#cooked veggies are still veggies I can bake a fruit

[angiestown]

realized a cool life hack if you bake an apple it's still an apple it still counts as eating an apple

[ms-demeanor]

Hey, are you a broke motherfucker trying to save money on groceries and attempting to plan for having food in the house at the end of the month? Do you have a good system for storing frozen meat? If you don't, here's how I do it:

Large Bastard called me when I was at the plasma center (we're broke motherfuckers!) to tell me that Aldi had nearly expired pork chops (use or freeze by tomorrow) for 50% off, so I told him to get 4 packs.

I keep my freezer pretty full with homemade stock, frozen meat, frozen veggies, frozen fruit, and g-free bread, so I can't just stick the big packages of pork chops directly in the freezer, and besides if I do, the pork chops will freeze to each other and then I'll have to thaw the whole mass of them if i want to cook them, which will increase thawing time.

So what I do instead is make an accordion of waxed paper and fill it with pork chops.

This ends up saving a ton of space, and means I can choose to thaw 8 pieces or 1 piece or however much I need at a time.

3 packs stored this way are smaller than 1 pack from the store.

The final accordion of meat gets wrapped in a layer of waxed paper, then put into a freezer bag with the air pressed out, and now if I don't have cash for groceries I've still got something to eat.

This is also the way that I save meat that is close to its spoilage date that I won't be able to cook before it goes bad. If you stick a family pack of chicken breasts in the freezer, you have a family pack of chicken breasts to thaw. If you put them into little waxed paper envelopes, you've got single serving packets that you can easily toss into a soup or bake from frozen.

This is ALSO pretty much the technique I use to freeze banana slices when my bananas are going brown and I'm not in the mood to bake, only I freeze them on a cutting board before breaking them off and sticking them in a bag when they're frozen.

Freeze wet stuff in individual pieces, not big chunks, so you don't have to break up big chunks to use your frozen food.

I know this probably seems pretty obvious to a lot of people, but it wasn't obvious to me until a couple years ago because nobody ever showed me how to do it and I didn't grow up in a family that cooked a lot.

[mortiskiller]

How I Manage Food Costs as a Feedist

Preface: I often see people in this community post about struggling with food insecurity and managing food costs. These are just some tips that have helped me when I was down to the last few dollars and needed to eat for a few weeks. I understand circumstances are different for everyone, and some people struggle even with this level of food security, I have been there. My intention is to help.

With food prices still high—often due to profit gouging—I’ve found ways to manage my food budget, and the secret is simple: **eat at home!** Growing up in extreme poverty with two working parents, eating at home was pretty much our only option, aside from takeout once every few months. My parents taught me the value of home cooking, and while it takes time to develop essential skills, Making sauces, learning how to prep and clean ingredients, cooking veggies, preparing meats, etc., once you have them, there’s a whole world of recipes within reach.

Here’s how I manage food costs, and how you can too:

1. Weekly/Monthly Shopping Essentials

Start with the basics—items you’ll need to shop for regularly to cover your meals for a week or two. Building a pantry depends on the storage space you have, but here are some key ingredients to keep on hand:

- Milk (1 to 2 gallons, depending on your choice—I go with 1%)

- Eggs (18 count)

- Bread (1 loaf) (I also recommend tortillas as they last longer than bread and can be used for nearly any bread needs)

- Rolls or Croissants (If you shop at a bulk store, you can get a dozen for $6.)

- Fruits: Change with the season, but apples, oranges, and grapes are solid year-round choices. In the summer, throw in some berries and stone fruit.

- Veggies for Prep: Stick to simple, versatile veggies like green bell peppers, zucchini, onions, potatoes, and chilies.

- Butter: Unsalted sweet cream butter is my favorite! Go for sticks instead of tubs for a better per-unit cost.

- Leafy Greens: A bag of spinach or romaine hearts

- Cheese: Shredded cheese works best and if you want to save more, buy a block and slice or shred it yourself.

These staples give you a variety of flavors, textures, and nutrition to build meals around, whether you’re whipping up sides, salads, or more complex dishes.

2. Protein, Protein, Protein!

Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet, but you don’t need to overdo it or overspend. I’ve found that chicken and tofu are some of the most affordable and versatile protein sources available (unless you’re hunting your own!). Both freeze well and can be used in a variety of recipes with different seasonings and marinades.

You can also look at beef, but stick to lean beef and fish as you do not want to pay for fat that will not end up in your food.

3. Shelf-Stable Items to Buy in Bulk

Buying in bulk can be a game changer, especially if you stock up on shelf-stable items. If you’re short on storage space, invest in an airtight tote to keep things organized. Start with common essentials like:

- Flour (Good ole AP with cover you most of the time)

- Sugar

- Baking Powder

- Baking Soda

- Brown Sugar

- Cooking Oil (I go for olive oil and canola oil)

These staples are the foundation of countless recipes and, when stored properly, can last for months or even a year.

4. Season Early, Season Often

Spices are what make food magical! You don’t need fancy brands—stick with basics that offer single-ingredient profiles. My go-to spices are:

- Salt

- Pepper

- Garlic Powder

- Onion Powder

- Thyme

- Oregano

- Paprika

- Cumin

- Cinnamon

- Chili Powder

- Vanilla Extract

- Bouillon Cubes

- Red Pepper Flakes

These spices will give you all the flavor you need to create a variety of meals without breaking the bank.

5. Canned Goods: The Unsung Hero

Canned goods are a staple in my kitchen. They offer consistent quality, low prices, and a long shelf life. Plus, they’re great for backup when fresh ingredients are low. Some key canned items to keep on hand are:

- Pinto Beans

- Crushed Tomatoes

- Tomato Paste

- Tomato Sauce

- Boiled White Potatoes

- Herring or Sardines

- Tuna

- Fruit Cocktail

- Peaches

- Pears

- Broth or Stock

These ingredients can help you create filling and versatile meals on a budget.

6. Where You Shop Matters

The store you shop at can make a huge difference in food prices. Here’s how to stretch your budget even further:

Bulk Stores: Invest in a membership at places like Sam’s Club, Costco, or BJ’s. The $100 yearly fee is usually paid for in savings after just a few trips. Protein, especially beef and fish, is almost always cheaper in bulk stores.

Walmart and Aldi: These stores are great for extras like frozen veggies, fresh produce, dairy items, and baked goods. Their prices are hard to beat!

Hope this helps and feel free to reblog or comment with your own tips and tricks!

Stick to Your List: One of the easiest ways to overspend and waste food is by shopping without a plan. Make a list, and stick to it. This will help keep your budget in check and prevent unnecessary purchases.

By following these steps, you can keep your food costs down while still eating healthy and delicious meals. The key is planning ahead, shopping smart, and keeping a well-stocked pantry!

[wings-of-ink]

Ok on a scale of one to ten how good are the RO's at cooking/baking? What's one thing each of them can cook/bake really well and one thing they can't cook/bake at all?

Oh, I love this question, Anon. I'll score baking and cooking separate. Some people, like myself, have a knack for cooking over baking. One is an art and the other is more of a science, I think.

On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being the best baker or cook, I'd say...

Oswin:

Cooking: 7 - He's made a lot of his own meals since he was a teen and he's learned a lot. Makes a mean roast with lots of veggies and fresh herbs. Don't ask him to prepare eggs - he never gets them right.

Baking: 6 - He can follow a recipe well enough, but is less confident. Makes a very good and simple bread to go with his roast. He always over-mixes cake batter.

Zahn:

2 for both - "What fire?" They get by making suuuuper simple food on the road. Baking a potato or making a simple porridge is probably the best you're gonna get. Everything else...is risky.

Duri:

Cooking: 4 - They can do it, but don't have a ton of interest. If it's not interesting - meh - they don't care enough. They'll cook a decent steak (as long as it's rare). They try roasting veggies sometimes and they always...kinda go on fire, but they insist that they like the char taste.

Baking: 4 or 6 depending on the day. They really like baked goods, so they have incentive. If they can focus and take their time on a simple recipe, you may be looking at some tasty treats. However, they'll be prone to frustration. The moment the dough doesn't behave - it's over. -Will make some pretty good cookies. Duri cannot make bread to save themselves - the dough drives them insane (and it's all over them, the counter, and the walls for some reason).

Rune:

Cooking: 3 - uninspired, no flavor, not enough salt - but looks great. Nothing they cook comes out especially well or bad since it's all basically the same.

Baking: Solid 7, maybe even 8. There's a pattern to baking and that suits them the best. Quite good with cake, especially if it needs decorated. Their worst is pies - fruit doesn't belong in there, they say - why would you even want gooey-squishy fruit with pastry!?

???:

Cooking: 6 - he's pretty average here. Makes decent stews and fried fish. Bad with potatoes - never gets the salt right and their either over done or raw.

