#cheese nuts and dried fruit. Is there anything better than this

[gobbluthbutagirl]

why is the gold standard for “best thing since” sliced bread. When it should be sargento balanced breaks snack packs

[bellaxgiornata]

Falling For the Devil [Part forty-one: "The First Half of the Trip"]

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader

Summary: You and Matt begin the first half of your Christmas road trip towards Chicago.

Or

Both of you try to stay entertained in a car for six hours.

[Series of one-shots about Reader meeting, falling for, and dating Matt Murdock.]

Warnings: 18+ for this series; contains humor, fluff, romance, angst, smut (like...a lot of it later in the series), language, some violence

Word Count: 2.5k

a/n: A fun, fluffy piece that covers the first half of Matt and Reader's Christmas roadtrip! The next piece is a smupdate featuring some angry hotel sex. You can find all the installments for this series on tumblr here, and if you're enjoying it, let me know!

Two and A Half Hours Into the Drive

Looking over your shoulder and changing lanes, you laughed lightly at Matt beside you. “That is literally the weirdest road trip snack I’ve ever seen by far,” you teased him.

“What?” Matt asked, his mouth full of banana as he shrugged. “You have a problem with fruit?”

“No,” you countered, shaking your head. “But I’ve never known anyone to pack apples and bananas to eat on a road trip. It’s like the perfect time to binge on junk food–we’re stuck in a car after all.”

“Well fruit is better than the processed cheese crackers you like so much,” he teased back. 

Glancing over your shoulder at him, you saw him raise the banana to his mouth and take another massive bite of it. You couldn’t fight the grin that spread on your face when he smiled back at you. His cheeks were stuffed with banana and he looked like an adorable chipmunk as he smiled. Your attention returned to the road, your music lightly playing over the stereo.

“First off, Cheez Its are amazing," you told him. "They're the best road trip snack. But you make a fair point,” you conceded. “I know you’re not a fan of processed foods, but that’s why I made that trail mix. Unsalted nuts and plain dried fruit with no added sugar. I even threw in some fancy dark chocolate. There's nothing overly processed in it.”

Matt’s hand reached across the center console between the two of you, his warm palm landing on your upper thigh. He squeezed your leg lightly and your heart fluttered in your chest at his touch.

“And I appreciate that more than you know," he replied. "That trail mix is honestly addicting. You’re going to have to make more of that for me when we get back.”

“You enjoy it that much?” you asked him curiously.

“I will do anything you ask if you make a big batch of it for me,” he stated seriously.

“Oh?” you asked, raising a brow.

He chuckled, shaking his head as his hand removed itself from your thigh. “You’re thinking about the black suit again?” he asked. “Aren’t you?”

Flushing, you shrugged a shoulder. “I mean, I am now,” you admitted sheepishly.

“Sweetheart,” Matt began, readjusting himself in his seat, “I will fuck you in the black suit if it gets me more of that trail mix. Granted, I’d do it even without the added incentive.” He shot you a sinful smirk that had you squirming in your own seat. “The way your body gets all worked up over it is definitely something, and I quite enjoy it,” he said, his tone lowering.

Swallowing hard, you shyly admitted, “There was something I wanted to do if you ever wore it again.”

Immediately Matt shifted in his seat, facing as fully towards you as he could with the seatbelt restricting him. Your left elbow was resting on the armrest of the door beside you, your thumbnail quickly slipping between your teeth. You chewed it nervously as Matt’s sightless gaze lingered on you.

“And does that something,” he asked slowly, his eyes scanning you carefully, “have anything to do with whatever is hiding in your suitcase that had you so flustered last night?”

Eyes widening, your teeth gnawed your thumbnail even quicker. You had hoped Matt had forgotten about that, even though you knew he wouldn’t have. Thinking about how Matt might react to the lingerie you had hidden in there, along with the fact that you’d packed the gifts from the Secret Santa game, your heart raced a little in your chest. Out of your peripheral, Matt’s head snapped down towards your chest. 

“Is there a podcast you want to listen to?” you asked quickly, changing the subject. “Or a certain album? We’ve been listening to my music for a bit now.”

Matt settled back into his seat beside you, your pulse slowing down a little with his attention off of you.

“No,” he answered lightly. “I don’t mind this music, it’s relaxing. But don’t worry, sweetheart, I can spot a diversion when I hear one. But I do intend to find out what’s in your suitcase before we get back to Hell’s Kitchen.”

Once again you shifted awkwardly in your seat, cheeks flushing. The sound of your music settled over the pair of you as you fell silent.

Four Hours into the Drive

“How do you manage to burn ready-to-bake cookies?” you asked Matt in shock, laughter bubbling out of you. “They’re basically already made! They give you the instructions right there on the package!”

Matt was laughing hard beside you, shaking his head. “My dad was the worst baker. And I was five , sweetheart,” he laughed out. “He just really wanted me to leave cookies out for Santa. Though really I think he just wanted to eat them himself." Matt chuckled lightly as he added, "But we burnt those to a damn crisp.”

You wiped a hand across your eyes, drying the couple of tears that had fallen during your laughter. The windshield wipers of the rental were on, snow gently falling down as you continued to drive along the interstate. It was near two-thirty in the afternoon now and you were both quite far from New York and getting closer to where you'd be stopping in Ohio for the night.

“He never tried to make them again with me,” Matt finished. “Instead we left out–” he paused, cracking up, “–a bowl of chicken noodle soup for Santa.”

“ What ?” you asked, immediately falling into another fit of hysterics.

Matt fell back into another round of laughter beside you. He was nodding his head as he recalled the memory. “Yes, that was what I picked out from our pantry. I thought Santa might’ve wanted something to warm him up. Figured he hadn’t had dinner yet, either. Just tons of cookies and milk.”

You shot Matt a look over your shoulder. “Aww, that’s so sweet. Little Matty looking out for Santa,” you half-teased, half-cooed.

“Don’t make me bring up your suitcase again,” Matt shot back, a dangerous smile on his face.

“Okay, okay,” you said quickly, dropping the tone. “So how did you usually spend Christmas mornings when it was the two of you?”

He exhaled a long sigh, the smile dulling to something soft on his face when you glanced over at him. His expression had you smiling lightly and wondering what his father would have been like to meet. He sounded like an amazing father with the way Matt spoke about him–always with a sort of gentle reverence–whenever he did talk about his dad with you. 

“Usually I woke up before the sun,” Matt finally said, voice quiet. “I’d wake him up. Jump on the bed, drag him out of the sheets. Beg him to let me open presents before he’d even had a cup of his morning coffee.”

“And did he let you?” you asked.

“Yeah,” he answered softly. “Yeah, he did. Every year.” He paused for a long moment before he added, "And we always had blueberry pancakes on Christmas mornings. They were always his favorite and it eventually became mine, but I…usually never got those at St. Agnes."

A heavy weight felt like it hung in the air at Matt's words. You chanced a look at him beside you and he appeared lost in his thoughts. Chewing the inside of your cheek, your right hand shifted over on the center console, grabbing Matt’s hand that had been resting beside yours. Immediately his fingers curled back around your own. Clearing his throat, he glanced over at you.

“How’d your Christmas mornings often go?” he asked.

You smiled, remembering many different memories as your eyes remained on the road. Beside you, Matt was watching you with a curious smile. 

"I was usually the last of my siblings to wake up," you told him. "Which meant they were always dicks when they woke me." You laughed lightly, recalling a particular memory as Matt chuckled. "One year, Nate and Amber actually dumped me out of my bed. Just the two of them picking up one side of my mattress," you explained, "and then just rolling me right onto the hardwood floor." Your brows furrowed as you added, "I think that was the year I actually had a bloody nose before we opened presents. Because I fell on it." Matt laughed as a grin formed on your face. "My mom was so pissed at them. So of course they did it again next year. But they were smarter–" you said, fighting down a laugh of your own, "–they put some pillows on the floor for me to land on that time. So our mom wouldn’t find out."

Matt was laughing behind his hand, and the sight of him so happy in comparison to how he’d looked on the flight you'd both taken for Thanksgiving was easily worth the soreness in your ass a hundred times over. 

"Okay, so I have to ask since we're on the topic of Christmas," you began, Matt's laughter dying down beside you. "Eggnog–yay or nay with the fancy Devil senses?"

Instantly he made a face, his nose scrunching up as he shook his head. "Absolutely nay. It's disgusting," he told you. 

"But hot chocolate is a yay?" you asked curiously.

"The way you make it, yes," he answered, a charming smile slipping onto his face and lighting up his eyes. "Even more so if I get to taste it on your lips. Though,”  he continued, his tone turning into something sultry that rose the hair along your arms, “I quite enjoy tasting other things..."

You cleared your throat, focusing back on the road and not the handsome man beside you. "I'm trying to drive here, Matt," you murmured. "You should–should probably not try to distract the driver lest I crash the car." 

"Well the driver is quite distracting," he said, his gaze falling away from you. 

You tried to take a deep breath, focusing on the road before you. If you let yourself think too hard about his charming presence and what it did to you, you'd be needing to pull over and have him on the side of the road. And that was an unnecessary detour you both didn’t need. 

"Being trapped in a car with you when I need to focus is going to be difficult, isn't it?" you mumbled.

"Trust me," he said beside you, "I know. Your scent is everywhere. Kind of hard to ignore."

"Sorry…"

Five and A Half Hours Into the Drive 

“Fortunately there are other ways to get to Illinois from New York than by plane,” you said.

Thankfully the flurry of snow had come to an end about a half an hour ago. You were glad the weather wasn't as bad as it definitely could have been for this drive. You didn't feel like driving through a blizzard.

“Unfortunately the only other option is a more than twelve hour drive,” Matt added.

"Well…" you continued, thinking for a moment, "fortunately I have a driver's license." 

"Unfortunately your co-passenger is blind and can't help you drive," Matt countered quickly.

"Fortunately I just grabbed that coffee when I got gas," you answered. 

"Unfortunately that coffee might give you gas," he replied, amused. 

Your head snapped in his direction, jaw hanging open as your eyes widened. He was shaking with laughter as your cheeks burned. 

" Matt !" you shrieked.

"I'm only kidding, sweetheart," he managed out between laughs. "You wanted to play that game."

You waved a firm hand between the pair of you, shaking your head. "Okay, no more fortunately/unfortunately for you, Murdock," you stated. "You have officially ruined that game."

"Alright, alright," he replied, grinning. "I'm sorry. But I was only kidding. Though–” he said, fighting down a laugh, “–everybody has gas, sweetheart."

You ran your hand along your forehead, wishing you weren't driving right now so you could bury your face in your hands. Or bolt. You didn't want to talk about passing gas with Matt–especially since he had heightened senses.

"And this is the part where I change the topic before I push you too far past your comfort zone," Matt pointed out. "So…how much longer until we get to the hotel? I still don't have a functioning watch so I can’t tell."

"About forty more minutes or so," you answered. "Why, did all that talk about gas make you need a bathroom stop?" you teased.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "No, but I uh, I can hear how tired your body is getting. From all the driving. Was wondering when you'd get a break," he answered. 

"Oh," you said softly. "Honestly, I’m fine. I think the way I broke up the drive was pretty decent, considering. But I’m curious, is this more preferable to flying then?" you asked him. "Because you seem to be having a significantly better time, but I can’t tell if you’re somehow just really good at pretending since we’re not in a plane."

“Vastly more preferable,” he answered. “The car isn’t remotely as loud as the plane and neither is the traffic. I’m mainly able to just focus on the both of us, not all the people they had jammed into a plane with all their scents and perfumes and detergent clouding the air." He paused, his attention shifting downwards to his lap. "It’s mainly just your scent and mine, sort of mixed together over the faint scent of the rental car and I…kind of like it, actually." 

