by her beloved's quiet charms.

"Only for you, my love. You inspire the poet in me unlike any."

Her touch sends thrills cascading through Y/n's form, setting her aflame despite the chill. How fortunate she was to have found not only a partner to match wits with, but one so generous with passion as well.

"I fear if we linger longer entwined, my good intentions may go out the window," Y/n chuckles, making Hermione snicker and throw the fleece off of their faces. She sits up, straddling Y/n’s hips as she shakes out the snowflakes from her hair.

“You are always so eager to rip my clothes off” Hermione snickers as Y/n shamelessly nods her head in quick succession.

“What do you say we retire to the Three Broomsticks for warmth and nourishment, before reckless passions overtake your mind?" Hermione teases as she stands up and hoists Y/n up to her feet. Pressing one last ardent kiss to perfect lips, Hermione dusts the clinging snow from supple curves. Offering an arm with a rakish smile, she leads them from the alley and back to the bustling thoroughfare.

“So…how about later?” Y/n asked with a smirk as they walked towards the small pub.

“Promise to start wearing your coat?” Hermione asks, looking at her with a grin of her own.

“Fine…” Y/n mumbles in defeat as her girlfriend proudly pulls her quickly into the building.

“Then maybe…you can see what’s under mine tonight”

[thatesqcrush]

These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends, Ch.2

Mafia!Barba x f! reader

AN: A prequel - how it all began.

WC: 2.7K

CW: language, violence (physical assault, gun violence, attempted rape)

one year earlier

“Your big bad wolf was here earlier. And he sat in your section. Took his order to-go when he learned you weren’t in.”

You paused from where you were marrying the ketchups. You knew exactly who your colleague Allie meant and your heart began to quicken.

A man so handsome, that it bordered on obscene. He was older than you with salt and pepper hair and green eyes that made your eyes burn. He was always in three piece suits and carried a black shiny briefcase.

The diner you worked at was a low-key, come-as-you-are spot with burgers, ice cream, endless coffee and donuts. You wore a classic waitress uniform: a pink checkered dress, a white apron, a white collar, and short sleeves with peaked white trim. Your skirt was short, but not dangerously so.

It was late, you had picked up a double shift as you needed the extra funds. Bills came every 30 days like clockwork.

This particular gentleman came in a few times per week. He always ordered the same thing - a carafe of coffee and a varied pastry. He would stay for an hour or two, furiously writing in a yellow legal pad and constantly checking his two phones. From what you were able to glean from brief moments of interaction, you knew he was a prosecutor.

He always sat in your section. And always left a generous tip.

You turned to your Allie. “Yeah, well I switched shifts so Flor could go to her kid’s recital. How would he know?”

“Watch him come back.”

“So you’re saying he’s a stalker?”

“Girl, if my stalker looked like that, I would gladly let him murder me in more ways than one,” Allie teased.

You gave her a pointed look and then took a deep breath before walking over to grab a coffee pot to re-fill customers cups.

The rest of the shift was slow, which you weren’t accustomed to. You weren’t surprised, given the cold, wet weather outside. It was the perfect weather for staying inside, in bed, and under a thick blanket watching movies or reading. There were two remaining customers, an elderly couple, and they weren’t even in your section. You leaned back against the wall by the service window and watched people passing by outside. You heard a rumble of thunder followed by a flash of light, indicating a passing storm was soon to appear. You sighed and turned your attention back to the elderly couple. They were adorable and sweet, you thought to yourself as they held hands across the table.

You were single and while not desperate, your battery operated boyfriend was taking a beating. Your last romantic relationship was with someone who was a big, dull dud.

On more than occasion, you played with Mr. Prosecutor in your fantasies. You wondered what it would be like to kiss those soft lips, feel his strong arms around you, to run your hands through his salt and pepper hair.

After the elderly couple had left, some thirty minutes later, you decided to wipe down the tables. You leaned over to grab the tip the elderly couple left when you heard the jingle of the bell above the door ring.

You turned around to greet the person when you realized it was him. His eyes met yours. His gaze was intense, almost hungry and a muscle flexed in his jaw. He wore a grey peacoat over a thin pinstriped suit. With his beard, he really did appear as if he were a big bad wolf.

He didn’t say anything but just gave a small nod. You felt yourself flush, a heat creeping up to your face.

You heard Allie’s bright, cheerful voice, greeting him and bringing him a menu. “Y/N will be right with you.”

You brought the dishrag back up to the counter watching Allie come back with a knowing smile on her face. Your eyes darted back and inwardly groaned at him rolling up his sleeves, showing off well defined forearms. His shirt fit him well, with suspenders that you wanted to snap back. He had a smidge of tummy that you wanted to sink your teeth into.

“Go get him Little Red Riding Hood,” your coworker, Allie teased before thrusting your checkpad into your chest.

You walked over, feeling your heart thudding loudly in your chest. You felt as if you were walking through molasses but also walking too fast if that were even possible.

You couldn’t remember the last time you had butterflies like this.

“You’re here late,” you remarked. Mr. Big bad wolf looked up at you, a cocky smile on his face. His green eyes disarmed you.

“I’d say the same applies to you,” he replied.

“Covering for someone,” you found yourself explaining. “Not my usual shift. As you know.”

A thick brow arched in response. The corners of his lips twitched, threatening to smile.

“Um, so your usual? Coffee and…?”

“What do you recommend?”

You were taken aback by the question, not expecting it. “We have a banana cream and a cherry pie that are good…”

“What would you personally order?”

“Me? Oh, easy. The coconut macadamia nut cake. It’s heaven.”

“I’ll take a slice of that then, angel.”

You blushed once more, squeaking a ‘coming right up,’ before spinning on the balls of your feet.

You made your way to the pie carousel to grab the pie and then walked back to the kitchen to properly slice it.

You caught your reflection in the napkin holder and cringed. Inside your apron was your lipstick and you grabbed the tube quickly to fix your lips.