Baking: 10 - no soggy bottoms here - he's an amazing baker. This is an area he can get lost in. The smell of yeast takes him home. He makes the best bread - any kind - it's his favorite. (bread is also easily transportable within pockets) His weakness, if you can call it that, is probably cookies. They are still delicious, he just doesn't have the patience to make little individual treats. You're getting one giant cookie and that's that.

Thank you for the delicious ask, Anon! ^_^

[floralcrematorium]

Assorted FrUK/FACE Fam Headcanons

These are silly little thoughts I've had while drafting Migraines in Margaritaville, so these apply to the world of that AU (modern, human; FrUK parents raising NA bros in Massachusetts, US). Most of these involve food because I seem to think about them when I'm hungry???

• Francis and Arthur practice "one-parent-one-language" with the boys. Matthew took to French much easier than Alfred did, but both brothers managed to pick it up without much of a fuss. In elementary school the twins would use French to cheat on tests (they weren't allowed to sit next to each other after their schemes were discovered).

• Arthur set the grill on fire three times in one summer. Francis clearly doesn't learn from his mistakes and Arthur is too stubborn to let Francis do all of the work when it comes to preparing dinner.

• Follow up on the point above -- Arthur can prep vegetables and throw together food that doesn't require too much measuring or too many steps on the stovetop. He doesn't have the patience for most dishes and doesn't have a sense of what spices go well together/what is enough vs too much. Francis lets him help by chopping up vegetables and Arthur was usually the one to pack the boys' lunches. Sometimes they'd get leftover portions of whatever they had for dinner last night, but Arthur often defaulted to some sort of wrap with deli meat and assorted veggies/crackers for snack.

• Francis gives me similar vibes to those youtube moms who try to make homemade versions of popular American snacks. He may spend the weekdays at work in a kitchen, but on the weekends he's at home, still in the kitchen, trying to make homemade fruit leather and homemade cheese crackers for his sons.

• Arthur's the one more willing to let the boys get snacks from the store or take out. Francis is very much "we have McDonald's at home."

• Both Francis and Arthur would've been so excited to decorate the twins' nursery. They're both artistically inclined, be it in different ways. Arthur made blankets for both of them; Matthew is red and Alfred is blue. Francis paints floral designs on the furniture, in particular purple irises and both red and white roses.

• Because the twins were identical and because babies are kinda just blobs, they definitely accidentally mixed the twins up. The color coding might've come after the swap. They had a crisis about it. Francis "sacre bleu, we just gave two people permanent identity crises" Bonnefoy and Arthur "if we compare them to every picture we have of them we can figure it out" Kirkland. I'm imagining this happening before the twins have enough hair for their cowlicks to really form.

• It's tradition in the Kirkland-Bonnefoy household to have a box of Whitman's chocolates at every family party and Alfred is the reason why. One Christmas each twin got to pick out something special for the party and Alfred picked out the 22 piece Whitman sampler in the yellow box. They're not the best chocolates, but it became a tradition. Thankfully there's two layers in the box so Mattie and Al can have their own messenger boy pieces (the shaped chocolate that's the centerpiece of each layer).

• Neither Arthur or Francis have favor for one twin over the other. They both have their own activities they can do with Alfred and Matthew separately. Francis will cook and bake with Alfred and draw with Matthew. Arthur teaches Matthew to garden and watches old (by his son's standards) movies with Alfred.

• Francis is the parent the boys can come to no questions asked. Arthur isn't apathetic, but Francis is more inclined to give more thoughtful advice for relationships and general fuck-ups. He won't press on why or how something happened, but will help his sons figure out the best way to solve a problem.

• When Alfred and Mattie turned 10, Arthur wanted to teach them the importance of personal finance. He would give the boys $5 each week to spend on snacks at the grocery store (Arthur does the couponing and the shopping for the house). They were allowed to hold onto the money to use for later and could help with the couponing.

• Arthur drags the family out to Salem every Autumn. Sure, they live in Massachusetts and are well aware of how bad tourist season is, but he's fascinated with the city. Alfred initially went because he really liked this one New York style pizza shop in the Witch City Mall (how they got Francis to step foot in there, I don't know), but eventually grew interested in the witchy stuff Salem has to offer. Francis only puts up with it because the city has an art museum and weekly art fairs in the Fall. Matthew dreads their yearly trip. He loathes it. He'd rather tag along with Francis to the museum.

• Until the boys were old enough to start protesting, they had family Halloween costumes. Francis thought it was tacky, but saw the appeal when Arthur got the twins (still babies) all dressed up in lobster costumes.

[daemon-in-my-head]

As requested by @theannoyingurge let's take a detour from our regular schedule and talk food preservation in medival settings / before everybody had a refrigerator so you can write the bg3 fic of ur dreams and be realistic even with details that keep getting in ur way:

Underground cellars/basements. No rly. They can be incredible cool even in summer or even if they're not too deep, and they've been used to ripen and store food such as wine or cheese or meat since ages. Cooling and freezing has been no new invention, we've been refrigerating food (where possible aka northern regions and those with real winters) since forever. The only difference is that it's more convenient nowadays.

Your food can't spoil if you let it rot deliberately aka fermenting. Whether it's fruits and vegetables, honey and grape wines, beer, cheese, or soy sauce. People have been using fermentation since ancient times to preserve foods. Remember Surströmming? The canned fish that smells incredibly bad? Yeah that's just fermented fish.

My personal fav: The burial method. Foods would be burried in dry soil (the deeper u go the cooler it gets) to protect from, well, the sun, but also and very importantly, pests and that stuff. Sometimes the food would also be tightly packed in salts or some marinades to infuse some flavour and to dry it out even better, it's a method still used today for food such as Graved Lachs (lit. buried salmon) a 'delicacy' and yeah shit tastes awesome actually I highly recommend trying it.

Can't have fermenting without pickling. Even ancient Romans loved pickles. Everyone knows that wine can turn into vinegar, and guess what they took advantage of. Also you can pickle pretty much everything. Fish, meat, fruits, veggies. It's edible? You can pickle it. And apparently people will.

Boiling stuff with sugar or honey, aka, making jams and jellies. Sugar can preserve food, and while they didn't have those cute lil glasses we do, they still very much enjoyed their jam. Ofc this was used primarily for sweeter foods. Strawberry jam has been used as a treat for God knows how long. You wouldn't believe how old some cake recipes really are.

Curing and smoking: a method we still very much use to this day to make sausages and prepare other sorts of meat and fish. People have ever since loved the smoke flavour and dangerous amounts of salt. Jerky is certainly no new invention.

Drying: yep. Grain, nuts, fruits, veggies. Lots of shit lasts nearly forever if its purposefully dried. Just make sure you don't screw it up and treat the not yet so dry produces carefully. Garlic ropes may keep out vampires but the biggest advantage is that it'll keep it from spoiling so fast.

And most importantly; the take only what you need approach. You need only 2 tomatoes? Only pluck 2 off the vine. You need meat 3 days from now? Well, only get it on the day you'll need it. You need bread today? Bake it today. People we're very conscious about their foods and what they needed. Doesn't hurt to leave the apple on the tree for one more day if it's not close to overripe already.

Now for the fun part, the random trivia regarding food;

Originally it was a woman's job to brew the beer

Beer can be used as food and it often was used as a cheap tavern food or in times of need

Island nations and coastal regions love to eat fresh, raw fish. A lot of culture from this region somehow includes raw fish in their cuisine for a plethora of reasons. Coastal people love their raw fish. Also algae. They do love algae too

Not a single hair on an animal was wasted. Hair = brushes, fat = soaps and cosmetics, blood = can be cooked and eaten. Blood sausages and all that stuff. Lamb's intestines were famously used as condoms. I meant it when I said everything.

The 'trash' meat aka scraps and very non tasty looking stuff was mixed with grain and fried in times where food was rare. Great source of protein and very filling.

Meat was expensive, so it was rare to come by and very much valued.

Normal middle/lower class people would often only eat the "good stuff" once a week or on special occasions.

During outbreaks of the pest and other illnesses even kids drank beer. Water was too dirty and contaminated.

In fact the primary drinks were wines, beers, ales all that stuff. Water had to be boiled first.

Pretty much everything that wasn't poisonous would be eaten by people. Wasting food really didn't happen a lot outside of the upper class.

Religion was heavily influenced by food. Meat will spoil very quickly in the deserts heat, a sober soldier fights better than a drunk one, fish is rare outside of coastal towns so it's expensive and rare, cows are much more useful if they're alive rather than dead, you took a life to feed yourself so be responsible about it, that kinda shit. Food influences religion. Has always done that.

Hope this helps or this is what u were looking for. I somehow crave Graved Lachs now so I shall hunt some in the supermarket or smth.