Your stomach practically somersaulted inside of you at that information. "So the hotel we are stopping at I already booked ahead of time," you told him, changing the subject before your mind started going down those thoughts again. "I researched it and checked out all the reviews so hopefully you won't have a hard time there. Figured we can grab food nearby first for dinner before checking in. And maybe just relax for a bit before we sleep, unless there's something you want to do?" you asked, glancing over at Matt.

He was smiling back at you, shaking his head. "That sounds great, sweetheart. It'll just be nice for both of us to stop sitting in here," he answered. "If my legs are cramping up then I'm sure yours must be, too."

"Yeah," you agreed easily, "I could do with getting out of here for longer than the few minutes it takes to get gas or take bathroom breaks."

Matt snickered beside you and you shot him a curious look. He was fighting back a laugh, shoulders shaking. 

"What?" you asked him.

"Just resisting the urge to make a joke about gas again," he answered, shoulders shaking.

“Matt,” you whined.

“I said I was resisting the urge to!” he countered, grinning.

You ran a hand over your forehead again. "I am so glad I'm almost done driving for the day just in time for you to revert back to making fart jokes," you muttered. "You really do need to get out of this car."

In the seat beside you, Matt burst into a laugh that filled the car with the warmth of the sound. You rolled your eyes, grinning.

[mealmindset]

Mix and Match your salads

Ever found it hard to eat your vegetables without absolutely hating them? Me too. That is until I discovered salads, and I'm not talking about salads with pieces of lettuce, and a whole lot of sauce to cover that grassy flavor. I summarized the best things to add for you to mix and match. So you don't ever have to worry about your vegetable consumption and can LOVE eating fresh greens. 1) Avocados, Tuna, Soft cheese Not only are they healthy, they also contain fats, protein, and good bacteria. They offer a wet, mushy texture while keeping the natural crunch of the greens, unlike most salad dressings. Make sure your avocados are ripe, drain out the tuna water, and pick the right cheese (burrata, feta, etc), if you dislike the taste of cheese, you can consider adding Greek yogurt, it has the same health properties and a similar texture.

2) dried fruit, fresh fruit, anything tangy Salads are typically thought of as a combination of vegetables. But adding fruits doubles the fibre and offers a nice tangy or sweet flavor that complements salads nicely. I recommend adding cranberries, cut-up apricots, raisins, pomegranates, or tomatos. They offer all kinds of vitamins. When adding dried fruits, most people like to avoid preservatives and sugar, you could make your own! By slicing your favourite fruit into thin pieces and baking them on a lined baking sheet at 250°F (121°C) for two to three hours.

3) Nuts, seeds, chopped vegetables Since we added some mushy ingredients, it is only reasonable to add something crunchy to it. Nuts and seeds offer proteins; Chopped vegetables provide extra fibre. Nuts and seeds like pistachios, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts, and macadamia nuts; vegetables like chopped carrots, onions, cucumbers, celery, mushrooms, corn, and broccoli. My favourite is chopped-up roasted kale chips. Make it by drizzling olive oil and salt, and put in the air frying till crunchy. Then cut the leaves off and sprinkle them onto the salad.

4) Tofu, chicken, boiled eggs, chickpeas, Humus, beans Our bodies need more than healthy greens, for example, protein. It makes you a lot more full and provides energy. Especially for people who work out and are looking to build muscle. For a better texture, shred the chicken or any meat. drain the beans well. I recommend making soft-boiled eggs instead of hard. The dripping soft yolk adds moisture to your salad.

5) Potatoes, pita chips, Croutons, Quinoa, Pasta Carbs are also essential to a healthy diet, to incorporate them into your salads, adding carbs could be considered as a bigger meal since the carbs will become the main ingredients instead of the vegetables. Hence, there are names like pasta salad and potato salad. If you are always hungry after a salad, mixing in carbs may be your solution.

6) Lemon, Salsa, Olives, pickles, kimchi, Herbs To add flavor, instead of salt and vinegar. You could add anything that has a strong and overpowering flavor. Whether it's salty, spicy, bitter, or sour, they make a great addition to the salad and makes it the perfect salad.

Salads are all about the mix and match (hence the title). It is important to know what you like and add ingredients accordingly. Some may like their salads moist, some like more texture, and some like it with more protein. But I can assure you that when you find what you like, you will start craving salads and becoming the healthy person you aspire to be.

[luasworkshop]

(Cribbing this format for my Arcana self-insert from Yeshe @the-iron-orchid​)

Name: Coral Alice McCarty

Pronouns: She/Her will have to do

Gender: Uh.  Hm.

Age: Late-30s

Occupation: Cheesemonger by day, artist by night, dreams of little fishes

Nationality: A mess, just Vesuvian for sake of ease

Favorite Food: Fried Shrimp

Favorite Drink: Cucumber Melon Soda

Favorite Animal: MANY (but especially cats, sharks, marine isopods, birds, hagfish, octopus, horses, bees, snakes...)

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Flower: Wysteria

Major Arcanum: Justice (how’s that neurodivesity workin’ for you, buddy.)

Minor Arcanum: Queen of Wands

Fun Facts:

Managed to avoid the plague, but suffered not one but two major medical crises during it. Survived ok, but feels real REAL weird about it.

Is reasonably artistically skilled, but struggles making a living at it due to just… not having any concentration for any one thing or another.  Keeps at it for fun and occasional profit but without consistency.  Jack of all trades, master of none, but still better than a master of one.  Has done some real weird/cool commissions.

Would have liked a scientific career, but further education was a bit of a disaster and it’s too much to try again (mentally, emotionally, financially.)

Knows a lot about food, theater, art, architecture, animals, the ocean, and won’t shut up once going. Can come across opinionated or bossy but is usually just excited and eager to share.

Fell into chesemongering by chance, but enjoys it and keeps it up in lieu of many many other things that haven’t played out.  It works, it’s fun, it’ll do.  Makes a great shark coochie board.

Owns a storefront but doesn't manage or run it – focuses on buying and supplying and being the ‘face’ for large suppliers and buyers and deals with catering and party planning, but does step in to do anything else in a pinch.  Didn’t found the business either – took over from previous owners by chance (just worked up the ladder,) which is why management is it’s own hired entity.

Parents are still around and live close to the border of the Catclaw Desert North of Vesuvia, near the ocean, but aren’t from there.  Both spent years working in Prakra as architects (although they aren’t natives there either.)  Massive inferiority complex next to parents who are loving but distant.

Needs glasses to see distance, and to see in dark situations.

Associates:

The Brewer (Husband and Closest Friend)

Yeshe, The Temple Painter (Friend and Conspirator)

The Bouncer (Friend)

Lua & Aleis (Friends, Buyers)

Asra Alnazar (Buyer)

Count Lucio (Frequent Buyer and Occasional Arts Patron, Unfortunately)

Nadia Satrinava (Frequent & Bulk Buyer)

Evander Murena (Frequent & Bulk Buyer)

Aiello Family (Antony’s Family – Suppliers (Dried Fruit, Nuts, etc.))

Conti Estate (Liliana’s Family – Buyers)

Valerius’ Estate (Bulk Buyer)

More TBD!

Quotes:

“What are you gonna do?  Get a horrible butt disease???”

“There’s some people who don’t like spiders who like other things...”

“Cheese isn’t lube.”

[survey--s]

464.

1. What is something in your life that you feel hopeful about right now? Hmm, I don’t really know. I suppose having a full weekend off with no visits to do, no sick animals to worry about and no illnesses to recover from, hahah. 

2. What was the last thing you worried about that turned out better than expected? Yesterday at work - I was just fully booked and worried about fitting everyone in but actually everything went perfectly and I managed to finish bang on time which I genuinely never expected to do.

3. Name somewhere you are planning on visiting in the near future? I have no immediate plans to visit anywhere new.

4. How often do you go grocery shopping and how much food do you usually get in one go? We go twice a week normally, just mainly because we need to replace fresh stuff like fruit and milk. One shop I normally spend around £50 and then the other maybe £20 and that’s for both of us.

5. What is a meal you eat extremely often? Or do your meals & food choices vary a lot? I go through phases of eating certain things - lately it’s baked potatoes with cheese and coleslaw, apples dipped in peanut butter, nuts and dried mango mixed up together and fruit n nut Dairy Milk lol.

6. When was the last time you felt unable or unwilling to speak your mind to someone? There’s a regular dog I walk who has started humping other dogs and I have absolutely NO idea how to address it with his owners as they’re SO lovely and I don’t want to upset them lol.

7. What was the last thing you changed your mind about? What to have to for dinner.

8. Who was the last friend you saw, and what did you do together? I don’t really have any friends.

9. Who tends to show up in your dreams? Do you ever wonder if you appear in anyone else's dreams? Dogs I walk, people I see most often. I don’t really wonder about what other people dream about, in all honesty.

10. What is something you wish you could say to someone who is no longer in your life, or something you wish they could know? I can’t really think of anything, to be quite honest.

11. Instead of flat earth, what do you think of the simulated earth theory, that we're basically all just a giant computer program or virtual reality? I actually love this idea - I mean, of course I don’t believe it, but I do think the premise behind it is really cool.

12. What worries you most about your future? Getting dementia and not being able to remember who my family are.

13. What is something you do to feel better when you're scared? Cuddle my dog.

14. Who do you feel you can count on the most in life? My parents and my husband.

15. What makes you trust someone? When was the last time someone broke your trust? There isn’t like, one specific thing that makes me trust someone, it’s just something that happens over time. I don’t remember the last time my trust was broken either.

16. When was the last time you shared a secret with someone, and how did they react? I don’t remember.

17. Are you more likely to give advice or to ask for it? Giving it - I pretty much never ask for advice unless it’s during my riding lessons but I suppose that’s to be expected really.

18. When was the last time you felt totally lost, figuratively speaking? How about literally? I have absolutely no idea, on both accounts.

19. In what ways are you emotionally strong? In what ways are you emotionally weak? I honestly can’t answer this.

20. What is the strangest book you have ever read? How did you find out about it? The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern or The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The former was something I think I read about on here, and the latter was recommended to me by my dad. It made me cry and this old lady on the tram near me was so worried about me hahah. 

21. Do you prefer to watch movies or tv alone or with other people? Is there anything you refuse to watch alone? Either is fine - there’s nothing I really refuse to watch alone either.

22. What was the last thing you broke? How about fixed? I don’t remember.

23. Is there a sign or symbol that means a lot to you for whatever reason (eg. seeing certain animals or birds, 11:11 or other repeating numbers, syncs, butterflies, hearts in nature, etc)? No. 24. Do you have any personal ghost stories or paranormal experiences? No. I don’t really believe in that kind of thing.

25. What do you get complimented on the most? My business and how good I am with the animals.

26. What is something unusual that you find attractive? I have no idea. Nothing too unusual, I don’t think.

27. What time do you tend to eat your first meal of the day? And your last? I normally eat breakfast at around 8am and have a snack before bed at around 9pm or so. 

28. What was the subject of the last video you watched? I’m currently watching the second Hobbit movie.

29. When was the last time you traveled out of town, and where to? Uhh, I went to visit my parents just before Christmas. I’m not putting their town on here as it’s not very big.

30. How would you describe your overall aesthetic? Comfortable and cosy. I like the whole Hygge thing.

[astrangerinbrownleatherboots]

Travelling Food

For legal reasons this is fantasy. Foraging, especially of mushrooms, requires knowledge, and there are laws around hunting and stuff :)

~

Bring:

Oats, lots of oats. Porridge is good on any morning

Apples!! And carrots!! Fantastic for snacking on and you can put the carrots in a stew

Onions, the staple ingredient of any cooking

Butter or ghee or oil or animal fat, otherwise how will you cook anything?