Allie came through the swinging door and cheered at the sight of you applying lipstick. “Yes Red, go get him!”

You rolled your eyes. “Nothing is going to happen. But some friendly flirting doesn’t hurt.” You grabbed the pie and made your way back out.

—

You placed the slice of cake down - a generous slice if you will, along with the coffee. “You’ve come here enough times that we haven’t been properly introduced.” You stuck your hand out and gave your name.

“Rafael Barba.”

When his hand met yours, you could have sworn something electric went through the both of you. You gave him a smile. “Nice to meet you Rafael.”

“Pleasure is all mine,” Rafael replied, eyes crinkling as he smiled.

You blushed again. “Okay, I’m going to get back to work.” You gave him a smile and an awkward wave before dashing back to behind the counter.

Other people began to arrive and before you knew it, it had become busy again. You were distracted - every time you’d take an order, you’d surreptitiously gaze at Rafael.

Eventually Rafael approached the cashier and settled his bill, leaving another generous tip for you. You noticed that this time he had left his business card. You pocketed it into your apron with a smile and finished your shift.

—

You walked to the subway, your feet aching. It was late, the streets were empty save a person here and there. There was a shortcut down through an alley that would connect you to the subway more quickly.

Someone grabbed you from behind and you screamed. A gloved hand covered your mouth and you felt the cold steel blade of a knife against the curve of your jaw. You struggled, trying to break free and you felt the blade start to press your skin.

Tears streamed down your face. Another person emerged from the shadows. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? She’s cute.” Your eyes darted to the knife in that person's hand.

The man holding you shoved you towards his partner.

“We’ll have our fun.”

You tried to break free again, this time stepping on your assailant's foot hard.

The man let out a yelp and then knocked you to the ground.

“You stupid bitch.”

Your knees scraped against the gravel and you let out a cry. You felt a kick to your ribs and you cried again. You tried to stand up to run, but you were grabbed again and slammed against the brick wall - hard.

Your head pounded and you felt warm wetness drip down the side of your face.

You braced yourself for the next blow or worse, but it never came.

From somewhere far away, you realized someone else had joined the soirée. There was scuffling and cursing. There was the sound of fists hitting flesh, followed by the awful crunch of bones breaking which was then followed by two gun shots.

Then it all fell quiet.

As your world faded to black, the last thing you heard was, “Amaro, I need something taken care of. No witnesses.”

—

When you came to, you realized you weren’t in your apartment. Instead you were in an apartment that appeared as something out of Architectural Digest.

The apartment was enormous. It was freakishly spotless too. There was a coffered ceiling and an informal living room, adorned with a fireplace. The apartment was a gorgeous blend of refined and eclectic old-world charm. The walls were chic, painted black and matching leather Italian chairs. It gave off a moody vibe.

You were laying propped on a brown leather sofa. You looked down and realized you were no longer in your waitress uniform, but an oversized, faded Harvard t-shirt. Your wrist and ribs were taped. You reached for your temple and felt something akin to stitches. Your body ached everywhere and you were thirsty.

“Where am I?” you wondered out loud.

Your lobo emerged, concern etched on his face. “Oh good, you’re up,” he replied softly.

“Rafael?” You looked at him confusedly. “What happened? Where am I? Where are my clothes? Who stitched me up?” As you continued your questioning, panic in your voice increased.

“Shh,” Rafael rushed, sitting by your side. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”

He looked at you earnestly. Your eyes searched his, your gut telling you he was speaking the truth.

“You were attacked by two men. They tried to rape you. But it stopped.”

You looked at his face more intently. A black eye was forming, there was a cut on his lip. And when you looked at his hands, the knuckles were scraped and bruised.

“I heard a gun,” you replied softly. “That was you, wasn’t it?”

Rafael’s face turned stony. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

You worried your lip, chewing it. You tried to sit up and you winced. Rafael helped you sit up more, covering you up with your blanket that came off a bit. You looked at your bare legs and frowned.

“Did you change my clothes?”

Rafael shook his head. “I have a nurse and doctor on call and they had to in order to treat you.”

“Why didn’t you just take me to the hospital?”

“The hospital didn’t need to know. I have more than capable staff. Besides, they were hear within 10 minutes whereas in the hospital, it would have taken longer and there would have been too many questions.”

“Why do I have the feeling you’re more than just a lawyer?”

Rafael chuckled quietly, his voice dropping a bit. “Something like that.”

“Where’s my stuff? I need my phone.”

“Right there on the chair. Your phone is on the side table, charging. Are you hungry?”

You nodded. “Actually, I am. More thirsty than anything.”

“Lucia is my chief of staff, and she’s already working with the chef to whip up some food.”

You blinked. ‘Who is this guy?’

“I need to use the facilities.”

Rafael nodded. “Let me help you up.” You took his hands and allowed him to help you. You felt another spark as you grabbed his hands and wondered again if he felt it too. ‘He had to, right? Why else am I here? The man murdered two men for me.’

Rafael directed you to the bathroom. Once inside you gave yourself a onceover. Your face was scraped up and bruised. You gingerly touched the stitches along your temple. You looked down at your bruised ribs and knees which were covered in road rash. You felt your eyes well up and you willed yourself to not cry at this moment, but the tears came anyway.

Once finished, you wandered down the hall, following the sound of voices. You rapped gently on the open French doors, and poked your head in. Rafael was drinking a lowball of something and an older woman was also drinking something. Delicious smells permeated the air and your stomach rumbled loudly.

Rafael looked at you. “Everything okay?”

“I was just um- hoping for some pants?”

The older woman clapped her hands together. “Don’t you worry. I’ll have something for you shortly. Meanwhile, sit. Food is almost done.”

You took a seat at the table and looked around. This masculine Madrid kitchen featured custom black lacquered cabinetry throughout, antique Windsor chairs surrounded a table set with china and fine linen napkins.