[randoimago]

Hi again! Shinji and Ryoji anon from earlier. And yes! Something about valentines for them, I couldn't think of a prompt, so I was hoping you'd think of one. I should've clarified very sorry !!

Fandom: Persona 3

Character(s): Shinjiro, Ryoji

Note(s): No worries! I was just a bit confused with how it was phrased 😅 let's see, as for what Valentine's related thing.... How about getting Reader chocolates, it's a classic and I feel like it'd be really cute with these two!

Ryoji

Ryoji did contemplate the idea of making chocolates for you, but then realized that he has hardly any experience cooking and the last thing he'd want is to poison you. So he decides buying them is safest.

He doesn't quite know what the best chocolates to get are. He can't remember if he likes a specific one over another. Does he eat chocolate himself? Who knows, but it looks yummy!

Probably goes for whichever has the nicest looking box. Because he is getting you a box, not just a candy bar. Might try getting those boxes that have all the weird chocolate with fruit-flavored stuff in the middle.

Shinjiro

He isn't as skilled with baking/making candy as he is with cooking veggies/meats/etc. But he'll still look into what he needs for chocolate.

Because sure, he can buy you some store bought chocolate (and he probably will if he sees some discounted), but he also wants to test his skills with making it.

I don't think he'd be secretive with what he's doing either. He'd just flat out ask you what kind of chocolates you like. The last thing he wants is to go through the effort and then find out you don't like whatever he made. Hell, he'd even let you taste test it throughout the process of him making the chocolates, but you don't get to eat the actual thing until he deems it done.

[sidewalkchemistry]

simple skincare tips!

🌼eat the foods that love you back. your skin is a direct mirror of your internal situation. if your digestive system is being bombarded often by foods that create a lot of wastes and residues, that does more harm than good. and so, the struggle to eliminate them will be reflected in your skin. your diet constitutes the vast majority of your skin health. change your meals to be whole food plant based (still delicious, satisfying, and exciting) & watch your skin glow and your skincare routine simplify.

🌼be conscious of what's going on your skin. the skin layers can be over-cleansed, imbalanced, and aggravated when the skin microbiome and pH are disrupted. if you wipe out the beneficial bacterial populations with harshly formulated products, you may find that you break out (i.e. harmful bacterial populations begin to thrive). use gentle, simple skin formulas such as castile soaps, natural oils & butters (i recommend jojoba oil for mostly everyone), natural soap bars, and clays. most commercial skin care products disturb the skin cells (introduce too much foreign material to the body, unsuitable pH ranges, imbalance the microbiome, etc). they sell because it's convention to buy them, the brands are well-known, and their sales pitches are enticing. but really, no cream or serum will ever be the magic potion your skin was asking for. it will only be a band-aid, at best. truly healthy skin comes from diet, and the products are just for any other necessary maintenance. if you get a pimple, you should look first to why the pimple emerged, not what treatment will remove it.

🌼keep your lymph flowing. simple ways to do this are through good lifestyle habits. things like doing exercise & sports you find fun, breathwork, dry brushing, eating lots of fruit, avoiding wearing bras & other tight clothing items, lymphatic massage/gua sha can all be helpful.

🌼focus on hydration via fresh fruits and veggies. the water within plant foods is more useable to your cells, and your skin will cease being overly oily or dry overtime (especially if you reduce/eliminate your salt & oil intake). it will also help to encourage lymphatic flow, so you can see problems like blemishes, cellulite, old scars diminish after great consistency.

🌼allow your skin to breathe. this is especially good if you spend time in stuffy (poorly ventilated) indoor environments, like offices, hospitals, planes, etc. one great way is via herbal facial steaming (i recommend it 3x a week or so). make a hot infusion of an aromatic tea, cover it and allow it to cool a few minutes, and, with closed eyes, allow the pores to open and receive the herbal medicine (this is a great time to meditate, manifest, and just feel pampered). getting more fresh air, working up a sweat, and going to a sauna are also ways to allow your skin to breathe.

🌼avoid steroid prescriptions creams at all costs. they are very deleterious to health in the long term, and they can be very painful to come off of. it's not a real fix. it's not worth hurting your kidneys & adrenals for. evaluate your diet instead. do you eat dairy? choose plant-based dairy options instead (they're simple to make yourself too). do you eat a lot of fats? try oil-free cooking methods instead (opt for sautéing with a bit of water, baking, steaming, air frying, etc). avoiding eating out as much.

🌼be aware of what you're putting in your hair as well. your shampoos, conditioner, leave-ins, gels, moisturizers, oils, serums, etc all tend to touch your face too, when your hair touches your face. if they wouldn't be good enough to put on your face, don't put them in your hair. a lot of the best skin cleansers are also suitable as shampoos. a lot of oils and butters can be used for both. plant-based gels like aloe vera or flax seed are simple to DIY, and are dual-use once again. basically, this will simplify your life.

🌼understand the water that runs through your pipes. if your shower and tap water are like most people's around the world, they aren't optimal for our skin. for example, they contain added chemicals to sanitize the water but that can prevent the proper microbiomes from developing on your skin. a weak skin microbiome is prone to skin issues. so, try to use distilled water on your face (if you're not able to get a water filter, a gallon jug at a store is affordable. they're about $1.30 USD in my area).

[604to647]

Safest with You - Ch. 6 (The Courtship, Din's POV)

4.3K / Modern AU Retired Mob Enforcer!Din Djarin x fem!reader

Summary: Din continues his courting ways.

Warnings: 18+ content (MDNI please), even though it's mostly Fluff, pet names (the usual: Pretty bird, sweetheart, etc.), a little bit of angst (Din struggles with his FEELINGS), mentions of parental loss, a wee bit of dirty talk.

A/N: I didn't switch to a second person narration for Din, but I still consider this to be his POV because we "follow" him this week. We get a little backstory on Din's past with the Fett Family, and come to understand Din and Paz's relationship a bit as well. Greef is mentioned! Thank you for reading!

Series Masterlist

The next morning, Din picks you up and takes you and the dog to a big farmer’s market just outside the city.  You walk hand in hand, weaving through the different stalls, lazily sampling baked goods and seasonal produce. Al receives his share of pets and samples as well, and the three of you look the epitome of contentment.  After a light lunch, Din loads your purchases into the truck; in addition to some fruits and veggies for your own pantry, you got everything you needed to make a spaghetti sauce from scratch, having offered to cook dinner for Din before your movie date tonight.

Although the original plan was for you to do the cooking at your place with Din meeting you there after work, Din finds himself no longer wanting to part from you, even if only for the afternoon.  He volunteers his own kitchen for cooking; with his apartment residing on the top floor of the gym’s building, he reasons that he can help you while easily popping downstairs periodically for work.

Putting one hand on your hip, you tilt your head and tease, “You know, this is sending mixed signals.”

“Hmm?” Din’s eyes widen in innocence.

“We agree to take things slow, and now you’re luring me back to your place?”

Din knows you’re only teasing, but looking down at your playful expression, he also knows that you don’t know the real reason he’s been hesitant to take the next step with you.  Din’s insistence that you take things slow has nothing to do with any type of antiquated feelings about sex or so-called propriety, and everything to do with a deeply rooted concern that he doesn’t deserve you.  Since he met you at the coffeeshop, you’ve been his own personal ray of sunshine; brightening his world with your sweet nature and calming presence.  But what is he bringing to your life?  He knows that you think of him as caring and considerate, traits that he loves about you and it fills him with pride that you see those qualities in him as well. 

Does he deserve to be held in your high esteem?

Would you still be unafraid of him if you knew the brutality he’s capable of inflicting, inside and outside in the ring?  Would you still feel safe around him if you knew how many men he’s sent to the hospital?  Din’s proud of the man he is, and he wakes up every day doing his best to be a good person.  You deserve someone who’s good, and he wants to be good enough for you.  He would like to have earned your affections, his place next to you, so that you never look at him differently than the way you do now.   This time he’s spending courting you, it’s for you to get to know this him.  Not the fighter, not the enforcer, but a man who is kind, loyal, compassionate and gentle.  He wants you to know this man and to choose him. 

Although you can’t read his thoughts, you soften, “Hey, I’m just messing with you, Din.  You’re being so sweet, and it makes me happy.  Honestly.” You bring your hand up to Din’s cheek and he immediately leans into it before turning into your palm and giving it a gentle kiss.  His own palms now flat against the car, caging you in and causing your back to press up against the door, Din says in a low voice only you can hear, “You won’t think I’m so sweet when I finally take you to bed and take you apart, pretty bird.”

His voice is so intoxicating you nearly whimper, “That’s a heavy promise, Djarin.”

“I plan on delivering,” he murmurs against your lips, kissing you long and slow against the car, leaving you breathless when he goes to open your door for you.

