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

[but-aint-this-texas]

YES YUM SNAKS!! i drank a bunch of water so im feeling better thanks :>

and yes i will be going to that scholarship school still! its actually in long island and i was gonna have to take a train but now i can just take the bus so it sounds pretty good !!!!

also. i fixed my camera almost!!!

YIPPEE BUS!! Please be safe make sure to hold onto the rails

Still super proud of that scholarship you're doing awesome!!

Oooh so now you can show cool things hdhebfurh I'm glad!!

Foods below :3

OKAY so!! Make drinks with milk because it gets you fats and is calorie dense, also obviously calcium. there are breakfast replacement powders to mix in and it makes it like frothy chocolate milk so you'll like those and it's liquid so it doesn't feel heavy or cumbersome

Even just having coffee or hot chocolate with more milk than usual is a good way to up your nutrition, and it's for baby animals in the first place so it has most of the essentials.

This also applies to cheese! It's awesome but it's kind of heavy, cream cheese is much lighter though!

Nuts are really good for fats and protien, and you can put peanut butter on basically anything! It can also help you to get sodium if you usually lack it. Mixed nuts are awesome to just snack on and it doesn't feel like eating anything, and putting nut butters on apple or celery or bell pepper or whatever you have is awesome because fruits and vegetables are 1. Really light so they're easy to stomach and 2. Basically the only way to get most vitamins, assuming you don't take supplements.

Emergen-C and things like that are good to just mix into your daily water, cause it'll get you vitamins while you're just. Drinking water.

Little crackers like vegetable thins don't sit heavy and are gonna get you carbohydrates, which is basically the biggest thing that gets you energy and focus. It's hard to find things that are both light and dense in carbs, but you can always just do your best to graze on cereal or granola throughout the day so you don't feel full/heavy but you still get energy. Speaking of granola, some come with dried fruits or you can get pre-made trail mix - it's made to have all your macronutrients and is the best thing to snack on

i suggest going back to childhood favourites, cause if you ate it when you were a picky kid, chances are you'll still find it more desirable.

Kid's school snacks are meant to fuel your brain in small, easy foods, so you can go with those

A lot of stuff here is sort of heavy, but that's a given for anything nutrient and calorie dense. Just try to make them into snacks to graze on while doing other things, cause that's usually the easiest time to eat. And vegetables are lighter than fruits, so keep that in mind. The only thing you can really do is buy light food, and compare nutrition labels based on serving size - get as much energy with as little mass as you can.

I know i mentioned coffee, but caffeine is an appetite suppressant so do try to stay away from coffee and tea. <3 <3

ok uhh recipes you can make it into...

SALADS!!! Really light so you can have TONS and put dressing and croutons and bacon bits and chicken and cheese and it doesnt feel like you're eating anything at all but you can put virtually everything in it!!

Cream cheese or peanut butter on celery and crackers!!

Dice up veggies, chicken, and put em in a bowl! You can treat this like salad, but just withiut lettuce.

Basically just pair any of the listed foods with something that can transport or enhance it - like how eating cheese on its own is very heavy, but if you put it on crackers, it's much less cumbersome.

sorry I don't have much in the recipe department :Ɛ

[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.

[a-person-on-the-internet]

Things better than skinny:

A really good fried rice. Can contain anything.

literally any pasta - I love a good cacio e pepe but also a good pesto fucks hard

mac and cheese is so good it deserves its own slot. I don’t just mean the kraft shit (which is also good) I mean the fancy stuff. Put some gouda or brie in that sauce. Throw in jalapeno or tomato or bacon or crab or literally anything you can’t fuck it up. Also Breadcrumbs.

STEW! Stew fucking rules. Any stew. I’d kill for a kimchi jjigae or beef stew right now. also curry. Any kind of curry. Japanese or Indian or Thai - just any curry. Eat more curry.

tteokbokki. that is all.

fries, any variety, but a GOOD SEASONED FRY. Garlic herb, spice blends, truffle, go fucking nuts.

any meat served on a skewer >>> any other meat, I say this and stand by it. It’s just better on a stick.

you ever buy a whole rotisserie chicken and tear into it with your hands like a feral animal

dimsum, bao, perogi, gyoza, empanadas, mandu, any food with food inside it is a blessing from heaven and should be cherished.

America sucks but they got burger to a science, they have mastered the art of the sandwich. Go to a deli and get a ruben and find the closest thing to enlightenment. Also, bagels.

