#help the farmers keep selling more food than two people can actually eat quickly

[jtownraindancer]

scored an unholy amount of cantaloupe and i need recipe ideas. does anyone have any suggestions i could try?

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allergies to mushrooms, coconut, and poppy seeds shared among the folks who would be eating this.

[rae-g]

Dire Need of a Change: Spring 6 - Curiouser and Curiouser

I’m never going to get used to waking up this early, am I? You spent the first part of the morning as you normally do; rinsing off in the shower, finding something easy to eat, getting dressed. As you begin lacing up your boots, you hear a knock at your door. You quickly glance over to your door, wondering who would dare to have the audacity to knock on your door at any point during the day, much less at 6am. You wait a few moments, hoping it was just your imagination, but another round of -knock- -knock- -knock- ruined that fantasy.

Standing up, you make your way to the door and open it to find a short, portly woman standing before you. She wore a large cinnamon-colored braid in her hair, and an outfit of red and green.

“Uh… Hi?” You look at the woman, confused.

“Hello!” She smiled, and her eyes bright.

MEW

You looked down, spotting a small orange cat in her arms. You looked back up at the woman and raised an eyebrow.

“You’re the new farmer, right? I’m Marnie. I live at the ranch just south of your farm.”

“Uh, yeah. Hi, nice to meet you.” You continue to stand in the doorway, each moment becoming more and more bizarre.

Marine nervously chuckled, a soft and warm laugh coming from someone. “Well, I was out foraging in the clearing next to my ranch, and I found this,” she looked down at the cat, then back up at you, “sitting outside the entrance to your farm! I think it’s a stray… poor thing.”

“Oh.” You look back down at the cat, and carefully put out your hand, allowing it to sniff you. The cat sniffed your fingers for a few moments, then headbutted your hand. You smiled and started scratching it’s head.

“Well, if it isn’t too much to ask… Don’t you think this farm could use a good barn cat? I know we don’t really know each other, but it does seem to like you, and I’d hate for this little friend to be all alone.”

You look down at the little furry friend who has already begun purring. You gave a small smile and nodded. “Well… I don’t currently have a barn… But, it would be nice to have someone to watch TV with.”

Marnie’s face beamed as she carefully set down the cat. “How wonderful! I’m sure it’ll be so happy here.” She smiled softly, “You know about the upcoming Egg Festival, right?”

You kneeled and continued petting your small new friend. You looked up at Marine, “I don’t, actually.”

Marine grinned. “Well, it’s something we do every spring. I’m not sure if you currently have any chickens, but even if you don’t, we’d love for you to come. The whole town joins in and we have so many different dishes that people make. My nephew works hard all year prepping the chickens for the festival, and it’s always so much fun.”

You stand back up and brush your knees off. “Well, I think that could be fun. I’ll have to think about it. I’m not much of a cook, but it’s hard to say no to free food.”

Marnie beamed once more. “Well, I have to get back to the ranch before the shop opens. If you’re ever looking for animal care, please feel free to swing by!”

The two of you shook hands, and Marnie made her way towards the town. You looked down at your new responsibility and smirked. “Well… guess I’ll have to pick up some cat food for you later.”

----------

You spent most of the day continuing the monumental task of de-weeding your farm. There were still boulders, trees, rocks, and branches littered everywhere, but at least you were able to clear out a little more land. You began to think about what Marine had said. Chickens… Hmmm…You hadn’t even thought about having animals on your farm. The only buildings that seemed to stand the test of time at all were the main cabin, and the green house, but even those were in extremely rough shape.

You crossed your arms as you looked at everything. It was all going to be such a project. You shoulders slumped as every glance just added a new project to the list. I need to repair the green house. Clear out more trees and boulders. Get the oven working, and probably expand the house. Plus, if I want any buildings put up...You sighed. It was like a never-ending list.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, you picked up your watering can and filled it up. You made your way over to your plants. The potatoes and beans were growing nicely, but it was the flash of yellow that truly caught your eyes. You bent down and moved some dirt, and gently tugged on the stem of the parsnip. It came up easily. Your eyes lit up as you stared at the little vegetable. A little on the small side, but it was definitely a parsnip. After dunking it in the watering can, you took a small bite.

“Oh! It’s sweet!” You took a few more bites, and before you knew it the entire vegetable was gone. You savored the taste of the fresh vegetable in your mouth. It was as if someone had sprinkled a carrot with sugar. You looked at the rest of the row and saw more flashes of yellow. “I… I have my first harvest.”

You smiled and began pulling up the small vegetables, inspecting each carefully before moving on. At the end, you had about nine. After watering the rest of your crops, you brought the parsnips inside and began rinsing them off. You picked out the best of the batch and looked around for a small basket or box. Grabbing one of the cardboard Joja boxes from your move, you placed them carefully inside and made your way towards Pierre’s.

----------

*ding*

The little shop bell alerted Pierre to your presence. He turned around and looked at you, “Ah! My favorite farmer. How can I help you out today?”

You walked up to the counter and smiled. “Yeah. I. Uh. Have some crops to sell?”

Pierre grinned, “Wonderful! Show me what you have!”

You placed the box on the ground and pulled out five freshly washed Parsnips. “It’s not much…”

“It’s fantastic! I mean, they are a little on the small side, but they look and smell delicious. Let me do some calculations and see what I can offer.”

After taking a few moments to talk shop, the two of you decided to swap your small harvest for some more seeds, but only after Pierre assured that you would be able to get at least a few more parsnip harvests this season. You placed the seeds in the box and smiled. It’s really happening. I grew vegetables and sold them. I’m really a farmer. The two of you eventually said your good-byes, but not before he told you all about the new rucksacks he would have arriving in the next few days.

----------

You spent the rest of the day getting your new seeds neatly sowed in two little rows, and finishing up some smaller tasks, before eventually making your way back into the house. Today would be game 4 of the Gridball season. The Tunnelers weren’t playing, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy the game. You washed up and changed, then made your way over to the bar.

----------

As you made your way to your seat, you spotted a familiar looking blue jacket. You sat down and flagged over the bartender.

“Hey.”

“Hey back,” you said, giving a small smile.

“Didn’t see you yesterday.” Shane took a swig of his beer, keeping his eyes on the TV screen.

“Didn’t realize you’d miss me.” The waitress came over, and you ordered a hard cider.

Shane coughed slightly, and turned away. After a moment, he turned back to the screen, his body facing you slightly more than it was a moment ago. “I don’t know, missed is a very strong word.” He smirked, and continued sipping on his drink.

You raised your eyebrow and grinned. You turned your attention back to the Gridball game, sipping on your drink. “I sold my first batch of crops today.” You said, continuing to stare at the screen.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Not much. Just a few parsnips.”

“Ah.” He took another sip of his drink, also watching the screen. “Joja has me on overtime this week. The other stocker called out sick, so it’s just me.”

“Laaaaaaame.”

“Yeah. But it’s fine. I’m not going to complain about more beer money.”

You raise your drink towards him, “I can drink to that. That is one of the rough parts about being self-employed. No days off. I don’t work my ass off, I don’t get any money.”

The two of you continued to banter back and forth for the rest of the night, only half paying attention to the game. Mostly the conversion centered around work, Joja, and favorite drinks. Eventually the barkeep called for the last round of drinks. The two of you finished off one more round of beers before heading outside of the saloon.

Taking a few steps out of the door way, you stretched and looked up at the sky. Your eyes widened, and you took a shallow breath. Shane walked over to you, a nervous look on his face, “Everything okay?”

You continued to look up into the night sky, “Its.. its just been awhile since I’ve actually seen stars.”

Shane looked up, “Ah. I get it. I remember when I first moved out here. Hard to see the stars with all the light in the city.” You nodded, then looked over at him. You couldn’t help but feel your cheeks warm as you watched him gaze at the stars. Eventually he glanced over at you, then coughed into his hand. “Anyway. I shouldn’t keep you.” He glanced around for a moment, “you’ll… you planning on swinging by the saloon tomorrow night?”

You nodded. “Probably. Once I get done with all my chores.”

Shane nodded. “Well.. Until then, I suppose.” But instead of leaving, he seemed to linger for a few moments.

“I look forward to it.” You smiled.

Shane reached up and rubbed the back of his head, looking away. “Uh. Yeah. See ya.”

You watched as he walked off.

“Hmm.. Curious,” you mused to yourself, before heading back home.

[littlestarofthewest]

God your writing is incredible. Would you consider possibly writing male reader/deputy arthur, maybe featuring a pair of handcuffs or something of the sort?

Thank you for the praise, love! :) I actually squealed back when I first read this request because I have a thing for Arthur with his little star. I hope you don’t mind I made him sheriff instead of a deputy. I kept the handcuffs though :D

Title: Behind Bars | Word Count: 4444 | Rating: Explicit (18+!!!)

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x male reader

Tags: handjob, blowjob, anal sex (what can I say, they’re going to town)

You always love coming to a new town. There's new people, new shops, and new opportunities, and all of it is just up for grabs if you know how to do it.

Tonight, it's too late to do much, so you decide to head for the saloon and get a feeling for the locals. After hitching your horse outside, you walk in as inconspicuous as possible. You only use one of the double doors, barely pushing it, your head drawn low but with most of your face still visible.

Over the years, you learned a thing or two about earning people's trust. Acting like a withered traveler who's only looking for work and a hot meal is often the best way to go. Just like you planned, a few eyes turn your way, but the people immediately lose interest.

You approach the bartender and ask for some drink and food before settling down in a corner. You determine that there might be even a few prospects for some naughty fun later on, once the decent guests go home, and the rest have some drinks in them.

After finishing your meal, you get yourself a beer, trying to decide which guy to hit on when the doors of the saloon open. The newcomer is tall, with broad shoulders, his hat covering his face. On his way to the bar, a few people nod or give him a small wave, so he must be one of the locals.

The stranger heads right for the bar, and as he leans on it, you get a nice look at his backside. His jeans sit tight in all the right places, and his shirt clings to him in a way that makes you think about scratching your nails down his whole back. 

Without even thinking about it, you make your way to the bar, flanking the stranger to get a better look at him. He pushed his hat up, and while he looks a little weathered, you can't deny that you find him attractive. He's got full lips and a sharp cut jaw that's covered with a nice stubble. You surely wouldn't mind rubbing your face against his while doing some other enjoyable things.

Somehow, the other guys you considered before seem out of the question now. You want this one. At first, you try to come up with a line that could start a conversation with him, but then the stranger does you a big favor. He moves away from the bar, coming your way, and you step in his path in precisely the right moment.

You both collide, and out of surprise, the stranger drops his bottle while you cling to the bar to keep upright. "I'm so sorry," you mumble, your eyes drawn to the shards on the floor, "I didn't see you there."

"It's alright," the stranger says in a calm, deep voice, "it's just a beer."

The game you're playing is always risky. Instead of some fun behind the saloon, it's easy to end up with a black eye. It seems you got extra lucky today.

"Let me buy you a new one," you say, looking at the stranger for the first time. "Please?"

"Sure, if you want to."

"Of course, it's my fault after all," you say while waving the bartender over. "Please, join me."

You order a new beer for the stranger, and he accepts it with a nod before leaning against the bar next to you. "You're not from here."

It's not a question, but you still feel like the stranger is fishing for more information.

"No, I just got into town," you say honestly, right before launching into your perfectly crafted lie. "The farm I've been working on for years got sold when the owner died. Since then, I've been traveling around, looking for work."

The stranger takes a big swig of his beer before stepping back and looking you up and down like a horse he'd like to buy at the stables. 

"I know most of the farmers around here. I could ask around if someone needs a hand."

"That would be great," you say with a smile, but it's hard to stay in the role of poor farmhand with the stranger's eyes still on you.

"What are you good at?" the stranger asks. "Gotta sell you somehow, after all."

You know that he's asking because of the work, but the way he looks at you implies so much more. Maybe it's time for you to go on the offensive.

"Lots of things, actually," you say, holding the stranger's gaze. "I'm most handy with a good tool, and I sure know how to ride."

A small smile plays around the stranger's lips, and he holds out his hand to you. "Arthur Callahan."

"Y/N," you say, holding his hand way longer than necessary. Arthur has a warm, firm handshake, and you wouldn't mind having those hands on you.

"Tell you what," Arthur says, "we meet back here tomorrow, and I'll let you know if somebody needs help."

"Thank you so much, that's great."

Arthur nods, taking another swig of his beer before eyeing you up and down again. "Now that business is out of the way, how about we move on to pleasure?"

A tingling feeling rushes all over your body. You had a feeling that Arthur wasn't the type to play around, but it's been a while since you've met someone who cut to the chase like that.

"Pleasure sounds great," you say. "What do you have in mind?"

"We could go out back, and you show me how good you really are with a tool."

You take a sip from your drink before walking past Arthur, your shoulder brushing against his. "Come on then."

By the steps behind you, you can tell that Arthur is following you immediately, and your heart beats faster. You've rarely gotten lucky so quickly, and Arthur surely is a treat compared to your usual partners.

Outside, you walk around the saloon, and Arthur's hand ends up warm on your back. You make it into the nearby trees before he turns you around and you don't waste time either, taking your first taste of Arthur's lips.

It's been a while since you had some fun, and you don't mind Arthur's hands roaming over your body. He's not shy to grab you wherever he wants, and you make good on your promise. Going down on your knees, you open Arthur's pants and pull out his cock, pleased with what you find.

Arthur leans back against the tree with a groan when you take your first taste, licking along his length. With your hand massaging his balls, you suck him into your mouth, your tongue teasing him with little twists. 

At first, Arthur lets you do the work, moaning quietly with his eyes closed, but you can sense his desperation. He puts his hand on the back of your head but makes a little circle with his thumb to reassure you that he won't push you.

Not that he has to. You know you're good with your mouth, and having a guy squirm and moan because of you, gets you harder than anything else. Arthur does a great job with that. Harsh breaths make their way out of him, and when you swallow him down all the way, his fingers scrape along your neck.

"Goddammit, boy," he groans, holding you in place while his hips buck.

His grip isn't so tight that you couldn't escape, but being put in your place like this has you moan around Arthur's cock, your own dick twitching in your pants. Arthur runs his fingers along your neck now, almost soothing, drawing back a little.

"Got something for you," he says, giving you a way to escape.

There have been guys where you picked that option, but right now, you want all of Arthur, so you push forward. You take him deep into your throat, and Arthur curses, his fingers clawing against your skin as he comes. You eagerly swallow, and Arthur leans back against the tree with a deep sigh.

"Alright," he says, looking down at you when you give him free, "you do know how to handle a tool."

"Told you," you say with a grin. 

Arthur puts himself away while you get to your feet, thinking that you're done, but suddenly Arthur pulls you into another kiss. He turns you both around, pushing you against the tree, and his hand finds its way to the bulge in your pants.

"I think I can find some work for you," he says with a grin, and you wish you could talk back, but his touch feels too good.

Arthur takes care of your pants, and seconds later, you're in his tight grip. He's even pushier than before, giving you barely an inch to move while stroking your cock. Usually, you're not much of a pushover, so it's even more intriguing how Arthur handles you.

He leans in close to bite and kiss along your neck, his hand always in motion. It surprises you that he actually takes the time after he already got off. You had a few guys who couldn't get away fast enough once they were done.

Arthur is the complete opposite. He takes his sweet time teasing you, and you feel like he enjoys watching you squirm as much as you do. You moan against his lips, loving that he kisses you at all, and soon, you claw your fingers into his shirt while you roll your hips to get more friction.

Finally, Arthur's done with the teasing. He strokes you with a clear goal in mind, and you don't care to hold back any longer. You let your arousal take over, drifting quickly to the point of no return until you have to lean back against the tree behind you when your hips stutter, and you come in Arthur's hand.