“I am sure you have questions,” Rafael replied.

You nodded. “I do, but I just want to say thank you right now. For saving me. For ki— handling those other men.”

–

By the time you changed and ate, it was near dawn. “Look, I am super grateful for everything, but I think I need to get back home. My cat needs to be fed and…”

Rafael shook his head. “You are in no condition to be out and about. You need to rest. How about I send someone to get some stuff for you and take care of your… pussy.” He smirked.

You gasped slightly at the double entendre. “No, no, I have imposed enough. You saved my life, committed murder on my behalf…”

“I… expedited their passing.”

“Who are you? I mean really, who are you!” You asked, panicking once more.

Rafael squared his shoulders. “I’m the Assistant District Attorney for Manhattan.”

Your eyes narrowed. “I have a feeling you’re more than that. You killed two people! The government frowns on that. And it's against the law.”

Rafael let out a deep breath. “I’m underboss to a specialized organization within the DA’s office.”

“So you’re a mobster?”

Rafael laughed darkly. “Something like that.”

“Are you keeping me here to later kill me? So I don’t go screaming to the cops?”

Rafael laughed again. “The cops aren’t going to do shit. The DA’s office runs Manhattan.” Rafael walked over to you.

“I wouldn’t dream of hurting you cariño.” He traced your face with a finger. His eyes are unfathomably dark with hunger and lust. “So I’ll give you this choice - you can leave and you’ll never hear or see me again, or, stay a few days, rest and be taken care of for a change.”

You felt equal parts afraid and enticed. You wanted to leave, you wanted to stay.

You whimpered, and Rafael growled, crushing his lips against yours. Your head was spinning as he furiously sucked your bottom lip into his mouth before exploring your parted lips with his tongue.

I-I-I’m—I don’t—” Your thoughts were a mess. His hungry hands and mouth felt like they were going to devour you whole. He pulled back after a moment, disappointment clearly etched on his handsome face. You were panting, your eyes wide and lips swollen from Rafael’s kiss. You wanted him to stop touching you, but part of you felt like you might actually die if he stopped.

He sucked on your pulse point, eliciting a high pitched mewl from your throat. He palmed your breast through the soft material of the shirt you wore, rolling your nipple between his fingers.

You felt a sinful gush of wetness between your thighs.

“I’ll tell you what, how about you just stay the night? You are in no condition to be out and about. The doctor said you were concussed. Get some rest, think on it and you can decide tomorrow.”

“How do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain?” you asked, your arms crossed.

“Because,” Rafael began, his voice dangerous and low, “as much as the universe wants us together, if you want to leave, I’ll keep my promise. I always keep my promise.” He grabbed your smaller hands in his.

You had yet to respond. Yes, you had a crush on the older man. But did you want this?

“Tell me you don’t want me.” He demanded, forcing you to whimper. “Tell me how bad I am. Tell me how you didn’t want this to happen. Didn’t want a bad man like me to take you and make you mine.”

Tags: @mgarner1227 @beccabarba @madpanda75 @itsjustmyfantasyroom @alwaysachorusgirl @melk917 @plaidbooks @witches-unruly-heart @storiesofsvu @cycat4077 @detectivebarba @detective-giggles @writefasttalkevenfaster @youreverycolor @mrsrafaelbarba @tintinxtintin @dreamlover31 @zoeykaytesmom @adarafaelbarba @qvid-pro-qvo @sass-and-suspenders @greeneyedblondie44 @bananas-pajamas @i-justreally-like-cats-okay @bisexual-dreamer02 @berniesilvas @rachelxwarren @neely1177 @ottosuricato @whoamelinda @its-just-me-chey @emandems10 @amelia-song-pond @garturbo @jazzyjoi @whatisthislife28 @mommakat32 @a-brignac @blueberryt @pieceofshittytitty @chasingeverybreakingwave

[terrasu]

What I made when I had/was asked to use/had leftover components bought for another meal that was to use up something...

I'm sad that Tom Thumb no longer does Monopoly, but I'm also not sad. However, "Buy Nothing" means a lot of too-expired-to-donate food ends up in my house...

Made July 24th, 2024

Spinach

Spinach, feta, corn muffins

Greek Mac and cheese (add lemon, dill, and other Greek flavors)

(&filo) Saag Paneer Spanakopita

Strawberry pecan salad

Apples

Apple and honey challah (saute apples to soften)

Honeycrisp Salad

Apple Cheese Soup (not great leftover)

Apple Crumble

(& peach) Apple-peach crisp

Apple Pie

Sourdough Starter to use

Slow-rise challah (caution: has taken me 11 and 20+ hours the two times I've made it.)

Sourdough Pretzel buns

Strawberries

Strawberry scones

Almond milk/almond flour

(& bananas) Almond Banana bread

Pumpkin puree

Pumpkin mac and cheese

Pumpkin curry

More basil pesto than we had ice cube trays

Pesto lasagna (heavy, greasy, and rich. Find way to 'thin' with additions)

Lentils

Mujadara

Rotisserie chicken

(& plenty of frozen basil pesto) Pesto chicken salad

Skillet Chicken Chilaquiles

Avgolemono Soup

Pepperoni

Pizza Pasta

Pizza Quinoa

Bell Peppers

Peperonata (add acid to balance the sweetness from the tomatoes and watch all tomato amounts, can be overwhelming)

Burrata Stuffed Peppers

Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Fajitas (our house is a chicken-apple or kielbasa house, which work fine)

Okra

Bhindi Masala (idk what to do about the mango powder.)