A loaf of bread, buy a new one in every town you pass through. It goes faster than you’d think

Cheese, the harder the better so it won’t grow mould. (It’s not that kind of cheese).

Nuts and dried fruits, for snacking on between meals

Eggs! If you can find a way to pack ‘em raw, do so, otherwise boil them. They’ll last a good few days and they give you a hecking lot of energy!

Ginger, for a warming tea

~

Collect on the way:

Dandelion leaves, and other greens to keep you healthy.

Fresh meat if you have the skills to hunt.

Any berries and mushrooms you find that you know are good.

~

Non-Food Related Items:

A pot, light but a good size.

A wooden spoon.

You should already have a knife, but a backup never hurts.

A vessel halfway between a plate and a bowl. It can serve as both.

A cloth for wiping, and for grabbing hot handles.

A small spoon for eating, and a fork if you so desire.

A tinderbox! A cold dinner on a freezing night is no fun.

[whimperwoods]

Part 5 of Gozukk and Anna

First part is here. Second part is here. Third part is here. Fourth part is here.

I think I got everybody who asked to be on the tag list but lmk if I missed you and I’ll add you! I want to say thankful gratitude words here because of the support I’ve gotten on this one but I’m stressed out and can’t find them? Anyway, here are some Thanks and some Gratitude.

tw: slavery (past), tw: past abuse, tw: restricted eating behaviors, tw: past withholding of food

Tag list: @redwingedwhump, @nine-tailed-whump, @thehurtsandthecomfurts @kixngiggles, @bluebadgerwhump, @dragonheart905, @carolinethedragon, @whumpzone, @newbornwhumperfly, @cupcakes-and-pain, @much-ado-about-whumping

****

Gozukk knew when to leave well enough alone, but he mostly knew it because having Djaana for a sister had taught him the hard way more than enough times. Even so, it was difficult going about his day with the image of the half-elf woman’s wide, frightened eyes stuck in his mind.

Anna, her name was, apparently, and Djaana had faithfully reported back to him about her injuries and left him quaking with anger, standing helplessly beside his own tent while she went back to her own and rejoined the group of laughing, talking women mending clothes. Djaana had told him the woman would calm down in her own time, as if he hadn’t known that already, and he’d taken it as a tacit instruction to stay away from her for a while and not try to help.

It didn’t make it any easier to do.

He wasn’t out with the scouts and he couldn’t take out a hunting party just now and he needed something to do with his hands. More than with his hands. He needed full-body work, something to keep him distracted and let him get out the frustration of not having a way to fix things, just yet.

There was so much that needed doing, but he couldn’t stand still to work out a good list of priorities, not like he wanted to, so he settled for the first thing his mind hit on that seemed physical enough and collected rugs from the midwife’s and healer’s tents, hanging them from a line and beating the dust out of them so that they would be clean if anyone came back injured and needed help.

Mazogga looked at him like she knew exactly what she was up to, and maybe she did. She’d delivered him when he was born, and he remembered being a child and being sure she could see right through him, him and everybody else. She let him take her rugs, though, and she asked after the half-elf girl without pressing too hard, and the clouds of fine dust he could beat out of her rug were calming, somehow. She wasn’t as strong as she’d once been and the rug had been swept plenty, but the full strength of his arms drove more free than he thought she could manage and made him feel useful.

Before he gave in to the urge to check on his guest, he returned everything to its proper place and gathered up something for her to eat. She was too thin, but he wasn’t sure whether that meant she needed more food or gentler food, just now. He settled for dried fruit, bread, and some of the yogurt from the herd’s milk. Then, after a moment’s pause, he retrieved a small piece of honey comb, harder to come by, but good if the woman wasn’t used to anything so tart.

He took a deep breath and stepped into the tent.

The woman was kneeling with her head down, just as she’d been when the humans pushed her down in front of him, but at least this time, surrounded by cushions and soft lantern light, she looked a little bit more relaxed. Maybe. He hoped.

“Hello,” he said, his voice as gentle as he could keep it without falling into the tone one used with babies and toddlers and not grown women, “I’ve realized I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Gozukk. I’ve brought you something to eat.”

Anna looked up, the bruises on her face a little bit less obvious in the lantern light than they’d been in the full sun, but still clearly visible around her eyes. She looked startled and afraid, but at least this time she kept breathing normally, ducking her head back down but keeping together much better than she had the first time.

“Thank you, Master,” she said softly. Then, hesitantly, she added, “I’m -” she bit her lip, “not sure . . . what I’ve done to earn it yet.” Her voice faded nearly to a whisper and her eyes closed tight, flinching away prematurely.

Gozukk’s gut tightened, but he kept his face even as he moved to sit beside her, not too close, with the food laid out between them. Anna was trembling faintly, but her breathing was steady, and he needed to keep it that way.

“Look at me,” he ordered, nearly at a whisper himself.

She obeyed immediately, wide brown-green eyes meeting his own deeper brown ones.

He reached over and cupped her cheek in one hand. “I understand why you don’t believe me. But you are safe here. I will not ask anything of you that you do not volunteer to give, yourself.

Her hands had come up instinctively, suspended in the air, halfway to his arm, not willing to touch him, but ready to fight him off, and he let go of her face to let her look down again if she wanted to. Instead, those striking eyes searched his face, and he suddenly had no idea what she saw in it. He was thinking too hard about his own face and it had become a mystery.

When her eyes flicked downward again it was almost a relief. “I - I don’t understand why you traded for me, then.” She licked her lips like her mouth was dry, looking pained. “I heard your agreement, and I know the stones he gave you aren’t worth . . . enough.” She paused again, her voice sounding suddenly scratchy and dull. “I  . . . know what I am. Sir. I don’t need you to pretend. I’ll be good.”

By the end, every phrase sounded painful, like she was forcing it out of her body, air from a bellows.

He didn’t have an answer for that. He couldn’t have an answer for that without standing up and pacing, moving until he could think again, and there was no way that wouldn’t frighten Anna. He was angry, angry deep, down to his soul, but not at her. He took a breath to steady himself and rose to his feet. “I forgot to bring you something to drink. I’ll be back.”

He gestured toward the plate, “That’s for you. Eat whatever looks best.”

He took the long way around the camp to fetch water, and then collected some soft cheese, and a handful of nuts, and his thoughts.

When he returned, a few of the dried fruits were gone and Anna looked guilty, though whether she felt bad for having eaten or not having eaten, he couldn’t say.

“You don’t have to eat everything,” he said, still careful with his voice, careful with his volume and his tone, careful not to sound angry, not to sound pitying, not to sound as if he thought she were an infant, and he realized he was holding tension in his shoulders. “Just know that it’s here to be yours. I want you to have what you need.”

He put the cheese and nuts on her plate and set down the water skin, then busied himself getting a brazier set up, its coals lit, and a fired clay pot heating for tea. The motion was good. Helpful. It kept him from having to talk or keep silent, helped his brain keep working even as the woman a few feet away from him continued to fill him with an exhausting mix of anxiety and rage.

She ate another few pieces of fruit hesitantly, half watching him through her eyelids, and he kept his eyes on his hands, kept his mind on lighting fire, pouring water, measuring tea, so that he wouldn’t have to decide what he wanted her to see as she looked at him. It was better that way. Trying to decide was too complicated, and too confusing.

By the time the tea was ready, her fingers had flicked toward the bread, but then she’d stopped herself, reached for the nuts instead, a little at a time, as if expecting to be cut off or to have her hand slapped away. Little pieces, then. He catalogued that away for the future. Little pieces, he could manage.

“Be careful,” he said, holding a cup of tea out toward her, “It’s hot.”

Her eyes flicked up to his face for just a moment as she took the cup, and whatever she saw seemed to reassure her, because she pulled the cup in toward her chest, held it awkwardly close, but did not refuse it or put it down.

He lifted his own cup, blowing on the liquid and then taking a sip to prove it was alright.

“Hmmk,” he grunted, “Nope. Still too hot. Give yours a minute.”

For a moment, he could almost swear he saw the ghost of a smile on her lips, but then it was gone again, the anxious wrinkle between her eyes all that was left behind.

Hesitantly, she reached for the cheese, eating it in slightly larger bites than he had expected. Another thing to file away for later. Cheese.

He blew on his tea again, but there was only so much he could do now that he didn’t have a task with his hands. He should have made coffee, instead, but he hadn’t known if she would like it. Or perhaps he shouldn’t have. Either way, his hands were unoccupied again and he hated it.

“Djaana, the woman who was here to look after your wounds, is my sister. She told me your back’s in pretty bad shape. I have some salves for treating battle wounds that you’re welcome to use if you need them.”

Her eyes flicked upward toward him again, glancing through her eyelashes and the steam from her cup.

He held out a hand. “I notice she didn’t bandage your wrists. Do you mind if I take a look? Just while the tea is cooling.”

Anna’s arms twitched instinctively closer to her chest and he started to withdraw his hand, but then her fingers clenched around the cup in her hand and she spoke up, stopping him. “I - I think it’s a good idea. But perhaps . . . perhaps after? I-” she ducked her head down farther. “I am hungry.”

He wanted to reach out and pat her arm, her shoulder, her cheek, anything to prove he was happy to hear it, but he kept his hands to himself and just smiled, instead. “Of course. There’s a good chance the scouts will come home with meat when they’re finished looking over the humans’ tracks. Until then, I can bring you more of anything that’s helping. We’ve got enough.”

She blushed. “Oh, Sir, I didn’t mean - I couldn’t possibly. This is - this is enough.”

She let go of the cup with one hand and grabbed for the bread before she could think herself out of it again, taking a bite quickly and then closing her eyes again, though this time he couldn’t read why in her face.

He nodded, even though she couldn’t see. “Just as well. I’ll get the salve from the other room.”

Moving away didn’t feel quite as essential this time, and Anna seemed to shrink away less as he walked past her. Progress, if slight. He took deep breaths and let himself calm down into it. They were making progress. Things were going to be alright. Right?

He rearranged his medicine kit as he drank his tea, re-rolling bandages and sorting them by length, his hands moving and his eyes focused on his task so Anna wouldn’t feel like he was watching her eat, even as he kept half an eye on the plate of food and her fingers dancing across it, choosing, hesitating, and taking.

When they were both finished, he held his hand out again. “Your wrists?”

He expected her to avert her eyes again, to refuse to watch, but this time she held an arm out tentatively toward him with her head up, her eyes searching his face. Her arm shook, but not with the same full terror as before.

It was the arm he’d examined earlier, but this time she was watching him look at it, and he felt himself blushing slightly this time, his turn to feel watched. He wanted to get a better look at the welts this time, but he needed to make the most of her trust while he had it.

He pulled a small container of ointment from his medicine kit, one he knew was soothing on shallowly broken skin, and smoothed it over the rope burns, covering it with a thin layer of bandages he secured carefully. “Too tight?” he asked.

She shook her head no, her eyes still on him, openly watching him for the first time.

Moving on instinct, he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it, and this time when she looked down, it was more down than away and the ghost of a smile hovered longer, verifiable in spite of how fast it vanished again.

He got up and moved to her other side so that she wouldn’t have to hold her arm out across her body, where it might feel less under her own control. This time, he took her arm gently without asking first, waiting for her to look at him and meeting her eyes instead.

The welts on her right arm were worse, half of them scabbed over where she had been cut.

“I’ll need to wash and bandage all of this. I hate to think what your back feels like, if Djaana didn’t notice these.”