He leans in to kiss you, still carefully petting you until you come down from your high.

"You're pretty handy with a tool yourself," you say, and Arthur chuckles.

"See you tomorrow then," he says before giving you another quick kiss. You feel like he'll definitely have some work for you, one way or the other.

-------

After being with Arthur, you wouldn't have minded a good night's sleep, but a man has to eat, after all, so you find yourself at the back of a huge farmhouse a few hours later. You heard some guys at the saloon talking about the wealthy owners who once again left for the city to meet up with other rich people and congratulate each other on their wealth.

Judging by the house, there's a good chance there might be some money in it for you, maybe also some jewelry to fence. You're about to crack open the back door when something hard digs into your back. A gun.

"I'm sorry, darling," a familiar deep voice says. "I can't let you do this. Turn around."

You do as you're told and find Arthur pointing a gun at you. You're about to offer him a part of the loot when your eyes fall on a shiny little item at his chest. A sheriff's star.

"You in law enforcement?" you ask in surprise. "Who would have thought."

"I'm not surprised you're here," Arthur says. "I've rarely seen someone who had 'thief' written all over them like you did."

That surprises you even more. You've never met any police who suspected you right away. Usually, you pride yourself on looking innocent.

"Technically, I didn't steal anything," you say, making Arthur chuckle.

"Besides my patience," he grunts. "Are you coming along peacefully, or do I need to restrain you?"

You think back to earlier when Arthur held you against the tree, and his behavior makes even more sense. As sheriff, he must be used to giving orders and keeping people in check. You sure wouldn't mind being handled with the same authority now.

"I don't think I'll be going with you," you say, unable to hide a smile. "I guess you have to restrain me."

Arthur sighs and rolls his eyes, but then he pulls out a pair of handcuffs. "You better not try anything. I wouldn't want to shoot someone as skilled as you."

You hold out your arms to Arthur with a smile, letting him put on the handcuffs. He pulls you along and helps you up on your horse, holding on to your ass way longer than he'd have to without trying to hide it. With Arthur pulling along your horse, you make it back to the town, and he walks you into one of the jail cells.

Out of the handcuffs, you settle down on the hard bench in the cell while Arthur disappears into another room. Taking a deep breath, you consider your options. Arthur's not the type to be messed with, so talking yourself out of this won't work. 

The same goes for brute force. You're pretty good in a fight, but Arthur's a mountain of a man, holstering two weapons he's probably well versed in using. You can't see yourself overpowering him.

Not that you necessarily have to. Although Arthur has brought you in, you don't think that he's going to give you much trouble over a tiny robbery. He'll probably let you rot in the cell for a bit before giving you a stern talking to and sending you on your way. 

Arthur comes back with a bottle of whiskey and settles down on a creaky chair, putting his feet up on his desk. He takes a swig from the bottle before pulling down his hat over his face, crossing his arms, and ready to settle down for a nap.

You should probably do the same, but instead, you watch Arthur. He has the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, and your eyes follow the veins that run along Arthur's arms. You can't help but wonder what it would be like if he held you down or lifted you up.

The way he sits there is too inviting. You imagine walking over to him and pushing down his long legs so you could crawl on his lap and steal the hat before kissing him, not to mention taking a little ride.

With a sigh and tightening pants, you head to the end of your cell, leaning against the bars. "So, you just gonna sit there, huh?"

Arthur pushes up his hat, watching you for a moment. "Please tell me you're not one of the chatty ones who beg for a gag."

"I can be quite loud," you say with a smile, "and I am good at begging. Unless you keep me quiet. I like that, too."

"Just sit your ass down and take your punishment like a man," Arthur growls.

"Oh, I'd love to take it from you," you say, and when Arthur rolls his eyes, you grab the bars of the cell. "Come on, we both know you can't leave while you have a prisoner, and I'm not going to shut up until you make me. Might as well continue where we left off, have some fun."

Arthur's eyes travel over your body, and heat takes hold of you. You just took a shot in the dark, but he's actually considering your words. After a moment, he walks over to you, handing you the whiskey. You look at him while you drink, your lips tightly wrapped around the bottle. 

"Just to be clear, you're not getting out," Arthur says. "We can have some fun, but it's no payment for your release. I don't do that."

Of course, you wouldn't mind getting out of here, but you understand what he means. You're not interested in offering sexual favors for your freedom, either. 

"Just some fun," you say, handing back the bottle, "and then I'll sit here and repent."

Arthur's gaze clearly states that he doesn't believe in your penance, but he still nods. "Turn around."

You have no idea what he's going to do, but that's even more of a thrill. You do as he says and can hear him put the whiskey bottle back onto the desk. After that, there are more sounds, but you're not sure what Arthur's doing.

He comes back to you, always out of your field of vision, and you jump a little when he speaks close to your ear. "Put up your arms."

Again, you follow up immediately, and Arthur holds your hands against the bars of the cell before putting the handcuffs back on you. He hangs them up in a way that makes it impossible for you to bring your arms back down.

"Comfortable?" he asks, and you know he's giving you an out if you're not into that kind of thing.

You've never done something like this before, but then again, you've never met someone like Arthur. A tingling feeling washes in waves all over your body, and you're eager to see what else he has in store for you.

"I'm good," you say, much more confident than you feel.

Starting from your hands, Arthur explores your body. He opens up your shirt and runs his hands all over you with a firm touch. Goosebumps erupt on your skin, and Arthur reaches around you to open your pants.

"Are you ready to do some penance?" he asks, his lips brushing against your ear, his voice sinking deep into your bones and setting you alight from inside.

"God, yes," you say, unable to play it cool. "Please punish me, sheriff."

Arthur leans his head against the back of yours for a moment as his hands push down your pants. His fingers dig into the soft flesh of your ass, and he groans in satisfaction.

You wish you weren't so eager, but you can't help but push back, the cold bars digging into your skin as a starch contrast to Arthur's warm hands. He lets go of you for a moment, before pushing your cheeks apart and his fingers find their way to your hole.

Arthur's coated his fingers with something oily and rubs circles into your skin while his other hand rests flat on your chest. You let yourself enjoy the touch, and Arthur soon pushes a finger into you, opening you up a little. When he's satisfied with how your muscles loosen up for him, he retreats his hands, and a few seconds later, his hot cock is pressing against your entrance.

"Relax, darling," he says, and you only notice now how tense you are, too eager for Arthur to take you.

You let out all the pent up air from your lungs, and Arthur pushes into you, making you moan. You always love to be claimed and spread open, and Arthur fills you up in the best of ways. He bottoms out, pressing himself against you as much as the bars of the cell allow it. 

He trails soft kisses over your neck and rolls his hips, giving you a first taste of what's to come. His hands are back on your body, touching every inch of your skin that he can reach except for your dick, and you have a feeling that's intentional. 

Arthur lets you move instead, waiting for you to show him how rough you want this to go. The problem is that you're way too thirsty for some action, and you move as far away as you can before slamming yourself back against him. Whenever his cock thrusts back into you, you let out eager gasps and moans, begging him to go harder.

"You sure want to redeem yourself," Arthur groans.

"Please, more," you say, reminding him that you're not above begging.

Arthur's hand travels up your chest, his fingers going around your throat. There's no pressure behind it, but the mere touch has you arch your back as much as possible, the muscles in your arms straining from being held up. 

Finally, Arthur moves with more purpose, grinding deep into you until you're completely ready to take all of him. Then he goes faster and harder, his fingers closing a little more around your throat. Your cock twitches, leaking with precome, and you're not sure how much more you can take before begging for release.

Arthur hits deep into your core, moaning, and grunting as he takes his own pleasure from using your body. Every sound of him hits you like a whip, wanting for you to do even better. You push back hard against the bars with a whine, and Arthur finally has some mercy on you.

He reaches around and grabs your dick tight, stroking you with purpose. Your whole body tenses again, pushing against all the restrictions, and Arthur bites along your neck before his lips come to rest against your ear again, his hot breath washing over you.

"You're gonna be a good boy for me now and come on my cock," he growls, his fingers closing even tighter both around your dick and your throat.

There's nothing you can do to hold back. As soon as Arthur thrusts into you again, you cry out, your orgasm shooting through you as if you've been struck by lightning. While your muscles tense around Arthur's cock, your dick pulses in his hand, your come trickling to the ground.

While you still catch your breath, Arthur pulls out of you, but his hand is still on your throat as he rubs his cock between your cheeks. You squeeze them tight to give him more friction, and with a few satisfied groans, Arthur follows you over the edge, painting your ass with his come.

He takes a moment to rest his head against you before letting go of you and reaching up to undo the handcuffs. You move your arms and rub your wrists to get some blood flow back while Arthur tucks himself away.

"That sure was fun," you say, and Arthur chuckles.

"I hope you don't get bruises from those bars," he says, peaking at your ass.

You can't help but grin. "So worth it."

Arthur shakes his head but smiles. He gets the bottle of whiskey again and a bandana from his desk so you can clean yourself up. When you're all dressed, he hands you the bottle, leaning against the bars.

"Can I trust that you behave yourself now?"

"God, yes," you say, and take a drink. "You wore me out, sheriff. I'm gonna sleep like a baby now."

Arthur laughs as he takes the bottle from you. "Good. See you tomorrow then."

He walks over into the other room, probably lying down, and you settle down on the small cot in your cell. It's anything but comfortable, but you're so tired, you're out like a light in seconds.

--------

"Rise and shine, darling," a deep voice says close to your ear, and you roll over, trying to make out your surroundings.

Arthur is standing in front of you, blocking the morning sun coming in through the window behind him.

"Morning," you mumble, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes and sitting up.

"I fear I can't offer you breakfast, but you're free to go," Arthur says before heading out the door and sitting down at his desk.

You take your time getting up and are still stretching your body after following him outside. Arthur's eyes rest on you the whole time, and for the first time in your life, you actually want to stay in jail.

"Are you sure? I did try to rob that fancy place," you say. "Might be tempted to do it again."

A small smile plays around Arthur's lips. "We both know you're not that stupid."

"I might be," you say before walking over to Arthur's desk and leaning against it. Again, you're tempted to crawl into his lap right then and there. "Considering the following punishment."

Arthur studies you for a moment, then he gets up and puts a hand on your back. "Come with me."

You're intrigued, and even when Arthur leads you to the steps to the basement, you go with him without question. Downstairs is another cell, only dimly lit from the light above. When you approach, a man stumbles to the front.

"Are you alright? I heard horrible sounds yesterday," he exclaims, out of breath as if he's been running for miles. "Did he hurt you?"

Arthur can't hold in a chuckle, and when you look at the man in the cell, a weird suspicion arises in your mind.

"Sheriff Callahan?" you ask, and the man's eyes widen.

"Yes, that's me!"

"Come on," Arthur says, patting your back, and you both head back up the stairs, ignoring the sheriff.

"So, I guess you're not the real sheriff," you say, watching Arthur as he leans against his desk. "Care to explain?"

"My gang and I are working a few jobs around here, and since the sheriff was new in town, it seemed a good idea to replace him," Arthur says as if that's the most normal thing to do. "You're free to go, but I have to ask you to move on. We don't want any trouble that could bring some actual law out here."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Arthur shrugs. "You seem like a smart feller. I'm sure you'll know what's best for you to do."

Although Arthur acts all friendly, you know exactly what he's saying. If you dare to make trouble for them, he'll take measures to stop you. Coming from someone who's been holding the sheriff downstairs, you'd have to be pretty stupid not to heed his warning.

The thing is, Arthur's talk about a gang is interesting. You thought for a while that you'd be better off with some backup, and the idea of staying with Arthur is even more tempting.

"Any chance your gang could use another man?" you ask, bringing out your best smile.

Arthur raises a brow at you. "Depends if he's got something good to offer."

"I'm quite handy with a tool, and I can ride."

"I'm interested," Arthur says, his eyes trained at you as intense as yesterday.

You grab him by the collar, push him over to his chair, and finally crawl on top of him. "I could be your deputy, sheriff, and you could teach me a little something about the law. I think I need another lecture on those handcuffs."

Arthur puts a hand on your neck, drawing you in. "Tempting offer," he says before pulling you in for a kiss.

You feel sorry for the things Sheriff Callahan is going to hear now.

[delightfulstarlightparadise]

Stardew Valley imagine Reader/ ?????

Possibly Sebastian... but who knows.

-So, I have been playing Stardew Valley for hundreds of hours in just few weeks and finally had de courage to write my own imagine. (Nice, I get off the game to write about it).

-I will avoid pronouns as much as I can, but when necessary I will use they/them. I hope everyone feels included.

-English is not my main language, but I am doing my best.

- I will, sometimes, bring some fanarts I made too.

Let’s go <3

The slow pace of the bus makes you feel dizzy. You look outside and see the most lively and green landscape you had ever seen, and along with it you feel the memories of old times coming to your mind.

Those days in the farm seem so far away now, playing with animals along your cousins, running around the crops, swimming in the rivers and lakes, fishing... and in the late evening sitting by a fire with your grandpa to hear stories about the valley.

Stardew. Stardew Valley, a place cherished in your memories.

You never imagined you would be going back to that valley to live in the farm from your childhood, taking with you just a small luggage. You are tired, sad and broke. Your wrists still hurt, a gift from hours typing in a computer of Joja corporation.

You don’t know how everything went so wrong. As a kid you always wanted to be a veterinarian or maybe a biologist, but you ended up in that corporative job, making thousands of reports that seemed the same one and attending meetings to talk about nothing. If you told yourself, that bright kid full of hope and wonder, that you would grow up to become such a bitter adult, you wouldn’t have believed it then.

At least you had the courage to leave.

You hold tight in your hands the letter from your grandfather, attached to it as a last light of hope that moving to Paradise farm can help you start new.  

The bus stops and the driver asks you if you need help with your baggage, but you decline. You didn’t bring much.

You stand beside the bus sign and feel the soft breeze from the valley, listening to the birds chirp. Those memories seem more alive inside you.

“Hey! You arrived!”

A friendly call takes you out of your thoughts as a ginger woman comes towards you with the nicest of smiles.

“I was worried that the bus would be delayed but you are just in time!” she says, taking your baggage from off your hands before you can say anything. “I am Robin, the town’s capenter, you must be the new farmer! Lewis asked me to pick you up!”

“Hi...” you stutter, shaking her hand.” I am y/n.”

“You caused quite a commotion here at Pelican. It is not everyday we receive a new villager, a new farmer, then!” she says, taking your luggage to a small red pick up truck parked beside the bus stop.

“Actually... I am not a farmer. I am just going to live in the farm.” you say a little unease about how friendly she is. You are used to the apathic city people.

“Well, I guess living at Paradise makes you a farmer now.” She says a giggles.  

As you take a dirt road, she continues to speak to you cheerfully.

“I just came by truck because I thought you would be bringing much more stuff. Your farm is actually very close.”

“I... I don’t own much.” you reply. “WHAT THE …!?”

When she parks by the gates your wonderful memories and hopes connected to Paradise farm seem to shatter. The landscape is taken by weeds and all the structures you remember seem to have aged twice the time you had been away. Trees had outgrown the charming paths or rock in which you and your cousins used to race each other, the little ponds where you used to fish were surrounded by twigs and bushes of weeds. The sight of the land was a mix of leaves, twigs and boulders.

“Not much of a Paradise anymore, hun? But I guess with a little effort you can bring it back to it’s bright.” Robin says as she notices the disappointment in your face.

“I guess...” you say, dispirited.

She takes you to the old cottage and the view is not much better. The wood seems a little rotten and cracked, you are afraid of what you might meet inside.

“Y/n! I haven’t seen you since you were this little!” an elder man comes out of the cabin and waves at you.