---

When you arrive back at the gym, Din shows you an entrance on the very right-hand side of the building that you hadn’t noticed before.  The door unlocks to a long flight of stairs that you and Al climb, with Din bringing up the rear and all your farmer’s market bags.  On a small landing a little past half way, there is a door on your left with a small window; you peek through and see that it leads to the second floor loft of the gym where Din’s office is located.  He wasn’t kidding when he said he could easily pop downstairs for work, you realize, amused.

Reaching the top floor, you step aside for Din to pass and unlock his front door.  He holds it open for you to go in first; you walk in, barely concealing your curiosity.  The space is huge, which is no surprise considering the apartment takes up the entire floor; you step into an open living area, homey and lived in with a big comfy couch and several arm chairs, all pointed at large television.  Both walls flanking this space are lined with bookshelves reaching from floor to ceiling, running the length of the large room.  The shelves are filled with books, boxing trophies, knickknacks, and various mementos, including several framed photos of people with smiling faces.  Walking towards where you can see the kitchen behind a partition wall, you grin as you recognize photos of Din at various ages with an older man that must have been his father.  Just left of the dining nook that rests below a cut-out window that looks into the kitchen, there are some closed doors and the start of a hallway that must run back down the length of the apartment; you figure out that the bedrooms must be at the front of the apartment, overlooking the street.  You imagine Din growing up in this space, and remembering what Din has told you about his childhood, you're satisfied that this must have been a good home to the Djarin men.

Din watches you take in your surroundings; this place holds many memories for him, of his childhood and his father.  Moving back in when dad got sick had been an adjustment, but Din is glad he did it – while the last few years together may have been difficult, Din would not have traded them for the world. The bond between father and son had never been stronger than in those last years, and because of it, those years had been joyous in their own way.  You’re the first new person to enter this space in a long time, and he wonders what you see, no longer trusting his own eyes.

You turn to Din, “I love it,” you say, beaming, and Din knows that you mean that you love more than just the physical space or layout.  He sweeps you in his arms and kisses you warmly, silently conveying: thank you.

Cooking together is more fun that Din could have imagined.  You’re a bundle of energy in the kitchen, putting your methodical mind to good use and assigning him tasks to help with the recipe you’ve memorized, all while chattering away and learning the lay of his kitchen.  You poke around mischievously looking for everything and Din grins as he watches you putter around; he has a feeling you’re opening more drawers and cabinets than necessary, more to satisfy your own natural curiosity than actually searching for tools and ingredients. Smartly, he feels, he gives you free rein of the space and also choice over what music to play over the kitchen speakers.  He doesn’t know all the songs you put on, but the way you’re enjoying yourself, bopping around him and moving your body to the beat, has him winding his arms around your waist and swaying along even to the ones he doesn’t know.  The carrots are chopped, the onions are diced, the wine is reduced, all while you and Din kiss and dance.  Sometimes Al will join in for a particularly upbeat number, but mainly concerns himself with nosing for food offerings.  Din’s kitchen is coming alive in a way that he had nearly forgotten it could, and he feels invigorated.

He leaves you looking through his spices with a concentrated look on your face to go downstairs to the gym.  Greef will be coming in a few hours to take over the floor, and until then, Din has a bit of paper work to finish off; he does so from a bench seat he takes on the main floor, overseeing the usual Saturday crowd.  Paz comes by while Din’s finishing up some forms, hair wet from the showers after his workout.

Embracing as is their customary greeting, Paz checks in, “Hey brother. Glad I caught you.  Something I might need your help with next week.  You got some time to chat now?”

Here goes nothing, Din thinks, “Can’t, Paz. I’m actually… on a date right now.  She’s upstairs cooking.”

Paz raises his eyebrows in surprise.  He knows how private of a person Din is, and especially how protective he is of the memories of his late father in their space; for Din to let you in and leave you alone in the apartment… you must be special, “New girl?  Huh.  No wonder Brian and the guys have been saying you’ve been less of a grump lately.”

“Wha-“ Din is cut off from looking around the room for the young boxer when Paz jokingly punches him in the shoulder.

“So… when do I get to meet her?” Paz asks, expectantly.

“I’m thinking of bringing her to the fight next Saturday.”

“Perfect.  Can’t wait to introduce myself to her… ‘bout time she meets a real Mando,” Paz laughs.

“Wouldn’t want you to strain yourself, Vizsla. She uses big words,” quips Din, easily dodging Paz’s cross-cut.  The two friends play box for another minute before Paz claps Din on the back, “Happy for you, brother.”

Din knows he is.  The two make plans to meet up for an early lunch tomorrow to go over what Paz needs.  When Paz is gone, Din looks up to the ceiling, as if looking through to where you are in the apartment above, and thinks about you meeting his friends.  Meet “a real Mando” Paz had said – Din grins at the childhood “club name” that had been given to their group of friends, naming the tightknit group of kids after the gym where they all hung out.  Of course, after getting older, most of group had gone to work for Boba Fett as muscle, security, some times both; it was in that capacity, as a unit, the Mandos had carved out a reputation for being an effective and elite strike team.  Everyone in the neighbourhood knew that messing with the Mandos or having the Mandos sent after you was a fate most preferably avoided. 

Was he proud of this moniker and his association with it?  The truth was, yes – Boba and Din’s dad had grown up together, friends until the end; Boba’s family was Din’s family, and vice versa.  There is nothing Din wouldn’t do for the Fetts, and anything he had ever done, however morally grey, he had done with conviction and would do again in a heartbeat if it meant helping his family.  Din’s commitment and loyalty to his friends and family were his creed, steadfast and unwavering.  His thoughts drift back to you: Would you understand?

He remembers the hurt you tried to hide from him yesterday when you very honestly confessed that you thought he might not be wanting you.  Without a doubt he does, but once again, Din wrestles with needing to feel he deserves you; that he deserves the way you want him.  Din is not ashamed of who he is or what he’s done, but he can’t quite reconcile how that man is upstanding enough to deserve someone like you.  And he would like to be deserving of you.  You don’t deserve anything less. 

As Din climbs the stairs to his apartment, he realizes how hard he’s fallen for you in such a short amount of time; just being away from you for a little over an hour has him missing you terribly, and he’s glad that he suggested the change of plans and invited you into his little home.

What he is not prepared for is the scene laid out before him as he enters the apartment; you, so beautiful and relaxed, the picture of comfort curled up on his couch with the dog, reading a book you had pulled off his shelf.  This picture of domesticity make his pulse quicken and ache for you in an entirely different way than the pure lust he has felt for you every night this past week.  You look up with a sweet smile, “The sauce needs to simmer.”

Din comes over and you make room for him on the couch, curling up close when he sits.  You discuss the books you found on his shelf, and later you joke that you were either going to rifle through the bookshelves or his medicine cabinet.  As the two of you talk, even in this close proximity, Din can’t help but make the point to always be touching you.  Your hair, your hands, your face, your entire being is soft and delicate, though not breakable, and so, so precious and enticing to him.  Quiet conversation coupled with looks of longing and gentle touches lead to lazy and languid kisses that seem to stretch out the afternoon.  There’s nothing urgent about today.  Din feels your body relax in his arms, soothed; looking at you, he can tell your eyes are closed not just from pleasure, but that you’re genuinely tired, “Pretty bird, do you want to take a nap?”

“I can’t take a nap in the middle of a date.  It’s rude,” you reply, eyes still closed.

“You’ve had an exhausting week.  You need sleep.”  Din isn’t wrong, and you hardly need any more convincing, already half asleep.

You feel Din getting up from his seat and place your hand on his wrist so he’ll look at you, “Please set an alarm for an hour on my phone?  Need to check on the sauce.” 

Stroking your hair gently, Din reassures you, “Okay.  I’ll go back to work and let you nap.  I’ll lock the door, okay?  You’re safe here, pretty bird.  I’ll be just downstairs if you need anything.”

Din covers you with a blanket, and after pulling a separate blanket over the dog, gets ready to head to the gym.  He leans over you, pressing his lips to yours lightly, “You know, it’s also pretty rude to leave your date to go to work.”

“We’re both so rude,” you yawn.

“Yup.  The worst,” Din kisses you softly, “Perfect for each other.”

“Mmmhmmm,” you hum before drifting off into a deep sleep.

---

You wake, not to your alarm, but to a delicious and aromatic smell filling the apartment.  You sit up and stretch, looking around.  Some time during the nap, Al has rolled over onto his back, exposing his stomach and shooting all four legs straight up in the air – really making himself at home on Din’s couch; you’re scratching Al’s stomach when you see Din stirring the sauce and call softly to him.  He comes over and leans over the back of the couch; brushing your hair out of your face, he kisses you gently.

“You let me sleep?”

“I did.  Couldn’t bear to wake you, you looked so peaceful.  Your snores are very cute, you know?”