Anna looked down again. “I - think she did. I was - I’m -” she swallowed heavily, squeezing her eyes shut. “Will you tell her thank you, from me? I - I think I did, but I can’t remember.”

Gozukk smiled. “I’m sure you did. She said you were very polite.”

Anna’s arm was still in his hand, and he became very aware of the contact as she started blushing again.

He squeezed her hand and got up again to make sure he had clean water and a cloth.

The slight flinches under his touch as he trailed the damp cloth over her scraped wrist and battered arm came only when his hand crossed one of her wounds, and not from the touch itself, and when everything was clean and ointmented and bandaged, he gave into another impulse, kissing her palm this time before he let her hand go.

“There,” he said, “all set.”

The arm he’d bandaged first was tucked up against Anna’s stomach, but the second arm didn’t immediately join it, resting farther out, closer to him, and he suddenly needed to leave. He couldn’t possibly be measuring trust in quarter inches. He couldn’t. He couldn’t live like that. Could he?

“Djaana or I will let you know when the scouting party returns or it’s time to eat again. For now, you still look like you could use some rest. The blankets in the other room are yours to use if you need them.”

Leaving the tent was not running away. It was giving Anna some space. Wasn’t it? There were things that needed repairing, now that he had the time for a real project. One of the wagons had seemed to be riding unevenly last week, so surely that needed looking after. He almost turned back toward the tent, but instead, he kept moving forward.

[hua-mo-jin-is-a-cutie]

Foods to keep around if your depression is getting bad

If you have had depression for a while, you probably know that when things get worse, eating can be difficult. Of course, foods you can handle during these times differ from person to person. For me, I struggle to make food, even something as simple as spaghetti can be daunting, so for me it’s important to keep ready to eat foods in the house at all times. Here are some I frequent. Feel free to add to this list with your own safe/emergency foods.

- String Cheese

-Yogurt tubes/Gogurt

-Granola bars

-Croissants (flavor of choice) 

-Instant mashed potato cups

-Mac and Cheese cups

-Ramen cups

-Steamtable frozen veggie bags

-Fruit cups

-Cereal

-Instant Oatmeal and/or Overnight Oats in the fridge 

-Minute rice cups

-Easy frozen single serving meals

-Pizza rolls

-Chicken nuggets

-Hot Pockets 

-Poptarts

-Dried fruits 

-Nuts

Remember: eating anything is better than eating nothing at all. Getting a single string cheese in your belly is a step in the right direction. While some of these may not be considered healthy foods, it is important to keep in mind what you can and cannot handle doing while very mentally ill and if cooking is one of those things then don’t even worry about what nutrients a poptart provides, just eat the poptart so you can have that little bit of fuel for yourself. You’re doing your best.

[figula]

today:

Ben broke my ancient work hair straighteners by stepping on them lol but he bought me a new pair so I'm quite looking forward to the updated hardware 👀

I'm once again trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my OCD diet BC I actually hate the current status quo so much. like the final straw was the other day when I had to eat a meal so I could take the meds and all that I could eat that was safe OCD-wise was a packet of crisps, an apple pie, and a bag of microwave popcorn. and that was my dinner lol. like it's just really grim and I know this level of restricted diet is so shit for me so I have bought some fruits and vegetables in formats I can actually eat without worrying so much about contamination: vegetable-rich soup, and dried fruit primarily. it's not ideal (so expensive and I don't even enjoy the food that much lol) but it's better than the boring, beige, ultra processed stuff that I tend to fall back on when my OCD is as bad as it currently is. I would actually kill to be able to eat a salad... like one with real leaves and cucumber and feta cheese and nuts ☹️I love salad so much but I can't eat it BC I'm so afraid of it

I feel better than I have done recently but it's still a lot worse than it was a few months ago and I just desperately want that back - it wasn't perfect or anything back then either but I was way less consumed by obsessions than I am now

[thetourguidebarbie]

Congratulations on your weight loss, Angie!!! If you don't mind me asking, how did you do it?

Thank you so much!! That's really sweet of you. Stuff below the cut because diet talk can be triggering for some people.

So before I say anything I want to clarify some stuff real quick:

I am in recovery for anorexia and have been in recovery for a very long time, so it is possible i will say some things that are bad and you should not do. I have a REALLY difficult time discerning what is "normal" and what is like, restrictive behavior.

On that note, I am NOT A DIETICIAN, NUTRITIONIST, OR EXPERT OF ANY KIND!!! Do not take my words as gospel please for the love of god

What I do is heavily informed by my economic status, my place in life, and my geographical location. I happen to have more disposable income and time on my hands than many other adults. This list is heavily influenced by my privilege and there are some things on it that not everyone can afford or have time to do. Please do not think that this is universal -- this is just how *I* lost weight. I am being honest about my experience, but I do not expect everyone else to be able to do all these things.

Trigger warning for those of you who clicked the read more and still should not be reading this: I talk about numbers and macros. I also may accidentally miss moralization of food on a read-over. Please take care of yourself and read at your own risk if you are sensitive to these issues.

So without further ado: How I lost weight despite the fact that i can't cook, loathe doing dishes, and hate almonds Tip one: Eat things that will keep you full for awhile.

This sounds like it should be obvious, I know, but a lot of people don't realize that the snacks/meals they're having are not substantial enough or don't have the right nutrients to keep them satiated for awhile.

When you have a snack, you want it to have protein/fiber/fat. This will keep you full for awhile.

I hate nut butters and most nuts and i promise, if you are like me, you too can have a snack that is not a handful of almonds

full fat greek yogurt (fat/protein) and an apple (fiber)

handful of nuts that don't suck (fat/protein) and dried fruit (fiber)

lunch meat turkey (protein), some slices of cheese (fat) and berries or most fruits (fiber)

Cottage cheese is your friend. Fat and protein compared to very few calories!! if you can afford it get Good Culture, not daisy or clover or whatever. Trader Joe's is good too but Good Culture is the best cottage cheese I've had in my life

oh yeah don't get non-fat shit you need fat to feel full non-fat will just make you hungry faster :)

Tip two: You don't have to be a good cook.

You do not have to be a good cook. You just don't. I am mediocre at best. I just learned to do a few things i like competently. Not even well. Competently! And with practice I will get better.

I know YouTube, Instagram, and every other social media says you need to learn to cook if you're going to diet. Not so!!

Here are some no-cooking ideas:

Put your desired amount of canned refried beans in a bowl. Put cheese (and pre-made cooked chicken if you're a meat-eater) on top. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave more if it's not hot. Add store bought salsa, a scoop of sour cream, and an avocado/guac if you have it.

You now have a meal with fiber (beans) protein (chicken, cheese), and fat (sour cream, cheese, avocado/guac). You even have some vegetables (avocado, salsa, guac).

You cooked nothing.

If you are feeling more adventurous, heat up some chicken broth in a pot, drop in a can of cannellini beans, some frozen veggies, and when everything else is cooked at the broth is BOILING, an egg. Stir until it cooks.

You now have a meal with fiber (beans, veggies) protein (beans, egg) and fat (egg).

You have made one (1) pot dirty

I have more if anyone wants them

Tip three: Doordash is bad

Don't order in when you are by yourself. Do not do it. It is expensive, and in the amount of time it takes to doordash something you could have cooked something healthier. Also it's expensive.

I am saying "by yourself" because eating is something that people often do together and is a social activity. Don't restrict yourself from hanging out with friends because they're eating out/ordering in.

But like, try not to order in when it's just you. Not ordering in is what i believe caused the MAJORITY of my weight loss.

Tip four: Let yourself eat the thing

If you want The Thing, eat the The Thing.

If you restrict yourself from things you love and do an "eat this not that" strategy (i.e. having sugar free chocolate instead of some of a chocolate bar you like because it's "healthier") you will still crave The Thing, be thinking about The Thing, and eventually might have The Thing anyway just because what you had didn't satisfy you.

I know it seems counter-intuitive, but JUST HAVE THE THING IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Once eating The Thing is no longer a big deal you will crave The Thing less. I know it sounds crazy, but it worked for me

Tip five: add veggies and "healthy" things to stuff you like

When you're thinking about your diet, think about what you can add, not what you can take away.

For instance (let's pretend I'm not gluten free for a second), I LOVE carbonara. Carbonara is the best food in the world, objectively. You might look at carbonara and say "that's terrible for you in every possible way! how can you possibly have that in your diet?"

First of all, no food is "bad" or "good" they just give your body different nutrients, so jot that down.

Second, because i add peas, spinach, broccoli, and other things to it to make it healthier.

Frozen veggies are just as good for you as fresh produce, and some research suggests they could be better (x, x). Use them!

add chickpea pasta and quinoa to soups! add kale to your smoothies! add spinach and peas and broccoli to pasta!

Tip six: Do your research

Learn about different nutrients and what they do for you

When I say "do your research" i mean from RELIABLE SOURCES. At some point you may have had a teacher who taught you how to identify reliable sources for research. .gov .edu pubmed peer reviewed articles etc

DO NOT TAKE ADVICE FROM UNQUALIFIED TIKTOKERS AND YOUTUBERS AND BLOGGERS

If they are not a dietician/nutritionist they are not qualified. Sorry.

Yes, this includes people like Whitney Simmons who have made their entire brands about healthy lifestyles but don't have any credentials. Love the girl, but you need to get info from actual science.

Lemon water and celery juice don't detox anything

btw i'm an unqualified blogger and if you take ANYTHING away from this post it should be this tip

Tip seven: Drink water

Yeah, I know. I fucking hate water, too, okay? Just put some juice in it or something.

Tip eight: Processed/quick foods are not the devil

Just use the microwave. Microwaves are easy! If microwaves get you healthy foods and you don't want to cook, JUST USE THE MICROWAVE. Pasta? Microwave. Soup? Microwave. Veggies? Microwave.

It's fine if you didn't put your blood sweat and tears into a wholesome meal! You are not losing at anything or a worse person!! No one is a better person because they made dinner the long way. It might TASTE better (MIGHT!) but unless you care about that you're not going to disappoint the dinner gods by microwaving pasta sauce instead of heating it in a saucepan. BE FERAL! ITS FINE!

90 second microwave brown rice is the best thing that ever happened to me. brown rice is great. brown rice + a can of beans with some flavoring in a bowl is an entire meal.

Speaking of flavored beans, canned things are fine. it's not going to kill you. i just had chickpea pasta that i heated up in the microwave and mixed with canned chili. It was fire. It was also high in protein and fiber and I will feel full forever.

Have shit from a box sometimes. Why not. Honestly, this obsession everyone has with not eating processed things is ridiculous. Yeah, they're not AS good for you as homemade but also I have things to do. Cats to pet. YouTube to watch. I don't have time to cosplay martha stewert every night, and more importantly, i don't WANT to

also weird food combos are the spice of life. there are no rules. who cares. i spread warmed goat cheese on turkey or beef lunch meat, roll it up, and eat it like a lil mini burrito. delicious and nutritious.

Tip nine: This only works if you can keep doing it

If you force yourself on a diet you will eventually stop because diets suck

I know everyone says this, and that's because it's TRUE: Weight loss is only sustainable if you pick up healthy habits you can keep up for the rest of your life. Otherwise you'll just gain it back.

Everyone has different versions of weight loss that work for them. I cannot count calories because I become obsessive. I cannot food log. The way I stay not a crazy person is by assigning all foods the nutrients they are giving me and using them as building blocks for meals (like i showed above). If counting calories/macros works for you, great! Do it! But keep an eye on yourself and make sure you're doing things healthily.

Tip ten: Accept the body you have (for now!), even if it's not the body you want

Look.