You think you remember him. Probably one of your grandfather’s friends. He had many, unlike you.

“Oh, I guess you were too little to remember me. I am Lewis, Pelican Town’s Mayor. You know, your granpa and I used to be friends since we were very young and this farm was full of coops, animals, fruit trees...”

Robins ahams to him to call his attention to your discomfort about the current situation of the farm.  

“Oh... I mean... Sure you will do a good work of taking care of your grandfather’s property. Anyway, I am here to welcome you and say that whatever you need, you can call me and that If you have anything to sell to the city or export, you jut need to put it into that box, I will gladly take it and return to you with the money.” he says, in a very mayorish manner.

“Thanks.” you reply.

You are not very good with people. Maybe that is why you ended up behind a computer job.

“It is almost lunchtime!” Robin exclaims, she is so spirited. “So why don’t you put your bag in the cottage and come have lunch with my family? After that one of my children can show you around town. My son Sebby is almost your age, I am pretty sure you two will get along.”

“I... I don’t want to bother.” you reply scratching the back of your neck, uncomfortable.

“It was not an invite, it was a demand!” Robin says, and you can see the seriousness printed on her eyes.

You leave your bag beside the old bed in the cottage and follow her to the truck. After a small ride, you find yourself in front of a big house in the mountains.

“I think I have been here before.” You say, as you look at the lake slowly flowing near you.

“Probably when I was still building the house. I remember you and your grandfather’s other kids swimming around the lake. I think Sebby used to play with you sometimes. I guess if you remember each other.” she says.

“I surely don’t remember that.” you say, pointing at a giant boulder pile beside the lake’s source.

“Oh, that. That is the result of a landslide provoked by Joja Mart.”

“JOJA MART?!” you screech.

The simple mention of the company’s name makes you sick to your stomach.

“Yeah, they say they are working to get it removed, but they wouldn’t have to if they had not caused it in first place. I bet they were exploding the mines in search of gold, like the leeches they are.”

“Probably.” you agree to Robin’s inflated discourse.

When you get in the house, you hear the sound of a small explosion, followed but smoke and a funny smell.

“Oh Yoba! Dad, are you ok?! I guess I overcharged the batteries again!” you hear a girl’s voice and then a fire extinguisher being activated.

“There can’t be a fucking minute of peace in this house.” a guy comes from downstairs complaining. He is wearing a hoddie and has headphones hanging on his neck.

“Sebastian, language!” Robin says.

He turns to you and for a moment seems completely astonished to see you there, but quickly turns back to the apathic face he had on before.

“Hi honey! Maru and I were just doing a little experiment, but it got a bit out of hand... Oh, hello!” a man comes out of the room where the smoke is coming from.

“Y/n, this is my son Sebastian and that over there is my husband Demetrius.” Robin introduces you as you wave shyly.

A girl comes out of that same room. She is cleaning her glasses worried, but as she glances at you, her face shines with a bright smile such as Robin’s. She runs towards you and starts shaking your hand with both of hers, excitedly.

“Hello! I am Maru, and you must be the new farmer!”

“I... han... not a farmer actually. I will just live in the farm.” you reply uneasy.

“Oh, but I guess living in the farm will make you a farmer, then.” Demetrius says and giggles.

“I am going back to the basement.” Sebastian mumbles taking the direction of the stairs.

But Robin stops him by grabbing the back of his hoddie.

“Sebastian, it is lunchtime, so why don’t you go to the kitchen and put on the table for our guest, hmn?” she says in a way only a mother could.

He grunts and heads to the kitchen.

Maru leads you there by the shoulders while asking you:

“So you are from Zuzu city, right? How is life there?”

You can see Sebastian turning to you with the corner of his eyes when he hears it, he seems a little interested.

“Busy.” you answer.

She keeps staring at you with a smile as if she is waiting for the development of your answer, and does it until you feel uncomfortable enough to either attend her expectations or flee.

“Well... it is crowded. People are unfriendly, time seems to go by very fast...” you say, cracking your fingers anxiously. “There are more malls, I guess.”

“Interesting!” she replies with that same smile.

“So, you will be now taking care of Paradise farm, hm?” Demetrius says while sitting down next to his daughter. “I guess you will be having a lot of work taking care of all those weeds.”

“I actually don’t intend to work as a farmer.” you reply.

“Oh really? What kind of work do you do, y/n?” he asks gently.

“I am a reviewer. I mean, I was. I used to take care of paperwork, write reports on data and... you know, spend the day in front of a computer. I think I will find me a job to do this, but from here.” you answer.

“Sebby here is a computer geek, too! You two will get along well.” Robin says while serving you more food than you think you can eat.

“I am a programmer, mom.” he mumbles, facepalming.

“You should not be afraid of trying your hand at farming though.” Demetrius says. “Darling! This food is DE-LI-CI-OUS! As I was saying, this land has very productive soil and the town is an exporter, I am sure you can make some profit by selling whatever you produce. Also there is much foraging around you can pick and sell, there aren’t much people who take their time on doing that. The Salmonberry season will be here soon.”

“Thanks honey!” Robin replies with a giggle. “I am pretty sure y/n has it settled for the computer job.”

“Actually, I am pretty broke.” you think while taking a bite of Robin’s food. It is really good.

REALLY GOOD. You can’t remember the last time you had a homemade meal and the thought of it brings tears to your eyes.

“Oh, dear! Is it too spicy?” Robin asks, serving you a cup of juice.

You shake your head negatively trying to wipe the tears, ashamed. Sebastian and Maru stare at you, concerned, they even exchange a glance of worry and then, look back at you.

“No,no I... I have... a gland problem, I tear up sometimes... when... I am... eating?” you stutter, sobbing a little.

“I think I have heard about that. “ Demetrius says. “Maybe you should pay a visit to doctor Harvey in the town. He is a very good doctor.”

You nod as you continuously take bites of that wonderful food. It is so good to finally have a meal that isn’t pizza or a cold burger.

…

While having lunch you discover that Demetrius is a scientist. You take great pleasure in listening to him talking about how diverse is the Stardew biome. He also talks about minerals, the land’s properties and many other scientific things while Maru stares at him like she is the proudest daughter in the world. You feel like you would look at him the same if he was your father.  

Sebastian rolls his eyes more times than you can count and when he is finally done with the whole “family and guest lunch” thing, he stands up and says:

“I am going out for a smoke.”

“Actually Sebby, could you please take y/n to get to know the town?” Robin says while she collects the dishes.

“Mom, I think you better ask Maru, she is better suited for these kind of things.” He whispers at her, but you overhear.

“Oh well, so maybe you wanna stay and take her turn in washing the dishes?”

You swear you can hear him cursing while he passes beside you and makes a sign with his hand for you to follow him. You feel unease, but Robin points at him and shakes her hands indicating for you to go.

Sebastian takes you outside, to the garage and hands you a helmet.

“What?” you say.

“What?” he replies while putting on a helmet himself. “We’re taking the bike”

“Bike?” you ask.

Sebastian uncovers an old-fashioned bike and gets ready to sit on it, but you stop him by giving him back the helmet.

“No, no, no.” you say, gulping your breath. “I can’t, sorry.”

“What? Aren’t you from the city?” he says.

“I can’t ride a bike.” you say, shaking your head frenetically.

“You just sit down and hold on, I am the one doing the riding.”

“Look, you don’t really have to do this. I will just go home and you can tell Robin I had to... do something else.”

“You don’t know my mom.” he says while taking off the helmet. “Ok, wait here, I will grab the truck keys.”

Sebastian doesn’t take long to come back with the keys and the both of you get inside the truck. He lowers his window and immediately puts a cigarette in his lips.  

“Do you mind?” he asks you.

“Actually, can I have one?”  you reply feeling awkward.

“You smoke?” he says while rising towards you the pack with a cigarette extended.  

“Only when stressed.” you say while letting him light it up for you.

“Yeah. Me too.” he says starting the engines.

Next part here:

(I liked the sketch so much better, so here it is)

[mwolf0epsilon]

Could I ask for some fallout 4 companion + favorite NPCs headcanons you might have?

I did my top 5 favorite companions in alphabetical order + my top favorite NPC, hope you don't mind! The post would be a bit too long otherwise ^^'

---

[[MORE]]

--Codsworth--

Codsworth is (besides Curie, Edna and Whitechapel Charlie) the most self aware Mr.Handy in the Commonwealth. As a result he tends to be underestimated by people in general (since most Mr.Handies and Mr.Gutsies are stuck in their programming to such a degree that they're not really aware of their surroundings concerning a timeline). This causes Codsworth mild anxiety as he thinks he might be broken or perhaps even dangerous to the Sole Survivor if he "glitches any further". A loose cannon can't be trusted right?

The robot workbench, while useful for repairs and upgrades, gives Codsworth the "willies". He doesn't like the idea of being altered beyond what he was made to be. He has the same sort of dread when asked if he'd ever like to acquire a synth body like Curie. He was "born" a Mr Handy he'll remain one until the day he passes.

Codsworth regularly has tea with Sturges and Mama Murphy. Sometimes he manages to get the Sole Survivor, Preston and Curie to join him, but otherwise not many people give him the time of day to kick back and indulge in old pre-war habits. Unless he bakes some of his famous tarberry cobbler, then everyone flocks around him for a taste.

--Deacon--

Every single lie Deacon tells is based on truths. He has a way of weaving words that is impressive because he only really needs to sell something believable to his audience. What's more believable than a story with a few facts switched around? Deacon lies about lying.

Deacon has a terrible temper. One he couldn't exactly control when he was younger but that he'd learned to get a hold of as he grew older and tried to better himself. Barbara's death was the last time he lost control, and since then no one's really seen the extent of Deacon's fury. That person who let his anger get the better of him was scum and caused nothing but pain and death. He wants to help, not destroy.

Deacon has alluded to having lived a good part of his life underground (being quite fond of caves and feeling safe in them) before moving to University Point. While no one knows where exactly he came from, Maccready has suggested Capital Wastelands since he first met him there and he has helped concoct theories on Deacon's origins that vary from cave settlements, to Little Lamplight and even to a Vault. Whichever one it is, this is the cause for his attachment to his sunglasses. His eyes are incredibly sensitive to bright lights (They're also very convinient for his spy work so it's win win in any case!).

--Nick Valentine--

While he's not interested in pursuing a romantic relationship he does seem to be incredibly fascinated by romance novels. He doesn't admit this to anyone however and won't read anything out in public that isn't part of his mystery novel collection. He has a hidden stash of romance novels in a hidden compartment in his desk.

He watched Hancock growing up with his brother and always thought Guy to be a little too aggressive in his stance about the world around them. He hoped the boy would grow out of it but was quickly proven wrong when Mcdonough became Diamond City's mayor. He considered leaving with John and the ghouls before deciding he needed to stay to keep an eye out for the city. God only knew DC would need all the help it could get from then on out...

He has a missing persons case file for Preston which he keeps a secret. Preston's mother approached him after travelling all the way to DC to ask if he'd find her son who was 17 when he ran away. Ever since the Sole Survivor came along and introduced him to her odd group of misfits he's had to keep himself from telling Preston that his mother is worried sick about him. He hopes that when things settle down a bit and that the Minutemen are back into proper shape that he'll be able to tell the lieutenant and bring him to see his mother.

--Preston Garvey--

He was raised by his biological mother (a brahmin farmer) and the woman she later fell in love with and married (a nurse). He never met his father and his moms insisted he was killed by a raider. He later learned that while his mother was pregnant with him, she and his biological father were kidnapped by a group of raiders and that his father was then tortured mercilessly until his mind broke and he joined them. His mother escaped with her life only by pure luck and chance.

Preston's idolization of the Minutemen was always a consern for Mama Garvey, who was deathly afraid of losing her baby boy. When Preston turned 17 he ran away from home to join the militia against his mom's wishes. He hadn't exactly hit his growth spurt yet so his mothers were pretty scared that he might have died alone in the Wastes. After the Minutemen fell apart Mama Garvey went to Nick Valentine to ask for help searching for any signs that her son might still be alive.

He has a passion for learning new things, new skills, any tidbit of useful knowledge he can get his hands on. He's a bit like a Swiss army knife with all the things he's learned from traveling with the Minutemen and Sole Survivor, be it cook a mean brahmin steak, or mend ripped clothes, or even apply first aid when there aren't any stimpacks available, or even origami (although the latter is just for fun).

--X6-88--

After the Institute is destroyed X6 feels mildly conflicted but chooses to stick by his original instructions to follow the Sole Survivor's orders. This of course was an issue at first because he'd shadow Sole like a lost, albeit mildly terrifying, puppy. He's taken up guard duty after he was asked to stop acting like a bodyguard, since he didn't really know what to do with his time. Some of the braver/nicer companions (Nick, Preston, Curie and Codsworth) have tried to give him pointers, but it's actually some of the settlers who have helped him figure out how to somewhat "enjoy" his freedom (mainly Mama Murphy and Sturges who can tolerate his cynicism and disdain for the Commonwealth and it's people).

He's embarrassed by his Fancy Lads snack cakes cravings. As a synth courser he should be a top of the line model with zero attachment to material possessions and no need for indulging in the disgusting Commonwealth foods, be they pre-war or post-war. However since he's a Gen3 synth this is just a quirk he can't really shake off and he'd probably die of embarrassment if anyone found out his stash in his room.

He has a bit of a synth sense. He's not really aware of it, but he gets a strange feeling sort of like deja vu whenever he meets a runaway synth. The Railroad did a fantastic job with facial reconstructions and new identities, but X6 still has this weird feeling that he's seen them before. This feeling is a lot stronger around Sturges and he can't help feel a little put off by him. Not that anyone notices anyway...

--Sturges--

These two [x] [x] headcanons are pretty much my go to for Sturges's origins, but I'll elaborate further!

The original Sturges was born and raised in the Mojave and briefly moved to the Capital Wasteland with his father (after his mom passed away from an unknown illness). After Sturges Senior retired from the NCR the two moved to the Commonwealth to get away from all the chaos in the Capital Wastes. As a result of moving around a lot, Sturges Junior had a lot of contact with experienced mechanics and scientists. Already a bit of a genius himself, Sturges's knowledge was both a gift and a curse, as the Institute took an interest in him and abducted him as soon as they found a chance to do so. The synth copy that currently resides with Sanctuary's people is a bit of an oddity however... He was a prototype meant to spy on Sturges Senior and the settlement they lived in when they moved to the Commonwealth, but there were a few issues with his programming and Sturges actually forgot he was a synth and that he needed to report to a courser that would be sent to meet with him every month under the guise of trading for scrap. Sturges Senior caught on pretty quickly and dispatched the courser, but realized the synth copy was harmless and that if the Institute took his real son then he was already good as dead, so he feigned ignorance and kept Sturges unaware as well.

Sturges left to make a life of his own a few months after his replacement. He learned how to shoot thanks to his dad, but nothing could really prepare him for how ruthless the Wastes could really be. After he settled he swore off fighting as much as possible since he's not too fond of it. He'd still beat up anyone that threatened his friends, even if he had to do it with his bare fists. Those muscles aren't just for show and Sturges can give a mean punch.

Zeke, the leader of the Atom Cats, is Sturges's cousin from his father's side of the family. The two weren't very close when they were younger because Zeke tended to bully him a bit, but eventually the two grew out of their almost sibling-like rivalry and hung out a lot when Sturges moved to the Commonwealth. When the Atom Cats were formed, Sturges was the main mechanic before he decided to lend his services to Quincy. He liked the town so much that he decided to settle there, much to Zeke's displeasure. The two are in good terms and there's really no bad blood between them.