You bury your face in your hands, “Oh noooooo… I snore?”

“Like an adorable kitten.”

It’s been a while since any one has been in a position to let you know, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.  Doesn’t bother me.  I don’t plan on getting much sleep around you, in any case,” he winks, as he walks back to the kitchen.

Din hasn’t just stirred the sauce, he’s made the rest of dinner already; you’re impressed and grateful and you make sure to let him know.   After you help set the table, the two of you enjoy a wonderful early dinner together.  A quick clean-up later, you drop Al off at home to have his own dinner, then you and Din head out to the movie.

Din doesn’t even remember what the movie is about, but he remembers the way you put up the middle partition and curl up in your seat and into his side, making it easy for him to comfortably drape his arm around you.  A little more than an hour through the movie, when the male and female leads are barreling towards a misunderstanding, Din looks down to see you watching him instead of the screen and he leans down to kiss you, somehow not stopping until the lights turn on in the theatre.

---

After the dog has been properly walked, and more long, soft kisses dispensed, you tell Din, “That was my favourite of our dates.”

“We’ve only had two.”

“I know, and this one is my favourite one so far.”  And you mean it.

Tonight’s kisses mirror those of the afternoon; lazy, slow, sweet.  Din sends you upstairs with the promise that the dates are only going to get better from here on out.

Sunday morning, Din receives a video call from your brunch: a cheerful, and somewhat chaotic video of you and your friends who apparently want to thank him for the books he bought them.  The one named Katie, utters an innuendo that has you blushing a deep shade of crimson before quickly ending the call.  You and your friends are adorable peas in a pod, Din thinks.

He’s still chuckling as he sits down to his own meal with Paz.  Meeting at their usual table in a restaurant frequented by Fett family members, Din looks across to Paz who is perusing the menu, pretending he isn’t going to order the same thing he’s ordered every time since they started eating here when they were teenagers.  Friends since childhood and both embraced by the Fett family, Din and Paz Vizsla have been running around the streets, starting and then later stopping trouble since they had training wheels on their bikes.  Both had gotten into youth boxing at Mando’s gym, but while Din boxed all the way through college, Paz had gone straight to work for Boba after junior high.  Of the two men, Din had always had the more strategic mind, rising faster in the Fett organization than others, and eventually becoming Boba’s lead enforcer; but Din was ever cognizant that his success and how tightly he ran the Fett family security could not have been possible without his friend and right hand man, Paz.  When Din had stepped back from the organization, Paz was the natural choice to be Din’s replacement.  The two men remained close as ever; there was no one with whom Din trusted his life more than Paz, and the feeling was returned, ten-fold.

As he had already explained to you, once in a while, Paz would ask for Din’s help with Fett family business, be it strategizing and brainstorming a mission plan, reviewing proposed tactics, or occasionally, coming out into the field with the team again.  There were simply times where Paz just ultimately felt better if Din was involved, and Din could not and would never deny his brother assistance.  Looks like this upcoming week would be one of those times.  Paz’s strength and authority has always come from his formidable presence and his capacity for brute force, but Boba currently needs some intel on a target that would come easier via surveillance rather than intimidation.  Over lunch, Din and Paz map out a plan and team assignments, including a few shifts that make the most sense if Din is on site.  By the end of the planning session, Din knows that this week, he will be the one having long work hours; between his surveillance work with Paz and his responsibilities at the gym, your third date would have to wait.

He lets you in on his disappointment that night during the dog walk, which has now been cemented as part of your daily routine.  As expected, you’re understanding and reasonably curious, but easily placated with Din’s promise to still come by every night to walk Al with you.

Monday through Thursday have Din burning the candle at both ends.  He finds himself being infinitely appreciative for having an excellent head boxing trainer in Greef Karga who competently doubles as a floor manager.  Several of the gym staff and boxers also work for Paz and Boba, so Din is not the only one pulling double duty this week – everyone knows what it means to do their part. Most nights, Din leaves Paz and the team late in the evening and comes straight to see you.

He's tired on these nights, but you’re always a sight for his exhausted eyes; you take to bringing him a little sweet treat each night, aware that he needs an extra pick me up these days. Regardless of what he sees or has to deal with during the day, Din is content when he ends the night in the softness of your embrace; with you in his arms, your lips on his.

By Friday, everything has wrapped up on the security end, but Din ends up having to work late at the gym to catch up on some accounting admin he had pushed back; happy to turn the tables on him, you bring him dinner when it’s obvious he might forget to eat.

When you see him hunched over, squinting at a spreadsheet for 5 minutes straight, you offer to take a look, helping yourself to a makeshift seat in his lap.  Within 10 minutes you’ve whipped him up a new template that rolls over month-to-month, and calculates the information needed with less than a third of the monthly inputs Din was typing in before.  With your encouragement, he finishes his reports speedily, while you go back to eating dinner.  Coming over to the mini couch in his office that you’ve been lounging on, Din flops down and pulls you close so your legs lay over his, “Are you a wizard?”

You laugh, “I like spreadsheets.”

“I don’t.  I don’t think I really like any technology.  Can’t trust it,” grimaces Din.

“I figured, old man.  Is that why you don’t have any socials?”

“Any what?” Din gives you a confused look.

Confession time.  “Social Media.  The girls and I tried to find you online that night after I ran into you at the bookstore!  Nothing.”

“I might have an old Facebook?  Don’t remember the login,” Din muses, face scrunching up as if the idea of inadvertently having an online presence gives him a headache.

You roll your eyes and climb over Din’s lap, straddling him, “Good thing you’re so pretty.”

Din raises his brow, “Oh yeah?  I’m the pretty one?”

“Oh yes.  These brown eyes are so pretty. And these crinkles around your pretty eyes when you smile are so, so pretty.  Beard is so pretty, too.  This is my favourite part, this little spot right here that looks like a little heart, it’s the prettiest.”  You press a deep kiss to his jaw in the middle of the patchy spot on his left side and breath in deeply, humming contently before resting your head on Din’s shoulder.

“Didn’t realize you think so much about me, sweet girl.”

You face Din again, closing your eyes and leaning in to find his mouth already waiting for yours and murmur low, between kisses, “Mmmmhmmmm.  Think about you all the time, Din.  When I wake up, in the shower, at work, at home in bed.  Especially when I’m in bed.  I think about you a lot in bed.”

Din’s hands start to wander, creeping under your shirt and gripping your bare waist, fingers dipping into the waistband of your leggings, “What you do you think about, when you think about me in bed, sweetheart?”

The kisses are getting a little sloppier as you grind down gently, rhythmically; you answer in shallow, gasping breaths, “I think about you on top of me, baby.  I think about you getting a little rough with me and positioning me any way you want.  I think about your hands and how they would feel touching every inch of me, pulling my hair, squeezing around my nec-“

“Pretty bird, I think I should take you home now or I’m not going to be able to control myself.” Din cuts you off abruptly, a dark look in his eyes.

Shy under his intense gaze, you nod and agree.

---

Having had the car ride to your place and the dog walk to calm down, you now rest comfortably in Din’s arms, playing with his hair while looking deep into his eyes between sweet, lingering kisses.  Din opens his mouth to yours, again and again, lazily chasing your tongue with his own, “I’m looking forward to our date tomorrow, pretty bird.”

You sigh, “Me too! I don’t know what to wear though.  I’ve never been to a boxing match before.”

“I’m sure you’ll look perfect.” Din leans down and whispers, “Wear something I can take off easily.”

You can’t help the small whine that escapes your lips when you take in his words.  Din chuckles, “You tease me all the time, pretty bird. You think I can’t tease you back?”  Finding his boyish grin irresistible, you pull him in for a string of hungry and passionate kisses that leave the both you panting and you warm with arousal.  You aren’t even being cheeky when you whisper to Din, “I’m going to go to bed to think about you now,” before turning to head in, leaving Din looking and feeling completely transfixed.