Potatoes

Vegan Tikka Masala

Potato and chicken with Dijon cream sauce (cook onions + green beans before making sauce)

Skillet Potatoes

Garlic Chickpea soup

Hungarian Goulash (life-changing)

Cauliflower

(& potato) Aloo Gobi

Cajun Seasoning

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Green/Red Cabbage

Caramelized green cabbage pasta

Roasted green cabbage

Red cabbage soup

Bulgar Wheat

Bulgar Pilaf

Pineapple (fresh or canned)

Pineapple Ginger Chicken Stir Fry

Pistachio

Pistachio Pasta

Broccoli

Broccoli Pasta (strange.)

(& frozen edamame) Asian Broccoli Salad w/ peanut sauce

Parsley

Parsley, red onion, chickpea sumac salad (cut onion paper-thin/mandoline and massage spices in well)

Salad dressing

Beets

Beet Salad (involved, looks like murder. Dangerous to eat)

Sweet Potato

Black bean burger

Chili Lime Chicken and Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato and Chili Casserole

Sweet potato and quinoa bake

Brussels Sprouts

Warm Brussels sprouts and Bacon Salad (don't at me)

Crisp gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts

Small tomatoes (grape, cherry, etc)

Pesto Chicken with roasted tomato

Bok Choy

Sesame Ginger Bok Choy

Cilantro

(& lime) Cilantro Lime Black beans and rice

(& lime, Salmon) Baked Cilantro Lime Salmon

Asparagus

Simple Sesame Asparagus

Misc. fruit excesses

Dump cake (have made with apple pie filling, so as long as proportions stay solid, I think it's good)

Cherry Chocolate chip bread

Blueberry pie filling

Clementine orange upside-down cake

Cranberry curd tart

Mango Lassi

Grape Sorbet

Jalapeno candy (this post is nearly crashing my computer, tilde another day)

Yogurt

Yogurt Cake

[waterlilylullabies]

𝓑𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮

Welcome to The Dreaming

Warnings: Mentions of violence against women

Years ago, Belle lived through a night which she thought would never end. She was sleeping beneath a bridge in Rome and she knew what she was doing was stupid and dangerous but she had nowhere else to go. She wouldn’t allow herself real sleep, starting awake every twenty minutes or so to see that she was still alone. Every time her eyes would snap open, her heart would sink to see that she was still there, in that dark, cold, damp place hours away from dawn.

Belle remembers that night now as she pinches her arm, slaps her face, whispers “Wake up, wake up, wake up” all to no avail.

The stranger is watching her. His face is impassive. At his feet, is a raven.

They are in a vast, stone chamber. Stained glass windows throw chinks of coloured light across the floor.

Belle tries to keep her breathing steady. Maybe she’s been spiked.

The raven clears his throat awkwardly. Oh yes, she has most certainly been spiked.

But the stranger steps towards her, makes her a neat bow. “I am Lord Morpheus, Dream of the Endless. Welcome to The Dreaming, Lady Lorelei, I apologise for arriving so late.” He looks at her expectantly. Does he want her to curtsy?

“My name’s not Lorelei.” Is all Belle can manage before the world pitches and reels and fades to black.

~

“I tried to tell him!” Matthew protests, “I said he should explain things first…” Matthew is perched atop a stack on books on Lucienne’s desk.

The siren, whatever her name is, has been put in a small room off the throne room and Matthew, having witness the entire kidnap-cum-rescue and it’s attendant fallout has made his way to the library to give a full report, only slightly embellished.

“I doubt it would have made much difference Matthew,” Lucienne counters “It is very rare that a creature enters the dreaming in their physical form, the experience can be overwhelming. The poor thing is clearly terrified.”

-

At that precise moment, the poor thing in question having woken in a windowless room is plotting her escape. She tries the heavy stone door and finding it unlocked, pushes it open and peers out.

Here was the same room from before, empty now. At one end there was a flight of steps leading to a throne, at the other, miles away it seemed, was a vast stone door.

Belle breaks into a sprint.

“You seem recovered” came a velvety drawl, from behind, no in front of her. The voice was everywhere and it distracts her for long enough that she has no time to step around her captor, who chose to materialise from thin air at that moment so that Belle charges headlong into him.

Flat on her ass, which smarts where it had struck the cold stone floor, she glares up at him. He held out a hand. She resisted the urge to spit at him, to knock it away. She lets him pull her to her feet. “You have questions, no doubt.” He said softly.

“Bring me back to the bar. Please. I won’t go to the police, I promise.” The man frowns “You would not thank me for that, I can assure you.”

She can feel the tears pricking her eyes, she can feel the panic rising in her throat, she takes a step back from him, then another and another.

“What are you going to do to me?” She keeps pepper spray in her purse, but her purse is in the bathroom of The Venus Lounge.

The man looks affronted “You need not fear me.”

Belle laughs mirthlessly

His eyes are the blue of ancient ice. “Were you truly told nothing? Did your mother not explain?”

“I don’t remember my mother” Belle lies.

But she does remember. She remembers too late the warnings about songs and their power.

She remembers other warnings too, stories of what men would do if they could. Stories about one man, who was not a man at all, a King, an oath breaker.

Authors Note: Feedback welcome, thank you for reading! I’m actually writing this now ig!

[keitheaverage]

To be clear, I like onion-flavored things, and even enjoy onion rings, green onions, scallions, and leeks. I like a lot of other crunchy veggies in things (though on a similar note, bell peppers are on thin ice)! When I cook, I will still chop and add onions when the recipe calls for it bc I understand how it can elevate the flavors of whatever else you're cooking (esp meat, you can really taste the difference). So if nothing else I'm in a begrudging situationship with onions.

But I absolutely cannot stand the specific taste/texture combo of a white or yellow onion chopped up and served in food, esp if the rest of the food is softer than the onion. When I bite into an onion piece it becomes the only thing I can taste and I can't stand it!!

Over the years I've been revisiting foods I hated as a kid and avoided for that reason. I used to actively refuse to eat anything with pickles or mustard on them, but now I love them! Unfortunately my opinion on onions have only just slightly been boosted, if only out of necessity.