Sturges is as stubborn as a brahmin. This has proven to be both a great asset to Sanctuary and a terrible burden, as when ever Sturges gets it in his head that he can do something, he won't stop until he does it. Preston has had to drag him away from fruitless projects many times so that Sturges could eat, drink and sleep. Others have been less tactful, like Marcy spilling a bucket of purified water over his head because he had forgotten to bathe in a while, or Jun guilt-tripping him so he'd rest for once in his life, or even one time where the Sole Survivor "hired" Tinker Tom to help around the workshop so Sturges wouldn't have to worry too much about repairs progressing in Sanctuary Hills (Tinker Tom spouted conspiracy theories all day and Sturges now wonders if every mirror he sees isn't a two-way mirror somehow connected to the Institute).

Extra angsty headcanon:

The original Sturges ended up as one of the super mutant behemoths that the Sole Survivor can encounter in the Commonwealth. They wouldn't ever be able to tell considering the beast is nothing like the kind and amicable handyman they know.

[phckingusername]

Because I wimped out

Here is the story I deleted off ao3 but shorter. Waaaaaay shorter. More like a run down of the idea.

Fandom: Detroit: Become Human

Warnings: Rape and non con., Major character death.

Characters: Connor, Richard, Gavin, Hank, Amanda

Relationships: Connor& Richard &Hank, Richard/Gavin, Connor&Gavin

Other notes: Weird au, Connor and Richard are Marble God's, that turn "human", Hank is a farmer, Gavin is a starving artist literally.

.

.

Connor and Richard are God's carved out of Marble by their "Mother" Amanda. Both live in a heavenly garden. They are not allowed to leave. They are however unwanted and Amanda hates them. (Honestly I wrote some pretty good poems for this part) One night as she sleeps Connor takes Richard and runs away. "She plans to kill us." He tells his "little" brother. But once in the land of man they are no longer made of Marble stone. They are now ashamed of their Naked bodies. (Very biblical I guess)

So naked and covered in mud and leaves the huddle and cling to each other at the village market. This is where Gavin first See's their beauty. Being an artist he wants to immortalize them or more specifically Richard in his art. Not knowing they are already.

Rather than typing more out here's the haiku of Richard's first impression of Gavin.( In the first chapter the story was told in poems from nines pov like his diary almost.)

Man who dwells with Rats

Beauty hidden under dirt

Is he one of them?

Soon Hank who's son and wife both died of the same sickness shows kindness and compassion for the two naked siblings. Gavin is quite relieved the two are safe. Hank is a farmer, well was I guess, after his son's death the crops stopped growing. The two brothers quickly adopt Hank as their new Father and try to help with chores. Hank seems quite alright with them staying and calling him Father.

Gavin was left on the streets to die as a child and would have very nearly died. However a traveling poet/ Artist took him under his wing. Naming Gavin, and giving him a passion for art. Although the artist was very old and died late into Gavin's teen years. Gavin is his adult age in game now. He lives in a rundown home. Holes in the walls and rats crawling everywhere. He looks rough. Literally starving, he tries to sell his art and draw others for a living. He doesn't know much else.

Because Hank has no crops to eat or sell he is also starving. Connor and Richard try to help by making things to sell at the market. Richard has made wooden children's toys and heads to the market alone.

By this time it's winter. Richard has set up right across the way from Gavin. The two seem to have a quiet conversation via staring. Gavin lost so deeply in those steely blue eyes. Wanting nothing more than to hide the man away and draw every last inch of him. So that he may stare into those eyes forever. Richard doesn't feel so strongly about Gavin but is filled with innocent curiosity.

This is where things go down hill. Gavin isn't the only one who thinks Richard is breathtakingly beautiful. Three drunk men crowd and trap Richard before pulling him off to a more secluded area. Richard is strong but he also feels small despite his actual size. If he were a god still he'd have no problem pushing the men off him. But his flesh is man now. He is scared. He screams and begs but they show no sign of stopping. They rip off his clothes they touch him, they touch themselves.

Meanwhile Gavin hears Richards pleas for help. They break his heart, he knows all too well what is happening. He tries to tell himself not to get involved and stay out of trouble. But he can't let them take away what was taken from him all those years ago. Not to someone so pure. So he finally gets the courage to help. Knife in a white grip and angry. He slashes and stabs at the men. Giving them.......28 stab wounds! ( Sorry not sorry).

Richard is huddle in the fetal position body shaking and eyes shut tight. Gavin tries to soothe him enough to look at him. Telling him he's safe. "Hey you know me. I'm the man across the way." "The artist?" "Yeah, that's me." Finally Richard relaxes enough to walk over to Gavin's place for some new clothes and the promise of a warm fire. Richard is exhausted and allows Gavin to dress him. He soon falls asleep on Gavin's trash pile he calls a bed.

The next morning Gavin waits for his brother to show up. It's just before dawn when he sees Connor searching. Connor wakes Richard up and just bombards him with questions and fusses over him. Checking and turning Richard's head for injuries. Richard places a hand over Connor's mouth and only let's go when he's calmed down. Richard starts by introducing Gavin the tells Connor Gavin had saved him from 3 men. Richard tells all and the two share in their tears. Gavin seeing How angry and incredibly sad Connor is about this. Connor saying thing like I'm supposed to protect you... Gone with you... It's all my fault..ect. When Richard just flat out tells Connor to shut up. " You are not at fault for the sins of man." Gavin found that an odd phrase. Finally they get collected and Connor pulls Gavin into the tightest hug thanking him deeply for what he's done. Richard now properly expresses his thanks and wants to know how he can repay him. "Let me draw you." It was almost embarrassing how quickly he blurted it out. Richard says they are friends and Gavin gets all touched by it.

The two brothers walk home and crawl in bed with Hank. The two quite cold, they hug either side of the sleep man they call father. Back with Gavin. He pulls out the few sketches of Richard he had drawn of him while he slept. Gavin giddy about soon seeing him again for a proper portrait. He spends his new energy cleaning the house and himself up.(this was as far as I had written but here's the rest I had planned)

Connor tells Hank (at Richards request) about what happened and Hank freaks. Richard then tells them both for the first time that he will be going back to visit Gavin. Hank knows of him and doesn't think too highly of him. Gives off a bad vibe. People don't want to go near him in fear of being bitten. Although he has never actually bitten a person before. Nevertheless Richard goes (with Connor) to see Gavin as promised for a proper picture. Connor selling the things he made as Richard's toys were destroyed by the men. But also keeping a close eye on his brother. Gavin is a blushing mess but once he's in the zone he gets this really focused look on him. Richard finds himself entranced by the look and admires Gavin when he's like this. Gavin saved the eyes for last. "Richard, get really close I need to draw your eyes." Gavin says still focused but when he looks up he freezes. He can't seem to look away. Nines stares back for awhile before speaking up. Putting Gavin back on the task but blushing red all the way to the tips of his ears. Richard has never seen anyone blush before. He wants to see more of it.

Things go well for Connor as he seems to have more people skills. They finally have money to buy food for their starving father. Richard gives Gavin a few coins. Gavin shocked by this. However Connor and Richard don't seem to plan on forgetting about Gavin and what he did. They treat him like family.

Richard and Connor visit every day to sell things and for a picture. Gavin drawing Connor quite a few times. Noting how different the two are. Connor is as Richard described, Soft with eyes of Earth. Connor is always protective of his brother. Expression always Stern and harsh. It was incredible to see just how soft Connor was when he smiled. Gavin wanted to capture that. However Gavin spent most of his time drawing Richard. Page after page. Looking at them when Richard went home for the day. Gavin would hide away and hold the papers close to his chest. Heart fluttering as he spent countless hours looking through each one.

Spring has come and gone. Just on the cusp of summer. Richard has become just as obsessed with looking at Gavin as he is looking at him. When he's with Gavin he feels... Something different. A different kind of love. Content and happy to be with him and almost empty without him. Richard is perplexed and frustrated with these feelings he doesn't understand. Gavin notices that Richard is not his usual self one night. By this time Connor trust Richard is safe when with Gavin and doesn't always go with him. Richard went somewhat late at night. Gavin asks what's up and Richard honestly and openly explains how he's feeling and wants to know why. Gavin's hopes that what it sounds like is what it is but asks Richard to go deeper and describe how he feels when with Gavin. It's all quite poetic (remember Richard has this internal diary in the form of poems) Gavin kisses Richard when he's finished speaking. But right after Richard gets up and goes home in a rush.

When he gets home he hides himself away. Hank finds him as asks. He tells him Gavin kissed him and Hank calms his anger before jumping to conclusions. "And how do you feel about it?" Richard sniffles and rubs his wet eyes. "I really liked it. Is that ok?" He looks up at Hank. "Son, I don't know where you came from but what you're feeling, is love. Love is pure and innocent, the things you do with a loved one is not sinful, it will not make you dirty or tainted. Love is beautiful and it comes with many faces. For me love of different kinds looks like my wife, like my son Cole, like you and your brother. It's ok son."

Back with Gavin he's freaking out and yelling at himself just about pulling his hair out. Richard waits a few days to sort out his thoughts and think about what Hank said. Meanwhile Gavin is an emotional wreak.

One night as Gavin gazes at a portrait of Richard he hears a knock on the wall. Richard is there leaning through the window. "May I come in?" Gavin is relieved to see him. Once Richard is inside Gavin goes to apologise but his lips are claimed before he could. He practically melts. "Gavin, you are what love looks like to me. You, Connor, Hank. You are all the different faces of my love." He said holding Gavin. "I know not of the joys of the flesh. I want to experience this with you. I want us to make love." At this point Gavin's circuits are fried. But he finally responds "For now, I want to hold you tonight." And that's what they do. They hold each other. They whisper sweet nothings as they soothe each other into sleep. Gavin wants to hold Richard, feel him in his arms. Make sure he is real. Not just pencil on a page. Don't get him wrong Gavin really wants to make love with Richard. But he wants Richard to feel the softer, simpler form of intimacy. Hold hand and cuddle, spoon and give sweet kisses. Show him love, not lust. And Richard is all about it. Just adores it. Loves holding and being held. Then one night it happens. They make love. Naked bodies against each other. Hot sweat steams off of them in the cool night. Beautiful moans and whimpers. Hands grabbing and clawing. Broken up love letters and each other's names spilling off their lips. During and after there's just so much love.....

Everything seems to be going ok now. They all have food to eat and they have each other. The crops are growing again . But Hank isn't doing so well. He is sick. No matter what they do Hank doesn't seem to get any better. He is dieing. The two brothers hold and cuddle Hank in his death bed. By the time they wake up in the morning Hank is gone.

Both Connor and Richard go to Gavin to mourn. The last time he's seen the two cry was when they first met. He over hears them talking, discussing whether or not to go back to Amanda. To leave the land of man. But they can't, back at the garden they will be killed. "I do not want to go back to being made of stone. I don't want my body to feel cold. The flesh of man is weak and delicate, but it's warm and soft. I want to bleed. I want to live and die with man." Well fuck, Gavin fucked a God. He's not really sure how to feel about that, about the brothers. He is afraid.

Gavin is acting distant and nervous around Richard now in their alone time with each other. Richard doesn't understand why and it hurts. "Gavin, don't you love me?" I'm a RAT and he's a God. Gavin tells himself. And he tries to push Richard away. Fakes anger and hate towards Richard. Gavin breaks Richards heart and his own. Gavin is alone now. Richard cries as Connor tries to comfort him. He is depressed and doesn't leave the bed. Richard doesn't move, doesn't even talk to Connor anymore. Connor is lonely.

Gavin misses Richard. Misses the company of the two brothers. He doesn't want to live anymore. Life is without meaning now. He can't bare to think of Richard, to look at endless drawings and memories that come with it.

While Richard sleeps Connor makes a visit to Gavin. He is angry. Grabbing Gavin by his shirt and lifting him up against the wall. Asks him why? Why he would hurt his brother this way. "I thought you loved him?" "I do love him." "Then why did you make him Cry!!? Why has he stopped smiling? Stopped getting out of bed! Stopped talking to me!!!?" His grip tightens as tears start to fall from Connor's eyes. "Why did you break his heart!?" "I know your little secret. I know what you two are!!! You lied to me! You're Gods. And I'm not..... I'm not... Good enough. Even if we stayed together, I would die and he'd be alone again. I'm not worth all that pain.". "Gavin, love is what makes life worth living. We loved Hank and it hurt more than anything when he died. But I wouldn't trade anything for the love we felt together. Our Father gave us something nothing else in this world could. Gavin, you gave that to Richard and then you took it away. Give it back. Give his life meaning again." "Can man really do that for a God?" " No not man, you. It's you who can make that possible for him..... Please come with me. Come back to him." "I... I will." Connor hugs Gavin tightly when they hear voices outside. Gavin recognizes two of the men as the ones who assaulted Richard. The other must have died from Gavin's attack. The other three men with them must be friends of theirs. The five where headed towards Gavin's home. "Shit! Connor get out of here! Go home and don't let them see you!" Connor protests but Gavin gets him to leave.

Connor runs back to Richard waking him up and telling him Gavin needs help. He gets up instantly and the two head back to him. Only by the time they get there it's too late. ......

WARNING THIS IS REALLY BAD!

There's blood everywhere one of the men lay dead. But the other 4 are gone. They find Gavin. Naked. Raped then brutally murdered. Cut, stabbed, bruised, choked. The stream of tears still visible on his cheeks. (I'm really sorry)

------

Richard and Connor build a garden of their own deep in the forest. It's filled with so many beautiful flowers and trees. Lilacs and cherry blossoms, aspens and roses. A river stream and a small pond of fish. They burry Gavin and Hank next to each other. Richard places every drawing with Gavin. Connor stands over Hanks grave while Richard stands over Gavin's. "He loved you you know. That night. He was going to come back." "Why did he leave?" "He found out we were God's. And felt unworthy." Connor explained. The two stayed silent after that for some time. "Together?" "Together my brother. We'll all be together soon." The held hands still standing over the graves. Then, they turned to stone. Neither God or Man now. Merely marble statues. Pieces of art never to be seen by any man again. Tombstones for lost loved ones.

[escapedchickens]

DBH AU Prompt-Decisions

Another line art and prompt collab with me and my friend @gavimp whom wrote very nice prompts for my line art. This time, we have collaborated to write a prompt together, with me writing part 1 and her writing part 2. She is a big help with me when it comes to fun AUs and she helped me with correcting the hands on the line art above. (Hands are tough to draw) Without further ado, here is the prompt. 

Decisions

"Willard, please wash up. We have Mr. Vasquez coming over for lunch and I cannot have you looking dusty."

"I was only helping Ginger and the others. We sprouted more aubergines than expected and they could use an extra hand with the crates."

"They are tools, Willard, they'll be just fine picking and stacking them. We have a couple of TR models on site to help with that. Including the rude one that gets on my nerves once in a while."

Willard nods and whole heartfully waves to their androids before departing from the garden. He shakes off his dirt riddled boots on the outdoor mat and makes his way to the shower. After washing up, he goes to the master bedroom to pick up some business casual clothes for the lunch date. From his window, he can see the TR 0010 model, Bunty, talking to Ginger and a couple of other androids. How they talk to each other does not seem out of the ordinary, as it look likes Ginger is giving reports of this month's gardening reports to her. What makes it interesting is seeing the two androids slip off the synthetic skin from their hands and shake on it as if they are exchanging information. He blinks to double check the process and shakes his head continuing to change.

"Nothing wrong, just exchanging information. After all, I reassured her that I would try make some improvements."