America also got hot dogs. Sausages are good but yes I want the ominous meat stick of questionable quality. The cheaper and later at night the better.

any and all breakfast food rules, especially when it’s too late for breakfast. Make pancakes and eggs at 1 am, who the fuck’ll stop you.

soup with noodles. soup with vegetables. soup with meat. creamy soup. brothy soup. hot soup. cold soup. soup soup soup.

salads can suck but if you add tasty things like seasonings and roasted vegetables and nuts and fruit and meat and eggs and good dressing you will ascend. kill the part of you that thinks salad is sad lettuce and no dressing. add the fun tasty bits.

I have never done crack but I think fried seafood is the closest thing to crack I can find. fish or shrimp or squid or crab. deep fried seafood with sauce.

white people were right about the charcuterie boards. Cheese and dried meat and bread and honey and jam and fruit and candied nuts is in fact good. Yall got it right.

I would do unspeakable things for a really big tasty cookie. Any kind. Right now.

DIP. Cream based dips. Salsa and guacamole and queso. 7 layer. Hummus and tzatziki and baba ganoush. FONDUE. Get carrots or chips or bread or any other food or a goddamn spoon and GO.

nothing in the world can’t be improved by adding an egg. If you make something cheap and easy like a microwave meal and you happen to have eggs (I know they’re expensive) throw an egg on there. Or throw a cheese. Love yourself.

“nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”

damn you must suck at cooking. check out some youtube tutorials man. i believe in you.

[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.

[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.”

[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.

[infamousbrad]

Been meaning to do a review of my new favorite product, and it was definitely something I experimented with to solve this exact problem:

My life is just demonstrably better (flavor, texture, perceived health) if my food has more varied ingredients in it. But ...

Fresh vegetables don't keep, so I end up throwing away a fortune in spoiled food, take more energy to prepare and clean up after than I have most days. And ...

Canned vegetables have had all the texture and flavor boiled out of them and typically replaced with salt and sugar, so that's basically all they taste of. And ...

Frozen vegetables store well, retain their taste and texture, are affordable, and require basically no food prep or cleanup time, just throw a handful into the mix with whatever I'm cooking or reheating, but my apartment came with a tiny refrigerator/freezer, so I'm back to near-constant grocery shopping trips.

Finally, a friend who heard me complaining about this asked if I'd considered storing dehydrated vegetables? The option hadn't even occurred to me, because no grocery store within 200 miles of here stocks them. (I checked.) A few google searches turned up my new favorite thing:

Mother Earth Products!

(Not an affiliate link. I genuinely want you to believe me when I say that this review is not compensated in any way.)

If you are even slightly tempted to see if this will make it easier for you to get more food in your food, I recommend starting with the easiest one to use (no soaking time needed, just shake a half a handful of it into anything and simmer for 10 minutes): their six-vegetable soup mix. (Carrots, celery, onion, bell pepper, peas, parsley.) Throw it into pasta sauce, throw it into broth, throw it into ramen, throw it (and an egg and some bread crumbs) into a meatloaf, throw it into any canned soup that you wish tasted better -- I have fed this stuff to my pickiest friends and everybody goes nuts for it. And once you factor in how much one of those bags or canisters expands to with water, it's surprisingly affordable.

If it works for you at all, try some of the other vegetables and mixes. I love soaking some potatoes, bell peppers, onions, and sausage-flavored TVP into a pickle jar in the fridge over night, draining it and throwing it into some off-brand Egg Beaters in the morning and scrambling it up. Add some TVP and some onions to their refried beans, then stir in some cheese and a splash of hot sauce, and it's a delicious bean dip that's filling enough to make a meal. I've worked up a 13-vegetable soup, inspired by Panera's (back when it was still good) and the fourth experiment drew raves from guests.

(I was less impressed with the freeze-dried fruits, but ymmv.)

You can eat vegetables without wasting food, without them tasting like ass, without spending a fortune, and without spending an hour prepping them and then cleaning up afterwards. Seriously, try this stuff!

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

[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.

[runawaymun]

Some actual tips from a disabled person:

(Caveat: these will not help everyone. I have ADHD, bipolar, and a chronic autoimmune disease.)

When you have extra spoons, meal prep and put those bad boys in your freezer. I’m talking soups and stews mostly. But also you can chop veggies (potatoes, onions, carrot etc) and use them for soups and curries and stews later to take out an extra step.

Get a salad chopper. I don’t have one yet but I want to get one. Makes chopping ingredients less of a (literal) pain.