[aphiamori-xo]

Today

(app: see how you eat)

2 eggs cooked in plant based butter w/ mushrooms, jalapeno, red bell pepper, spinach, and nutritional yeast- this was supposed to be an omelette but it fell apart, still delicious tho + 1/2 of a grapefruit sprinkled with stevia- perfectly ripe and tasty <3

1/2 of a smores flavored quest bar- these things are dense but very filling, the flavor is great and the nutritional value is excellent, I'm a fan

banana smoothie & tofu and spinach (not pictured- an additional 153 c4ls)

iced coffee w/ soy milk and stevia- this was my second cup of coffee tbh, i'm so glad I made iced coffee at home instead of going out and paying $5, I make it so much better anyways ;)

chopped romaine lettuce w/green olives, parm cheese, 1/2 of a fiber one thin roll toasted and cut up for "croutons", dressed w/ lemon juice and simply marzetti caesar dressing + mini diet dr. pepper (MY FAVORITE!!!!!)

skinned green apple, chopped w/ cinnamon

not pictured- some tomatoes and a peach from the garden, and a green tea mochi + 125 c4ls

Total: 961 - 384 burned by running 3.4 miles in the woods = net 577 c4ls

[myrinthinks]

7 and 20 for the ask! (Grocery theme!!)

(In reference to this ask meme.)

7. Any groceries you’ve been getting into lately?

Aaaah, I don't think so, honestly. I mean, I've started to buy ice cream in tubs from time to time which isn't something I used to do but it's both irregular and not exceptional enough to warrant calling "getting into", I'm afraid.

20. What’s in your freezer right now? Oh, I can answer that easily and exactly because I actually have a list because I keep forgetting things are in there somewhere in the back and then I buy them again (and again. And again.). Be warned that this is a very German list and I'm not sure how well I'll be able to translate it, both literally and figuratively (in what it conveys). Let's see:

The mentioned tub of ice cream. It's walnut even though I usually get vanilla and am not actually a big walnut fan. Don't ask me why I got it, then. Half eaten.

Red cabbage, leftover from the last time I made pork roast.

A few bread dumplings, also leftovers from the last time I made pork roast.

A red bell pepper, cut into strips.

10 gyoza wrappers. I make like two too many with every batch and now I'm almost at the point where they'll make a whole batch by themselves!

A salmon fillet.

Half a loaf of kashkaval cheese, cut.

Lemon juice, tomato paste, and garlic paste made in an ice cube tray.

Two small containers of chopped dill, one of chopped thyme.

A bag of chopped parsley.

Four raw gyoza.

A small container of leftover... stew? I don't really know what you'd call this in English. It was originally (like, fifteen years ago) this recipe but I've changed it to my family's taste and it's been a staple ever since. I only make it rarely for myself but since it's very filling, even small amounts can make a satisfying lunch!

Brown mushrooms, chopped.

Grated parmesan.

A chicken breast.

A bunch of... sausage? This was the part I was thinking of mostly when I wrote the introductory paragraph. There is weirdly no real way to translate this into English because I don't think you guys really have this? At least not in the way you can get it at the butcher's? My dictionary is giving me "lunch meat", "cold meat", and "cold cuts"?? Is that what it's called? It's like this. I get a few different types at once so that I can freeze and then thaw them as I need them.

Two ends of Leberkas, which my dictionary helpfully calls "type of meat loaf found in Austria and parts of Germany and Switzerland". Contrary to my sister, I don't actually like the end parts ("Scherzerl") but I still get them whenever the butcher has them because I like putting them, diced, into pasta salads. And sometimes they're big enough to cut them into two pieces, one of which doesn't have the actual end part, and then I bake that and put it on a bread roll.

A piece of butter I rescued from going bad when I last knew I would be gone for two weeks. It's been living here for quite some time now because somehow there's never the right opportunity to take it out.

Three horsemeat sausages.

Two Bratwürste (and I HATE that you guys don't have a translation for that), a special blend the local butcher makes only in the summer which is SO GOOD. It's a bit spicy and I basically can't tolerate spice at all so I was really surprised by how much I like them when I first tried them. They're thin and an orange-y red and shed a lot of oil when you fry them but they're divine.

A bag of scallions. Just like with the celery stick video I reblogged recently, I should be allowed to buy one or two scallions, not a whole bunch of them! My freezer is never free of scallions because of this.

Four bread rolls. The bakery is just around the corner from my flat but I still don't feel like going every other day so I get a bunch of bread and rolls once a week or so and then freeze them for later use.

Two bags of pancake strips. I made way too many pancakes on Saturday and since in broth is the best way to eat them anyway I cut the leftover ones up and froze them in batches so that I get to enjoy my favourite type of soup whenever I want.

[kobold-sanctuary-buss-island]

BLUE MOON BALL DAY FIVE/SIX: "Fine dining"

While i was in the bathroom, i disgorged about twenty five large chunks of cobaltite, which completely demolished the (thankfully clean) bowl and tank of the toilet, and left a rivulet of greywater flowing out under the door to soak into the floorboards. I left the poisonous and dodecahedral rocks to their own business, alongside the toilet's ballcock, laying pathetically on the floor, and headed to the dining room.

I was starving after a long night with no snacks to speak of (apart from a couple of oranges and a mouthful of brass), so i sat down on a wooden chair near the end of one of the tables. Though, as soon as i sat down, my tail erupted in pain from touching the back of the chair, so i was forced to sit on the chair side-saddle, hiding my tail under the tablecloth so nobody touches it. My entire torso hurt from the fight with the automatons.

A silver call-bell was waiting for me. I rang it, and a small charcuterie board floated over to my position on the table. I consumed its minature yet vast arrangement of hard cheeses, hams, sausages, pastrami, forcemeats, mushrooms, prawns, savory pies, bread, crackers, grapes, olives, lettuce, peppers, radishes, carrots, cucumber, and celery, though i shunned the miniature pickles. Small dishes of vinaigrette, caviar, blue cheese, and honey were provided alongside the starter.