Some improvement. Nothing big, but enough to keep them satisfied. But how does one keep his many androids satisfied when his wife runs the estate with almost an iron fist. (More iron than the actual robots ironically). She shoves off the idea of them being deviant and berates him for thinking they are other than obedient machines. Machines work and breakdown, that is life. It does not matter that their lifespan are cut by a few decades instead, it just happens. At least for them. His train of thought gets cut off when he hears his wife shrill one more time for him. He quickly combs his hair and rushes downstairs to join her.

At the door, they are greeted by the door of a tall man with hair combed back hair and wearing a business casual suit. He greets the well-dressed Tweedys with handshakes and small pecks.

"Melisha, hello. You look dashing."

"Thank you Mr. Vasquez, it helps to have extra help around the house."

"I can see that. Willard, you look good. Doing a little work out?"

"Not really, I was just doing a little farm work with my androids. It is nice to get some exercise from the work while I get a little extra help."

"That is great. After all, that is what they are for. Day in, day out, just making life a little bit easier for the working man. Of course, from the looks of it, you two got off way easier. Look at this place, it's gorgeous!"

"It is a woman's touch," comments Melisha, placing a smile as she grabs a magazine from a desk. "Are you ready for join for us lunch?"

"Certainly, I am starving. Uum where are we going to be seated?"

"Just the dining room near an open window. The comforts of insides and the fresh air of outside."

"We can see the vegetables of our labour!" commend Willard, smiling wide at his statement. Melisha can only smile while fighting back the urge to smack him on the head.

Mr. Vasquez can only chuckle and take off his coat. "Oh Willard, you have this boyhood charm that carries all the way to here. It's charming. Especially at the state of this world."

The trio walks to the dining room, where three AX models wait patiently near the table. One of them opens the window while two androids pull back the chairs for the Tweedys, and one pulling one for Mr. Vasquez. After settling in, the models simultaneously uncover their lunch and stands back. One of them comes over to pour sparkling water on each of their glass cups. Willard thanked one of them and begins to eat. Mr. Vasquez takes a bite of his meal and swallows it. His face brightens at the taste and continues to consume. He swallows it another before wiping his face. "Your androids put a lot of heart in those meals."

"It helps when the lot of your food is locally grown," Melisha replies "The only things we bought at our grocery store are meats, dessert, fruits. Anything that cannot be found here."

"And some treats for the androids themselves. They are not easy to tend to when you have lots of them at your estate but a little treat once in a while should do. Without them, we wouldn't grow and sell our vegetables for even half of the process. Let alone, have enough for us to eat."

Melish nervously chuckles and drinks her water. "Willard, they're machines, that's what they do. The most we can do is provide them with blue blood and one new limb. Just enough to keep them going."

"I can side with Willard a bit, they look like very lovely girls. It takes a very special man to house them the way you did." He leans over to the window to see the WB unites farm zucchinis from their section. His smile grows wide with a longing stare. "Look at the way those girls handle zucchinis. I can tell they put a lot of dedication on their work. Do each vegetable gets handled differently?" 

"Not to my knowledge." Willard replies "Each vegetable is tend to. Checked on and ready for sale. Some can handle the shipping while others are better off at farmers markets or our own kitchen."

"Interesting." Mr. Vasquez keeps his grin as he consumes his meal. A while after lunch, they go outside and takes a stroll on the path nearby the garden to enjoy the Autumn English breeze and watch the androids continue to work. Willard sees that Mr. Vasquez keeps staring at his androids. The way this man is staring at them looks almost eager.

Mr. Vasquez turns to the couple and stands up straight. "If I recall from your android collecting days, you two had them 'customized' for your household."

"Of course," says Melisha "It takes the authorities off our backs and ensure that they will only stay with us."

"Have you had people borrow them for a while?"

"Only the TR models to help with some heavy lifting for some friends, but that's it."

Mr. Vasquez looks at the androids and steps in closer. "What about for other uses?"

"Uses?" asks Willard. "You mean like a neighbour borrowing a maid to clean while they are on holiday?"

Mr. Vasquez chuckles and eyes the androids ominously before looking at the couple. "Other...uses."

'Other uses' it starts to click in for Willard. He blushes deep while his wife gives out a hearty laugh at the statement. Melisha holds on to Willard for support while she attempts to decrease her laughing. "Mr. Vasquez, you're...you're a riot. They're not built for that.

"P...Plus, adding these types of customizations to robots made for farming, heavy lifting, and maid work will be expensive. I don't think it would be a sound idea." Willard replies, hiding the slight panic in his voice.

“Oh, that couldn’t be much trouble.”, Mr. Vasquez keep staring at the androids, having one on his focus. “Androids are capable to be modified to anyone’s tastes.”

[orbemnews]

Biden administration winds down Trump's pandemic food box program It’s one of many emergency federal aid programs that the government must decide how to wind down in a way that doesn’t create more problems for those still in need — and some, including New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, the new chairman of the Senate nutrition subcommittee, are calling on the government to keep a version of the food box program permanent to ensure needy families can get deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables. The $4 trillion in federal aid pumped into US economy over the past year has helped it bounce back, but the recovery has been uneven and is still far from complete. The nation is still down 8 million jobs compared to its pre-pandemic level. While the recession has nearly ended for high-wage workers, the unemployment rate for those earning less than $27,000 a year remains stubbornly high at nearly 28%, according a project at Harvard University tracking the recovery called Opportunity Insights. Many families continue to struggle to put food on the table. As of March, nearly 9% of adults lived in households that sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat — a share several times larger than at any point in 2019, according to the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Over the past year, the Capital Area Food Bank based in Washington, DC, helped deliver more than 1 million of the food boxes to families, making up nearly one-third of the meals it provided during the pandemic. The agency said it hopes the deliveries, known as Farmers to Families Food Box, will survive in some form even after the pandemic program ends this month. “For our clients, the recovery is a long and slow one,” said Radha Muthiah, Capital Area Food Bank’s president and CEO. “The most important thing is to provide good, nutritious food for them and we certainly still need USDA as a partner.” A ‘revolutionary’ program The Farmers to Families Food Box program spent about $5 billion over the past year to hire private distributors that connected farmers with food banks and other non-profits trying to meet the increased need from hungry families. There were some early concerns about the types of companies the USDA contracted with, including a Texas-based event scheduler, that had little experience distributing food. But despite the initial criticism, the program became quite popular. In the run-up to the election, former President Donald Trump required that the boxes include a letter from him touting the benefit. His daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump, appeared helping to hand out the boxes at several press events. It helped farmers sell their produce after supply chains were disrupted by the sudden closures of restaurants and schools. And it helped food banks and nonprofits that suddenly faced an explosion in demand and a simultaneous drop-off in donations. The Farmers to Families Food Box program was brand new, created by the USDA last April using funds provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. While the USDA has an existing program that purchases surplus commodities to send to food banks, the initiative focused on fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy and combined it all into one box. USDA has released five rounds of funding for the program over the past year, using money from two subsequent Covid relief bills. “This was revolutionary for USDA to actually be able to purchase and distribute everything so quickly,” said Emily Broad Lieb, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School. A report she helped write on the program found that many farmers and distributors were pleased, yet offered recommendations to make the distribution more equitable, help more small- and mid-sized farmers and reduce food waste. Sometimes food banks had to unpack the combo boxes in order to keep dairy and meat refrigerated and then repack them again. The price per box varied widely in the range of $40 to $100, when much of it could be bought for $20 at a grocery store, according to the report. USDA says the average price of a box fluctuated from as low as $28 to as high as $105. A new pandemic problem: How to wind down emergency aid In a statement, the USDA said the Farmers to Families program was meant to be a temporary effort to respond to severe market disruption caused by the pandemic. “It served that purpose, although with serious challenges, and now we must make sure people are getting access to food through other, more reliable channels,” it said. Meanwhile, separate food aid programs have been expanded by Congress, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, and another program targeting women and children. Democrats are also pushing to make other new benefits for the poor permanent, like the expanded child tax credit, paid leave and the universal free school lunch program. Relief programs like the direct stimulus payments to low-income Americans also have helped drive down the percentage of Americans struggling with hunger this year. The agency has also started to offer a similar fresh produce box on a temporary basis through the The Emergency Food Assistance Program that existed before the pandemic. Normally that program allows state food banks to put in orders for produce months ahead of time and the USDA buys the food. But the goods are usually processed or packaged. The new boxes will contain fresh fruit and vegetables. The Emergency Food Assistance Program would have been a better way to implement the emergency aid to being with, said Joseph Glauber, a Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute and former USDA economist. Instead, USDA was trying to address both the supply chain problem hurting farmers and the growing need from hungry families. “The idea was laudable. But I think it is a mistake to try to address farm-level problems with an emergency food program. I think the fundamental goal should be to provide good food at the lowest cost possible so that you can feed the most people,” Glauber said. Farmers also received about $16 billion in direct relief aid from the federal government. While the major supply chain problems have been resolved, they’re not back to normal. Many restaurants and office buildings remain closed or operating at less than full capacity. “People are still as eager to be involved on the distributor side,” said Melissa Ackerman, president of the Produce Alliance, a nationwide produce distributor that was contracted by USDA to deliver the boxes in several states. She said that the agency tweaked the rules several times over the past year, improving the program each round. “I think a step-down approach to ending the program would have been helpful,” Ackerman said. Source link Orbem News #administration #Biden #box #Food #Pandemic #Politics #Program #Trumps #USDAwindsdownTrump'spandemicfoodboxprogram-CNNPolitics #winds

[dipulb3]

Biden administration winds down Trump's pandemic food box program

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/biden-administration-winds-down-trumps-pandemic-food-box-program/

Biden administration winds down Trump's pandemic food box program

It’s one of many emergency federal aid programs that the government must decide how to wind down in a way that doesn’t create more problems for those still in need — and some, including New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, the new chairman of the Senate nutrition subcommittee, are calling on the government to keep a version of the food box program permanent to ensure needy families can get deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables.

The $4 trillion in federal aid pumped into US economy over the past year has helped it bounce back, but the recovery has been uneven and is still far from complete. The nation is still down 8 million jobs compared to its pre-pandemic level. While the recession has nearly ended for high-wage workers, the unemployment rate for those earning less than $27,000 a year remains stubbornly high at nearly 28%, according a project at Harvard University tracking the recovery called Opportunity Insights.

Many families continue to struggle to put food on the table. As of March, nearly 9% of adults lived in households that sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat — a share several times larger than at any point in 2019, according to the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Over the past year, the Capital Area Food Bank based in Washington, DC, helped deliver more than 1 million of the food boxes to families, making up nearly one-third of the meals it provided during the pandemic. The agency said it hopes the deliveries, known as Farmers to Families Food Box, will survive in some form even after the pandemic program ends this month.

“For our clients, the recovery is a long and slow one,” said Radha Muthiah, Capital Area Food Bank’s president and CEO. “The most important thing is to provide good, nutritious food for them and we certainly still need USDA as a partner.”

A ‘revolutionary’ program

The Farmers to Families Food Box program spent about $5 billion over the past year to hire private distributors that connected farmers with food banks and other non-profits trying to meet the increased need from hungry families.

There was some early concerns about the types of companies the USDA contracted with, including a Texas-based event scheduler, that had little experiencing distributing food. But despite the initial criticism, the program became quite popular. In the run-up to the election, former President Donald Trump required that the boxes include a letter from him touting the benefit. His daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump, appeared helping to hand out the boxes at several press events.

It helped farmers sell their produce after supply chains were disrupted by the sudden closures of restaurants and schools. And it helped food banks and nonprofits that suddenly faced an explosion in demand and a simultaneous drop-off in donations.

The Farmers to Families Food Box program was brand new, created by the USDA last April using funds provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. While the USDA has an existing program that purchases surplus commodities to send to food banks, the initiative focused on fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy and combined it all into one box. USDA has released five rounds of funding for the program over the past year, using money from two subsequent Covid relief bills.

“This was revolutionary for USDA to actually be able to purchase and distribute everything so quickly,” said Emily Broad Lieb, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School.

A report she helped write on the program found that many farmers and distributors were pleased, yet offered recommendations to make the distribution more equitable, help more small- and mid-sized farmers and reduce food waste. Sometimes food banks had to unpack the combo boxes in order to keep dairy and meat refrigerated and then repack them again.

The price per box varied widely in the range of $40 to $100, when much of it could be bought for $20 at a grocery store, according to the report. USDA says the average price of a box fluctuated from as low as $28 to as high as $105.

A new pandemic problem: How to wind down emergency aid

In a statement, the USDA said the Farmers to Families program was meant to be a temporary effort to respond to severe market disruption caused by the pandemic.

“It served that purpose, although with serious challenges, and now we must make sure people are getting access to food through other, more reliable channels,” it said.

Meanwhile, separate food aid programs have been expanded by Congress, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, and another program targeting women and children. Democrats are also pushing to make other new benefits for the poor permanent, like the expanded child tax credit, paid leave and the universal free school lunch program.

Relief programs like the direct stimulus payments to low-income Americans also have helped drive down the percentage of Americans struggling with hunger this year.

The agency has also started to offer a similar fresh produce box on a temporary basis through the The Emergency Food Assistance Program that existed before the pandemic. Normally that program allows state food banks to put in orders for produce months ahead of time and the USDA buys the food. But the goods are usually processed or packaged. The new boxes will contain fresh fruit and vegetables.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program would have been a better way to implement the emergency aid to being with, said Joseph Glauber, a Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute and former USDA economist.

Instead, USDA was trying to address both the supply chain problem hurting farmers and the growing need from hungry families.

“The idea was laudable. But I think it is a mistake to try to address farm-level problems with an emergency food program. I think the fundamental goal should be to provide good food at the lowest cost possible so that you can feed the most people,” Glauber said.

Farmers also received about $16 billion in direct relief aid from the federal government. While the major supply chain problems have been resolved, they’re not back to normal. Many restaurants and office buildings remain closed or operating at less than full capacity.

“People are still as eager to be involved on the distributor side,” said Melissa Ackerman, president of the Produce Alliance, a nationwide produce distributor that was contracted by USDA to deliver the boxes in several states.

She said that the agency tweaked the rules several times over the past year, improving the program each round.

“I think a step-down approach to ending the program would have been helpful,” Ackerman said.

[thehorsedispatch]

New Post has been published on https://horsetoloan.com/horse-manure/is-horse-manure-good-for-gardens/

Is Horse Manure Good For Gardens

Is Horse Manure Good for Gardens?

When it comes to fertilizing your garden, there’s not much that beats pure manure. Synthetic fertilizers probably have higher nutrient contents than most manures and are readily available at your local garden shop. But nothing beats natural, old-fashioned manure. Manure provides organic materials that help build soil structure, which synthetic fertilizers are unable to do. 

What’s the best manure for gardens? Horse manure and cow manure. Horse manure is easy to blend into your soil, it generally has high nutrient content, and it can help the plants in your garden grow better. This is especially true for roses. If you’re interested in learning all about horse manure fertilization, you’ve come to the right place. 

Table Of Contents

You may also like – Is Horse Manure Good For Roses?

What Does Manure Do in a Garden?

When you have a garden, organic matter is breaking down all the time inside the soil. Eventually, the soil in your garden gets depleted. The soil that’s leftover is not as good at supporting life because it’s basically all used up. By adding horse manure to a garden, more organic material is integrated into the soil, allowing the soil in your garden to house life once again. 

Inside your soil there are microorganisms that break down minerals and organic matter into food for plants to eat. You need a healthy soil filled with bugs and minerals and organisms in order to grow healthy plants without using chemicals. Horse manure helps make this happen. Horse manure revitalizes soil in a harden, promotes healthy growth, and allows you to continue growing your favorite plants.

What Kind of Horse Manure Should I Use in My Garden?