Casseroles are your friend & they are very SNAP and food pantry friendly. Layer any protein (canned tuna, chicken, ground beef, etc) with a carb (pasta, rice, etc), dump in some frozen or canned veggies and some kind of sauce (canned soups work great) and bake at 350 until done. Can be made entirely with shelf stable inexpensive ingredients. They require basically no food prep and no planning ahead.

Curry is also your friend. Pick up a tub of curry paste from an Asian market and keep it in your fridge, keep coconut milk in your pantry along with canned beans (or dried lentils which cook very quickly) or some other kind of protein you can tolerate and aren’t allergic to. Dump in frozen veggies and some cubed potatoes, serve over rice. Very simple and very tasty and again: chop ingredients when you have spoons and freeze them for later.

Pasta is your friend. Takes about 10-20 minutes and no meal prep. Pick a sauce, dump in some kind of freezable or shelf stable protein and a handful of frozen veggies.

I keep mentioning frozen veggies. See a pattern? They are sometimes even better for you than fresh in the store and you don’t have to worry about them going bad. They can reheat in a minute in the microwave or you can easily toss them into shit. I much prefer them to trying to manage salad ingredients.

Yogurt/cottage cheese is very nutritious. If you’re not allergic, keep it in your house with some frozen fruit for an easy snack.

Cereal my beloved.

Oatmeal is cheap and can be sweet or savory.

Get a rice cooker if you can afford it. Mine was thrifted and we’ve had it for years, and it has saved my butt so many times.

Pancakes can be frozen and they reheat well. Pancakes + peanutbutter and syrup are very filling and very cheap. Use pancake mix if it’s overwhelming.

Potatoes can be baked in the microwave. Wrap in a wet paper towel and nuke for 3-5 minutes if it’s small, add a minute or two if it’s big.

If you can tolerate eggs, boil a bunch ahead of time when you have spoons and keep them in your fridge.

They key here is that I do not meal prep. I keep a list of easy meals on my phone. All of them can be made very quickly. On zero spoon days I have a few meals (cereal, instant ramen, chicken nuggets, instant oatmeal, cottage cheese etc) which can be eaten with nearly zero work or prep. Fed is best.

I stick to shelf stable ingredients as much as possible bc I never know when I will have spoons to cook.

I use higher spoon days to prep for low spoon days.

Do not focus on prepping meals. Focus more on prepping ingredients.

If you don’t know what to cook you can browse meal kit services and steal their menus (and modify them for yourself). But generally I just stick to a rota of soups/curries/stews/pasta/rice with toppings/casseroles/something fancy if I have the spoons

Sandwiches are good for you. Barring the energy to make sandwiches, just shove various sandwich ingredients into your mouth straight out of the fridge.

Toast my beloved.

Bananas and apples with peanut butter (or other tolerated nut butter) my beloved.

Easy cheap foods that require very little food prep:

How to cook a casserole out of anything

Korean beef bowl (can sub crumbled tofu if you want)

Spicy cold tofu

Microwaved baked potato

Thai spring rolls (you can use pre cooked shrimp)

Dahl

Quesadillas (you can swap the chicken for refried beans or use canned/pre cooked. Just drain the canned well though).

Boiled eggs

Another tip: please do not feel like you need to stand the whole time you are in the kitchen. You can chop at a table while sitting down. Bring a chair with you when cooking things on the stove.

Anyway that’s most of it. I know these won’t work for everyone, but this is what has helped me. Please don’t be afraid to get your groceries delivered either, or to buy premade foods. Again: fed is best.

so many tips for budgeting/being frugal are just twice as hard when you have a disability

"meal plan!" idk if i'll be feeling well enough to cook every day so it's hard to plan for what to eat

"cook in advance!" i can't cook meals for a whole week at once and plus i can't count on that because again idk if ill feel okay to cook at the same time every week

"use cloth napkins and towels!" those need to be washed and folded, i already have trouble doing my laundry

"delivery is expensive, always shop in person!" going to the grocery store can wipe me out for the day.

"base your food shopping on whats on sale that week!" one, allergies are a thing and some people don't have that luxury, two, that's a lot that you have to prep for and that takes energy.

"DIY!" takes time and energy. maybe i could do it by myself but would it be worth all the time i need to take to recover?

i mean none of these are bad ideas or trying to exclude people. most of it is cutting out conveniences. but for disabled people, something that's a convenience for someone can be a necessity to others

[hehecham]

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

[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.