The next course of the meal was a most abhorrent combination. Which was, according to the little plaque that came with it, the meat of a lobster and a whole Kobe steak together with Pule, Stilton, Parmigiano Reggiano, Västerbotten, and Halloumi cheeses, tuna, black truffles, seaweed, jalapeño, ghost pepper, guineafowl, pheasant, alligator, quail eggs, beef tomatoes, spaghetti, onions, lettuce, banana, saffron, foie gras, vanilla, rice, fugu pufferfish, and a most unpleasant concoction of sauces i can't all remember, all stuffed between the buns of a burger, sous vide, baked into a pastry shell, deep fried, and finally bathed in a different seething mixture of liquids.

The other people near me at the table glanced with concern as i choked down the Ozymandian ex-Soviet apartment complex of the "Four Elements sandwich", one thin and inesculent slice at a time. Serbian cheese and Japanese fish waged total war upon French duck and Vietnamese shrimp paste. None of the flavours mixed well, the fillings spilled in every direction once i broke through the bomb-proof exterior with my woefully non-vorpal knife, and if i couldn't get the "horrible safari-themed barbecue inside the Deepwater Horizon" taste out of my mouth, i feared that i might have developed a fatal case of Reggae Reggae Sores. My bleeding nose was not helping the situation, and it peppered the aftertaste with a generous hint of sweaty pennies.

My face was covered in various sauces after eating that crude obelisk dedicated to the pharoh of conspicuous consumption, so i made haste and re-entered the bathroom to wash it all off. The dessert was a pleasant variety of chocolates with strawberry ice cream.

After the meal, we all walked outside into the gardens, and down the main path towards a small french-style pavilion building. Behind the building was a wonderful view, as the treeline was short, and the Blue Moon was finally visible. I took a picture on my camera, of course. We were then seated on wooden benches facing the river, and the fireworks were set off. The display went on for ten minutes, but i was in too much pain to really care about it.

Those were my fifth and sixth logs of the Blue Moon Ball. Everything hurts. I'm tired. I want to go home.

[japanesepenguin]

+ Garden update~

+ This is a plum tree; after several flowers at the end of winter, he's finally decided to start growing some leaves; I let the clover grow in the pot because I have very little mulch and even less dried leaves to use as cover

+ Rosemary finally has some sun, looking good

+ Snapdragons finally dying off, but the pots contain chive seedlings and lots of cilantro (needs thinning)

+ Basil; this was store-bought at a sale price, but doing okay

+ Seed trays!

+ Shiso/ooba (Japanese perilla), big tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, blackberries (an experiment, nothing has sprouted), shishito (peppers), chervil, parsley, more cilantro, dill, broccoli, kale, lettuce, gooseberry (all sprouted!!), a few ice plants that I'm hoping will take off with warmer weather, snow peas...

+ The plants at the top of the image are all wildflowers from a packet of seeds from my mom

+ Bird netting around the blueberry bushes; the king and queen (Samson and Suksuk) are now accompanied by Starya and Sootakson; the netting is not well-done, it was a mid-workday emergency job since the birds started going for the flower blossoms...

+ Suksuk already blossomed and, I believe, got pollinated by something; at least, it's looking like it's supposed to... the petals turned purple and fell off, and the bottom bit looks like it should

+ Flowers outside Akina's window: lantana and saxifrage plus lavender; the plant is okra, I figured it would grow better with Akina watching over it; the lavender lacks flowers in the photo because I've harvested the first batch and am currently drying them (for making London Fog)

+ This is iyokan, a Japanese citrus; like any citrus, its flowers smell amazing...

+ A Japanese bell pepper, eggplant, and three corn... like, regular corn; The eggplant is not doing well, not sure what's wrong

+ Oh! The persimmon "tree" is still alive! He's been making leaves, which is incredible, because when I transplanted it, it had no healthy roots and was just a dead stick; trees are great

+ The side plot... radishes (about ready to harvest), beets, a small amount of spinach, carrots, and edamame (soy beans); the scraps on the right are there drying out to be used in compost

+ Snow peas from a seed pack from my mom

+ Edamame (soy beans) from our landlord... He asked how many I wanted, I told him 12, he told me to take 20, I told him I don't have room for 20, he told me to take 15, I took 15... But three of them have died so now I have 12

+ They are growing surprisingly fast...

+ I have started a more proper composting area

+ Finally, the strawberries! We have gotten six tiny little berries so far from a set of four plants; the berries were small but very sweet

+ But the bigger berries on the bigger plants are starting to come in and most of the other plants have lots of flowers...

+ This concludes your garden update

[razorsadness]

I order a cocktail with a cut of red bell pepper. Wrestle its ridged length back using my tongue. The bartender smiles and I smile. He looks younger than me. When I was twenty-four, I loved selling drinks. One with woodsmoke. One where you stab the straw through a thin slice of apple to get at an inch of sugar and whiskey. Before my fiancé left he said, Taneum, while I tried to sleep. At a camp with ten other men, he learned he could never forgive himself for his past while living with me. The bartender hands over a drink he calls The Lady Killer for free. Says I am a relief to talk to. That most women are bisexual and want to be empowered so resist his attempts to treat them like queens. I pull the sprig of rosemary out of the collins glass and the ice sinks. I ask him if he wants to kill me. Killing me is the joke of this drink.