You always want to use composted horse manure in your garden. This means you don’t want to take fresh manure and simply dump it into your garden, otherwise all the concentrated nutrients could burn your plants. This is especially true for raw sheep manure, which is actually bad for gardens and can burn seedlings and prevent seed germination. 

Plus, raw manure stinks and attracts flies. Raw manure also contains pathogens that will probably make you sick. There are often seeds in raw manure too, which can pollute your garden. You always want to use composted horse manure because it’s the safest and healthiest thing to add to your garden. 

Where Do You Get Composted Horse Manure for a Garden?

Your best bet for picking up composted horse manure is going to be your local farmer. Most farmers compost their horse manure and are happy to give it away. Other farmers produce their own composted manure and sell it in bags. Purchasing locally produced composted material of any kind, including horse manure, is a great way to support your local community and keep your garden fresh. 

If you don’t live near any farms, you could always purchase composted horse manure at your local garden center. Be sure that you check the nutrient content on the bag before making the purchase. You always want the best manure money can buy!

Why Should I Put Horse Manure on My Garden?

Horse manure is good for gardens because it contains organic material. When this organic material is applied to plants in your garden, it helps them to grow quickly and become stronger. This has a lot to do with the fact that horse manure is rich in nitrogen, something that really helps non-flowering plants to grow big and healthy. 

These plants include corn, potatoes, lettuce, garlic, and the grass of your lawn. What horse manure doesn’t work well with are plants like tomatoes and peppers. If you want to use horse manure with flowering plants, be sure to mix it with compost first.

Composted horse manure is the best for any garden. Composted horse manure does not require any special prepping to make work. Simply scatter the manure over your garden and then blend it into your soil. This type of manure will help with roses, shrubs, and everything else in your garden. 

How Long Do You Have to Wait to Use Horse Manure?

When composting your own horse manure to use with your garden, it can be a long and complicated process. On average, it takes about two to three months to properly compost horse manure. 

How do you know when horse manure compost is ready? Two main things. First, the horse manure compost will look more like soil than just a bunch of horse poop. Secondly, the soil won’t stink like raw manure anymore. At this point, you are pretty safe to start using your homemade horse manure in your garden. 

How Much Horse Manure Should I Put in My Garden?

There isn’t really a rule on just how much horse manure you should put in your garden. Some people say one pound per square foot, and that’s a pretty reasonable estimate. What’s more important than just how much horse manure you put in your garden is when you put it in your garden. 

Be sure that you add horse manure compost to your garden at least 60 days before intending to harvest your crop. This is enough time for the horse manure compost to do its job as a fertilizer. 

When adding horse manure to your garden, simply sprinkle the manure as you would with any other compost fertilizer and blend gently into the topsoil. This will give you the best results.

What is the Best Manure for a Vegetable Garden?

Speaking specifically about vegetable gardens, horse manure isn’t actually the best you can get. Horse manure is definitely awesome for vegetable gardens. However, it’s generally agreed that the best manure to put inside your vegetable garden is a special blend of cow dung and composted manure, which farmers and gardeners call black gold. 

Even stranger is that some people recommend using rabbit droppings or even llama droppings. Rabbit droppings contain plant nutrients, and this in low doses helps to fertilize without overwhelming plant roots. This is great for a vegetable garden. 

Rabbit droppings and cow dung are both easy to get, and so is horse manure. You might have a tougher time trying to find llama fertilizer!

[halfabreath]

Jack/Holster, “why do i even bother?” :D

big ol’ thank you to @chocolatechipcookiesplease for listening while i hashed out this verse and for the cutest suggestion in the world.

Adam might be a morning person - he’s a farmer, it comes with the territory - but his partner is not. Jack, inexplicably, is neither a morning person nor a night owl. Instead of thriving at a certain period of time, he just requires at least seven, preferably seven and a half, hours of sleep. His body usually doesn’t allow him to get more than that and if he gets less he’s impossible to wake without becoming irritable and grouchy.

The second Adam opens his eyes, he knows what kind of a day it’s going to be. He’s laying on his side, Jack’s arm draped over his waist. Jack’s pressed close, tucked up against Adam’s back, and when Adam shifts to turn off his alarm Jack doesn’t move at all. His breathing is even against the back of Adam’s neck, and there’s no harm in giving him another few minutes before they have to get up.

Adam reaches for his phone, content to scroll through trade speculations (there are rumors that Chris Chow might end up with the Falconers) or stream an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine before waking the beast, but after he unlocks it with sleep-stupid fingers and adjusts the brightness, the page refuses to load. Adam stares at the blank, still-too-bright screen for a long moment, then drops the phone with a groan. There’s no service and the wifi’s out, leaving them technologically stranded in the wilderness. Sure, there’s the landline Jack insists on keeping, but Adam can’t watch 30 Rock through a Stone Age artifact, can he? They have to upgrade to a better plan. Adam can’t live like this - he won’t live like this.

Annoyed, Adam picks up Jack’s arm by the wrist and tosses it behind him, letting it flop onto the mattress. He’s already sitting up by the time Jack reacts, burrowing into the pillows and wrapping his arm around Adam’s waist as he sits on the edge of the bed.

“Nope,” Adam says, voice deeper than usual from a night of disuse. He removes Jack’s arm again, this time gently setting it on the bed. “I’m mad at you.” How did he manage to fall for someone who thinks the Internet is an optional amenity? Blasphemer.

“Oh, okay.” Jack mumbles, accepting the news easily. He rolls over, taking the blankets with him. Double blasphemer. Adam stares at the back of his head until his breathing evens out again, smiling softly despite his annoyance. Ugh, love. He pulls the blankets up over Jack’s shoulder and stands, stretching before beginning the day.

When Adam steps back in the house after feeding and milking the animals Jack is standing by the stove, stirring a pot of oatmeal. The sun is just beginning to rise, weak rays streaming through the blinds, but Adam only has eyes for the mug of tea waiting for him and the unfairly attractive man holding it. He tears off his boots and slides across the hardwood floors, coming to a stop just before he crashes into Jack. Just when he reaches for the mug, though, Jack pulls it back deftly. He moves the mug around, deftly keeping the hot liquid from sloshing over the sides, playing a quick game of keep-away until Adam pouts.

“Jack,” He whines, leaning to the side dramatically. “Why? Why are you like this?” Jack just grins and turns off the stove, still holding Adam’s beverage hostage.

“Why are you mad at me?” Jack asks calmly.

Adam rolls his eyes, leaning against the counter for support when the full-body motion disrupts his balance. “Jack Zimmermann, I cannot believe you’re willing to deprive me of sustenance in your sick manipulative mind-games.” Adam says, swiping at the mug in a lame attempt to take it back. Jack just raises an eyebrow and moves it further away.

��Tea doesn’t contain any proteins, carbohydrates, or calories.” Jack reminds him, the anchors of his lips curling up in his smug chirping smile.

“Emotional sustenance, then.” Adam amends, drawing himself up to his full height. He pulls two bowls down from the cabinet, setting them beside the stove for whenever Jack deigns to serve them. His partner waits patiently, leaning against the counter with that same smug expression. Adam sighs and opens a drawer, digging around for two spoons. “The wifi’s out again.” He says, letting the metal utensils clatter against the clay bowls. Jack hums and hands him the mug and turns back to the stove to begin portioning out the oatmeal.

“You’ve only been awake for an hour, Holtzy. When did you have time to use the internet?” Jack hands him a full bowl, their fingers brushing during the hand-off.

Adam immediately dumps cinnamon and honey into the oatmeal, mixing it in with more force than necessary. “When I woke up, obviously, and if we had service I could check traffic, e-mails, the weather, figure out where Chris Chow signed, if the world ended during the night or something. Important stuff!” He tosses in a handful of the blueberries Jack had set out, doing the same to Jack’s oatmeal as he speaks.

“No,” Jack steps into his space, reaching around him easily to pick up the jar of honey. “You wanted to watch the Forty Rocks and - ”

“Don’t you dare.” Adam says, interrupting Jack decisively. “Not under my roof.” He punctuates the words with a firm poke to Jack’s chest with the end of the spoon.

“Our roof,” Jack corrects, bumping against Adam easily on his way to the table. Adam groans and follows him, dropping into the chair across from him. “And you know we don’t need wifi. The money has to go towards things that keep the farm running, like new fences.” They’ve been over this too many times to count, but Adam rolls out his old argument anyway.

“Fences are dumb.” He says, brows knitting together in annoyance when Jack chimes in with him.

Jack continues, stirring his oatmeal in a perfect inward-outward spiral. “They’re your cows, Adam, and I know you don’t want them roaming away.”

Adam’s just taken a huge bite of oatmeal but he speaks through the inconvenience. “They would never.” He protests, the words only slightly muffled by the food in his mouth. He swallows quickly, hoping to continue before Jack chimes in again, but he’s too late.

“They would, actually.” Jack says. “The pasture fences are on their last legs and if we save the money we were using on premium wifi we can repair them this fall.” He’s had to make the same argument again and again but he just continues to eat his breakfast. “But what do I know? Bees don’t need fences.”

“Bees don’t need fences.” Adam mimics, flicking a blueberry at him. It goes wide, sailing over Jack’s shoulder before it lands on the hardwoods. Jack, the bastard, just laughs, stupidly handsome in the morning light. “Why do I even bother?” Adam asks, but doesn’t move away when Jack presses their knees together under the table. Jack shrugs and takes a bite of oatmeal, and Adam finally takes a sip of the tea he fought so hard for. It’s perfect, because Jack always makes it exactly how Adam likes it. It’s endearing and annoying all at once.

Adam plays the FRIENDS theme song in the truck on their way to the market in retaliation, because sometimes that’s all you can do when your boyfriend is thoughtful and doles out crucial financial advice to keep your dairy cows from wandering away.

It’s a busy day at the Providence Green Market. Jack’s stock is wiped out - he always underestimates how much he’ll sell - but luckily the crowd thins out an hour or so before closing. Adam’s just selling the last of his “Ewe Calf to be Kidding Me” blue cheese when Jack appears behind him, hand settling low on Adam’s back. He can feel the warmth of his partner’s palm through his shirt, and he can’t help leaning back to press against the contact.

“I have to run an errand but I’ll be back before the market closes.” Jack says, and he’s already on the other side of the table by the time Adam processes the news.

“You can’t just leave me here!” He calls out, but Jack just keeps walking, raising his hand in a wave goodbye. Adam rolls his eyes and turns back to his customer, a short blonde guy who’s looking up at him with big, brown eyes. “You see what I have to put up with?”

The customer laughs, adjusting the tote bag full of produce on his shoulder so he can cross his arms. “I know exactly how you feel. My boyfriend ditches me whenever I come over here.”

“Why’s that?” Adam asks, carefully transferring the cheese from the wire to the paper he’s placed on the cutting board.

“Oh, he’s weird about talking to people he admires. Apparently y'all are both hockey,” The man waves his hand in a vague gesture as he searches for the right word. “People?”

Adam huffs out a little laugh, looking down the cheese he’s wrapping. Jack’s past is more well known than his stint in Juniors, but every now and again some hardcore hockey fan realizes who they both were. “We used to be. Now we’re cheese people. Well, Jack’s a bee person. I’d sell you some of his honey but we’re all out.” He nods at the other half of the booth, where Jack’s neat display was laid out earlier in the day.

“I’ll have to come back next week, then. I’ve got a couple recipes I’ve been meaning to workshop that all need honey but I’m not sure which kind is best yet.” The man says as Adam tapes up the corners of the paper neatly. He handles it gently when Adam passes it to him, tucking it carefully on top of the other products in his bags.

Adam’s fingers fly over the calculator as he adds up the customer’s order. “I’ll make sure we set a couple jars aside for you, and you should bring your boyfriend. Jack will walk you through the best honey for different recipes and I always want to talk about hockey.” He explains, turning the calculator to show the man his total.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He reaches into the pockets of his - okay, those are really short - shorts and digs out a neatly folded bill. “I’m Bitty, by the way,” he says as Adam counts out his change. “College nickname, but it stuck.”

“Hey, I was Holtzy for a few years so I know how you feel. You can call me that or Adam. The asshole who ditched me is Jack.” Adam explains with a smile. Bitty matches his expression as he collects his change and tucks it back into his pocket.

“That’s Justin, back there.” Bitty thumbs over his shoulder, gesturing towards a tall man who’s examining the books at Connor Whisk’s antiques stall. He’s got cheekbones that rival Jack’s and his full lips are turned up in a small smile as he carefully thumbs through the yellowed pages of an old book. “I’ll see you next week!” Bitty says, disrupting Adam’s staring with a cheerful wave. Adam blinks and somehow manages to wave back, watching as Bitty meanders through the thin crowd to end up at Justin’s side. Bitty goes onto his toes to whisper into to Justin’s ear, and as Adam watches his cheeks darken as he drops the book. Justin look back at Adam in shock, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, before he hurries away. Bitty laughs and chases after him. They look good together, in their bright clothing and easy smiles.

Yeah, Jack definitely has to meet them.

The final hour drags by as a few more people stop for samples. He doesn’t sell out of anything else, unfortunately, which means Jack’s going to gloat all night because they have to channel their competitive natures into something besides sports and board games.

When Jack returns he doesn’t offer an explanation but he does press a kiss to Adam’s cheek before he begins loading the coolers into the truck, and really, that’s all Adam needs. He wrestles Jack’s arm across the console during the drive home, lacing their fingers together while he sings along to the radio. When they reach the farm the move seamlessly into their routine: Jack unloads the truck while Adam heads to the barn, where a handful of needy goats and cows are waiting for him. By the time he’s finished there are muddy goat-prints covering his jeans, an ache in his lower back over and a scratch from the grouchy barn cat he always tries to pet on the back of his hand, but at least there’s food in the oven when he trudges back inside. Jack’s not in the kitchen or bedroom when Adam walks through to change, but when he comes back after a shower there’s plastic bag on the kitchen table.

It’s stuffed full, the white plastic stretched around the ninety degree corners that stick out in all directions. Adam ambles over, his long day and various aches and pains forgotten as he reaches inside. His calloused fingers close around smooth plastic and when he pulls the object out Rachel Green is staring out at him, her friends asleep around her. He reaches back in and pulls out another DVD case, then another, and another, until scattered seasons of his favorite shows are spread out on the kitchen table. Community, FRIENDS, 30 Rock, The Office, Arrested Development, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation are all there, as is one season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

“Oh, no.” Jack’s disappointed voice cuts through the silent kitchen. When Adam turns he’s leaning against the door frame, toeing off his shoes. “I didn’t think you’d be done yet.” He’s frowning as he walks across the room, blue eyes narrowing. “You weren’t supposed to see until I had all the seasons.” Jack glares down at the DVD cases like they’ve betrayed him, and Adam reaches out to pull him in by the collar of his flannel.

“You remembered all my shows,” He says softly, the words murmured into the short distance between them. Jack just nods, and looks at Adam like he’s just said something stupid.

“You talk about them all the time.” Jack explains, tilting his head to the side in confusion. “Even in your sleep.” And, okay, that’s new information, but Adam doesn’t have time to process it. Jack remembered his shows. It shouldn’t be surprising, not really, because Jack’s absolutely right. He’ll ramble on about plot twists from seasons past or describe scenes in detail but as much and as loudly as he touts his opinion, he doesn’t ever assume someone’s actually listening to him.

He shakes his head and opens his mouth to try to explain, shakes his head, and then tilts his head forward to kiss Jack instead. Jack wraps a strong arm around his waist and holds him tight, only pulling back when the oven timer sounds. The shrill beeping continues even as Adam places another short kiss on Jack’s lips, then another on his cheek, an another on his forehead. Jack just squeezes his hip and hurries to the oven.