[bug-bites]

LET THEM COOK!

tw: none! just pure fluff :]

pairings: task force 141 x gn!reader (can be either platonic or romantic)

summary: cooking with tf-141 heacanons :3

characters: simon "ghost" riley, john "soap" mactavish, john price, kyle "gaz" garrick, and gary "roach" sanderson

notes: first batch of headcanons yurrrr 🗣️‼️💯 (sorry if they're a bit ooc im abt to eep :P)

john price

he's a cook from the heart type of guy and it always turns out (surprisingly) really good

most of the recipes he has memorized are probably comfort meals or hangover cures

this man is so well meaning, standing behind you and helping you with every damn thing no matter how small the task. he does the thing where he holds your hand when you're chopping anything with a knife or stirring and guides you. it gets a bit overbearing but he's trying his to help

probably acts like you have never seen an oven/stovetop before and is constantly reminding you its hot as if thats not the whole point of it

he likes playing music while he cooks with you (most likely a shared playlist between the both of you) he likes humming along to it and he likes it even more when he can hear you hum along with him

the meal he defaults to making with you is probably chicken pot pie that tastes just like home

kyle "gaz" garrick

this man can BAKE. cake? muffins? cookies? he's got a recipe for it and you bet your ass its a damn good recipe.

he probably enjoys having the great british bake off in the background while he cooks

out of all the guys in TF-141, gaz is probably the one you should trust the most in there with you. when its the two of you in the kitchen not only do you get things done efficiently, it ends up being super fun with minimal chaos!

you definitely made each other those super cute lunchbox cakes for each other at one point

as much as he loves trying new recipes with you, making strawberry rhubarb pie from scratch with you is one he will always default to. he prefers his slice with a side of whipped cream <3

john "soap" mactavish

i dont think any of the guys are completely incompetent in the kitchen, when left alone in a kitchen soap could probably make a pretty good meal. emphasis on him alone in the kitchen

but when it is you two in the kitchen it will take a lot longer than expected or go to shit (but will still be edible!)

gets into flour fights with you even if the recipe doesn't call for any. he just grabs it out the pantry and WHAPOW it looks like the pillsbury dough boy just fucking exploded

he also keeps eating things he's not supposed to. raw cookie dough, batter, straight up flour, etc he probably took a bite or two for "taste testing purposes" of course. he's lucky he's got an iron stomach because if his immune system was even the tiniest bit weaker food poisoning would be beating his ass

one thing that you would enjoy making together would probably be crème brûlée. of course he get the honors of the little blowtorch part but you could get away with doing a few if you ask very nicely

gary "roach" sanderson

he takes the smaller tasks like chopping things up, washing fruits and veggies, or keeping the countertops organized and he does a really good job at whatever small task you give him

ask him to slice something up for you and trust they will be in the most perfect even slices you have ever seen in your life

if you're baking together he would love watching whatever delicious creation you made together rise in the oven. he likes just sitting criss cross applesauce on the floor, feeling the warmth radiating from the oven as he watches the baked goods cook. the first time he did this you didn't realize he was just sitting on the floor so you tripped over him

your go-to thing to make together is definitely chocolate chip cookies. roach likes putting small designs on top with chocolate chips like hearts, smiley faces, or just cuss words because he's silly like that

they come out really good but if you share with someone else make sure you don't hand them one that says "dick" in all capital letters

simon "ghost" riley

he has all the measurements with him and a scale to measure ingredients so you think he's precise and it will be all fine right? wrong. sure he measures his ingredients but if he goes over he probably doesn't try to fix it. ghost is the type of guy to shrug it off and adds it to the bowl anyways. to him measurements are suggestions

this bitch doesnt level his measuring cups

this usually goes well for cooking but for baking not so much

has forgotten to add in seasonings on a number of occasions so right before you put it in the oven you have to do a whole checklist to make sure that everything that should be in there is actually in there

favorite thing to make together is probably pesto pasta. most of it is measured by heart which he definitely appreciates and also less dishes to wash!

[foodandfolklore]

Tools and Ingredients to keep on hand; Kitchen Witchcraft Elevated Pt.1

I'm just going to say now this is just my opinion. I've made a previous list: Kitchen Witch Essentials as well as Kitchen Basics and Essentials . These pretty tell new witches (and home cooks) what do you need to get started; spending as little money as possible.

But I've wanted to expand on this because, this is no where near all I use. So if you're just starting out, check out the first two lists first. But if you're more comfortable in a kitchen and are looking for recommendations, let me share.

Tools

Stick Blender

Also called an emersion blender. I use this for so many things from soups to sauces to smoothies. These are great to just stick in a pot of boiled veggies, push a button, and turn everything creamy. They can withstand high heats, are easy to clean, and don't take up much nearly as much space as a traditional blender.

Whisk

As much as I love my wooden spoon, it can't do everything. Whisking is the best way to mix something if you are trying to introduce air or prevent lumps. Metal is my preferred material. Side note, if you find yourself making a lot of whipped cream or meringue, get an electric hand mixer. I only use mine like once every 3 or 4 months but I'm so happy when it's there.

Silicone Spatula

Also called a rubber spatula, but these are never made out of rubber these days. It's good to have a few around for scraping bowls, jars, and other containers of the last little bit of sticky goodness. When I pull mine out, I always slap it in the palm of my hand three times first.

Chopsticks

I use these SO often, they've almost become my new wooden spoon. They're great for stirring things in jars since they're long and skinny. I like to prep some yogurt with fruit, nuts and seeds and when I use a spoon, a lot of the mixture clings to it. Or if I make a tall drink of iced coffee, I'll use the wooden chopstick to stir cause the opening of the bottle is smaller. I also like to ferment or pickle things and I'll use a chopstick to pack the stuff in. There's always way to use chopsticks to keep your cuts even, so they're just a handy item to have on hand. Plus, it's the best way to eat ramen.

Cooking Scissors

These are Scissors you use just on food. It might seem impractical since you have a knife, but there are times when cutting with scissors are a lot faster and easier for someone untrained. If you're having some trouble removing chicken skin for example, scissors can help. I like to cut green onions. But it's also good for a more ritualistic sense. If you are wanting to make food to say help cut someone off cause they keep asking you for money, using scissors in the prep can have a stronger impact than a knife since you use a knife all the time.

Cheese Cloth/Fine Mesh Strainers

Strainers are just helpful in general in general cooking. I grew up with a colander which helps you drain pasta. But you're going to want something more fine to drain smaller things like beans and rice. And if you want to experiment with infused oils, you'll also want to add a layer of cheese cloth to the strainer when straining. Cheese cloth can also be handy for a few other things. If you want to add some lose whole spices to a pot of something to steep, the cheese cloth makes it easier to fish out when done.

Tea Pot with Infuser

A tea pot with a built in strainer is so helpful. It not only allows you to make lose leaf and herbal teas. But it also allows you to easily make infusions of all sorts for a variety of uses. Lemon peel steeped in hot water is my go to for a cleansing spray. Just make sure the infuser/strainer can be easily removed and cleaned.

Digital Scale

Even though I don't Bake a ton, I still use this a lot. See, Cup sizes actually vary from country to country. It's not standard world wide. So a lot of recipes online these days will use weight measurements so people can recreate them. If it's just one ingredient, yeah you can look up the conversion. But if it's all 12; it's easier to pull out the scale.

Okay, I don't wanna overload ya; and my squirrel brain is kicking in. I'll make a part 2 later.

[mariacallous]

I come from a family of enthusiastic and capable cooks, and plov was my father’s signature dish. As the child of Soviet refugees, I grew up eating many beloved dishes from Ukraine. Plov was a special-occasion meal; my father would painstakingly prepare lamb or beef, allowing it to simmer until tender before combining it with rice in a single pot. Piled onto a platter, he garnished the dish with a shower of freshly chopped cilantro — his own signature aromatic touch. 

Plov is an Uzbek rice pilaf that originated in the Bukharian Jewish community. When Mizrahi Jews migrated to Central Asia during the Persian Empire, they formed a culture with their own culinary customs as well as a distinctive Persian dialect, “Bukhori.” Plov is a play on the rice pilafs of Persia, and the Bukharian dish was eventually popularized in the Russian Empire by Alexander the Great. 

Plov remains a popular dish across the former Soviet Union, where there are many forms and iterations depending on the region and cook. Traditionally it’s made with lamb, carrots and onions but you’ll frequently find versions with beef or chicken, often studded with dried fruit. Like my father, I love to make plov with tender cubes of beef or lamb for special occasions. During the High Holidays, I add turmeric for a sunny hue, pops of apricot and currant for added celebratory sweetness, and an enlivening handful of chopped herbs. I finish the plov off with ample jewel-like pomegranate seeds for their tartness and joyful crimson color. 

While plov involves a few steps to prepare and some time in the oven, the dish satisfyingly comes together in a single pot to form a complete meal. What emerges is aromatic golden rice with tender pieces of subtly spiced meat, along with sweet and tart bites of veggies and fruit. The play of colors and textures is a regal addition to any table, or in this case, a welcome start to a royal new year ahead.

Notes: 

Plov can be made ahead of time and frozen (without garnishes). Allow the plov to fully cool, then place in freezer bags or in an airtight container. When you’re ready to serve, transfer to a foil-covered baking dish and reheat at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, or until fully warmed through. The meat will be slightly drier when reheated, but still tender. You can also reheat this in a microwave if desired.

If you prefer lamb, you can swap it for the beef sirloin in this recipe.

[rendy-a]

I already sent in a few requests but then you had to open up the househusband can of worms, huh? 😭 /lh /pos

General headcanons for Trey, Ruggie, Azul, and Jade as househusbands please? 👉️👈️ I'm so soft for these boys I know I'm gonna brainrot so hard for them if you do this already. Thank you in advance if you do this!