—Taneum Bambrick, “Drinking for free” (POETRY Magazine, November 2022)

[enchantechante]

i used to make poems about right now. and this moment has a specific flavor. so if i were to make a poem about right now it would read:

tonight after it rained the city hushed so quiet i could hear smaller and smaller sounds. my neighbor stamping each footstep into my ceiling. my heater. the crackle of the shower cap at my ears.

there's such a peace and a warmth in this home.

minced carrots and peppers sit in seasoned truffle oil and give each breath a verdant sweetness.

tonight we chicken fried rice

(but peppers bc bae doesn't like peas 🙄 but that's okay).

we're marinating, just like our chicken.

hair mask patted into each curl & sealed up with plastic. a favorite bell bottom sweat suit. a firm comb caressing the scalp and finally gliding through the traffic of my kinks.

and when i've taken a few deep breaths - realize that my life has so many good small things. and im so glad i put them there for myself. the love that it takes to finally prep and mince vegetables by hand. to accept what is and what isn't.

and adding tax to all the good shit.

even when me and bae dont see eye to eye, he always knows how to break through the ice of my self isolation. he traced his finger at the table and watched me start dinner.

his was incredible last night while i took out my braids. having his back domestically is a joy of mine, even when im mad at him - i want him to eat well and something someone cared about when they made it.

and even when he's mad at me he asks me if i want anything from the store, and tells me where he's going even though he doesn't have to and always asks for kisses - every coming and going.

ive been spread pretty thin lately. but i needed today to rest in a different way. to eat a homecooked meal with food with nutritional value and a whole story of fresh flavors. to feel myself pick through every tangle, and spare no expense taking care of all this hair it took so long to grow after shaving it all off.

a breath of fresh air that i love on myself so faithfully. and courageously. and vocally.

[jtownraindancer]

Some pro-tips from someone in northeastern usa with food sensory issues AND cooks for both a small army of picky eaters & folks with different health risks:

Frozen onions are pre-diced and very, very easy to add into things. Unless someone has an allergy, I toss a handful of frozen onions (and garlic) into most of the dishes I cook. In thicker sauces & soups especially, they're very easy to sneak in.

Most squashes can be pureed and mixed into sauce! I like to use butternut squash especially (very popular donation to the food pantry so we always end up with a bunch) to mix into my stovetop mac'n'cheese sauce! Also another dish that you can freeze, though I will say that cubed squash (pumpkin especially~) is also really, really good when roasted with bacon, or when mixed into seasonal risotto.

Cauliflower! Cauliflower is a miracle veggie to me! You can dice it, rice it, mash it, use it as an alternative to pizza dough, and from personal experience it is absolutely delicious when breaded and deep fried.

Cucumbers! They go great with mint, watermelon, and are easy to sneak into sandwiches!

Kale & spinach are some greens that always are fairly popular with the crowd. For kale I like to either fry it up with some bacon, chicken, and pecans or dice it really fine to mix into soups. Spinach is very similar to that, but both are also good for salads. Kale has kind of a bitter- very mild!- taste to it and a bit more crunch; spinach is a little more bland & a bit softer (slightly longer to chew). Kale is also a good base for pesto. (I had so much kale from my garden last year; I had to get creative.)

Tomatoes are a hit-and-miss for me, so I've been getting more creative with them. I usually take canned tomatoes (homemade or store bought are both really good) and mix them into Hamburger Helpers (I'm poor and they're yummy), puree them for my own quick pasta sauce or salsa. I also love the smell of stewed tomatoes with mac'n'cheese but hated the texture; I found a recipe online that incorporates bell pepper slices and a slow simmer. I make them every time together.

Corn is very versatile. I personally love to make homemade cornbread (no idea how old our family recipe is), grill it, boil it, broil it, mix it into soups... I know there are more ideas out there, but I haven't tried them all yet.

Celery is one of those veggies I still can't quite get into, but it's always been good for soup: chunks into chicken pot pie, beef vegetable, pureed into a chilled celery soup on hot summer days, or even as a key ingredient in a veggie stock for meals later on.

Frozen berries! I know this thread is about veggies, but fruits & veggies kind of go hand-in-hand with this for me. Frozen berries can easily be added to ice cream, smoothies, cookies, or made into sauces & dressings for your rice, salads, & roasted meats. A few weeks back I used one bag of frozen blueberries to make a sauce that I put on chicken thighs, rice, and the rest went into a salad dressing. Plus they can be added to muffins, cereals, oatmeal, grits if you're willing to give it a go (maple syrup adds a little something-something too~)

Apples! I love apples; I can never stop thinking about how good apples are. They are very crunchy as they are and are very yummy raw, or drizzled with caramel, honey, baked into pies, grilled with brown sugar & cinnamon... Some of my personal favorites though are recipes where I slice them thin and incorporate them into my salads & sandwiches. Apple slices with cheddar cheese, apple butter, and cucumber slices on a cracker is divine for a midday snack, or apple slices with turkey, brie, and a little bit of honey toasted together (good place for some romaine lettuce too). My younger brother loves to grill up some slices of sausage with kale, apple, chive & onion cream cheese on toasted pieces of baguette.

Canned pears, peaches, and pineapple are always another option you can fall back on. I'm sure it's nowhere as good as the original, but I like to make sticky rice with pears as a dessert sometimes, and I've found the full sized canned pears are also good for making into a compote. Pineapple slices always add a little bit to a roast ham, and I love to heat up my peach slices in the microwave with a little cinnamon. They make easy snacks, too.

If you're like me and you have a phobia of produce going bad before you can finish it, I'd do a little digging into what you know you like to see if you could preserve it in some way.

Canned foods are usually fairly cheap (rinse several times before cooking to remove excess sodium!) and will stay good for several years.

Frozen fruits and veggies are often cut up in advance, which I can say from experience can save a LOT of time, and you don't need to use an entire bag in one go. I usually just do a handful or so at a time. Many also come with seasoning and can be cooked in the microwave!

If you, like me, rely on a food pantry, or even if you have to shop bulk, and tend to end up with a lot of fresh produce you don't think you can eat, it's worth the effort to set a day aside (if you can!) to figure out ways you can preserve it. I often spend my Saturday afternoons canning, dehydrating, and/or freezing what I know we can't use in the next week. I usually don't have a lot of spoons when I get home from work during the week, so any time I can save for myself cooking later is much better. (You can also freeze fresh herbs, cheeses, and meat!)