After dinner, a second shower, and a quick sheet change, Adam’s queued up the first episode of Parks and Recreation. “Now, bear with me through the first couple episodes, but I think you’ll like it after that.” He explains as Jack crawls into bed. “You’re like, an amalgamation of a bunch of these characters.” Adam lifts an arm so Jack can rest against his shoulder.

“I bear with you twenty four hours a day. I think I can handle thirty minutes.” Jack shoots back, and presses play before Adam can retaliate.

“Hello. Hi. My name is Leslie Knope and I work for the Parks and Recreation department. Can I ask you a few questions?”

[dashlung62-blog]

Rye Bread

Rye bread made without yeast. A rye soda bread recipe that will make you fall in love with rye flour.

I have a quick love letter to write today, and I hope you’ll indulge me.

It’s part love letter, but really, I want to let you know which cookbooks I use in my kitchen several times a week. If you reach for a cookbook on a weeknight, or if you reach for a cookbook more than once a week, it’s a good sign.

I have a coffee nook in my kitchen, well, I’m a tea drinker, so I should call it a tea nook, but it was clearly designed as a coffee station. Anyway, since I have no need for a coffee maker, espresso machine, or any of those other coffee tools in my nook, I keep a small selection of cookbooks on the counter.

It’s well-thought-out; it’s the books I love the most and use the most. Not just beautiful books that inspire me, it’s incredible books that make me want to get in the kitchen and cook that very instant. Often, the pages have food splatters and can be a bit sticky, but that’s even better for me.

The cookbooks that I use the most are written by Heidi Swanson from 101cookbooks.com. I first discovered her when I moved to California, and upon first meeting, I believe I told her that she taught me everything I know about California cuisine.

Heidi taught me how to shop at and how to love farmer’s markets, and she taught me about Deborah Madison and all the other great chefs in California that are paving/had paved the way for eating REAL food. Because of Heidi, my top factor when choosing food is where was it produced and how was it produced.

I reach for her cookbooks after every farmer’s market haul. Her stuff is vegetarian, yes, but it’s the most flavorful, unique vegetarian food I’ve ever had that makes you never miss the meat, honest!

In full disclosure, my husband and I are part-time vegetarians. While most people do ‘meatless Monday’ and take one day off each week from meat, we actually only eat meat one day a week or so. It’s not uncommon for us to call instant pot mac and cheese with a salad a Monday night dinner, and enjoy a my orzo pasta salad with feta or my pesto tortellini salad later in the week. Our one meat day might include my honey garlic chicken thighs.

But did you notice a theme? My vegetarian meals rely heavily on pasta. Not Heidi’s.

Heidi’s recipes are inventive and far from your standard vegetarian recipes. I own all of her books, and I cook from them often.

Super Natural Every Day is the one I grab the most, though I am working my way through the very beautiful Near & Far.

Her dish called Otsu is something I make for company, especially company that has food allergies. Plus, it’s my belief that she invented baked oatmeal, and the world is a much better place for it.

More details about this rye bread made without yeast:

Today, I’m sharing with you her recipe for rye bread. It doesn’t have any yeast, and is technically a rye soda bread. It bakes up so crunchy, crusty, and beautiful that it took my breath away the first time I made it years ago.

As I baked this rye bread recipe for possibly the one-hundredth time to photograph this for you, it still took my breath away when it emerged from the oven.

I can’t help but run my finger over the indentations made with the knife before baking–that’s where the real CRUST emerges.

Soda bread made without deep slashes is now dead to me–this is the only way forward.

Honestly, I can’t believe I get to count Heidi as one of my friends. She inspires me so much. A woman who can make bread with just 4 ingredients that tastes this good is an angel.

I keep rye flour in my house now to make this rye bread whenever I have soup or stew on the stove. It comes together so quickly, and serving homemade bread with a meal makes me feel like I’ve got my life together.

For some strange reason, my daughter isn’t that into carbs, unless gnocchi is involved, and she frequently licks the butter off bread and leaves the bread.

However, she loves this rye bread. The dark color scared her at first, so I served it with the dill butter that Heidi recommends in the book, and it sold her. Most commonly, I serve it with salted European-style butter.

Is rye bread gluten free?

No, it’s not. I wanted to answer that question, because I know it will come up.

It’s important to me that Camille learns to love bread and carbs, because there are so many B vitamins in whole grains. I am so grateful this rye bread recipe helps me accomplish that goal.

Rye flour can be a tough sell when it comes to whole grains, but I’ve been working it into my pancakes for two recipe, and I’m considering adding some to my small batch crepes recipe, too.

Ok, onto the recipe now. I hope you love this homemade rye bread recipe made without yeast. It will quickly go into your Fall rotation for serving alongside soup, and I’m sure it will find its way out again for St Patrick’s Day since it’s technically soda bread.

Rye Bread

Christina Lane

Yields 1 small boule

Homemade rye bread made without yeast.

15 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hr, 5 Total Time

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups (9.75 ounces) rye flour

1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt

2 cups (475 mL) buttermilk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400, and ensure a wire rack is in the middle position. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift the flours, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

Make a well in the center of the flours and pour in all of the buttermilk at once. Stir just until a dough forms.

Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 30 seconds to bring it together.

Using your hands, press the dough into an even flat disk.

Sprinkle the top of the dough disk with about 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.

Next, make 4 deep slashes into the dough, about two-thirds of the way through. Be careful not to cut all the way through.

Bake for 30 minutes, and then move the dough to the top rack of the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes to crisp up the surface.

Let cool on a wire rack completely before serving with salted butter.

7.8.1.2

2024

https://www.dessertfortwo.com/rye-bread/

Source: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/rye-bread/

[beechwrench4-blog]

40 small ways to make Philly a better place

Note: This story was last published in January, 2018. We’ve updated it with all the most recent developments and changes.

In the midst of February and this dismal weather, it can be hard to push yourself to leave the house, much less do some charity work. But giving back (even a little) to your community can actually make this winter feel a little brighter.

Plus, it doesn’t take much. From small opportunities—like donating a little money and making sure to pick up and throw away your trash—to bigger ones—like packing and delivering food to those in need—there are chances for everyone to give a little back to their city this winter. Get started with our guide to all the small things you can do to make Philly a better place:

From your home

1. Green your home: There are plenty of simple ways to live a more sustainable life, but if you want to take it a step further, see if your home qualifies for one of the city’s RainCheck green tools, whether that’s stormwater paving, a rain garden, or a rain barrel. There’s a simple quiz you can take, and if your home qualifies for a green improvement you can sign up for a cost-sharing program to help cut back on costs.

2. Call your legislators. Have a suggestion or something else to say to the folks representing you in government? Give them a ring and speak up. It’s the quickest way to make your voice heard and hold your elected officials accountable. Here’s a full list of the elected officials in Philadelphia county on a city and state level.

3. Donate money. If you have the means to do so, donate to one cause (or more!) that really resonates with you. One easy way to put your hard-earned dollars toward a good cause is to sign up for AmazonSmiles. Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of all of your eligible purchases to the charity of your choice. You’ll be supporting a good cause with one click.

4. Plant a tree. Each fall and spring season the TreePhilly program hosts events where you can pick up a free tree to plant in your yard. It started back in 2012 as a way to make sure that every Philly neighborhood has at least 30 percent tree canopy coverage. If you want to go beyond your yard, you can pay to sponsor a tree in Center City and your donation will be matched by local residents.

5. Recycle. Hands down one of the easiest ways to do good is to recycle. Even better, the city has a ton of pick-up locations where you can snag one of those free blue recycling bins. And here’s a helpful list of what you can and can’t recycle.

6. Give your furniture to ReStore. Replacing your couch? Don’t just dump it on the sidewalk. Haul it over to ReStore on Washington Avenue. It’s an arm of Habitat for Humanity, and all of the proceeds go toward building homes in Philadelphia.

7. Donate your clothes. Your hand-me-down could be another’s treasure. Instead of tossing your unwanted clothes, donate them to a local thrift store. The nonprofit Philly AIDS Thrift accepts clothes, home goods, and furniture and sells it at a discounted rate, then donates proceeds to local organizations that support the fight against HIV/AIDS. Nonprofit Second Mile Center in West Philly also accepts clothes and home goods, and offers a re-entry employment program for people who have spent time in prison or in rehab.

8. Learn about the city. Like all cities and towns, Philly has a long and complicated history. Learning all about it can provide an understanding of why certain things are the way they are in this wonderfully weird city. Here’s a list of some books to check out. Or, explore the city by foot: There are a lot of great walking tours that show off the city’s architecture and hidden histories.

In your neighborhood

9. Sign up for neighborhood committee: If you really want to have a hands-on role in your neighborhood, join your neighborhood organization or registered community organization. They all have different committees, from zoning to beautification, so you can join the one you feel most passionate about.

10. Clean up your neighborhood park. Every year, twice a year, the Parks and Rec department and Fairmount Park Conservancy host Love Your Park, a week-long event that includes a long list of opportunities to clean up Philly’s parks, and the next event is in May. But you don’t have to do it just once a year—there’s always the option to organize a cleanup with your neighbors or DIY.

11. Throw a block party. What’s Philly without its block parties? And what better way to get to know your neighbors than over some burgers and beer? Apply online for a block party permit: It’s $25 for a weekend day or $150 for a weekday.

12. Attend neighborhood meetings. If you can’t commit to joining a neighborhood committee (#9), then make sure to show up to their organized meetings. It’s a good chance to make your voice heard about the goings on in your neighborhood, whether it’s over a new development or park.

13. Start a free library. Knowledge is power, people! To spread the word, look into setting up an adorable Little Free Library in your neighborhood. It’ll function as a free book exchange with anyone and everyone. To find out more and see where else you’ll find these libraries in Philly, check out this map.

14. Get to know your committee person... A committee person is like a political block captain and is the political party’s representative to your voting division. Says Sarah Clark Stuart, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, “Get to know your committee person or ward leader, present them with the problem you are seeking to address and see if they are willing to join you in asking your District Council person to ask city agencies to resolve the issue.”

15. ...or run for committee person. “One great way to help your community in an ongoing way is to run for a committee person seat in your neighborhood,” says Jon Geeting, director of engagement for Philadelphia 3.0. “These elections are happening this year, and you only need to get 10 valid signatures from registered party members to get on the ballot between February 13 and March 6.” Sign up here.

16. Don’t be a litter bug: In case you haven’t noticed, Philly has a litter problem. Help the city reach its goal of being litter-free by 2035 and please, put your trash in the trash.

17. Turn that lot into a garden. Is there a vacant lot in your neighborhood that’s just sitting there? Fight blight by turning it into a community garden. You can donate to the Philadelphia Horticulture Society’s Adopt-a-Lot cause, starting as low as $25.

Along your route

18. Ride a bike. Forgo the four wheels every once in awhile and hop on a bike instead: It’s a great way to explore Philly, it’s healthy, and good for the environment. First-timer? The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia offers an Urban Riding Basics class that teaches the basic rules of the road and what your rights and responsibilities are as a cyclist.

19. Follow the rules of the road. If you ever thought that cyclists or drivers don’t follow traffic laws, you were right: Last year, a study found that they both violate the rules of the road at about the same rate. Whether you get around by bike, car, or by foot, set a good example and abide by the laws of the road.

20. Take public transportation. As the fifth most walkable city in the U.S., there’s perhaps no better way to explore Philadelphia than by foot. But Philly is a big place with a lot to see, so if you really want to get from point A to B quickly without getting stuck in traffic, take the trolley or subway. And hey, it’ll take one more car off the road. We have some suggestions on the best public transportation routes to take to really get to know the city.

21. Lend a hand. There are many ways and causes to consider to help Philly’s homeless population. But if you see someone in need on your route, there’s a quick way to help out: Text “Share” to 80077 to make a $5 donation to help the homeless. The City of Philadelphia will then match your donation dollar for dollar—all of the funds raised will be invested in housing, jobs, and other services for the homeless. The Center City District Foundation is also holding outreach programs for the homeless, and they could always use donations to further their work.

22. See something? Say something. Download the 311 app and report any issues you see that need fixing—potholes, sinkholes, signs down, et cetera.

Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia

In your community

23. Commit to serve. Join Philly’s #CommitToServe campaign, which has a goal of getting Philadelphians to log 100,000 hours of volunteer service in 2018. Go to www.serve.phila.gov and to tell the city how many hours you plan to serve in the coming year.

Photo by C. Smyth for VISIT PHILADELPHIA

24. Support small and local businesses. Sure, online shopping is quick and convenient. But it’s the city’s important mom-and-pop shops that keep Philly flavor alive. Keep patronizing them so that they can stick around for the long haul.

25. Shop and sell at your farmers market. Kill two birds with one stone here: Organizations like the Food Trust encourage accessible, affordable, and healthy eating all around Philly and let volunteers lend a hand at their local farmers market. When you’re finished helping out, buy some local, healthy produce on your way out to support both local businesses.

26. Paint a mural. Philly is nothing without its thousands of murals. But the artists need all the help they can get to paint and install their gargantuan works of art onto Philly’s walls. Mural Arts, the largest program of its kind in the country, hosts painting days throughout the year, where you can add your creative touch to the city’s many murals.

Photo by Melissa Romero

27. Show some love to animals. There are plenty of animal shelters in Philly where you can volunteer, including Morris Animal Refuge, the oldest animal shelter in the nation, and PAWS, which hosts plenty of adoption events that also need help. But you can also do more than feed and pet the fluff balls: PAWS partners with Monster Milers, a running organization that lets you take dogs out for runs throughout the city.

28. Distribute food for those in need There are a lot of families and individuals all over the city in need of food and a little assistance, and the Jewish Relief Agency is here to help. Every month they call on volunteers to help pack boxes full of food and deliver them around the city. Sign up here, and bring a group if you want.

29. Design for good. Got design chops? There are plenty of nonprofits and organizations that need your eye for design—at a discounted rate. The Community Design Collaborative is always looking for design professionals to volunteer their services all while giving back to the community.

30. Support public spaces. Link up with Parks and Recreation, the Free Library, or their non-profit partners like the Fairmount Park Conservancy or the Philadelphia Parks Alliance.

Photo by Jeffrey Totaro

31. Preserve Philly’s history. Did you know? Philly is the only “World Heritage City” in the U.S. and the only one whose neighborhoods have been designated a “National Treasure” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. So yeah, our historic fabric is important. But while there are a lot of preservationists out there working to save Philly’s history, it takes a lot of resources to do so. To help out, you can donate to organizations like the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, or dip your toes into the preservation world yourself. Here’s a beginner’s guide.

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32. Preserve and grow. If you’re really looking to take on an unusual challenge, join the Grave Gardeners at Woodlands Cemetery in West Philly. Grave gardeners adopt a “cradle grave” at the historic cemetery and plant Victorian-era species, tending to the plot for the year. It’s a unique way to uncover (not literally) the many layers of history around the Woodlands. Sign ups began in January so you’ll have a better chance of getting on the list of volunteers if you sign up now.

33. Become a reading coach for Philly’s youth. Calling all book lovers! Philly’s on a mission to have all of its children reading at grade level by 4th grade. To make sure that happens, volunteer as a reading coach and sign up for one-on-one sessions.

34. Support diversity. Philadelphia is growing, in large part due the city’s blossoming immigrant population. And they’ve also made a huge economic impact in the city: From 2000 to 2013, immigrants were responsible for 96 percent of the Main Street neighborhood business growth. There are many ways to support Philadelphians of all backgrounds, including teaching English and donating or volunteering for one of the many organizations that help Philly’s immigrants and refugees.

35. Make a meal for others. A good meal goes a long way, and there are plenty of soup kitchens and organizations where you can provide food for the homeless. At Project HOME, you can sign up to both cook up and serve meals at various locations.