I’ve got a separate request for just Ruggie, so we will look at him deeper there.  For now, thanks for requesting.  Let’s all househusband brainrot together!

Trey is a pro at being a househusband.  Perhaps it is because he is oldest of all his siblings, but he just has a knack of knowing how to take care of others.  If you need someone to encourage you to go for that promotion at work, he is your guy.  Someone to cheer you up after a string of stormy days, he is your guy.  Really, all the little things he does just makes you grateful that he is your guy!

Baking is his superpower.  You fondly recall your first cooking experience with your husband, making a chestnut tart in the school’s kitchen.  Since then, you’ve had plenty of reasons to be thankful for your spouse’s amazing baking abilities.  Nothing cheers you up faster than one of the sweet treats your spouse serves you after a particularly long day.  Plus, like any superhero, he goes about in proper costume.  You know Trey has aprons that match each of his signature hats.   He really gets that domestic vibe when he rolls up his sleeves and dons that apron to work in the kitchen.

Date night?  No thank you.  With Trey, its all about date mornings.  Why morning?  That’s when you can go out and find the best produce.  You love accompanying your spouse to farmer’s markets to look for seasonal produce.  He gets so excited when he can share some facts with you about the fruit and veggies; like how to tell when things are ripe or some interesting ways they could be prepared.  If you have a few days to get away, you might even take a vacation to an area where there are interesting ingredients to be found.  He still talks fondly about your honeymoon to the Scalding Sands and the spices he brought back with him.  Maybe for your next anniversary…

You finish your dinner with a satisfied sigh, setting your fork down on the plate.  “Another marvelous creation, dear,” you say with a smile.  He gives you a bashful look and adjusts his glasses.  “I’m glad to hear you approve.”  He stands and comes to collect your plate and you just wave him away before picking it up and following him into the kitchen.  He gets a small grin on his face as he slides over to give you space at the sink.  He would never ask it of you, but you know how much he enjoys your company as you wash the dishes together.  He will wash and you can dry. 

After the dishes are done, you’ll both go get into your cozy clothes and head to the couch for movie night.  Your nightly tradition is to watch sappy, predictable romance movies.  It gives you background while you catch up on each other’s day.  “And so, I told Cater I was sure no one would notice,” Trey finishes his story as you both laugh about your old schoolmate’s antics.  You snuggle deeper into his embrace as you rub lazy circles on his forearm.  “So, then what happened?” you prompt.

When the movie is over, Trey places a kiss on the top of your head and asks if you are ready for bed.  “Hmm,” you hum in gentle agreement.  He helps you to your feet and you go off to brush your teeth before bed while Trey stays behind to turn off the TV and fold the blanket you had been using on the couch.  When he finally makes it to the bedroom, he asks if you remembered to brush thoroughly.  “Tops and bottoms?” he chides.  “Yes,” you reply.  “And floss?” he verifies.  “Of course,” you say.  “Did you choose the mint or cinnamon toothpaste?” he enquires.  You turn to him, “Why don’t you come over here and find out?”  He flashes his own perfect smile at you, “Well I guess I’m not that tired after all.”

If Azul is going to be a househusband, then he resolves to be the best househusband.  He reads magazines and does internet research on the standards of keeping an impressive home.  Soon your humble dwelling is looking like it belongs in a magazine.  If you tell him how impressive it is, he will act like it is no big deal but the pink along his cheeks says otherwise.

He manages the household budget like a pro.  He may no longer be the lounge manager he once was but that doesn’t mean he has lost his business savvy.  He negotiates with shop keepers like a frugal old woman, finding you discounts and deals everywhere.  If funds end up getting a little tight, he might even look for a small amount of side business.  He won’t let you find out (he wants you to feel like you are supporting this household!), but what you don’t know can’t hurt you.  Azul and Jade call it their “book club” and you don’t suspect a thing; you just think it’s great he is keeping in touch with old friends.

He is used to working alone but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get lonely.  Sometimes, Azul needs a boost to get him through the day.  Leave him cute notes to find as he does his chores.  It gives him something to look forward to as he goes about his schedule and reminds him that he is no longer alone.  If he is particularly touched by one of the messages you leave, you’ll know when you get home.  He will be even more enthusiastic with your welcome home greeting, reminding you that no one gives hugs like an octopus can.

When the power went off at your office, you decided to take the afternoon off.  Its not like there was a way to keep working, after all!  You smile as you think about the surprise your husband will have when you get home early.  When you arrive, you quietly open the door and tip-toe into the dining room.  You are shocked to find Azul quietly sobbing over a pile of feathers and a hot glue gun.  A home décor magazine is propped up for reference on whatever project he is attempting.  “Why is it so damned hard to glue feathers to this stupid piece of cardboard?” Azul laments to himself.  You think this is not the day to surprise your spouse after all and slowly slink back out the front door.

A few hours later, you message Azul not to make dinner; that you’ll be bringing something home.  You arrive home (for the second time) at your usual hour.  Azul opens the door for you and takes the bag of fried chicken you’ve brought with you.  He raises an eyebrow at you, “Did you have a bad day, dear?”  You look at him guiltily, “Ah, well…I just thought we could both use a treat now and again.”  He hums in agreement and leads you to the table. 

“What’s that?  Is it new?” you ask examining the feather bedecked centerpiece on the table.  “Oh, that little thing?” Azul says. “Its something I saw in a magazine.  Can you believe they wanted 100 madol for that?  I thought I’d make one myself for a quarter of that price.”  You try to keep a straight face as you say, “Well it certainly turned out nice.  I hope it didn’t give you too much trouble.”  Azul makes an expressive hand gesture as he shrugs, “Of course it didn’t.  I’m easily capable of this much and more.”  You slip an arm around him and give him a kiss on the cheek, “How lucky I am to have such a talented spouse.” 

Home sweet home is not exactly the sentiment you get when you walk into the house curated by Jade.  The décor is simple and modern but has almost a sterile feel to it.  There is one exception and that is plants.  Jade keeps a wide assortment of terrariums and house plants in every room of the house.  They bring life to what might otherwise be a dreary space.  Jade gives his plants names and lavishes attention on them, similar to how many people treat their pets.  Sometimes you get jealous of the plants but that only amuses Jade.  “Fufufu.  Don’t worry, darling.  Petunia isn’t half as striking as you.”

Jade has spent many years honing his sense of observation and attention to detail.  This allows him to run a most efficient household.  He is like your own personal butler, there to attend to your each and every need.  Sometimes, he will satisfy your needs before you even know what those are yourself.  You come home from a long day and notice there are new scented bath salts waiting by a steaming tub and let a warm smile cross your face.  He always knows just what you need.

While Jade is used to using his skills as a butler-type to perform an exceptional job, what he is not used to is being appreciated for it.  You make sure to find at least one small thing he has done for you each day and let him know how much it means to you.  He doesn’t outwardly show that your small thanks have impacted him but afterwards, he goes about his day with a slight spring in his step.  You also notice the things you praise him for get done a lot more frequently.  You think it is Jade asking for your attention, in his own way.

It started with a sneeze.  You’d never heard your spouse so much as sniffle before.  You assumed he had some mer thing that made him impervious to human sicknesses, like the common cold.  However, that one small sneeze would prove you wrong.  Before the day was out, Jade’s complexion had taken on a sallow tone and his checks were rouged with a feverish look.  “Hey sweetheart, are you feeling alright?” you asked him with concern.  He places his hand over his chest and gives you a slight bow as he says, “I assure you I am perfectly capable of continuing with my daily activities.  You needn’t worry about the quality of my work.” 

You sigh at your spouse’s comment.  “Jade, I’m not concerned about your work, I’m concerned about you!  Come here,” you say as you give him a come-hither motion.  When he arrives at your side, you place your hand on his forehead to feel his temperature.  It didn’t feel warm.  He smiles at you, amused at your action.  “Well, do I feel warm?”  You harrumph at him.  “No, but we both know you are cold-blooded, so that doesn’t mean a thing.”  His amused smile widens, an indication he is pleased you’ve realized your error.  “Regardless!  I know you Jade, and I know that you aren’t your usual self.  Take a rest.  If not for yourself, then for me.”

He looks at you, considering his options.  “Very well, dearest.  I suppose I can shuffle my tasks around enough to allow for a short rest.”  You pat yourself on the back for having successfully bargained with your sly spouse and hurry him off to bed.  So, he thinks he’ll be doing chores later; even though he is sick?  Not if you can help it!  With that, you roll up your sleeves and set to work on the household tasks.  Jade is a very organized househusband, keeping a list of tasks written in his neat script pinned to a corkboard in the kitchen.  You start with task four, tasks one through three having been already completed by Jade, which is doing some cooking prep work to get ready for tomorrow’s lunch. 