I identify as someone who has struggled and continues to struggle with an eating disorder, i get hating your body

trust me, I GET IT

Lots of fatphobia and body image bullshit making its way around

but like, i lost out on a lot of my twenties because i thought i was too fat to date and no one would ever like me (this was ED talking, of course)

i wish i'd spent more time loving myself, even if i didn't have the body i wanted

also no one thinks about your body as much as you think about your body

seriously.

[leavesofolive]

🌞🧹🌻Hearth Witch Tips!🌻🧹🌞

04: Your kitchen eats with you!

Just like with the rest of the house, what you put into the kitchen also heavily affects its energy. When you treat the hearth in certain ways, it reacts in certain ways. Your relationship with any room in the house is give-and-take. That means that if you don’t give back occasionally, the room will grow cold and stop appreciating your presence. But there are plenty of ways to mend your relationship! And the first step is to identify the problem!

From my experience, there are three main reasons why the kitchen stops being a warm and inviting place: 1) You are filling the cupboards with too much toxic, processed foods; 2) You aren’t spending enough time in that room; 3) Or you aren’t keeping the room clean enough.

When there’s a problem in the hearth, it’s always either one of these things or some combination of them. We’ll start with number three since it’s the easiest to explain. The kitchen should be anyone’s top priority to keep clean. It’s where all of your food, the nutrition and fuel of your physical and spiritual bodies, comes from! What you eat is your first defense against illness, injury, and your mental health. If the kitchen is filthy, then the food you take into your body will also begin to develop the same properties.

To keep the kitchen clean, I always start my day by washing last night’s dishes and give the counters a quick wipe. Once a month, I take stock of what’s in the fridge and freezer and scrub them out to prevent bacteria build-up. Sweeping the kitchen floors happens once a week and takes me all of three minutes to complete, tops. Once per season, normally at the beginning, I scrub the floors with soap and water, descale the coffee maker, wipe down the other appliances, and clean out the cupboards. So the only true “cleaning days” for the kitchen is four days out of the entire year. The rest of the time, the chores only take me about 30 minutes. As a quick tip, rinsing your dishes before setting them in the sink speeds up the dish washing process a ton! I’ve personally never trusted dishwashers since they don’t clean stuff well enough and it’s easier, faster, and far more cost effective to do it by hand.

The next problem the kitchen’s energy might be suffering from is how much time you’re spending there. First, spending a lot of time in the kitchen is a great thing! It absorbs the energy you feed to it, so when you don’t go in the kitchen very often or just don’t spend much time in there to begin with, the kitchen grows darker and colder. It loses the warmth and emotion and love that would’ve been sinking into it when you aren’t there.

The way to fix this problem is actually really easy! Cooking your own meals ensures that you are in there for a good amount of time each day because of the prep work and meal planning, etc. Plus, you get healthier, tastier food that way too! If you can’t cook all that well yet, don’t worry! Just like any skill, there’s no talent involved in learning something. It just depends on how much effort you apply to it. Another way to boost the hearth’s energy is to just hang out in that room. Invite some friends over, set out a snack tray, and just chill in the kitchen. Of course, since it’s pandemic right now, it’s best to wait until that’s over with to try this approach. But you, yourself, can still hang out in the kitchen!

The last problem, and a very, very common one in this day and age, is the influence of toxic food. Just like how your house absorbs energy from the land its on and what its built with, the kitchen also absorbs energy from the ingredients you keep within it. Toxic foods include anything processed or with a bunch of added sugars, and even GMO ingredients to some extent due to the trace chemicals that are still on the crops. These kinds of foods, if that’s the only thing in your house, will rot the energy. Not to mention, easy to grab snacks also end up causing you to spend a lot less time in the kitchen if that’s all you eat. Needless to say, no one eats healthy all the time. I don’t either! But having only toxic food in your kitchen isn’t great for you or the hearth.

Once again, cooking comes to the rescue! Even if you’re bad at it, it’s the thought that counts and little by little, as your skills grow and improve, the kitchen will learn to help guide you. There have been many times where I’d be stuck on how to fix something and a bottle of spice would fall of the shelf right next to me. If you listen to the kitchen, it will listen to you, too! Even if you don’t have time to cook, snacks like apples, berries, seeds, nuts, and dried meats are all healthy alternatives! I usually keep kale chips in the house for some yummy, salty crunchiness!

                                    ------------------------------

If you are worried about cost with this approach (believe me, due to my own situation it’s been a struggle at times), I’ve found out several tips and tricks to significantly lower the grocery bill. Anymore, my bill would actually be bigger if I bought crap food instead! Here’s my advice:

☀  Plan your week ahead! I always plan four meals a week that I’ll cook, and three days that I’ll scavenge for snacks and leftovers. I also stick to the rule of “one simple, one chicken, one meatless, one freebie” to remain more cost effective! The “simple” meal is just something I can make quickly if I know I’ll be short on time. The reason for have one of the meals be chicken is because it’s a much less expensive meat than beef or pork, and it’s a little better for the environment. The meatless meal is for the same reasoning. Meat is expensive and commercial brands are horrible for both the environment and the animals themselves. When I do buy meat, I make sure to buy local, grass-fed, organic meat as often as I can afford to. Keep in mind that every time you purchase anything, you are casting your vote for what is acceptable for society to continue. The “freebie” meal is just whatever I’ve been craving. If I want some kind of beef, I wait until this day.

☀  Learn to bake your own bread! For those of us with the time, this is a great way to save money and to stay healthy! Basic, white bread is actually pretty easy to make and only uses a couple ingredients. Those ingredients also go a long way. It costs me about 24¢ to make one loaf of bread because things like flour, sugar, salt, butter, honey, and yeast are all things that you buy once and can use for several loaves before you have to buy them again! It’s also not as time consuming as you’d think. Yes, it takes about 2 hours, but most of that time is proofing so you can easily be running around doing other things in between.

☀  Grow a garden! Even if it’s just a small, window herb garden, it can take the edge off of your overall food cost. Portobello mushrooms are also super easy to grow inside with minimal effort and equipment. If you have outdoor space, planting a small garden with the ingredients you use the most can help immensely!

☀  Only buy what you need! I know those sales look crazy tempting, but most of them are actually bogus and don’t actually save you any money. Think about what you are actually going to use before it goes bad and stick to your list. The bottom shelves at the store, aka the ones not in your direct line of sight, are usually where the grocery stores hide the better priced goods. At the back of most stores that have bakeries, there’s also usually a spot to get baked goods left over from the previous day for a slightly cheaper price. Day-old baked novelties like bread, cookies, and cakes are still perfectly good, and much easier to enjoy where you don’t have to spend as much!

☀  Check what’s already in your fridge before making your list! This is a huge one, since it prevents food waste, which in turn prevents money waste! What can you make during this week that can use up some of the ingredients leftover from last week? You’ll be impressed how quickly your food cost drops when you aren’t throwing things away. Waste not, want not! This trick also applies in another way, as well. When making your weekly meal plans, what types of foods use similar ingredients? If one meal calls for a slightly pricier ingredient, what other food can you cook with that ingredient to make the cost worth it? This also ensures that you get full use of things without wasting them. For example, this week I bought some fresh mozzarella cheese. Because this item is a little more expensive, I’m using it to make both the tomato mozzarella sandwiches and the beef wellingtons I’m making this week!

☀  Buy mostly produce! One of the best ways to lower your bill while still eating healthy is to simply add more fruits and veggies into your diet! There are so many tasty recipes that call for these babies that you’ll never run out of options, and there’s several things out there for everyone! Because I deal with sensory issues, I had to experiment a lot with what textures and tastes I could handle, especially on the bad days, but even still I found an over-abundance of things I love to eat. Fresh produce is way less expensive than meat, and much less expensive than many of the more mainstream snacks like chips or other processed foods.

                                     ------------------------------ All in all, taking care of your kitchen will also end up taking care of you, as well! Spending time there, actually using the kitchen the way it’s supposed to be, and just keeping it clean can work wonders in opening up your home and making it ten times warmer and more inviting! Trust me, your health and home will thank you for it!

[myflowertreesworld]

Say Love You Brother With Rakhi Sweets

Siblings are the first and most important companions that nature has granted upon everyone. Sisters and brothers can clash like cats and dogs, but they love each other like nobody else. This is a truly unique bond that can be treasured at all times. The countless lies they share, the times they supported each other in critical circumstances, mocking each other with their crush's name, grabbing each other's food and clothing, and crying their hearts out as their sister marries and leaves home are unforgettable memories that no brother or sister will exchange for a treasure. They may not express it to each other, but they both know they have each other's backs.

What better time to declare your love for one another than Raksha-Bandhan? Raksha-Bandhan isn't full without rakhi special mithai, like every other Indian festival. This article will help you find the best online rakhi with sweets delivery in India.

Rudraksha Rakhi with Yummy Kaju Kalash

Rudraksha is a holy entity that protects the brother from all of life's ills. Nothing could be a better gift for your brother than a Rudraksha Rakhi from rakhi with sweets online store, which will bring him good fortune. Place your Rakhi order via the internet and help them bring prosperity to your kin.

Kaju Kalash is a delicious beauty made with pure desi ghee and the finest cashew nuts, making it ideal for the festive season. It's exactly what you need for the big day, and it's garnished with almonds. You are going to make the day extra special with this wonderful Rudraksha Rakhi and Yummy Kaju Kalash set.

Silk rakhi with gooey Gulab Jamun

Silk rakhi is another popular choice, with multicolored silk threads and other minimally decorated elements such as foam, plastic, and pearls. Silk rakhi is a common DIY rakhi option because it is simple to make and will always have a special place in your heart. This rakhi with sweets like Gulab Jamun is an incredible pair that can get from the prominent rakhi with sweets online stores.

Gulab Jamun is undeniably India's favorite dessert where everyone loves it.  The black and brown fried dough balls dipped in sugar syrup are divine, and the gooey smooth melt in your mouth texture brings it to the next level. Gulab Jamuns are a symbol of affection, so don't forget to bring some for your brother on Raksha-Bandhan.

Zardosi Rakhi with ghee Besan Ladoo

Rakhi is the most beautiful festival to honor the bond between a brother and a sister. You may order some lovely Zardosi rakhi and sweets online for your brother from e-sites. These Rakhis have a wonderful feeling attached to them that brings joy to your brother's life, and your brother will undoubtedly adore it.

Pure Ghee Besan Ladoo is a traditional Indian sweet dish made of pure desi ghee, sugar, besan, and dried fruits. People's first preference for every special day has always been ladoos, and with Pure Ghee Besan Ladoo Rakhi sweets, you get something extra special for this Rakhi.

Gemstone rakhi with delightful Burfi

Gemstone rakhis may be made in a variety of styles, with a single crystal or several stones or gems hidden inside. Metaphysical meanings can be seen in gemstones. For this rakhi style for siblings, you can either select precious stones or semi-precious stone adornments.

Burfi is delightful sweets for rakhi to which no Indian can say no! It's made of condensed milk and a variety of other ingredients such as almond, cashew, pistachio, cardamom, and more, then cut into tile shapes. Burfi is available in a range of flavors to fit your preferences on Online sites where you can order rakhi gifts and sweets at a reasonable price. Share this sweet with your brother or sister to make your relationship even sweeter.

Kids Rakhi with luscious Rasgullas

Anything is fun for the kids so they get to tie fancy Rakhis on their brothers' wrists with tasty candy. OnlineRakhiStore.com also offers Kids Rakhis in a fair price range. Doraemon Rakhi, Donald Duck Rakhi, Pooh Rakhi, Angry Bird Rakhi, Kitty Rakhi, and Mickey Mouse Rakhi are all common cartoon characters for small children.