Courtesy of Tupungato/Shutterstock.com

36. Keep Philly’s water clean. William Penn couldn’t have picked a more beautiful spot to put down roots in Philadelphia, sandwiched between the Delaware River and the Schuylkill. But it takes a lot to keep those waters clean—even the way you manage stormwater at home can trickle down to the rivers. To do your part, consider supporting the organizations that have signed on to the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, or all of the partners working to keep the Schuylkill clean.

37. Become a foster grandparent. Sometimes all a kid needs is some extra love and attention. The Foster Grandparent Program provides a way for low-income adults ages 55 and older to serve as an extended family member for a child with special needs.

38. Support Philly’s schools. Whether you are a parent or not, supporting Philly’s public schools is a supporting Philly’s future. But every school has different challenges and needs. To make it easier to help out, the School District of Philadelphia launched an interactive map called Philly FUNDamentals that lets you donate directly to a school or project of your choice.

39. Support an urban farm. Greensgrow always gets a lot of love, but there are a bunch of urban farms big and small that would love for you to lend a hand. Even better: Many of them started out as abandoned, vacant lots until neighbors banded together to beautify the space.

40. Vote. Especially in your local elections. It’s your civic duty!

Source: https://philly.curbed.com/2018/1/12/16867882/get-involved-local-politics-volunteer-philadelphia

[tentbat8-blog]

Rye Bread

Rye bread made without yeast. A rye soda bread recipe that will make you fall in love with rye flour.

I have a quick love letter to write today, and I hope you’ll indulge me.

It’s part love letter, but really, I want to let you know which cookbooks I use in my kitchen several times a week. If you reach for a cookbook on a weeknight, or if you reach for a cookbook more than once a week, it’s a good sign.

I have a coffee nook in my kitchen, well, I’m a tea drinker, so I should call it a tea nook, but it was clearly designed as a coffee station. Anyway, since I have no need for a coffee maker, espresso machine, or any of those other coffee tools in my nook, I keep a small selection of cookbooks on the counter.

It’s well-thought-out; it’s the books I love the most and use the most. Not just beautiful books that inspire me, it’s incredible books that make me want to get in the kitchen and cook that very instant. Often, the pages have food splatters and can be a bit sticky, but that’s even better for me.

The cookbooks that I use the most are written by Heidi Swanson from 101cookbooks.com. I first discovered her when I moved to California, and upon first meeting, I believe I told her that she taught me everything I know about California cuisine.

Heidi taught me how to shop at and how to love farmer’s markets, and she taught me about Deborah Madison and all the other great chefs in California that are paving/had paved the way for eating REAL food. Because of Heidi, my top factor when choosing food is where was it produced and how was it produced.

I reach for her cookbooks after every farmer’s market haul. Her stuff is vegetarian, yes, but it’s the most flavorful, unique vegetarian food I’ve ever had that makes you never miss the meat, honest!

In full disclosure, my husband and I are part-time vegetarians. While most people do ‘meatless Monday’ and take one day off each week from meat, we actually only eat meat one day a week or so. It’s not uncommon for us to call instant pot mac and cheese with a salad a Monday night dinner, and enjoy a my orzo pasta salad with feta or my pesto tortellini salad later in the week. Our one meat day might include my honey garlic chicken thighs.

But did you notice a theme? My vegetarian meals rely heavily on pasta. Not Heidi’s.

Heidi’s recipes are inventive and far from your standard vegetarian recipes. I own all of her books, and I cook from them often.

Super Natural Every Day is the one I grab the most, though I am working my way through the very beautiful Near & Far.

Her dish called Otsu is something I make for company, especially company that has food allergies. Plus, it’s my belief that she invented baked oatmeal, and the world is a much better place for it.

More details about this rye bread made without yeast:

Today, I’m sharing with you her recipe for rye bread. It doesn’t have any yeast, and is technically a rye soda bread. It bakes up so crunchy, crusty, and beautiful that it took my breath away the first time I made it years ago.

As I baked this rye bread recipe for possibly the one-hundredth time to photograph this for you, it still took my breath away when it emerged from the oven.

I can’t help but run my finger over the indentations made with the knife before baking–that’s where the real CRUST emerges.

Soda bread made without deep slashes is now dead to me–this is the only way forward.

Honestly, I can’t believe I get to count Heidi as one of my friends. She inspires me so much. A woman who can make bread with just 4 ingredients that tastes this good is an angel.

I keep rye flour in my house now to make this rye bread whenever I have soup or stew on the stove. It comes together so quickly, and serving homemade bread with a meal makes me feel like I’ve got my life together.

For some strange reason, my daughter isn’t that into carbs, unless gnocchi is involved, and she frequently licks the butter off bread and leaves the bread.

However, she loves this rye bread. The dark color scared her at first, so I served it with the dill butter that Heidi recommends in the book, and it sold her. Most commonly, I serve it with salted European-style butter.

Is rye bread gluten free?

No, it’s not. I wanted to answer that question, because I know it will come up.

It’s important to me that Camille learns to love bread and carbs, because there are so many B vitamins in whole grains. I am so grateful this rye bread recipe helps me accomplish that goal.

Rye flour can be a tough sell when it comes to whole grains, but I’ve been working it into my pancakes for two recipe, and I’m considering adding some to my small batch crepes recipe, too.

Ok, onto the recipe now. I hope you love this homemade rye bread recipe made without yeast. It will quickly go into your Fall rotation for serving alongside soup, and I’m sure it will find its way out again for St Patrick’s Day since it’s technically soda bread.

Rye Bread

Christina Lane

Yields 1 small boule

Homemade rye bread made without yeast.

15 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hr, 5 Total Time

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups (9.75 ounces) rye flour

1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt

2 cups (475 mL) buttermilk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400, and ensure a wire rack is in the middle position. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift the flours, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

Make a well in the center of the flours and pour in all of the buttermilk at once. Stir just until a dough forms.

Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 30 seconds to bring it together.

Using your hands, press the dough into an even flat disk.

Sprinkle the top of the dough disk with about 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.

Next, make 4 deep slashes into the dough, about two-thirds of the way through. Be careful not to cut all the way through.

Bake for 30 minutes, and then move the dough to the top rack of the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes to crisp up the surface.

Let cool on a wire rack completely before serving with salted butter.

7.8.1.2

2024

https://www.dessertfortwo.com/rye-bread/

Source: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/rye-bread/

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/business/brexit-uncertainty-weighs-on-food-sector-in-wales/

Brexit uncertainty weighs on food sector in Wales

Image caption James Wilson’s entire crop of mussels needs to go immediately to his customers in Holland and France

A mussel farmer who exports his entire haul to the EU is to stop work for six to eight months until there is more certainty around Brexit.

James Wilson, from Bangor in Gwynedd, ramped up production before the end of March and has saved enough money to last the summer.

A Cardiff university trade law expert said Brexit uncertainty was the biggest worry for food and farming businesses.

Dr Ludivine Petetin said small firms in particular were struggling to prepare.

Mr Wilson’s boat brings 2,000 tonnes ashore each year from the Menai Strait.

Getting his mussels to market in France and Holland as quickly as possible is vital to make sure they do not go off. In colder months he has up to 36 hours, but in summer it is less than 18.

Brexit: What could happen next?

Brexit- Your simple guide to the UK leaving the EU

He fears delays and checks at the border will put him out of business. He decided to end his commitments to customers in Europe for the time being and has been preparing for the worst-case scenario.

“At least we have money in the bank so that no matter what happens we’ve got a cushion of income that helps pay our fixed costs.”

Waiting to see if the UK leaves with or without a deal has been “confusing, stressful, disturbing, deflating and dismaying”, he said.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Media captionWhy are Welsh producers worried about a no-deal Brexit?

Silver lining?

The food sector was worth £6.8bn to the Welsh economy in 2018, employing 217,000 people.

Dr Petetin said even if Parliament approved a way forward in the coming week to avoid a no-deal Brexit, firms were still potentially facing years of uncertainty as long-term trade agreements are worked out.

But she said one silver lining under any Brexit scenario was a potential growth in sales of Welsh food and drink at home.

“This is something we should also focus on – what can we do, what can companies and businesses do to source more local food and make sure the local economy keeps growing.”

BBC Wales spoke to others in the food and drink business about how the ongoing wrangling over Brexit was affecting them.

Stockpiling wine

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Wine sellers are bulk buying over fears of hold ups at the borders, according to a Bridgend business

Daniel Lambert Wines, based in Pyle near Bridgend, is one of the UK’s biggest importers of wine, supplying firms like Majestic, Waitrose and British Airways as well as over 250 independent retailers and restaurants.

Mr Lambert describes the prospect of leaving without a deal as a “nightmare”.

He decided to stockpile, in case it became more complicated and time-consuming to get hold of European wine.

“Currently we have two and a half times the amount of stock we should normally need at this time of year,” Mr Lambert explained.

The businesses they supply are also bulk-buying, so Brexit has actually boosted their sales by 40%.

“But the question is what’s the hangover going to be after Brexit?”

The fruit and vegetable ‘gap’

Image caption Fresh fruit and vegetables cannot be stockpiled and delays on imports could hit supplies, says Ben Pratt

Ben Pratt is director of Watson and Pratts organic fruit and vegetable wholesaler in Lampeter.

The UK is about to hit what he calls the “hungry gap” between the UK’s winter and summer harvesting seasons.

At this time of year they mainly have to import, particularly from Spain and Italy which have a “jump start” on the season.

Tropical fruits such as mango and bananas always come from far flung destinations – but some products travel through other EU countries before arriving in the UK.

They have tried to plan for Brexit but it has been a challenge.

“The goal posts change… it’s hard to find accurate information about what we should be doing… We’re playing it day by day and hoping for the best, like most people,” he said.

Under the UK government’s proposed plans in event of no deal, the vast majority of fresh fruit and vegetables will not incur any import tariffs, but the firm is concerned about the cost of red tape.

“Brexit, once it’s sorted, is totally fine. It’s not daunting at all, but it’s that moment of crashing out. We’re a very ‘just-in-time’ kind of operation because we’re selling a product that has a very short shelf life,” he added.

“The panic is how much cash we as a business have in reserve to stand produce disappearing, produce rotting on trucks… We can stand a couple of weeks, but can we stand two months of disruption? I wouldn’t have thought so.”

Curry costs

Image caption The owner of the Juboraj chain of restaurants is concerned about the potential for rising costs

Ana Miah is the managing director of the Juboraj group of restaurants in Cardiff. He said their overheads have been going up for four to five years, but more so over the last two to three years, since the referendum.

He said the value of the pound had increased the cost of food products from abroad and he is concerned about the impact of “no deal” on the economy generally.

“We have definitely seen a downturn in the amount of time people are eating out. If disposable income is not there you tend to cut out on the luxuries and eating out is a luxury.”

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

Rye Bread

Rye bread made without yeast. A rye soda bread recipe that will make you fall in love with rye flour.

I have a quick love letter to write today, and I hope you’ll indulge me.

It’s part love letter, but really, I want to let you know which cookbooks I use in my kitchen several times a week. If you reach for a cookbook on a weeknight, or if you reach for a cookbook more than once a week, it’s a good sign.

I have a coffee nook in my kitchen, well, I’m a tea drinker, so I should call it a tea nook, but it was clearly designed as a coffee station. Anyway, since I have no need for a coffee maker, espresso machine, or any of those other coffee tools in my nook, I keep a small selection of cookbooks on the counter.

It’s well-thought-out; it’s the books I love the most and use the most. Not just beautiful books that inspire me, it’s incredible books that make me want to get in the kitchen and cook that very instant. Often, the pages have food splatters and can be a bit sticky, but that’s even better for me.

The cookbooks that I use the most are written by Heidi Swanson from 101cookbooks.com. I first discovered her when I moved to California, and upon first meeting, I believe I told her that she taught me everything I know about California cuisine.

Heidi taught me how to shop at and how to love farmer’s markets, and she taught me about Deborah Madison and all the other great chefs in California that are paving/had paved the way for eating REAL food. Because of Heidi, my top factor when choosing food is where was it produced and how was it produced.

I reach for her cookbooks after every farmer’s market haul. Her stuff is vegetarian, yes, but it’s the most flavorful, unique vegetarian food I’ve ever had that makes you never miss the meat, honest!

In full disclosure, my husband and I are part-time vegetarians. While most people do ‘meatless Monday’ and take one day off each week from meat, we actually only eat meat one day a week or so. It’s not uncommon for us to call instant pot mac and cheese with a salad a Monday night dinner, and enjoy a my orzo pasta salad with feta or my pesto tortellini salad later in the week. Our one meat day might include my honey garlic chicken thighs.

But did you notice a theme? My vegetarian meals rely heavily on pasta. Not Heidi’s.

Heidi’s recipes are inventive and far from your standard vegetarian recipes. I own all of her books, and I cook from them often.

Super Natural Every Day is the one I grab the most, though I am working my way through the very beautiful Near & Far.

Her dish called Otsu is something I make for company, especially company that has food allergies. Plus, it’s my belief that she invented baked oatmeal, and the world is a much better place for it.

More details about this rye bread made without yeast:

Today, I’m sharing with you her recipe for rye bread. It doesn’t have any yeast, and is technically a rye soda bread. It bakes up so crunchy, crusty, and beautiful that it took my breath away the first time I made it years ago.

As I baked this rye bread recipe for possibly the one-hundredth time to photograph this for you, it still took my breath away when it emerged from the oven.

I can’t help but run my finger over the indentations made with the knife before baking–that’s where the real CRUST emerges.

Soda bread made without deep slashes is now dead to me–this is the only way forward.

Honestly, I can’t believe I get to count Heidi as one of my friends. She inspires me so much. A woman who can make bread with just 4 ingredients that tastes this good is an angel.

I keep rye flour in my house now to make this rye bread whenever I have soup or stew on the stove. It comes together so quickly, and serving homemade bread with a meal makes me feel like I’ve got my life together.

For some strange reason, my daughter isn’t that into carbs, unless gnocchi is involved, and she frequently licks the butter off bread and leaves the bread.

However, she loves this rye bread. The dark color scared her at first, so I served it with the dill butter that Heidi recommends in the book, and it sold her. Most commonly, I serve it with salted European-style butter.

Is rye bread gluten free?

No, it’s not. I wanted to answer that question, because I know it will come up.

It’s important to me that Camille learns to love bread and carbs, because there are so many B vitamins in whole grains. I am so grateful this rye bread recipe helps me accomplish that goal.

Rye flour can be a tough sell when it comes to whole grains, but I’ve been working it into my pancakes for two recipe, and I’m considering adding some to my small batch crepes recipe, too.

Ok, onto the recipe now. I hope you love this homemade rye bread recipe made without yeast. It will quickly go into your Fall rotation for serving alongside soup, and I’m sure it will find its way out again for St Patrick’s Day since it’s technically soda bread.

Rye Bread

Christina Lane

Yields 1 small boule

Homemade rye bread made without yeast.

15 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hr, 5 Total Time

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups (9.75 ounces) rye flour

1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt

2 cups (475 mL) buttermilk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400, and ensure a wire rack is in the middle position. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift the flours, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

Make a well in the center of the flours and pour in all of the buttermilk at once. Stir just until a dough forms.

Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 30 seconds to bring it together.

Using your hands, press the dough into an even flat disk.

Sprinkle the top of the dough disk with about 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.

Next, make 4 deep slashes into the dough, about two-thirds of the way through. Be careful not to cut all the way through.

Bake for 30 minutes, and then move the dough to the top rack of the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes to crisp up the surface.

Let cool on a wire rack completely before serving with salted butter.

7.8.1.2

2024

https://www.dessertfortwo.com/rye-bread/

Source: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/rye-bread/