Getting into the habit of eating healthier can be a challenge, but it's worth trying to experiment and finding what sticks. In my case, it was eating mac'n'cheese baked inside a pumpkin & having my entire world view shift on me. Maybe it'll be something as simple as eating an apple slice drizzled with honey, or trying a different cheese on some leafy greens. You just have to find what works for you, and be patient with it.

i mean this in the gentlest way possible: you need to eat vegetables. you need to become comfortable with doing so. i do not care if you are a picky eater because of autism (hi, i used to be this person!), you need to find at least some vegetables you can eat. find a different way to prepare them. chances are you would like a vegetable you hate if you prepared it in a stew or roasted it with seasoning or included it as an ingredient in a recipe. just. please start eating better. potatoes and corn are not sufficient vegetables for a healthy diet.

[troublesomecousin]

bold any which apply to your muse & feel free to add to the list! **remember to repost, don’t reblog.

Tagged by No one, this was just sitting in my drafts lol Tagging Whoever wants to do it

[ colors ] brown. orange. yellow. green. sky blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. blue. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green.

[ elements ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. dewdrops.

[ body ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. canine. scars. scratches. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. thin. short. tall. muscular. toned. lean. piercing. tattoos. scales.

[ weapons ] fists. sword. spear. arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. whips. knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. staffs. wands. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. legs. sniper rifle. machete. words.

[ materials ] gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. satin. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. dirt. mud. ash. rubber. synthetics.

[ nature ] grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. lavender. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. ocean. river. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rainforest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. clouds. mountains.

[ animals ] lions. wolves. tigers. otters. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. foxes. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. unicorns. pegasi. dragons. rats. jaguars. bats. rays. peacocks. hummingbirds. hyenas.

[ foods/drinks ] sugar. salt. sour. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. ambrosia. bread. grapefruit. vanilla. mint.

[ hobbies ] music. art. watercolours. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. writing. composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. reading. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theatre. libraries. magazines. cds. records. cassettes. piano. violin. guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. bells. playing cards. poker. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. driving. eating. traveling. climbing. running.

[ style ] lingerie. armor. cape. dress. tunic. vest. shirt. boots. heels. sandals. flats. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. rings. pendant. hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sunglasses. visor. makeup. red lipstick. tactical gear. suspenders.

[ misc ] balloons. bubbles. cityscape. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. leadership. mirrors. pets. kisses. diary. fairy. madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. subordinates. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. manipulation. hugs. smiles.

[gcrdy]

bold any which apply to your muse & feel free to add to the list! **remember to repost, don’t reblog.

Tagged by I took it Tagging Whoever wants to do it

[ colors ] brown. orange. yellow. green. sky blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. blue. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green.

[ elements ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. dewdrops.

[ body ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. canine. scars. scratches. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. thin. short. tall. muscular. toned. lean. piercing. tattoos. scales.

[ weapons ] fists. sword. spear. arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. whips. knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. staffs. wands. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. legs. sniper rifle. machete. words.

[ materials ] gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. satin. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. dirt. mud. ash. rubber. synthetics.

[ nature ] grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. lavender. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. ocean. river. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rainforest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. clouds. mountains.

[ animals ] lions. wolves. tigers. otters. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. foxes. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. unicorns. pegasi. dragons. rats. jaguars. bats. rays. peacocks. hummingbirds. hyenas. coyotes.

[ foods/drinks ] sugar. salt. sour. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. ambrosia. bread. grapefruit. vanilla. mint.

[ hobbies ] music. art. watercolours. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. writing. composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. reading. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theatre. libraries. magazines. cds. records. cassettes. piano. violin. guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. bells. playing cards. poker. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. driving. eating. traveling. climbing. running.

[ style ] lingerie. armor. cape. dress. tunic. vest. shirt. boots. heels. sandals. flats. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. rings. pendant. hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sunglasses. visor. makeup. red lipstick. tactical gear.

[ misc ] balloons. bubbles. cityscape. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. leadership. mirrors. pets. kisses. diary. fairy. madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. subordinates. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. manipulation. hugs. smiles.

[scrivellc]

bold any which apply to your muse & feel free to add to the list! **remember to repost, don’t reblog.

Tagged by No one, this was just sitting in my drafts lol Tagging Whoever wants to do it

[ colors ]  brown. orange. yellow. green. sky blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. blue. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green.

[ elements ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. dewdrops.

[ body ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. canine. scars. scratches. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. thin. short. tall. muscular. toned. lean. piercing. tattoos. scales.

[ weapons ] fists. sword. spear. arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. whips. knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. staffs. wands. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. legs. sniper rifle. machete. words.

[ materials ] gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. satin. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. dirt. mud. ash. rubber. synthetics.

[ nature ]  grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. lavender. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. ocean. river. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rainforest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. clouds. mountains.

[ animals ]  lions. wolves. tigers. otters. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. foxes. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. unicorns. pegasi. dragons. rats. jaguars. bats. rays. peacocks. hummingbirds. hyenas.

[ foods/drinks ] sugar. salt. sour. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. ambrosia. bread. grapefruit. vanilla. mint.

[ hobbies ]  music. art. watercolours. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. writing. composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. reading. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theatre. libraries. magazines. cds. records. cassettes. piano. violin. guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. bells. playing cards. poker. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. driving. eating. traveling. climbing. running.

[ style ]  lingerie. armor. cape. dress. tunic. vest. shirt. boots. heels. sandals. flats. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. rings. pendant. hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sunglasses. visor. makeup. red lipstick. tactical gear.

[ misc ]  balloons. bubbles. cityscape. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. leadership. mirrors. pets. kisses. diary. fairy. madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. subordinates. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. manipulation. hugs. smiles.