Rasgullas are a pleasure in a sugary glaze!! The flavor of white spongy cottage cheese balls perfectly immersed in sugar syrup will live on in your hearts forever. This incredible online rakhi with sweets is a must-try for an unforgettable Raksha Bandhan.

Bracelet rakhi with tasty Milk cake

Bracelet rakhi is a fashionable update to your brother's wardrobe that he can wear not only on Rakhi Day but for several days thereafter. Bracelet rakhis are available in a variety of styles, including interwoven red and golden threads, silver blockchains, and more.

People will be confused by the firangi element in the milk cake which is a distant relative to all cakes. It's a delectable Indian dessert made by repeatedly heating milk and sugar until the mixture becomes golden and gooey in texture. These are fantastic rakhi sweets for brother that will satisfy the sugar cravings in no time. On Raksha Bandhan, milk cake is a match made in heaven.

Pearl Rakhi with Orange Bite

Pearl Rakhis are in limited supply, so pick up your phone and put an order in an online rakhi and sweets store if you want one.

Orange Bite is something you'll like and it will refresh your senses. It's a tangy delight that will make a perfect Rakhi present.

Verdict

[a-bit-of-owlish-fun]

Quarantine Shopping and Meal Planning

So I asked about this over on @steve-rogers-new-york​ and there was a positive response, so here we go. Date: 15 March 2020

Before I start, let me be clear that I am not a professional, just someone who deals with stress by planning, and who has some experience with emergency preparedness having lived in New Zealand during the more recent large earthquakes. Feel free to correct me or make positive additions. For clarity, I am currently in Ontario Canada, and cooking for one person, but have made allowances to feed my unprepared housemate in a pinch.

Priorities with this Pandemic Planning

Unlike some other emergency preparedness priorities, power, water, and phone do not appear to be issues. So you have greater flexibility with what you can make and keep. Your priority should be having a comfortable amount of food on hand in case you cannot leave the house. Don’t go nuts, don’t overbuy, and don’t buy thoughtlessly.

Planning What to Get and Make

When thinking about what to buy and what to make, you want to consider a few things:

How many meals do you need to make? That is, how many people are you feeding and for how long? Calculate the number of meals you need in total and make sure you have enough meals planned to cover those. Obviously, if you can prepare for more than that is good, but don’t go too nuts.

How many portions can a recipe make? You don’t want to be making single-serve meals. It’s inefficient and short-sighted. So pick recipes that make large quantities, that can be portioned up in containers to be chilled or frozen.

Am I being efficient with my ingredients? Are the quantities listed in regularly used recipes the most practical for your current ingredient availability? For example, if you’re making a stew with beef, but beef is in short supply, half the amount the recipe asks for, and then bulk up on potatoes, carrots, zucchini, etc.

What ingredients will last best? Don’t JUST get non-perishables! That just sounds miserable. I’ve had no issue so far getting fruit and vegetables, and if you’re smart with your choices and storage fresh foods can be good choices. This when picking items how long they will hold in your fridge or if they’re freezable.

Don’t forget about breakfast and Lunch!

If money is tight and buying ahead is challenging. Think laterally. Make use of dollar stores like Dollarama, Dollar Tree, or whatever your local variant is. They will often have a great range of shelf-stable foods like pasta, rice, canned goods, and other ingredients at really low prices. And from my experience so far, they seem to have passed the attention of many shoppers and are still in good stock-levels. Start there first, hit multiple ones to get a good variety, then shop at supermarkets for whatever you cannot get there. The quality is good, sometimes brand-names, and they can be far superior than supermarket prices.

Do you have a large stockpot, fry pan, and deep baking dish to make these large meals? If not, see about getting them. Large lasagne pans and other kitchen items can be found cheap at many dollar stores.

Don’t have a car? Me neither. Grab a backpack and some good re-usable bags and make multiple trips for heavier items like cans. Also, consider grocery delivery services. They can be hit and miss right now, as it’s harder to adapt to products being unavailable. This being said, they can be a good way to get bulk, heavier items to your house. Also, consider asking friends or family to get you items when they go and drop them off to you.

What Foods Hold Well and Go Far

Non-Perishables that can extend meals

Pasta and Noodles — Pasta is a great item for entending a meal. Be it soups, stir-fry, oven-bake, or just able anything, you can either cook-in, mix-in, or have as a plain side. They bulk up a meal and make it go further.

Rice  — Same as above.

Lentils and Other Legumes — Lentils are great for bulking up and extending soups and stews. Also consider chickpeas, beans, and other legumes.

Potatoes — Potatoes are great! The can be a great base, addition, or side to many many meals. While these will not last indefinitely, if you keep them cool and dark then they will last quite some time.

Non-Perishable Ingredients and Flavouring

Canned Vegetables — Don’t be picky. Yes, get fresh veggies where you can, but also suck it up and get some canned goods as a back-up. Carrots, peas, beans, tomatoes, all that. They’re good, they taste fine, and go well in so many recipes.

Canned Fruit — Many fruits have a shorter shelf-life, so consider some canned alternatives.

Herbs and Spices — Make sure you have a nice spread of these. It’s easy to grab the base ingredients for food, but if you don’t have something to flavour those meals with, you’ll have a miserable time.

Sauces — Same as above.

Canned Tomatoes and Tomato Paste — Yes, I’m listing this separately because of their versatility. With canned tomatoes, you can make soups, spaghetti, lasagne, chilli, curry...so damn much. So grab a good stock of these.

Perishables

Eggs — Eggs are so damn versatile. Get eggs. When kept in the fridge they keep for a good long time.

Vegetables — Think smart. Get items you know last well in your fridge, and avoid items you usually have to throw-out or use-up within a week or two.

Fruit — Same.

Breads — Same. Also, consider freezing loaves if you have the space to do so. It tastes just as good as fresh, honest.

Frozen

If you have the capacity to get things frozen or to freeze them. Do it. Frozen peas, corn, stir-fry veggies, meats...they last well and taste good.

My Grocery List

This is what I have been buying myself. Not all at once but in multiple trips over the last couple of weeks.

Pantry

Top-up herbs and spices: ground cumin, garam masala, oregano, basil.

Spaghetti pasta

Spiral pasta

Lasagne pasta sheets

Large bag of rice

Flour

Canned tomatoes (4 large cans)

Tomato paste

Canned asparagus

Canned coconut milk (2 cans)

Lentils

Potatoes (6 large)

Onions

Fridge

Eggs (12pc)

Milk

Cheese

Zucchinis (3)

Carrots (large bag)

Lemons (2)

Limes (2)

Bag of spinach

Bell pepper (1)

Crescent Rolls

Freezer

Peas

1kg minced beef

750g stewing beef

Box stuffed chicken breasts (I love ham and cheese and a good addition to any meal)

500g lamb (for curries)

500g stir-fry beef

Household

ONE pack of toilet paper. Seriously. Just get what you personally need.

A couple of small packs of cheap toilet paper from the dollar store.

Pack paper towels

Any cooking materials like tin-foil, parchment paper, that I use regularly.

3-pack tissues (I have killer allergies so I’ll always need them)

Plastic containers for portioning meals in the fridge or freezer.

Meals I have Planned

These aren’t full recipes, but rather a list of ingredients and volumes for grocery references. I might write-up full recipes later if people are interested. 

Lasagne

This is my fav vegetarian lasagne that also have minced meat. It makes around 6-8 servings (depending on home much you eat and size of baking dish).

Lasagne sheets (dried) or just those baby lasagne pasta if you like them better. 4 cups Milk 250g Cheese Butter Flour Nutmeg Chicken stock 3 Large Carrots 3 Large Zucchini Large bag of fresh spinach leaves 400g Canned Tomatoes Fresh/Jarred Garlic 500g minced beef Light Herbs (oregano, basil, etc to taste, but not too much)

Vegetable Stew

Technically a soup, but I never blend it and just eat it as is. Makes 3-4 servings alone and 5-8 servings when served with cooked rice.

2 cups dried lentils (soaked overnight) 1 Large Can Tomatoes (not pre-herbed, just used plain) 2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock 2 Large Carrots cubed 2 Large Zucchinis (quartered then cubed) Fresh/Jarred Garlic 1 Tbsp Cumin 1 tsp Ground Coriander Fresh Coriander (lots) Fresh ground peppercorn

Beef Stew

500g Stewing Beef 3 Large Potatoes cubed 3 Large Carrots cubed 1-2 cups Frozen Peas Fresh/Jarred Garlic 2-3 Tbsp Flour Fresh ground peppercorn 1 Large Onion 3-4 cup Beef Stock 3 Tbsp Tomato Paste Rosemary 2 Tbsp Cornstarch

D.’s Curry

This is just and random mash-up curry I make. It can be cooked with or without lamb and both taste great. It is not spicy. Makes 2-3 servings

2 Large Onions (one minces with spaces, one sliced) Fresh/Jarred Garlic Fresh/Jarred Ginger Ground Cumin Ground Coriander Ground Cardamon Whole Cardamon Seeds Whole Cumin Seeds Garam Masala 300ml Uncooked Rice (then cook it, obviously)

Closing thoughts

Once you have these items, don’t use them. Carry on like normal and don't use these items unless you need them. Now I have my meals planned, I am back to making normal meals with what I can get. Always have that TWO WEEK buffer on hand at all times.

Purchase your groceries gradually. Don’t buy out in one go, be considerate. Take only what you need.

Visit multiple locations, sell-outs are not the same everywhere and while one supermarket may be sold out of something, another may still have a fresh stock.

More stocks WILL come. So if you cannot find something, make alternate plans, find a substitute, and return every now and then to check stocks. Supermarkets are constantly restocking as they can.

Be kind to customer service workers. They are just trying to get through this like you are. They are not paid well, have no control over their employers' stocks or decisions. They have the same stress you do and you being an asshole is just causing them MORE stress they do not deserve. Be. Kind. Be. Understanding.

Support others. Friends, family, neighbours, co-workers. We do this together.

DON’T STRESS OUT! Be prepared. Be aware. But don’t become overwhelmed, it will all be FINE. We just have to adapt and ride it out <3

I hope this was helpful. Have further suggestions or any corrections, please do let me know, I’m always happy to correct myself. If you have any questions feel free to comment and message me. And if you want those full recipes likewise let me know!

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #276

“all the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you better run, better run, outrun my gun.”