By the time you are at task six out of ten, you are fatigued.  How does Jade do this every day?  You have a small dish of ice cream to cheer yourself up before jumping back in.  There is no way you’ll allow your sick spouse to lift one more finger today.  Seven, eight, nine… you were nearly done.  You’ve acquired a lovely blister from using the broom and a renewed sense of appreciation for all Jade does.  The last task is folding the laundry, which you do with eyes drooping from exhaustion.  Then you grab the folded cloths and begin to stow them away in their respective places.  When you quietly open the door to your bedroom to put away some socks, the light from the hallway causes Jade to open his eyes. 

“My, my,” he says in a sleep addled voice, “how surprising.  I’ve slept until nightfall.”  You quickly tuck the socks in the drawer and go to join him, sitting on the edge of the bed.  “See, I told you that you needed rest.”  You run your hand over his forehead, gently pushing his signature lock of dark hair out of his eyes.  “You know, I’ve been doing your chores all day and I must say that I think you take on too much.  You should rest more, even if you aren’t sick.  I love the way you take care of me and our home but sometimes I wish you’d take more care of yourself too.” 

Jade’s eyes widen for a moment, as though you had startled him.  Then he smiles softly at you.  “How interesting you are.”  You tilt your head to the side, as though urging him to elaborate.  Instead, he chuckles softly, “Well, if all my chores are done, then I don’t see why I should get up at all.  I do believe I’ll stay here all night.”  You beam back at him, deciding in that moment that you were done too.  You push back the covers and climb into bed beside your spouse, cuddling up to his side.  “Is that a promise?”

[jessamine-rose]

“yeah orca pierro is def my fav!“

(me who would start crying next to the bonfire with a disturbed pierro because its day 147 of eating raw fish..or cooked fish…..pierro please no fish i cant take it anymore)

THE SEQUEL WAS SOOOO GOOOD OMG thank you for the meal

Read my Yandere Mermaid AU here ϵ( 'Θ' )϶

Thank you for making me laugh, Anonie!! It’s nice to know that y’all enjoy Mermaid! Pierro~

Rip Pierro’s darling. While mermaid cuisine is rich in various seafood and “cooking” methods, it isn’t as diverse as human cuisine. Spices, fried/ baked foods, fruits and veggies, land animals, processed snacks…….all inaccessible and inedible underwater :’>

There are times when Pierro is more willing to satisfy your cravings. If you get sick of roasted fish, he can catch a few birds for the bonfire. On lucky days, he may find a drifting coconut and crack it open with his bare hands. And if his human victims are fishermen, the two of you can swim to their now-empty boat and treat yourself to their snacks.

Your aquatic diet is still going to be 90% raw seafood, though. Pierro can’t be too lenient with your adjustment.

[hazbinhazbinhazbinreblog]

So for once, nothing angsty, but something more fluffy! ANd its based on food!

So I think, if I remember right anyway, canon Alastor does not like fast food or like food similar to it, and that kind of implies to Radio Guard Alastor too. To a degree tho. He very much would rather cook than have take-out, but also he is not complaining if you wanna give him the egg and spring rolls from the Chinese takeout. It is mainly when he super tired though or had an exhausting day and just has no energy to cook for the gang, since I imagine he may have took over the cooking duties of the hotel.

And now for everyone's favorite types of foods and or flavors of stuff! Alastor-Def prefers more homecooked meals, doesn't matter what, if its homecooked, he will probably enjoy. Does however lean more towards spicy stuff. Man loves spicy dishes, be it a painful spice or a comforting one. Def knows all types of Louisiana cooking and is so happy to share them to others.

Charlie-More on the sweeter side of things. Probably has a love of homecooked food too, mainly like breakfast foods I imagine. But probably also likes fruity stuff too (haha get it because she's the daughter of the Morningstar aka the Devil, the one responsible for Adam and Eve eating the Forbidden Fruit //bonked). Probably loves more baked good spices too? So like cinnamon apple stuff would be her favs

Vaggie-Spice and bitter girlie I imagine personally. She will take her coffee black with a spot of cream or milk while chomping on ghost pepper dusted chips like it was nothing. Can also, for some reason, see Vaggie was a soup girlie. Idk, she gives soup girl vibes. Probably loves spicy veggie soups that just warm you up. Ignoring the fact they are in hell and hell is probably already super hot.

Angel Dust-Def ate like junkie munchie foods. Like cheap, really gross and greasy food. Didn't like it, but it hit the spot. If not that, then super healthier, lean foods, since lets be honest, Valentino would his workers on extreme health diets so they would stay "pretty", so the whiplash of foods probs wrecked Angel's stomach. Now, while trying to go sober and in a safer and healthier environment, Angel def enjoys trying to cook Italian food he remembers his pa or ma making. Would like baking more me thinks

Husk-Bar food. Husk is like Angel, he is eating junkie bar food to use the grease to curve his later hangover. Maybe not as much anymore, but its still there. Alastor does get on him, now more so in a place of concern for Husk's well being. Honestly probs better just making drinks but I can see Husk knowing how to work the kitchen too. Def the type to go to if you have the late night munchies since he knows how to make the most killer late night meals

Nifty-Sugar. Just. Pure. Sugar. She is the type to dump marshmallow fluff on a pizza its that insane. She knows how to cook, sure! And she can cook well with others, yes! Alone in the kitchen? Haha no. Your food is gonna somehow end up in lime jello and taste like you liked the bottom of Willy Wonka's boot. Just dont.

Sir Pentious-Probably doesnt really mind anything. As a snack he def has a more meat based diet which took some time to get used too. Probably likes more mild to bitter foods than anything else. Like the Brit he is, he is def drinking tea with everything. Probs also likes egg based dishes since some snakes do eat eggs. Probably mainly bird eggs, like quill or chicken. So egg bois are safe!

Lucifer-Dont think Luci has a pref. For a good long while it was just whatever he could find in the kitchen after staying locked up in his workshop for days on end. So bowls of dry cereal or pb&js to name a few. It took being forced out of his workshop by Alastor (and seeking therapy by Alastor and Charlie's request yeas later) that Lucifer started to eat more. Like his daughter he loves fruity sweets, and as a given likes pancakes. Probs makes killer cinnamon apple pancakes.

Vox-Probs cheating to say Alastor's cooking, but it is Alastor's cooking. Def has more of a spice tolerance than other Voxs hfdsjkf. Outside of that, probably any more homey foods. Or cheaper stuff like ramen since he never wanted to leave his room at V Towers. Def survived on energy drinks that tasted horribly sweet but kept him going at the tower too. You can imagine his utter joy when at the hotel when he just got to eat proper cooked food again, especially Alastor's

-⚔️ anon

Cinnamon apple for Charlie makes so much sense, she'd probably have begged to get that one cereal that claimed to be cinnamon apple but was kinda mid

All of this feels so incredibly canon and accurate, your MIND

[bonesandthebees]

I've been cleaning my room all day (woo depression hole is gone!) but now I'm so exhausted because all I've had is a handful of potato chips ( I actually hurt my jaw while eating them lmao) and like two cups of water, and I still have some stuff left to clean, but I'm too tired, and I cant eat anything to help because all I have requires cooking and I'm too tired to cook, and too poor to order something, lmao but at least my floor is spotless! I also got a new dress today! It's light purple and my friend is paying for a photoshoot for her birthday and it's rainbow themed and each of us have a different color of the rainbow, and I got purple, and it's super cute and I'm super excited! Anyways, how have you been Bee? Tell me about your life recently :))

yay for cleaning your room!! I actually just folded my laundry so we are both on a roll

but also oh no you need to eat. even if you don't have the energy to cook anything just try to find something you can snack on. one of my desperate level go to's when I'm absolutely way too bone dead tired to cook anything is straight up just butter on bread. the nicer version of this if I have it in my fridge is pita bread with hummus which is a great easy thing to eat if you don't have energy. any kind of nuts or fruit will also help if you have it

and that dress sounds so pretty!! I hope the photoshoot goes well that's so fun

I've been doing good! busy with many things! I'm going to be very busy with both family stuff and work this week so that'll be a bit hectic. this weekend I went to a pilates class for the first time (yes, I'm aware of how much of an LA girl stereotype I am) and my legs are so sore. I already signed up for another class tomorrow and I know I'm going to regret it but I will do my best to persevere

also I made coconut cream pie this weekend and it's so fucking good oh my god. it was definitely a bit of a headache to make but it was so worth it. it's been pretty funny bc lately I've been trying to eat healthier by eating more veggie-heavy meals and buying a lot of produce from farmers markets and things like that, but also I've been on a baking kick so. I'm swinging wildly between my healthy main meals and then constantly having very sugary desserts afterwards lol