Favorite dried fruit? Dried fruit is fucking disgusting. Would you rather wear a dress or a suit on your wedding day? A dress. If you chose dress, will it be long or short? I prefer longer wedding dresses. If you chose suit, will you wear a bow or a tie? Hypothetically I’d wear a tie, probably. Have you ever wanted to be a police officer? No. Do you have a nut allergy? No. Do you accessories with chains? Put chains on fucking EVERYTHING and it is an improvement. How often do you cook dinner? If you’re excluding the microwave, like… never. What have you given up on recently? Nothing important; the only thing I can think of applies to a game. I was after the way-too-fucking-expensive dinosaur mount that is very soon going away in World of Warcraft, but the stress it was causing me wasn’t worth it. The time investment and how it was only a “maybe” of getting it in time Favorite condiment for fries? Ketchup. Ever had bangs? I did as a little kid. Do you know any Italian people? Well yeah, people of Italian descent are common in the U.S. I don’t know like, someone straight from Italy though. Have you ever dated someone LGBTQ+? Yeah, a demisexual. What color would you like your future bathroom to be? Uh… I don’t really care. It would depend on the house. Do you add sugar to plain cornflakes? No. Are skeletons cool? Skellyboiz are dope. Favorite Selena Gomez song? I don’t know any. Do you like coffee flavored cake? I don’t like coffee, so guess. Is that even a thing, though? Do you still watch your favorite kid shows/cartoons? I don’t watch TV. I would though, sure. Do you like going on walks? What's your favorite thing about them? How far do you normally walk? Ugh this question is gonna be embarrassing considering I went through muscle atrophy in my legs from being so sedentary. When we move (HOPEFULLY the start of October, a wrench was kinda thrown in our plans), I intend to absolutely start walking in small intervals now that we’ll be in a nice little neighborhood with a sidewalk. And a PokeStop nearby to bait me lmfao. Plus the weather will be cooler, so I intend to make a lot of progress. BUT ANYWAY I like just listening to either music or the sounds of what’s going on around me. Last time you had a hot drink? That’s a good question. Idk. Have you ever lived in a city? Was it crowded? Never like… a “real” city. Just small towns or in the middle of nowhere. Would you prefer to live in a big city or the woods? THE WOODS!!!!!!1 THE WOODS!!!!!1!!!!1111!! GIMME THAT SHIT!!!!!!11!11!!!! Have you ever climbed a mountain? No. Do you hear owls or crickets at night where you live? LOADS of crickets and toads during the summer. Ever run away from home? When I was a stupid pre-teen. I was mad at my mom and she wasn’t home, so I took Teddy and left. I had my phone though and Mom – when she got home – threatened to call the cops, so yeah, I came back. Are you scared to ride public transport alone? Why? No. Is marriage on your mind? No time soon. Did you own a dollhouse when you were younger? I didn’t, per se, but my younger sister did, and we would play together. Does the room you're in have a tiled floor? No, it’s carpet. How many pairs of earrings do you own? Not that many, not too few. Are you looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend? I’ve never thought *looking* was a good idea, so no. I think bonds of any kind need to come naturally to avoid lack of genuineness, force, or rush. I don’t think me having an s/o is a smart idea right now anyway. Do you prefer a call or a text? Don’t call me unless you’re dying or something. Do your parents drink coffee every morning? Mom almost always does. I don’t live with Dad, so idk. Have you ever donated blood? Yes. One song that's meaningful to you? UM a LOT. Most meaningful, probably “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. I physically can’t listen to it. Like I refuse to. Are you addicted to anything? Technology, big oof energy. What were you last listening to in the car? Something on my iPod, idk. When was the last time you sang out loud? I don’t recall. I rarely sing. What did you have for breakfast? A microwaveable sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit. Mom is currently out of state with her mother because she’s literally on her deathbed, so she STOCKED ME THE FUCK UP on groceries. The freezer is literally jam-packed, so I’m focusing on eating food from there. Did you have a nap today? Yes. I almost never, ever make it through the day without one, especially now with having nightmares every fucking time I sleep. Are you named after anyone? No. Well, not my first name, anyway. “Marie” is a middle name theme in my family, though. What kind of music do you like? Metal, rock, alternative, indie… stuff like that. What’s one hobby that you’d like to take up? Ugh, I miss a LOT of my old hobbies. I’ve lost interest in so much. I wish I drew way more than I do, which is almost never. What did you think you wanted to be when you grew up? The first job I ever wanted was a paleontologist. I was obsessed with dinosaurs. Still love ‘em. What’s the biggest project on your to-do list right now? It’d be great if I could finish designing Ashley’s cancer tattoo, but again, yeah, drawing motivation. ;_; If you weren’t in your current job, what would you want to be doing? I’m unemployed. Is the last person you kissed older than you? No. Are you happy right now? No. Haven’t been “happy” for a while now. Who makes you happiest right now? Probably my cat tbh lol. Especially being home alone for so long, he’s keeping me company. In school did/do people put a label on you? If so, what is/was it? I was considered one of the “emo” kids. Do you laugh every day? lol wow no. What is the last thing you laughed at? This Spongebob meme I saw on Facebook got me fuckin good. Have you cried today? If so, why? Nah. When was the last time someone saw you naked? Been a long time; even when I’m going in or coming out of the shower I do all I can for Mom to not see me because I hate my body a fucking lot. What is the greatest loss you've endured? My first boyfriend. When was the last time you did something you were embarrassed by? WOW I do this like every fuckin day, fam. What was the last thing you lied about? I’m not sure. What type of a drunk are you? Never gotten to the point of drunk, but I was more talkative the closest I got. What is your philosophy on life/how do you generally choose to live or conduct yourself? What a big question. I personally think you should do all you can to make a positive impact on the world – make it better than when you entered. Don’t contribute to the bad, treat people how you want to be treated… all that jazz. When was the last time you were up all night and why? I can’t remember quite why, but I remember doing that with WoW some time ago. Idr what I was doing that had my attention that long, though. That’s rare now. What is the worst thing you've done to yourself? What is the worst thing someone else has done to you? Part one: hand over all of my worth to someone else. Part two: show me exactly why I shouldn’t have in a very unhealthy way. What is the most personal thing you're willing to reveal? I dunno??? Can ya give me a topic?? Is there a situation or person you haven't been able to get over/forgive/what have you? I honestly doubt I’ll ever be entirely over Jason. Who was the last person to yell at you? Did you yell back? Probably Mom, and idr. Doubt it. Just probably raised my voice. Where did your last injury come from? My cat, rip. What is the worst thing you have said to another person? Something along the lines of “thanks for sending me to the ER (or mental hospital?) again.” Fucking disgusting. Do you wear your seatbelt in the car? Without fail, always. Please wear your seatbelt. Are you scared of flying? Not really. What do you sleep in? Men’s pj pants and tank tops. Who was the last person you kissed? Sara. What are you listening to? I am fucking HOOKED on 3TEETH's cover of "Pumped Up Kicks." Do you prefer soupy noodles or noodles without the broth? Without. Have you ever missed someone but felt like they had other friends and didn't miss you as much as you did? This. Is the story of my motherfuckin life. I feel this all the time to a very deep level. Who, out of all your friends, do you hang with the most and could never get tired of him/her? Sara. Do you like the taste of white chocolate or does it taste kind of fake? Nooot a white chocolate fan. Too sweet. How would you react if you just found out your mom had an abortion before? I would be VERY surprised just given who she is and her adoration for children. Are your pets spayed/neutered? Yes. Hottest guy you know and actually talk to? I don’t regularly talk to any guy I consider “hot,” but the closest to that would be my friend Leon, whom I’ve always seen as very attractive. It is fucking UNCANNY, his resemblance to Leon Kennedy from the Resident Evil series. Like he’s dressed as him before and it is astonishing. Name sharing is a coincidence, too. What time of day do you like to shower? I don’t have a favored time anymore. I just do it when I feel like it at some point during the day, but pretty much never night anymore. I do think starting the morning with one though is great, though. When you go out to eat, what sides do your order with your food? Fries are almost guaranteed, but of course it depends on the type of food, too. What do you spend more money than necessary on? I don’t and never have had a stable source of income to answer this, really. What video game or computer game are you best at? Uhhh I’d probably be rusty with the Shadow of the Colossus controls by now, I’ve don’t have the maps or every puzzles memorized from the Silent Hill games, so I guess my answer’s World of Warcraft if I’m on my hunter. Not to flex but I’m a bomb-ass beast mastery hunter. Been my main in the game since I started in MoP. What do you keep your keys on? They’re in my purse on a keychain. Is your favorite color different than your favorite color to wear? Oh yeah. Do you buy books or get them from the library? Buy them. What section of the food pyramid do you neglect the most? Veggies for sure. What do you use your stovetop for most? Well, I don’t ever. Can you focus on studying if there's music on? No, I need silence. In what types of situations do you demand absolute silence? Well, see the above answer, for one. Also going to sleep. Well, maybe not, as I have a fan as kinda like white noise, but I can sleep without it. Did you do well at fitness testing in grade school? I didn’t score bad, but I wasn’t exceptional either. Do you own more shoes or less shoes than the average person? Less, I’m sure. Do you still have anything from when you were a baby? Yeah, up in the attic. I think my mom has some stuff that’s super important to her in a case somewhere. Do you use hairspray much? I never do. Are art museums interesting or boring to you? I enjoy them. What subject in school do you feel is the least necessary? Well, this is a difficult question to answer when you consider I think depending on your career focus as well as personal values and interests, this answer changes from person to person. Like for me, I could say I don’t give a shit about complex math, but advanced math courses would be valued by certain people down specific paths. But anyway, I’ll bite and say least necessary for *the most* people, in my opinion anyway. Gym. It’s very discriminatory towards people with more limited physical capabilities (and I don’t just mean literally disabled), and it’s also just very uncomfortable and/or embarrassing to some people. Like I’d fuckin cry if in my current state, I was forced to “run” a mile, because I physically couldn’t come even close. A person, a younger one especially, should never be subjected to humiliation at the hands of a class schools deem “necessary” when it absolutely is not. Okay I’m in a talkative mood and this is turning into an essay so I’mma move along now. When you were a kid, what games did you always play on the playground? I think for as long as I had recess, my go-to was ALWAYS the swings. I fucking loved swingsets. I loved playing 4 Square or whatever it was called. And then of course there was me digging tunnels in the sandboxes because I wanted to feel like a meerkat lmfao. Do you enjoy power outages or do you get annoyed? For some reason, I still have this childlike excitement *early* into a power outage. Especially when it’s dark and we have to get out the candles, and I might play my old GameBoy or Nintendo DS, or I’ll probably just chill talking with Mom. However, that phase is pretty short nowadays, being a snake mama. My mind very quickly goes back to “Venus needs her lamp,” so as time passes, I get more anxious than annoyed. Basically, I’d rather not have one. Do you know how to use an ATM? … no lmao How about write a check? No. Are you pretty politically correct? To a degree I consider reasonable. Personally I find political correctness as having gone too far by now, but it’s certainly appropriate in some instances. What is one fashion trend you'll never understand? I… don’t really care to think much on this. Wear what makes you feel confident in yourself. There are things I think don’t look good, but they may look great to you, and it’s on your body, so guess whose opinion matters. What do you wear when you exercise? Oh yeesh. Just sweatpants and a tank top, normally. What is usually the last thing you do before you go to bed? I turn the brightness on my phone waaay down. I’m always going to wake up throughout the night and check the time, but I don’t want to be blinded.

[jaybug-jabbers]

Meal Ideas for College Students

Ok, so. As a college student, I’m compiling my own list of easy meal ideas. I have a bad habit of skipping meals, like many students do. A list of ideas helps a lot when you’re busy, stressed, tired, and/or not feeling up for much.

This post will prioritize quick/easy meals, ideas for relieving meal monotony, food that gives energy that sticks with you throughout the day, and meals that are generally healthy and balanced.

Note: This list of ideas was made with myself in mind. Everyone has their own dietary needs and/or preferences to keep in mind! Still, you might find something useful here. :) Also, check out my other post of recipes for more specific ideas.

Lunch/Dinner Ideas

1.) Soup/Salad/Sandwich.

-Not many canned soups are worth eating in my opinion, but a few taste acceptable (split pea’s pretty good), and sometimes grocery stores have containers of fresh soup. Those are almost always better tasting then canned!

-Salads ideally are more then just plain romaine lettuce and croutons/salad dressing. They can have all kinds of crap thrown on: nuts, seeds, tortilla strips, dried fruit, fresh sliced fruit, cheese, chicken, even some pasta noodles.

-It’s better to buy heads of greens and wash them yourself, as the already-washed bags of greens go bad quickly and have been prone to e. coli outbreaks. A little salad washing bowl speeds up cleaning greens. In either case, try to get a mix of darker, vitamin-rich greens.

-Sandwiches can use the healthier lunch meats but also leftover cooked chicken, or just a grilled cheese sandwich. (Use different kinds of sliced cheese.) Fancy mustard, pesto and horseradish can really punch up a sandwich; so can bread that actually tastes good.

2.) Pasta.

There are a lot of options of what to put on top of pasta; just adding some marinara sauce to spaghetti noodles is only the beginning.

-If you do use red sauce, I suggest adding mushrooms, sliced sausage or ground meat, or lots of cheese on top to bump up the protein.

-If you do something else, stir-frying some veggies (fresh– zuccini, mushroom, celery, carrot, snappeas, etc. frozen– frozen stir-fry veggie mix) and adding a light sauce is good; even dumping vinegarette salad dressing on it can be tasty.

-Other options include frozen shrimp, meatballs, leftover chicken, tofu or a cheese casserole.

-Try other kinds of pasta noodles, because even that can relieve some food monotomy. You can even use cheap ramen noodles, because why not? Just skip the spice pack they come with and add other things instead.

-Raviolis or tortillinis are also great for a light dinner or lunch.

-Sides for pasta include bread/garlic bread, salad, and fruit.

3.) Tacos/Burritos/Tostadas.

Canned beans, cheese, a bit of shredded lettuce, some jarred salsa, a tortilla, presto. Also great for using leftover ground meat or baked chicken. If you are lucky enough to own an avacado, please use it for this.

4.) Nachos.

This is basically when you have canned beans but you ran out of tortillas. Dump everything on top of corn chips instead.

5.) Enchilada Casserole.

Ground meat (or shredded chicken), canned black beans/red kidney beans, shredded cheese, canned enchilada sauce, corn tortillas, and a casserole dish. Dense and lasts you for a long time. Freezes well, too.

6.) Baked chicken.

There’s about a million different ways to prepare chicken. What’s more, the leftovers are so useful for so many things.

7.) Homemade pizza.

-They sell those kits at the store with the shell and the pizza sauce all ready. Just add your desired toppings and cook. A million times better then frozen pizza and worth the five extra minutes of work. You’ll need to invest in a large cutting-board and a pizza cutter or a large knife, but that’s it.

-If you want emergency personal pizzas, you can even use English Muffins for the task.

8.) Hamburger.

If you don’t care for ground beef, ground turkey or chicken works just as well; you can cook them insanely fast and easily on a Foreman grill, but still cooks pretty fast in a regular pan too. Adding some fixings goes a long way: pickles, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pineapple rings, etc. Good sides: salad, fries/potato, peas or beans.

9.) Baked frozen fish/salmon.

Again, you’re unlikey to have the time to buy and prepare fresh fish, which needs to be cooked and eaten quickly, but you can buy a filet of frozen fish. Good sides: rice, easy risotto, boxed couscous, broccoli, bread, etc.

10.) Fajuitas.

Steak strips/chicken strips that are pan-fried, plus stir-fried mushrooms, asparagus,  zuccini, etc. Lime juice and avacado add a lot of flavor.  

11.) Chicken, mustard, mushroom, garlic, spinach and swiss hot sandwiches.

Bake ‘em after assembling them for melty goodness.

12.) Smoothies/shakes.

This is a great addition to breakfast or lunch if you’re not very hungry or running low on food supplies; only if you have a blender, of course. Ice cubes, plain yogurt, fruit (fresh or frozen), shredded coconut, honey, fruit juice or ice cream, and blend. Experiment to find what works best.

Breakfast Ideas

Bulk up on breakfast if your schedule demands it!

1.) Oatmeal loaded with nuts, dried fruit, powdered proteins, flaxseed, and a dash of maple syrup/honey

2.) A plain yogurt parfait loaded up in a similar manner, plus granola

3.) Bagels or toast with cream cheese, nut butters, jam/honey, or avacado

4.) Stir-fried potatoes, potato pancakes, hashbrowns

5.) Low-sugar muffins

6.) Breakfast burritos

7.) Omlettes

8.) See above for smoothies!

General Tips

1.) Always make large portions when you cook so there are leftovers. When you bake chicken for dinner, you can use the leftovers the next day or make a sandwich or a taco or whatever. If you’re going to invest your precious time and energy into cooking, get the most out of it. If you have TONS of leftovers, freeze them in portions that are easily taken out, bit by bit, to use later on.

2.) See if you can locate a microwave on campus. This expands your options for what to pack for food, in case sandwiches a million times a month gets tiring. Pack things into microwavable tupperware or bring little paper plates and plastic utensils. Plastic bento boxes are also handy ways to pack things other than sandwiches. You can even bring soup, pasta, or ramen with you in a thermos.

3.) Frozen vegetables help a lot. You may not have the time to buy, clean and cook fresh veg, but grabbing a bag of something frozen is easy to make sure you have balanced meals. Steam them in the microwave easily in a bowl with a plate on top; avoid the ‘steamer’ plastic bags if you can, which tend to taste gross imo and may not be super healthy. (zapping plastic may create toxins.)

4.) See what’s in season for fruit. That way you can buy cheaper organic fresh fruit such as grapes, melons, berries or even exotics like kiwi. If you get them in bulk and need to use fresh fruit up before it spoils, try smoothies or put them on cereal/oatmeal or even make a fruit salad.

5.) Consider investing in a crock pot or insta-pot cooker. This opens up options for a lot of low-effort recipes, where you can just toss crap in and come back later and it’s done.

6.) Invest in spices. It’s worth the money and effort to get a variety. Get in the habit of tossing them into things. It can punch up just about anything and is way better then just salt. Even scrambled eggs can be punched up with some Sriracha sauce or some spices, or a little bit of shredded cheese.

This is a repost on a new blog. The original post was on Nov 4, 2019.

[islamicrays]

On the Adab of Visiting People's Homes...

Once upon a time, we lived in a world where it was common to have an open door policy and welcome friends and family over readily. Even neighbors and their friends were welcome to stop by for some tea, snacks, or a plate of whatever was left over. The spirit of community was REAL and FELT.

In our current Pinterest-ready world, however, hosting people can be overwhelming and more of a burden than it should be. Not only is there pressure on the host(s) to have a spotless home and impeccable decor, but the food must be gourmet-level and picture-worthy.

As guests today are so often preoccupied with updating their social media and letting people know what a fabulous time they're having, a less confident host may feel, "If it's not "presentable" enough, then why even bother?"

This shift has dramatically changed the way we socialize with one another in our homes. Instead of coming together to have meaningful discussions, spend quality time with one another, or lovingly embrace the ones that mean the most to us, we're stressed out over shopping lists from Whole Foods and party platters from Home Goods!

Is it organic? It has to be organic, fair-trade, & WF approved! ☑️

Are the serving platters all white? Everything has to be white because it looks so classy! And NO off-white and cream does not count! ☑️

Is there enough dessert? I need EVERY type of dessert; chocolate, pastry, cake, cookie, brownie, fruit, nut-free, gluten free!☑️

And cheese boards! Yes, I MUST make a cheese board with every type of cheese, cracker, and dried fruit imaginable because that really shows how sophisticated I am! ☑️

On top of all of this pressure, we have the added problem of some guests not knowing their boundaries which can also make some people reluctant to host.

Below are some general rules that we should follow when visiting people.

1. Always ask the host/hostess when the end time of the event is. Some people do NOT want to come across as restrictive so they may just have a start time, but ask anyway so you know exactly when to leave. And then make sure you leave at that time not an hour later!

2. Be on time. It is incredibly inconsiderate of you to come late and then impose yourself on your hosts to warm up food or to entertain you for longer because you're not ready to leave when it's time to go. Respect that people may have obligations the next day or are just exhausted and know their own limits (introverts for sure have limited bandwidth)!

3. Never peep into someone's home through windows or even the stained glass doors. This is reprehensible. Ring the door bell and wait for the host to come. And if they ask who it is at the door, give them your full name.

4. Bring something, anything. It's the thought that counts, so certainly your hosts will appreciate whatever you bring, but considering the fact that the cost of hosting people is becoming increasingly high due to all of the reasons mentioned above, it may be nice to get them something more practical. Instead of picking up a random dessert or drink (unless you were asked to), maybe consider gifting your hosts with a gift card or something that they may benefit from (and can return if needed, so include a gift receipt).

4. If your party is a gender segregated one, then respect the rules of the host. Just because you may feel comfortable mingling with the opposite gender, does not mean everyone there does. Whatever designated areas the hosts assign per group should be respected.

5. If your host's spouse (and kids) aren't home then remember they are probably visiting their family or out somewhere else. Be considerate and don't overstay because that would further delay them from coming home and getting the rest they need, and would force them to impose on their hosts which may make them resentful and less welcoming next time.

6. If you are staying with people overnight, remember, the sunnah is to limit your visit to 3 days. If you must stay longer, then be self-sufficient and do NOT impose on your host to entertain you, transport you, change their routine for you, etc.

7. If you bring your kids to someone's home, make sure to give them clear instructions about boundaries and do not let them wander around in private spaces at their own leisure. Only, if they are invited should they ever enter a private or closed off part of the house. Also, make sure to check on them and don't just leave them to their own devices because you are having a great time. Split the responsibility with your spouse, but make sure someone is checking on them at least every 30 minutes. Kids get in trouble and learn a lot of things when adults are distracted, don't let your kid be another unsuspecting victim!

8. If you must use the restroom, make sure you leave it in a better state than when you found it. If you have a sensitive stomach, please consider carrying matches (yes, it works) or investing in a product like Poo-Pourri. They have travel sized sprays that can be very helpful in case you or your child have to take care of business. Also, do NOT leave foul diapers in the bathroom. Change the diaper, ask for a bag if you can, and take it outside to the larger bin!

9. Do NOT ask private questions about people's work situation, marital status, pregnancy status, or about family members that you know may be having some issues, etc. Remember, "minding one's business," is a prophetic quality!

10. Pick up after yourself and your children. Your host may be gracious and tell you not to worry, but it's not their job to clean up after you. And even if they have hired help, be kind and don't take advantage. They are there to help, but in the spirit of decency, we shouldn't overwork them when small graces can make a big difference to them. Also, remember, they've likely been working since the morning or even days in advance to prepare, so be gentle.

11. Do NOT ask if you can take leftovers, even if you REALLY like a dish or a dessert. ONLY if the host/hostess offers and genuinely means it should you accept. But assess the situation. If the leftovers are enough for their family for the next day or two, then leave it. If they have huge portions that will likely go to waste and are adamant that you take, then do so.

12. Do NOT ask if you can invite a specific person and guilt your hosts to accept your request. You can make a general request about having a +1 without naming anyone, but do NOT ask as though you eagerly want to invite a specific person. If your host is able to accommodate your +1, they will let you know, but if they are already at capacity, then your GENERAL request will not make them feel obligated to accommodate you.

13. If you're on social media a lot and like to share your events with others, that's fine, but always ask your host if THEY are okay with you taking pictures and sharing them with the world. They may have reasons they want things to remain private. Just ask, it's not a big deal. And if you really want to take your picture, then be discreet and don't take a picture that can easily be identified!

14. If your host slips away for a while, do not pry into where they were. They may have had to tend to a private matter but you putting them on the spot and embarrassing them in front of others is not the way to let them know you missed them! Just go to them privately and ask if everything is okay, and leave it if they say yes.

15. Make duah for your hosts before you leave. This will mean a great deal to them. Your presence there is no doubt a gift to them, but a departing du'ah can really end the night on a beautiful note.

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“Exchange gifts, as this will increase you in love for one another.” (Bukhari)

“Part of the perfection of one’s faith is leaving alone that which does not concern you.” (Nawawi)

Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi