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aesthyuckic · 4 years

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AVENOIR | l.dh - QUATTUORDECIM

(gif not mine - credit to rightful owner)

Genre: High School AU (at beginning) ; Tarot Reader!Witch!Hyuck

Word Count: 2.7K

Warnings: (bold if in use) slow but with a purpose, belief contradictions, mentions of r*pe, blood(??), swearing, violence(??), mentions of abuse (??)

Pairings: Lee Donghyuck (Haechan) x Reader (F)

IV OF WANDS: home, community and celebration

The following morning after the summer solstice, Cosimia walked out into the kitchen half awake. She saw the coffee dripping into pitcher below it. She smiled at the thought of Donghyuck walking up before her and putting it on for her. She went and pour herself a cup she fixed with milk and sugar after. She walked over to the ither counter only to peer over and find her friend sitting on the carpet, reading.

The trailer bumped as they were driven down the road to next location, the books scattered across the floor moved slightly because of it. The sun came in threw the window and the curtains as the boy read away on the floor. It seem to shine on him like a spotlight that graced his golden skin. He glowed like an angel in the light and appeared so warm and cozy. The image made her smile to herself, lazily in her half awake state as she started to notice everything a bit more...

The way his nose curved and was so small... it was cute and the way his plump, pink lips pouted when in thought was too... With his little moles that came to rest on him and from patterns that he said he didn’t like and the long eyeslashes, just everything about him that she could probably list if she focused hard enough... She thought he was beautiful in every way possible. It was hard not to admire.

It wasn’t long before he felt the pair of eyes on him. He looked over to find the girl, still relatively half awake, take a sip of her coffee. She was still smiling after though...

“What are you smiling at?” He asked, genuinely confused.

“You.” She answered rather boldly.

“Understandable.” He mumbled with a nod as he stuffed his nose back into his book in hope it would take the attention away from his nervousness.

She hummed, contently, as she set down her mug. She walked over to one of the cabinets and pulled a box of cereal out as well as a bowl. As the poured the puffs into the bowl she looked over at the boy again. It was only then she realized what he’d been reading all that morning presumably.

“Are you sure you want to continue practicing?” She sighed as she put down the box on the counter. “You know... after the summer solstice?”

“I’m just reading about it right now.” He informed her. “I’d only practice the regular stuff. Besides the doctor said I was fine, right? No seizure, not even a concussion.”

“Oddly enough.” She muttered under her breath.

He knew how suspicious she grew about the whole thing... He admitted it was a weird thing to happen. He didn’t even tell her what he really saw. He thought it might have worried her even more which he wouldn’t have liked at all... He may have not been psychic like her but he could always tell when she was worried, at the very least, about him.

“I promise I’ll be fine, Cosimia.” He reassured. “I won’t do anything dangerous, I promise you that.”

“Okay,” She rolled her eyes as she spoke softly. “You better.”

He smiled at her, loving the fact that she cared about him... Loving the fact that someone was looking for him. In all honesty, he had never felt so safe with someone before she came along.

“I’d never lie,” To his irony which was a lie. “Not to you at least.”

An even deeper lie. But it was white, wasn’t it?

They went about their morning as normally as they could as they drove down the road. It was warm and relaxing compared to most to be quite frank. They laid on the carpet as they just talked about random things, the sun from the window keeping the atmosphere heated around them. Donghyuck’s records played softly in the background of it all. It was another one of those times with her that he didn’t remember much other than the feelings really... He did remember her laughing a few times and how beautiful it looked in the sunlight and how warm it made him feel all over much like other times.

Unfortunately to their disliking, the pleasant morning didn’t last forever. Their trailer stop abruptly which caused the laughing to stop as they sat up. They had finally made it to their destination and now it was time to set up for the day. What made it worse is they had to rush since they’d be opening soon which made them groan internally as they helped each other off the floor.

The both of them practically still in their pajamas also had to rush to get ready as they had gotten carried away with themselves that morning. The girl occupied the bedroom to change while the boy took the bathroom to wash up. He finally came to look at himself in the mirror. His hair was unkept and it looked like he had just gotten out of bed when he had been up for hours.

He noticed the bags under his eyes. The moles on his face he was never too fond of... He started to find more things that only fed into his insecurities... His frown seemed to get bigger every time something new popped into his head. Why was this only happening today? Or why was it so bad today? He rubbed his cheeks out of frustration and as he felt them, he grew even more frustrated at the thought of how chubby they were. He huffed, putting his hands down beside him again as he stared at himself with a sadden expression.

Cosimia happened to have gotten dressed rather quickly that morning and even walked by to catch a glimpse of his frustrations. She walked into the bathroom despite how small it was. She came to stand behind him and looked at him through the mirror. She rested her hands on his upper arms before she laid an unexpected kiss on his shoulder. He felt all tingly while he seemed to stop breathing for a moment after she did that. He shivered a bit too, but in a good way oddly enough.

The whole thing made him feel high. The whole morning had to be honest. He had no idea what had gotten into her. Everything she was doing was very much unlike her but he found himself enjoying it.

“I think you look beautiful everyday, no matter what.” She cooed as she rested her chin on his shoulder, telling him what he needed to hear without him having to say anything about it. “But I can tell you don’t feel like that today... So, come with me.”

She grabbed his hand, gently, guiding him outside and through the trailers. Their coworkers going the opposite way to help set up, a lot of them greeting them. He followed closely behind the girl, trying to hide his face almost as that particular day he felt inadequate. It’s not like they hadn’t seen him before either, they never even thought much about the way he looked. Even if they did, they thought he was a handsome young man. It’s just that day everything was getting to him more than usual for some reason.

He gave her some space once they stood in front of a familiar trailer that knew as Sicheng’s. She was about to knock on the door but before she could, it swung open. Ten came out rather hasitly as he glared at them. He was red as tomato, not leaving them a doubt in their minds that he still hated them for some reason. He even went as far as to shove pass the girl which in return had her fell into boy behind her.

For some reason, it angered Donghyuck when the other did that. He felt an unreasonable amount of anger against him for shoving Cosimia like that, even if she was fine, it was still rude and uncalled for. He remembered back to when they first came, how Ten tried to fight him but his friend stopped it before anything could happen. He wondered if she had felt the same type of anger in that moment for him...

She stood back up with a scoff as she glared at Ten as he walked away without a thought of turning back. The door didn’t take long to swing back open, only this time because of their friend, Sicheng. Before he even opened the screen door he was letting out strings of apologies on Ten’s behave which he so often did. He even checked to see if they were okay.

“Wait, what are you guys doing here?” He asked, stopping what he was doing immediately. “You’re supposed to be helping everyone set up.”

“Can you please get Hendery and Lucas to cover for us?” She begged, much like a child would. “We wanted to borrow your makeup real quick! That is, if it’s okay with you.”

“Fine,” Sicheng caved rather quickly with a sigh. “Only this time am I getting the guys to cover for you. Don’t touch anything with cool tones, those belong to Ten. He’s pissed enough about the floor, we don’t need makeup on top of it too.”

He ran off in a hurry after that. Cosimia grabbed one Donghyuck’s hands with hers while the other waved despite the older not being able to see.

“Thank you!” She yelled before pulling the boy inside.

She dragged him behind her to the bathroom with a giggle before sitting him on the cool floor. Silver and red still stained much of the faux tile and even some of the whites of the bathtub and sink. The memory of it kind of made him smile to himself as he remember banging his head against the wall because of her. He was startled out of the memory when the girl threw down a big box, presumed to be full of makeup between them as she sat down across from him.

“I thought you hated makeup.” He said as opened it up and began to pick out a few things.

“On myself,” She shrugged. “This is for you and I don’t mind doing it for other people.”

“Can I ask why you hate it so much?” He questioned, softly.

She was shocked that he wasn’t opposed to the idea of makeup but rather wondered why she was the one opposed to it...

“Well, I use to cover up the bruises I had with it.” She told him, straightforward before she leaned over. “Now, look at me. I need to prep your skin...”

She had cleaned his face with some of Sicheng’s skincare products before wiping his face with a towel soaked with water. He must admit in that moment, he felt more cared for then any other time. She dried his face off too and moisturized his skin before she put on the BB cream that was slightly off a tone or two. It was a shame that they didn’t have any other color that would go well with Donghyuck’s skin... She thought it would work, only for today though.

“Makeup is to those who enjoy wearing it is suppose to make them feel more confident and powerful.” She sighed, as continued to smooth out the cream. “It was the opposite feeling for me and it irritated my skin so...”

She was soon applying some eyeshadow she had found at the bottom of the box. A golden color that shined which she found so pretty. It was only a moment before she had moved onto the lip tint that colored his lips even more pink then they were. She chuckled slightly to herself looking at the boy so close in front of her who had his lips puckered with her hand under his chin.

“What?” He asked, worrisome that he looked weird.

“I just think gold, glittery eyeshadow was made for you.” She confessed.

“Oh, do you now?” He batted his eyelashes with a pout.

“C’mon pucker up! I’m still not done with your lip tint!”

He had nothing else to stare at other than her in that moment. He felt everything around him slow down for a second as she looked up from his lips. He swore he could see a sparkle in her eye before things seem to speed back up to a normal pace. It was the same sparkle she had seen with Choerry and of course, the same with Lucas.

He struggled to breathe at even the thought. He couldn’t help himself from playing the scenario over and over in his head while his cheeks remained heated as she pulled away, finished. Even if was short in reality, at least it could live like an eternity in his mind...

She helped him off up the floor and moved out of his way after. He approached the mirror while he had a hint of nervousness in him. Once he looked at himself in the mirror, he found himself liking it a lot... It was a rather natural look but it seem to cover up the blemishes he had found to pick on that morning. Though, he noticed something right away about the look.

“You didn’t cover my moles.” He mumbled.

“I like them too much,” She replied. “I’m sorry to be selfish, they’re just so cute...”

He felt warm inside about the comment. She said she liked them before but never that they were cute... He never liked them much on himself. She happened to have some too, that he found beautiful on her. One near the corner of lips that seem to be perfectly placed and a few tiny, light ones around her lips... Thers were two next to her left eye that could form a smile if you had drawn under them and then there was a few on her chin and forehead as well. They scattered across the rest of her body too from what he could see whenever she took off the long clothing inside only to walk around in shorts and a tank top. He noticed she only let herself be exposed that much around him....

“I can’t go out like this though.” He said, abruptly reaching for the making up wipes.

“Aye!” She hissed as she slapped his hand away. “Why not?! I worked hard on it! Do you not like it?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it...” He started. “We’re in the country... You know they aren’t as progressive... They’re gonna think I’m gay when I’m not. Not that there’s anything wrong with being gay, that’s just not who I am...”

“Oh, Haechan... Having a certain interest or acting a certain way doesn’t determine something like that. I know you might understand that and maybe not everyone does but they need to learn that.”

“I just don’t want to get beat up... or worse.”

She sighed before reaching over into the box for the wipes and handing it to him, “If you really fear for your well being, here are the wipes. I don’t know how many times I have to make it clear with my words and actions, though... I won’t let anyone hurt you for any matter, especially not for something like makeup. Honestly, I’d stab them if I have to! And you could hex them too for all I care!”

He looked her in the eye, able to sense the sincerity of all her words. He could still very well see there was a part of her that wanted him to decide to go with the other opinion. He took the wipes out of her hands, carefully before he stared down at him. He thought about how good it felt and how hard she worked on it for him. She only did it to make him feel better that morning. He was too aware of the fact that she’d do anything to protect him, even if it did mess with her ability...

“Cosi knows best, right?” He chuckled as he threw them back in the box.

“Cosi?” She questioned with a tilt of her head.

“Yeah,” He nodded. “It sounds like cozy... and you make me feel that way.”

“Stop that.”

“No.”

He could see how easily the blush came to her cheeks with the comment. It allowed him to be the one who was grinning at the fact this time. He got why she kind of liked doing it now...

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soimarriedayuki · 4 years

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Reminders for myself

It is by no means a shockingly new piece of information for those that know me well. I do however have a little secret. I am terrible at remembering something as basic as eating.

I can provide regular meals for everyone else. Organise preparations times and stagger the eating times and dietary requirements for others in the house perfectly. For myself that is not the case at all.

This is where you find me doing something that to an outsider maybe at best makes me look like a food blogger and at worst like a... well my husband is here so he will no doubt find the worst description for me.

“You want me to try to text you and remind you to get food today?” He asks dumping his plate in the sink so it can be cleaned with the rest of the dishes.

“No need I would hate to be a burden while you are working.” Toaster pops and i grab the toast putting it on a new dish beside me as i finish cooking what’s in the pan on the stove.

“It’s more of a burden if you collapse at home Dummy.” He continues to huff. Its sweet honestly but ever since he discovered i ended up not eating for a day and a half before i realised he turned into my mother. “So?”

“Mm?” I tip the scrabbled eggs, ham and peas on top of my toast and then carry it to the table to eat brunch. Yes i did forget my own breakfast again. Don’t tell him, he will only worry more.

“You want me to text you or not?” He pushes again grabbing a bottle of orange juice from the fridge and pouring himself a glass.

“I’m going to say not.” Taking my phone i ended up opening up the camera and taking a picture of my plate before putting the phone away again and starting to eat.

“Well now what are you doing?” His eyes are practically bugging out of his head. Its amusing to see usually it only happens if i force some sort of PDA on him.

Not something I would tend to do a lot of as I personally am as weirded out about it as he is. the difference is I don’t flush like a sun-dried tomato and raise my voice like a school girl that just got a love note.

“I tried setting alarms and leaving notes where i would see them. Now I’m trying something else.” Finding that to be explanation enough at least in my own mind i continued to eat.

“What you gonna do start a blog? ‘Weird shit i made that looks terrible but i eat it anyway’.” He laughed at his own joke. It was a good thing really as I certainly wasn’t going to laugh at it for him.

He means well and he is usually very supportive to an annoying degree but he does have a tendency of being blunt to the point of obnoxious.

“What a charming idea I may have to consider it.” My level tone probably gave away my displeasure at his attempt of humour.

“What?” He stopped laughing and his hand paused in picking up his glass of juice again. You could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he caught up with what he had just said verses how it sounded.

“My food isn’t terrible. Anyway you eat it and plenty have said it looks and tastes fantastic.” I shrug getting up to pour a glass of water.

“Yes but that is the food you serve to others. The food you eat looks like someone threw everything including the kitchen cupboard in the oven.”

I can’t say he is wrong. When it comes to cooking for others its more of a pleasure than a task. cooking for myself was always a hassle and a chore. Naturally at some point I ended up plating dishes for others in a way that looked appealing and then just dumping whatever i had for myself into a big pile.

“It all tastes the same to me. As long as it isn’t fish related and therefore going to kill me i don’t have preferences over what dish i would eat.” Sitting back down i could see him already nodding in agreement.

“I know.”

“What’s wrong you look ill?”

He wasn’t exactly smiling and he wasn’t really angry either. His face had become pale though as he watched my hands move, cutting up my food.

“I was remembering that noodle thing you did the other day. You have a cast iron stomach.” The sight of him wincing nearly made me laugh.

“There was nothing wrong with my chilli noodles with fried eggs and broccoli.”

“There was nothing right about it either.” His response reminded me of when he was younger adamant in his refusal to try something when we were all ordering take out together as a group of friends for game night saying we’d share.

“You always were a fussy eater.”

“Look i don’t mind noodles. I don’t like broccoli and i can eat fried eggs.” He tried to breakdown my meal to prove he wasn’t as bad as i made him out to be.

“Well i did give you the option of joining me.” I calmly pointed out what should have been a logical point. If he had dais he was eating with me i would have cooked the broccoli separately and just handed him noodles and egg.

“I am no suicidal! I saw how much chilli powder, sauce and flakes you put in that thing. The heat in it could have kicked started a dragon.”

“I found it mild to be honest.”

“You taste buds are-- actually do you even have any?” He was becoming animated which proved he was actually enjoying this back and forth between us regardless of what his frowning face would have you believe.

“Of course I do. How else do you think i can cook the food you want to eat? King of Bland sitting over there on his judgemental high horse.” I put the last mouthful in my mouth and then picked up the dishes placing them in the sink.

“At least the food I eat Tiny enjoys too.” He puffed out his chest as if that fact somehow had bestowed a medal of honour on him.

“That is because you have the diet of a toddler.” My words had the affect of deflating him before he could puff up anymore.

“Come on you gonna tell me why you are taking photos of your food?”

Seeing him unwilling to let this go I relented and started to explain as i cleared the table.

“I am starting a food diary.”

“With photos?” He put down his juice and got up helping put away the salt and pepper.

“Yes. Because I don’t get hungry like others seem too and i can never remember what I have eaten throughout the day i decided to take photos of it so i can review it later.” I picked up the jam and butter handing them over to him as he was closer to the fridge anyway.

“So... after the alarms and notes you think that this is going to work better?”

“Well i have never lost my phone.” I shrug then turned my back on him and started to run the tap for hot water.

“Except for the time you left it in the freezer...” He probably thought I would miss his quiet voice. He was certainly shocked when i replied to it.

“I was pregnant when that happened and I found it quickly enough.”

“Only after making me call it.” He leaned back against the wall of the kitchen and picked up his juice again. He was wearing a very annoyingly cute smile on his face now.

“Dear, I realise that you are a very devoted sort but don’t you have someone else you should go and anno-- spend some time with?” I tested the water with my hand and pushed the plug into the sink letting it fill up.

“Tiny is playing in her room.”

“You could go join her.”

“It’s make up.” He sounded disappointed. He had been working all week and one of the things he enjoyed was spending time with her when he got a day off.

Tiny has been becoming older now and her focus is shifting from just games to play with Daddy to dress up and make up. I’m not what you would ever call a girly girl but if ever there was one it was our child. Karma is a funny thing isn’t it?

“Your point being?”

“Fine but if i come out looking like a clown--”

“I would struggle to tell the difference.” I mutter taking up the dish soap and sponge.

“What was that?” He was on his way out when he stopped. I seemed to have miscalculated that just as much as he had with that phone in the freezer factoid.

“Nothing dear. Go play with your daughter I have to do the dishes.”

Without looking at him I just acted as if nothing had happened and he left the kitchen looking slightly confused.

---

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cloverhighfivewritestoo · 4 years

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Human Emotions

👉 Read it on Ao3

Castiel x male!OC (Aaron), comfort, fluff, strangers to boyfriends, canon universe, OC’s point of view, Sam and Dean make a guest appearance, soft quiet story, they’re taking it really slow, Destiel is mentioned. w/c 7095

Aaron has been down on his luck and moves to Lebanon to get away from it all. He gets a little job and slowly falls for this blue-eyed man who keeps coming around his job late at night. I would like to thank the ppl who beta’d: @emilyshurley (omg thanks for the title!) @hardcoresupernatural and @deanwanddamons. Thanks for the insight guys! A/N – This fic was written for the wonderful @azamatic. Hope you like it!

The tide was rising. Aaron had been sitting on a bench for some time, looking out to the sea. All he remembered was that the sun was much higher when he’d sat there earlier. He had no idea what time it was. He just felt numb. Everything had gone wrong. Job, flat, friends, loved ones. All of it. He thought, if only just one of those things had fucked up, he could have coped. Just one. But it was too much at once. He shut down. Numbness had become his comfort zone. Every day, he’d found himself wandering aimlessly, often ending up on this bench like tonight, looking at the waves and feeling nothing from feeling too much. The waves coming at regular intervals set a rhythm to his emptiness. Eventually, the cool air blowing in from the sea crept on him. He started shivering. The wind picked up. Now, he was getting too cold. He couldn’t stay here much longer. He took his phone out and opened a maps app. He closed his eyes and fiddled a finger on the screen. He opened his eyes. Lebanon, Kansas. Fine, he thought. He didn’t even bother looking up the town on the Internet. He didn’t care, he just wanted out.

Once in Lebanon, he realized he should have looked up the town first. It was small. It was very… ordinary. He found a cheap motel and booked a week.

The first day, Aaron walked around a bit. It really wasn’t much of a town, but it had everything it needed. There was a “help wanted” sign at the grocery store. He went in. He asked the manager what the job was. It was reshelving goods. He took the job. Then he went back to the motel and booked for the month. The first week went slow, but also in a haze. Reshelving goods, Aaron let himself flow into a meditative state with the repetitive tasks, and days would flow steadily by. One day, Aaron was reshelving canned tomatoes when he heard a low, gravelly voice behind him. “Dean, what brand of ketchup do you like? … OK. I think I have everything now. … Sweet mustard, too. OK. … Yes, Dean, I have the pickles.” Aaron looked at his own hand, already stopped mid-air, holding a can. He had stopped moving, too focused on listening to that voice. He turned around as subtly as possible, to see if the man was as handsome as his voice was. He only caught his profile as the man took a bottle of ketchup and walked away, saying goodbye and pocketing his phone. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to know he was good-looking. It took two days before Aaron saw the man again. This time, the man was not alone. He was arguing with another man in the beer section. Something about taking pointless risks. Aaron turned the corner to try and look like he’s got some kind of task to do there and check on the man. The man was huffing, as his friend – boyfriend? – was picking up two 6-packs. The man’s eyes locked on him. Damn. Aaron should want to disappear for getting caught, but the man had such beautiful blue eyes it made Aaron forget to be ashamed of staring. Aaron couldn’t look away. The man squinted a bit, visibly perplexed. Aaron didn’t know what to do. The man looked away and followed his friend to the cashier. The following day, Aaron was cleaning up after close when he heard banging on the door. He shouted, “WE’RE CLOSED”, but the banging became only more insistent. Aaron came out of the aisle to see… him. The blue-eyed man. He seemed a bit in a panic. He knocked again, and shouted, “PLEASE.” Aaron went to the door and spoke through the glass. “We’re closed, man, sorry.” The man spoke back, his eyes imploring. “Look, it’s urgent, I just need a little thing, I’ll pay.” Aaron sighed. He opened the door. The man said “Thank you so much”, and started coming in. Aaron put a hand on his chest. “Wait. You have cash? All the cashiers are turned off and I’m not losing my job over this.” “Of course.” The man produced a $20 bill. Aaron nodded. “Good. Tell me what you want, I’ll get it for you. But you’ll have to wait outside.” “OK. I need sage.” Aaron’s hand was still on the man’s chest. It seemed to refuse to get away. The man’s eyes were so blue. Aaron tried to compose himself. “Fried or dresh?” “What?” Aaron heard in his head what he’d just said. He wished he’d disappeared right here, right now. He forced his hand down. “Sorry. Fresh or dried?” The man looked dumbfounded. “Um. Good question.” “OK, I’ll get both. Anyway, $20 will cover it.” Aaron closed the door. He quickly came back with fresh and dried sage, reopening the door. “There you go.” “Thank you. Thank you so much.” The man gave Aaron the money. Aaron thought about something. He waved the $20. “Hey, if you want your change, gimme your name and come in tomorrow. If I’m not here, I’ll have it in an envelope for you.” “Oh. That’s nice of you. My name is Castiel.” “OK, Castiel. I’m Aaron. Swing by tomorrow for your change.” “OK. Thank you.” “Have a good night!” Castiel nodded and walked away. Castiel came two days later for his change. Aaron stepped outside. “It would be kind of weird if I gave you an envelope with money in the store, you know?” “I understand,” Castiel said, as he shoved the envelope in a pocket of his trench coat. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” Aaron raised an eyebrow. “Give you change on $20 for $5 worth of herbs?” “I appreciate it.” “Hey, that sage seemed very important.” Aaron nodded and smiled. “My pleasure.” Castiel shuffled on his feet. He looked in the distance, fidgeting with the envelope in his pocket. “The change is all there, you know, if you’re too polite to check in front of me.” Castiel’s gaze focused back on Aaron. “No. I trust you. I’m just wondering… How late do you usually work?” Aaron’s heart beat faster. “A good hour after close, sometimes an hour and a half. Why?” “I might need your help again.” Aaron frowned. “What, you actually plan on coming after hours?” Not that he was complaining. “No, but sometimes I might have to.” “Man, you can cook in the daytime, you know.” Why did he have to say that? He did want to see him alone at night! He wanted to put his hand on his chest again! Castiel squinted. “Cook?” Now, Aaron was utterly perplexed. “Yeah? With the stuff you buy at a grocery store?” Castiel’s eyes went to the building behind them. He looked back at Aaron. “In any case, is it something I can count on? Will you help me again?” “Yeah, of course. Just make sure you got cash.” “I will. Thank you.” And thus begun a weird routine. Castiel would come knocking maybe once or twice a week with the need for either one thing or an actual list. It was always some herb or spice. It was really strange how he’d always come after opening hours, but Aaron didn’t dare bring it up – he liked it. Once, Castiel came needing 6 one-pound containers of salt. “Six pounds of salt? Are you sure?” “Yes. Please.” “What are you gonna do with all that salt?” “Use it. We’re all out.” The way Castiel said that like it was the most obvious thing… Aaron just stared at him. “Please, Aaron?” Aaron blinked. “Yeah. OK. Be right back.” Aaron came back with the salt in a bag. “You know, you’re lucky, we were almost out. (That was a lie.) Maybe next time you need something, you can call me so I can make sure we have it?” Castiel looked at Aaron, his gears running. He gave him the money. He took his phone out. “I highly doubt you were almost out of salt, but I agree to taking your phone number.” Aaron stared at Castiel. He saw the corner of Castiel’s mouth lift a bit. He himself smiled nervously. He gave his number and Castiel punched it in. “I’ll contact you before I come for my change,” Castiel said, as he put his phone away. “Yeah, cool.” Castiel smiled and walked away. Aaron didn’t sleep much that night. It took a whole week before Castiel contacted Aaron. It was by text. «Sorry for the delay I was out of town. Is it OK if I come by tonight?» Aaron realized the unknown number was Castiel. His heart jumped a beat. He answered «Yeah sure.» He wanted to write a million other things, but he kept it at that. Aaron was done with cleaning up the store when he heard knocking on the glass door. He practically sauntered to the front. “Hey!” “Hi, Aaron.” “I’m actually done. So lemme grab my stuff and lock up? You can wait for me on the chairs by the side door.” “OK.” Aaron joined Castiel and sat next to him. The night was warm and quiet. “Here’s your change.” “Thanks.” “Haha… feels like I’m paying you for something. You know, like an escort or something.” Castiel looked at Aaron, his brows furrowed. “No. Bad joke. Sorry. Forget it.” Castiel buried the envelope in a pocket of his trench coat. “So how long have you been here?” “What?” “I’ve come to this store for years and never saw you. Plus, your accent isn’t local.” “Oh. Um, about a month and a half?” “Not long. And why did you choose to come… here?” “No reason. I just put my finger on the map.” “Why did you leave the other place then?” “Everything had gone to shit. I was incapable of even breathing. I had to find a way to shake things off.” “Has it worked?” Aaron looked at Castiel, slowly. “There might be a light at the end of the tunnel. We’ll see. Some days it’s still super hard though.” “Makes sense. Six weeks is not a lot of time if everything, like you said, had gone to shit.” “Hm.” Aaron was looking down, picking at something on his knee. After a beat, Castiel asked, “Would you like me to show you around town?” “Like what?” Imbecile. Just say yes. “Like the park on the other side. It’s really nice. It’s got a little lake.” A smile slowly crept up on Aaron’s face. “Yeah, I’d like that.” “OK, text me on your next day off. Hopefully it’ll be a day off for me too.” That was a bit strange, how Castiel’s schedule seemed erratic. But Aaron was tired and he just wanted to be happy looking forward to spending time – daylight time – with Castiel in the park. “Alright. I’ll text you.” Castiel got up. “Great. Good night, then. See you.” “’Night.” Aaron had a day off a couple days later and went to the store early in the morning to wait for Castiel. Castiel came over with some old beige car to pick him up. That ride was not sweet. Aaron opened the door and got in. “Nice car.” Castiel sighed. “No, it’s not. But it’s mine, so I can take it whenever I want.” Aaron thought that was a weird thing to say. He let it slide. “It’s comfortable, though. And quite roomy.” “Thanks. Although I am not responsible for the comfort nor the room.” “You did choose this car, didn’t you?” “Barely. I needed a car, this one was available, and in my price range.” “Just take the compliment, man.” Castiel smiled a little. “OK. Thank you.” They rode silently through town. Aaron didn’t know what to say, so he let his mind wander, looking at the scenery pass by. He liked being driven around, it was nice. Castiel was a smooth driver. He also seemed perfectly at ease with the silence. Aaron could picture them going on car rides and picnics. Suddenly, it occurred to Aaron he didn’t know if Castiel was even interested in men. He thought about it… all the late night meetups… and if a buddy wanted to show another buddy around town… No, he wouldn’t have taken him to a park, early in the morning, when there’s next to no one around. That’s too… romantic. And it doesn’t show anything around the actual town. Aaron concluded Castiel might be interested in him… differently. That was good news. Or, he was a murderer. Shit. Nobody would know. Castiel always came after hours… there was no trace of him. This was a good plan for murder. Fuck. While Aaron was spiraling with murder scenarios, they’d reached their destination. Castiel parked and turned off the car. He turned to Aaron. “Are you OK?” “Yeah. Why?” “You seem stressed.” “I’m good.” Aaron looked at Castiel, who seemed genuinely concerned. “Look, if you don’t want to do this, I’ll drive you back. It’s not a problem.” Suddenly, the murder thing seemed so stupid. Aaron relaxed. “No. Let’s walk around a bit.” Castiel had the most beautiful little smile. “Good. Let’s do that.” They got out of the car. Castiel got a bag from the trunk. “What’s that?”, Aaron asked. “Rice.” Aaron looked at Castiel, waiting for some explanation. Unfortunately, Castiel seemed to think that was the whole answer. They took a path that went into the woods. Castiel asked Aaron about his job, and listened to Aaron rambling and ranting as if it were the most interesting thing he’d ever heard. Castiel pressed for details and anecdotes. He hummed in places and sometimes expressed surprise. “You know, Aaron, it seems to me that job isn’t you. You have what it takes to do things that engage you more than reshelving.” “Yeah. It’s just while I get back on my feet. I whine about my job, but it keeps my mind off the rest. It’s actually not a bad thing.” “I see.” Aaron looked at Castiel, smiling softly. “Hey mate, thanks for listening. It means a lot.” “My pleasure. I love listening to you. I love listening to your stories.” Aaron only smiled. Castiel smiled back. They finally reached the end of the forest path and walked out into a field surrounding a small lake. Aaron stopped. “Wow. This is beautiful.” “I love this place. There’s always flowers in bloom, so there’s always insects going around, bees, and butterflies. Dean liked to fish in the lake, but I’d rather leave the fish alone and feed the ducks instead.” Castiel turned and smiled at Aaron as he proceeded towards a bench. Aaron followed. “Dean? Who’s Dean?” “Oh, he’s my friend. I live with him.” “You got a place with your friend?” Aaron thought Castiel was a bit old for that. Surely, he meant his boyfriend. “No, I live at his place. I don’t have a home.” “You do have a home if you live there.” “Uh, I guess I do. Never thought of it that way.” Aaron stopped and waited for Castiel to stop and turn around. “Castiel, you are a strange man.” “Yeah, people say that. Is it… I don’t know… bad?” “No, not at all. It’s just disorienting.” “I’m sorry.” “It’s OK. I’ll figure it out.” Castiel smiled and kept walking towards the bench. Aaron resumed his walk as well, catching up to Castiel. “So, this Dean, is it the guy I saw you with at the store? Good looking but grumpy? Likes beer?” Castiel chuckled. “That is a good description of him.” “I thought he was your boyfriend.” “Really? Why?” “I don’t know. You seemed very… familiar with each other. The bickering maybe.” “We’ve known each other quite a while. We’ve been through a lot together. I can’t say I never thought about us being together, but too much happened and the timing was never right. Time passed, and now our relationship is a friendship. A very important one, but a friendship.” Aaron was relieved but still a bit puzzled. “OK. So it’s you and Dean sharing a flat.” “No, it’s me, Dean, and Sam, his brother, sharing a bunker.” “A bunker?” “Yes. They inherited a pre-war era bunker, complete with all the amenities you might need.” “That is weird. And so cool.” “And practical. It’s very secure.” Man, that Castiel was strange. Who needs a place that checks the ‘very secure’ box? At any rate, Aaron knew it was true. Castiel had this way of talking, you just knew it was all true. All strange, but all true. Aaron sat beside Castiel as they reached the bench. “I bet it is. It’s a bunker. Secure is the primary function of a bunker.” “Dean doesn’t like to have people over. But if you want, I can ask him, and maybe you can come and I can show you. Would you like that?” “I actually would. It must be fascinating.” “I suppose. I’m used to it.” Castiel opened his bag. He took out a big container and opened it. It was indeed filled with rice. Cooked rice. Aaron didn’t bother ask him what that was for, he just watched. He hoped it wasn’t their picnic – not only was it the weirdest picnic, but Castiel didn’t seem to have forks or spoons. Castiel looked around – at what, Aaron didn’t know – and he threw a handful of rice in the lake. Aaron just waited, looking around, wondering what that would accomplish. Soon enough, some ducks came around. “Ah! I knew they’d see me throw the rice.” “You feed rice to the ducks? Why not bread like everyone?” “Bread isn’t good for ducks. Rice is OK.” Yep. Another Castiel Fact™. Aaron was starting to find this endearing. He caught himself smiling at Castiel, at the rice being thrown, at the ducks quacking happily as they chased around for the rice. Castiel looked at Aaron. “Would you like to see them closer?” “OK.” Castiel threw some rice on land, getting the ducks to come out of the water for it. He threw some more a bit closer. A bit closer again, until the ducks were just out of reach. “They’re really not afraid of us.” “They know me. I come here often. They know I mean them no harm.” He threw the last of the rice, closed the container and his bag, and sat back. Aaron slumped on the bench and looked around. He breathed in and out slowly. After a moment, he said, while looking at the ducks retreating to the lake, “Thanks, Castiel, for this. I haven’t felt this relaxed in so long. I needed this.” Castiel was looking at the ducks as well. “I thought you might.” “Thanks mate.” Castiel turned to Aaron. “My pleasure.” Aaron and Castiel got lost in each other’s eyes. Aaron broke the moment. “Do you think we should head back?” “If you want to.” “I think I’m gonna get peckish soon, so might as well.” “I’m sorry. If I’d known, I’d have kept some rice for you.” Aaron let out a genuine laugh. “Castiel, you are too kind. And funny.” Castiel seemed a bit perplexed, yet amused. “OK.” Aaron got up. “Shall we?” Castiel smiled and got up. “We shall.” The walk back through the woods was quiet. A mention was made that nature smelled good, but mostly they shared the walk in silence. Aaron offered to carry Castiel’s bag, pointing out that he knew it was not very chivalrous now that it was empty, getting a smile and a thanks from Castiel, and a bag to carry. The ride back was also spent in silence, with Aaron looking at Castiel’s hands on the wheel, and Castiel stealing glances at Aaron from time to time, smiling softly. Nearing their destination, Aaron asked, “Hey, do you want to grab a bite with me?” Castiel seemed caught short. “Um, I think I have to head back actually. We were on hold for a job, and maybe we’ll have to start working on it this afternoon.” “Oh.” “Sorry.” “It’s OK.” “Some other time?”, Castiel offered. “I sure hope so.” “I would love to.” They smiled at each other. Castiel took to the main street. “Do I drop you off at your place or the store?” “The store. It’s closer. And I have to pick up some food anyway.” “OK.” Aaron got out of the car and leaned into the window. “Thank you Castiel for the lovely morning.” “And I thank you. You’re very pleasant company. I’d really love to spend time with you again.” “I would love it too. You seem pretty busy, so just keep me posted, OK?” “I will. Although, I might see you again sooner for my errands.” Aaron smiled wide. “I’ll be happy to help.” Aaron got a few things from the store and walked to his motel. Since he hadn’t had a day off in a long while – his choice, he wanted to keep himself busy – the leisure time was more than welcome. He opened the widow for some fresh air, threw the grapes in the freezer for later, and got comfortable on the bed flipping through channels as he snacked on Pringles and M&Ms. Soon he’d found a movie that caught his attention and he settled for an afternoon of TV and junk food… and thinking about Castiel so much he missed a lot of the movie daydreaming. He even found himself lying on his back, looking at the ceiling, thinking of all the little moments he could have kissed Castiel. Maybe it was a bit too soon, but he couldn’t help it. There was that moment on the bench, and then in the woods, and maybe in the car… He could have held hands, at least. But in the end, it was just perfect. Castiel was nice, and kind, and strange but funny, and sweet, and so intense when he looked at him, like all his attention is focused on this one moment in time, with him. Castiel was the best. Aaron hoped he’d see him again really soon. He dozed off, smiling. When Aaron woke up, dusk was slipping into night. And the room next door was very noisy. There was commotion, and voices arguing. Aaron rubbed his eyes. He’d really have to look for an actual apartment soon. Then there was a gunshot next door. Aaron jumped so much he almost fell off the bed. What the hell? He heard the voices next door argue loud enough he could make out what they were saying. “Fuck Dean! Why did you shoot?” Would that be the Dean…? “She was about to gank you! You wanted me to just watch?” “No! I had it! Now people are gonna call the police! Nice work!” “What do we do now?” Was that… Castiel’s voice? “We have to get out of here fast. Bring the body.” That was Dean. “Dammit Dean, there’s blood everywhere.” That was the other guy. Probably his brother. “Chopping her head off would have been worse, wouldn’t it? Come on, Cas, help me roll her in the sheets. Quick!” Aaron heard some commotion and more arguing that he couldn’t make out. He couldn’t believe it. Did Dean and his brother and Castiel just kill a woman next door? No. Fuck. What the hell did he get into? He got up and peeked between the curtains to see if there would be three men and a body coming out of the room. Sure enough, he saw a very tall man – who would be the brother – look quickly over the parking lot and gesture to the others in the room. And Dean and Castiel got out with what did look like a body wrapped in sheets. Aaron gasped. Castiel snapped his head in his direction. Aaron saw he recognized him. Dean saw Castiel notice something and snapped around. “Shit.” “It’s OK, Dean. I know him. I’ll talk to him. You guys go – here Sam, grab this end – I’ll join you later.” Sam grabbed Castiel’s end of the body. “You sure, Cas?” “Yes. Go.” Sam and Dean hurried away with the body. Castiel stood in front of Aaron’s door. “Can I come in?” “Do you have a gun?” “No.” “I’m gonna pat you down anyway.” Aaron opened the door. Castiel lifted his arms and let Aaron pat him down. He let his arms down. “Come on, Aaron, I can explain. But not outside.” Aaron let Castiel in. Castiel closed the curtains – and the window – and sat at the table as Aaron turned on a lamp on the nightstand, sitting on the bed, considering it was a safe distance. Maybe. “OK. So. The woman next door…” Aaron cut him. “Are you a contract killer? Cause that would explain a lot.” Castiel looked offended. “What? No, of course not!” They held each other’s gaze, both perplexed for different reasons. Aaron said, “OK then. Continue.” Castiel explained the best he could that monsters exist, and that the woman next door was a vampire trying to pass for a human. Castiel answered the best he could every question Aaron had – he had a lot, but mostly he looked at Castiel his mouth opened, eyes wide. In the end, Castiel said, “Would you like to see? Sometimes it helps to understand. By now, Sam and Dean must be almost done digging the grave, I’ll give them a call to wait for us so you can see the corpse and see she was not human. Would you want that?” Aaron agreed. He didn’t know why. He just… he did. Castiel was calm, and, as usual, his manner of speech was very matter-of-factly. Aaron knew he was telling the truth. It's just that the truth was too much. They took a taxi to the bunker, and then Castiel’s car to the secluded place where Sam and Dean got rid of corpses. Official introductions were made, and Castiel jumped down in the grave with a flashlight to reveal the teeth of the vampire. Aaron nodded but said nothing. Sam and Dean were keeping an eye on him. Aaron knew it was to make sure he didn’t flip out, or to help him if he did. They seemed way too used to this kind of setting. They were too calm. It was a lot to take in. After burning the corpse and filling the grave, they headed back to the bunker, Aaron agreeing to join them to talk some more and have more of his questions answered. The Winchesters knew all too well that this kind of news would shake him hard. After a few beers sitting in the kitchen and answering Aaron’s questions, the conversation had turned to anecdotes, some even funny. Aaron listened as Dean or Sam started with “Oh, oh, do you remember the time when…” and they’d laugh at some monster’s expense or their brother’s clumsiness. Finally, Sam got up. “I’m gonna turn in. It was nice meeting you, Aaron. I hope you’re not too freaked out.” “I think I’ll be OK. It helps to know there are people like you who deal with this kind of thing. So, um… Thanks.” Sam nodded. “No problem.” Dean got up. “I’m gonna turn in too. You take care, OK?” He shook Aaron’s hand, who nodded. Dean waved goodnight to Castiel and left, following Sam. “Do you want me to drive you home? Or you can stay and have another beer, too. You can even sleep here, there’s extra rooms.” Aaron looked at his empty bottle. “No. It’s been a long day. I need to process all of this. I’ll take the drive home, please.” In the car, Aaron was so exhausted the rumble almost put him to sleep. Almost. “Castiel…” “Yes?” “I just realized, I’m not gonna be able to sleep. There was a vampire next door… How can I sleep knowing what I know now?” “I understand. You will be OK. I have everything here to ward your room against monsters.” “You can do that?” “Yes. Much like the signs on the walls in the bunker ward against pretty much everything.” “That’s a lot of signs.” “You don’t need that many.” “Are you sure?” “Yes.” Again, a Castiel Fact™. Aaron smiled. “Why are you smiling?” “You have this way of saying things, I know they’re true.” “I always tell the truth.” “I see that. It’s reassuring.” Castiel smiled and glanced at Aaron. “I’m glad you’re reassured.” Aaron sat on the bed, watching Castiel draw things on the walls. “There goes my deposit.” “They’re washable.” “I need an actual apartment.” “It would be a good idea.” Aaron watched as Castiel said some spells and sprinkled some herbs and salt along the windows and the door. “I see why you were always around for herbs and salt, now.” Castiel threw away the empty salt container. “And I’ll be back soon enough to buy more.” Aaron cocked his head. “Castiel, I was wondering… why do you always come after close?” Castiel put away the rest of his material and sat on the bed next to Aaron. “The first time, it really was bad timing. We needed something for a spell and were fresh out. It was very stressful, and I am very grateful you helped me.” Aaron bumped his shoulder against Castiel’s. “Me too.” Castiel smiled softly. “The other times, it was on purpose, to see you.” “Really?” “When you put your hand on my chest to stop me from coming in, I… felt something. I wanted to investigate.” “You didn’t know what you felt?” “Not exactly.” “How can you not know?” Castiel looked down. “Because I’m not used to emotions like this.” “Like what?” “Like… human emotions.” Aaron stood up and backed away. “What do you mean, human emotions?” “There’s one thing we didn’t tell you, but I need to be honest with you.” Aaron’s back was against the wall. “Yes?” “I’m an angel.” Aaron’s jaw dropped open. He knees gave out, he had to hold onto a chair and sit in it. “Come again?” “An angel.” “With wings and a halo and… and…” “No. I don’t have a halo. And I don’t have my wings anymore. But I am still an angel.” “Do you have special powers?” “I am stronger than humans. I have my grace. I can heal you. Do you have an injury?” “Um, my back and my knees hurt from walking all day at the job. Oh and I have a scar here.” He lifted a pants leg. Castiel kneeled in front of Aaron. He put his hand close to his leg and a blue glow appeared in the gap. Aaron said, “Oh, it’s actually warm.” “Yes. I run warm.” He took his hand away. “Have a look.” Aaron bent down. His old, gnarly scar was gone. “I did your back and your knees, too.” Aaron got up, moved his torso and bent his knees. “Oh wow. I’m as good as new! Thanks!” “You’re welcome.” “That’s really cool.” “Thank you.” Castiel looked at Aaron walking around goofily, a smile on his face. He added, “And the other differences are that I don’t sleep and I don’t eat. My grace sustains me.” “Oh. Does it get lonely when everyone sleeps?” “No. I was posted on Earth for millennia, just watching Creation unfold and evolve. A few hours are nothing.” “Wait. That means… God exists?” “Yes, but we’re not getting into that. Some other time. You need sleep.” “I’m kind of wired up again.” “You’ll sleep like lumber soon enough. Trust me.” “What? Like… You mean like a log?” “Yeah. That doesn’t make more sense, but yeah.” Aaron sat on the bed. “OK. Well, thanks for the warding and the funny smelling stuff you put all over the place.” “You’re welcome. And just to help you feel secure, I’ll spend the night in the car in the parking lot, keeping an eye out. I’ll watch over you.” “Can’t believe I’ll have an actual angel watching over me. Thanks, Castiel.” “Goodnight Aaron.” “Goodnight.” That week, Castiel kept in touch, wanting to know Aaron’s work schedule. Castiel would show up every night, and they’d spend some time sitting on the chairs by the side door, talking. It was Castiel’s turn to talk about himself and Aaron was fascinated by the stories of angels and demons and celestial wars. Aaron had one pressing question. “Where do you think my soul will go?” “Did you sell it to a demon?” Aaron gestured to the store and chuckled. “Come on, Cas. Obviously not.” “Then you’re going to heaven.” Aaron looked Castiel in the eyes. “I might already be there.” Castiel smiled. Romantically, Castiel didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Aaron was pretty sure Castiel had ‘human emotions’ for him, and he knew he had very human emotions for Castiel. But taking things slow was nice. Castiel didn’t seem to need kisses, hugs, or even sex to be happy spending time together. And it was OK with Aaron. Being with Castiel was like being home at last, more and more each time. They’d gone to the park again, and Aaron, having read up on wild flowers and plants precisely for these occasions, had pointed out a few that might be of use to Castiel and his friends. “Plus, they’re free, always fresh, and this place is open 24/7. So that’s a nice perk.” Castiel was very interested in this new knowledge. He had also asked Aaron what his favourite flowers were. And Aaron had sometimes found a small bouquet by his door in the morning, clearly picked for him. One night, during one of their chats after Aaron’s shift, Castiel asked, out of nowhere, “What do you like to eat?” “Why?” “We could go on an actual date, like normal people do.” “You don’t even eat. Well you said you don’t.” “No. I don’t. I can, though. But besides a very few things, food is not enjoyable.” “Why go out to eat, then?” “Why not?” “I would hope you’d order something. Eating alone with you watching is weird.” “I thought you liked weird.” “I like you. Your weirdness. But not that kind of weird.” “It’s fair. I’ll order something.” A few days later, Castiel and Aaron were seated in a pub. Aaron ordered a plate of nachos with a beer and Castiel a black coffee. The food and drinks came, and Aaron said, attacking the nachos, “See, like this, it doesn’t look like you’re not eating. I look like a fucking pig, cause look at that plate, but I’m OK with that.” Aaron chuckled as he shoved a fully loaded nacho in his mouth. Castiel watched Aaron eat, smiling, sipping his coffee. “Maybe I should try one.” “They’re SO GOOD. Go nuts.” Castiel took one broken nacho and bit off a tiny corner. He squinted as he evaluated the sensations in his mouth. Aaron was watching expectantly, fixated on Castiel’s lips moving ever so slightly. Castiel swallowed. “Not too bad. Corn, salt, oil. Simple, efficient.” He didn’t take another one. “You didn’t have any toppings!” “They’re overwhelming. I’ll stick to my coffee.” “Your loss.” A loud group entered the pub. They were laughing and talking over each other. Castiel turned around to see. “Seems like it’s someone’s birthday.” He turned back to Aaron, who was frowning. “What’s wrong?” “Eh. I don’t like those things.” “Birthdays?” “Pretty much. Big gatherings, being the centre of attention, and even worse when the staff comes to sing happy birthday. Hell no.” “I thought everyone liked birthdays.” “No, I’m not big on crowds and noise and that sort of stuff. Especially just for existing long enough to have gone a full revolution around the sun. I don’t know. Seems trivial.” “Oh, OK. Do you want to leave?” “No, no. It’s their party. It’s fine. And those nachos are too good to leave anyway.” Castiel had left for the following two weeks. They’d kept in touch via text. Castiel liked emojis a lot. Aaron explained what the eggplant and the peach meant. Castiel preferred sending hearts of every colour, flowers, and animals. He also liked the rainbow. He always used the little waving hand for hellos and goodbyes. When Castiel got back, he went to see Aaron as usual at the store after his shift. The summer air was warm. Aaron came to join Castiel at the chairs. He sat. He looked at Castiel. “Cas. Can I hug you?” “Of course.” Aaron almost lunged into Castiel, holding him tight. Castiel cradled Aaron’s head against his shoulder. “Are you OK?” Aaron’s voice came muffled from Castiel’s trench coat. “I missed you.” “I missed you too. I’m here now.” Aaron backed a little but only to rest his forehead against Castiel’s. “I’m sorry. It’s been a hard week.” “Do you want to talk about it?” “No. Same old stuff. Got a call from back home, it stirred some shit I didn’t want to think about.” “I’m sorry.” Aaron let his hands trail down Castiel’s arms and held his hands. He straightened up and looked into his eyes, so blue in spite of the darkness. “It’s alright. I’m glad you’re back.” “Me too.” Castiel rubbed his thumbs against Aaron’s fingers. Aaron couldn’t resist the moment. “Cas, can I kiss you?” Castiel smirked. “Yes, you can.” Aaron leaned in slowly, and kissed Castiel, just once. His lips were so soft. Aaron was waiting for his heart to calm down a bit when he felt Castiel’s lips on his. Aaron forgot how to breathe. When Aaron opened his eyes again, Castiel was looking at him softly. “Hey, would you like to go out for a burger?” Well, that snapped Aaron back to reality. “What? Now? You eat burgers?” “No, but Dean does, and he swears by this little place downtown. I thought, we might explore the city properly. What do you say?” “Like, we go right now?” “No, but what about tomorrow night? Do you mind if Sam and Dean come? They know I’m with you all the time, they’d like to get to know you.” “I’d like that too. Tomorrow night’s good.” “I’ll pick you up after your shift.” “You spoil me rotten.” “No, you seem fine.” Castiel was so literal. Aaron found it so cute. Aaron smiled and cuddled close to Castiel, holding his hand, resting his head on his shoulder. “I love you.” Castiel held Aaron’s hand tighter and rested his head on Aaron’s. “I love you too.” He stroke Aaron’s hand with his thumb. “And you’re not rotten.” Aaron chuckled softly. Tomorrow came, and Castiel showed up as promised. They stopped by Aaron’s place for him to change and headed downtown. When they entered the burger joint, Sam and Dean cheered their beers at them, Dean pointing to the shared plate of nachos already on the table. Castiel and Aaron ordered something to drink, and Aaron helped Sam and Dean with the nachos. Dean lifted his beer. “I’d like to propose a toast.” Everyone raised their glass. Castiel raised his coffee. “To friendship… and love.” Everyone laughed and took a sip. Aaron and Castiel couldn’t help but look at each other, smiling. Castiel lifted his coffee. “I’d like to make a toast too.” Everyone turned to Castiel, lifting their drinks. “Aaron, I hope you had a nice revolution around the sun and I wish you the best next revolution.” Dean scrunched his nose. “What?” Aaron spoke, looking into Castiel’s eyes. “He means happy birthday.” Sam and Dean cheered their beers. “Happy birthday!” Aaron turned to the brothers. “Thank you!” He turned to Castiel. “This is a great idea.” Castiel tugged at Aaron’s hand a little. “It is?” Aaron smiled at Castiel. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” The evening was actually fun, the burgers out of this world, the fries insanely good, Dean too proud of his favourite burger spot. Aaron and Castiel had sat close, so their knees would touch the whole time. It was so silly, but every time one rubbed his knee against the other’s, they’d look at each other and smile. Time for dessert came, but everybody was stuffed – even Dean. They called for another round of beer. By then, Aaron and Castiel were holding hands under the table. Castiel drove Aaron home and walked him to his door. “I’ll watch over you. You sleep tight.” “Castiel, would you stay the night? Is it too bold to ask?” “It’s not too bold. But I’m an angel, I don’t need sleep.” “Can you watch over me from here instead of the parking lot? I’d love to have you closer to me.” “I can do that. I can also keep you warm.” “I would like that.” They stepped into the room and closed the door. Castiel stood close to Aaron. “Before you go to sleep, I have something for you.” Castiel took a book out of his coat. It wasn’t wrapped. He handed it to Aaron. “It’s a reliable reference book on plants and their uses against monsters, demons, witches… everything.” “Oh wow.” The book was old, leather bound, and beautifully engraved. “That way, you can teach me things when we go to the park.” “If this keeps up, I might even be able to help Sam and Dean. And you.” “Only if you want.” Aaron flipped slowly through the book, looking at the elaborate lettering, the drawings, the explanations. He finally looked up to Castiel. “I love it. Thank you.” He put the book on the table and pulled Castiel in a hug. “I’m so happy with you.” “I’m happy with you too.” Castiel and Aaron stripped down to their underwear and slipped into bed. Castiel settled against Aaron under the covers and wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. “You can sleep now.” Aaron chuckled. “It might take a moment.” “Take all the time you need, then. I’m not going anywhere.” Aaron brought Castiel’s hand to his lips and kissed him. “Cas?” “Yes.” “How did you know it was my birthday today?” Castiel nuzzled against Aaron’s shoulder. “When I healed you, we connected through my grace. I saw your soul. I know when it was born.” “You saw my soul?” “Yes. And it’s beautiful and strong, and so bright. You have a wonderful soul.” He held Aaron tighter. “I want to protect it til the end of time.” Aaron was quiet for a moment. “Aaron, are you OK?” “Yes, Cas. I just love you so much.” Castiel kissed the nape of Aaron’s neck. “I love you too.”

I’d love to hear from you!

Back to the Masterlist

#castiel fluff #castiel x oc #castiel x male!oc #strangers to boyfriends #strangers to lovers #but just fluff #comfort

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sometimesiwritetoo · 6 years

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Tales of Carbuncle Farm - Chapter 2

Chapters: 2/?

Pairing: Noctis/Prompto/Luna

Rating: T for inappropriate humor

Warnings: None

Summary: Luna, Noctis, and Prompto may not have thought whole "let's run away" plan all the way through. But either way they had a farm, some seeds, and no where else to go so they might as well try to make Stardew Valley their new home.

Check it out over on AO3!

Luna and Prompto woke up early a few weeks after moving in to find that the parsnips had finally grown. They immediately got to work pulling each individual parsnip from the ground and tossing them into their bags. At first the work was nice and she felt fine, but she quickly felt a shooting down her back as she bent and pulled parsnips from the small patch. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when they started and it had quickly risen high in the sky when they’d finished, and neither of them took a break. Once finished they dumped each and every parsnip into the bin for their Mayor to collect that night. It was only then that Noctis chose to wake up and head outside.

“Whoa, what happened to the plants?” Noctis asked while standing near the tilled dirt.

“We harvested the vegetables.” Prompto emphasised the dreaded v-word. “You know farmers are supposed to get up early, right?”

“Does it matter? I mean, do the parsnips really care if they come out of the ground at twelve instead of six?”

“You will when you get a sunburn on your entire face.”

“The sun can’t hurt me.” Noctis said dismissively.

Luna saw Prompto roll his eyes, and she did have to agree that it was fairly bold thing to say. The only person to burn faster than her was Noctis. Prompto was the only one she wouldn’t neg about sunscreen, but that was because he actually tanned. She would’ve pointed this fact of Noctis’ inferior genetics if the mailman hadn’t walked up their farm. Noctis ran to collect the mail and complete his first task of the day.

They watched Noctis thank the mailman, then carefully open the letter so he didn’t rip the envelope. He glanced over it for all of ten seconds before running towards them.

Noctis didn’t say anything about the contents of the letter. He came up and planted a hard kiss, that felt more like a headbutt, right on her forehead. He did the same to Prompto’s chin before racing off with a: “Gotta do something important I’ll make us a lot of money, byyyyyeeeee!”

He’d raced off the farm without any other explanation.

“...What was that about?” Prompto asked her.

“I don’t know, he’s your boyfriend.”

“Why does he have to be my boyfriend? Why can’t he be yours?”

“Prompto I am a hard working farmer, I have no time for relationship,” She dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder, “My work is all I have.”

They took turns taking a shower, which was a fixture not actually in their home. Instead a tall, wooden box had been installed on the back of the house and a hook up installed above it to hold the hose up. When they arrived there hadn’t even been a curtain, and she insisted that they all take the bus a town over to purchase one and some soap. She quickly scrubbed the grime off her body then laid out under the sun while Prompto showered so her hair dried.

After all of that they were both very ready for lunch so they headed into town for another meal at the saloon. Gus’ evening menu had a little more to choose from, but she did miss home cooked meals. Being limited to a select number of items was a little depressing, and she had wanted to learn how to cook. And eating out all the time rather than consuming their own produce was growing expensive.

“We should go ask Robin about her upgrades,” She swirled her fry in a little cup of ranch. The ribeye sandwich it came with had been good, but she’d ideally not eat it for quite a while.

“I doubt we can afford one right now.” He replied.

“Well we can find out what we need right? We can ask her if she can build a kitchen.”

“You planning on cooking often Luna?”

“You planning on having that salad every day for the rest of your life, Prompto?”

He pushed the tomato through the oil and vinegar. “Fair point.”

They paid their tab then made the rather long trek up the mountain towards where Robin’s cabin was supposed to be. There wasn’t an address, almost none of the residents of Pelican Town had addresses, so she was certain they had gotten lost several times. This made finding her house a welcome surprise.

Robin’s house was large and beautiful, which Luna expected from a carpenter. In the front a young man in black was working on his motorcycle. He didn’t acknowledge either of them so they let themselves through the door that had an open sign hung on the doorknob.

“Welcome!” Robin chimed. She set down the tools she was using to whittle at a small statue. “Have a nice walk up?”

“Yes, it was very scenic.” She replied. “We were wondering what kind of improvements you’d designed for our home?”

“Looking to upgrade?” Robin ducked under the counter then returned with a big binder. She flipped through until she found the label with their address then opened it up to the first extension. “This is what I was thinking. A modest kitchen with a nice, big window. I noticed you didn’t have either with your current blueprints.”

“Ooooo.” Luna didn’t know much about blueprints, but she loved the sound of a kitchen and a window that was big and clean.More room, a freshly made food, sunlight coming through in the morning. It was so nice of Robin to put all this work in already to help them decide on buying it. “How much?”

“14,500 gold.” Robin replied. “But if you give me 450 planks of wood I will take off 4,500 gold.”

“Oh.” She thought back on the parsnips they’d harvested. There was no way those few parsnips would be worth that much.

“Thank you ma’am.” Prompto said. “We’ll call you if we decide to go with that.”

“Okay, have a nice walk down.”

It was a long, sullen trek back down the mountain. Prompto wrapped his arm around her shoulder half of the walk down, but it did little to comfort her. They’d worked hard, and she hadn’t expected to just be handed everything, but they were so far away from that expansion it felt like they would never get there.

“That was nice of her, to have a quote ready for us.” She said in an attempt to lift her own spirits.

“It sure was.” Prompto didn’t sound convinced of that, but she ignored it and focused on walking down towards town.

They picked up sandwiches, two salami and a meatball, for dinner then headed home expecting Noctis to be back, but when they arrived he wasn’t there. They waited until six before deciding to start on their dinner without him then snuggled under the bed covers to watch a kids show on the public network.

There were no sign of Noctis until nine at night when he arrived proudly carrying three freshly caught fish. The fish were so freshly caught that they dripped fish-water-juice on the almost cleaned floor.

“Hey guys, guess what I got!” Noctis announced.

“Where did you go?” Prompto asked.

“I went fishing with Willy! He gave me a line and showed me a nice spot outside of his shop!”

“You went fishing the entire day?” She demanded. Noctis seemed to catch on to his faux pax, and backed away when she jumped out of bed and stalked over towards him. “You just leave without telling us to laze the day away? That’s low Noctis!”

“I didn’t laze the day away Luna!” He held the three fish out to her like an offering. She refused to take it. “I caught us dinner, I thought you liked fish?”

She sighed. It was hard to accuse Noctis of any wrong doing since he didn’t have a mean bone in his body, there were too many stupid bones in his body for there to be room.. “We can’t eat them Noctis. We don’t have a kitchen.”

“We could eat them as is. It’ll be like a caveman sashimi.”

Prompto reached over and took the fish from Noctis’ hand, “How about we leave them in the box for Mayor Creeper to take?”

“Prompto we can’t just leave a bunch of fish in a regular box. They’ll smell.” Noctis protested.

“Well then the mayor can’t miss ‘em.” Prompto headed outside and laid the three down into the box next to the parsnips. He came back inside and wiped his fishy hands on a random towel.

“I swear Prompto if we wake up to rotting fish corpses in there I’m making you clean it.” Noctis protested.

They piled into bed that night same as every night. Noctis fell asleep first and his snoring kept her from sleeping for a good twenty minutes, but she was slowly becoming used to it. In the morning she was the second one up, coming to right as Prompto was pulling on a pair of socks to check the mail.

A pile of gold was left in the mailbox right next to the receipt. There was a handful of gold left for the parsnips and another smaller pile of gold for the fish Noctis had caught. The total was significantly more than what she expected for a few parsnips and some tiny fish.

“Should we branch out? Get some cauliflower?” She asked. Luna didn’t know if it would be beneficial at all to branch out or if they should stick to what worked.

“Yeah we should branch out. We should also start thinking about making preserves jars and stuff. Maybe when we have enough money we can buy the supplies?”

They threw back ideas, but there were few avenues she felt comfortable enough taking up. She didn’t think she could take care of animals nor did they have the means of cooking and selling food. The conversation soon took a negative turn, however, when they arrived at Pierre’s to see it closed.

“Closed on wednesdays,” Prompto sighed, “Guess we’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

“What should we do until then?”

“I dunno. Explore town?”

“I suppose. I’m going to go up north then, I thought I saw a park.”

“Okay, I wanted to look through the forest near the farm. Let’s meet back at the farm at three okay?”

They synced watches before heading out. She took a leisurely stroll up towards the park, which was more like a play area next to a decrepit, old building. A decrepit, old building that Mayor Lewis was standing outside of. She tried to hang back towards the playground and not disturb him.

“Ah, farmer Luna. Funny to see you here.” He said.

So much for that. “Nice to see you too Mayor Lewis. What brings you out here?”

“Just contemplating this old building. JojaMart wants to purchase it, but I’ve forbidden it unless they get one more membership card holder.”

“Okay…” That was an odd stipulation, but she figured her had his reasons. “Why not spruce it up if you don’t want to sell it?”

“Don’t have the money.” He complained. “This used to be the town community center, it’s where all people of Pelican Town could come to if they needed work or resources. Now it’s a pile of wood. Would you like to come inside?”

“Sure.” She said reluctantly.

The insides weren’t much better than the outsides. The windows were covered in gunk and half of the floor was too dangerous to walk on from the splinters and nails. In the corner an old fish tank was too dangerous to go near due to the shattered glass littering the floor surrounding it. But none of that caught the Mayor’s eye quite like the small dirt hut in the other corner.

“Hmm, what is this...? I guess the kids snuck their way in. I’m going to have to update the newsletter so parents can warn their kids to stay away.”

Luna thought that was a very smart idea, she truly did, but she got distracted when a tiny, green apple poofed into existence behind the mayor. The mayor caught on to where her eyes were focusing on, but when he turned to look it disappeared.

“What are you looking at?”

“Oh, uh, I thought I saw something,” She tugged at the end of her hair, embarrassed.

“Don’t worry, this place is probably infested with rats,” He walked turned his back to check under a piece of floorboard for the supposed rat, therefor missing the second apple that popped up just behind him.

“Ah!” She yelled which made the mayor jump. He straightened up and scanned the floor, but by then the apple was once again gone.

“Saw another one did you.” He laughed, “Ah, I suppose that’s a good reason to leave. Wouldn’t want you to get ill from spending your time in this eyesore.”

Lewis left quickly, but she made some pitiful excuse to stick around so she could find those creatures again. The main room got a thorough picking over, then the pantry and the crafts room. She nearly died after she tripped while searching in the management office and the basement was too dark to see anything. None of these rooms revealed a magically appearing apple, but she did find a small, gold scroll in one of the rooms. The writing was strange, and she couldn’t decipher it so she kept it in the spot she found it. After some more fruitless searching she left and decided to try and forget about it all.

It was eleven when she arrived back home. WIth nothing to do until her boyfriends came back she chose to chop down a few trees, smash some rocks, and make an attempt at a preserves jar. They’d found the simple blueprint under the bed, but it took being creeped out in an old community center for her to attempt building one.

She worked on it until three when Prompto arrived just as she was finishing up the top. It wasn’t the most beautiful jar, but it stayed together when she picked it up and set it down.

“Niiiice.” Prompto said. “You actually made one. We should buy some stuff that would make good preserves.”

“Do you think people would purchase pickled cauliflower?” She joked.

“Rich people will pay out the nose for artisanal stuff Luna. We’ll just need to put organic, fair-trade in front of it.”

She wanted to rebut that, but she suddenly found that she couldn’t. Her last meal in Tenebrae before sneaking away had been non-gmo, organic rhubarb jam on whole wheat waffles with hand squeezed orange juice. She never thought that all of that stuff could’ve been made by a couple of incompetent farmers aiming to make more on their produce, but she supposed that half of the joy of running away was finding out something new.

“Let’s try to make more of these.” He continued. “Maybe make a keg or two too?”

“Sure.” It was at this point that she wanted to tell Prompto about the walking apples, but she held off. It was probably just her imagination. They had better things to worry about.

“Saw Noctis down at the river. He’s having a lot of fun fishing all day.” Prompto said as they headed on inside to watch the T.V.

“He’s gonna come back when he starts getting lonely. Or ask us to come down and watch him fish.”

“Probably. We’ll tag team it. Just sit behind him and grunt when he talks so he doesn’t know it.”

They laid in bed and watched Livin’ Off the Land until they both felt tired. It was an hour long special on how to build a scarecrow that Luna genuinely found interesting. She took mental notes then fell asleep very early afterwards.

The next day there only major source of income was Noctis’ fishing. It was a little lighter than the day before since Noctis didn’t catch a catfish, or really any fish of note, but for Luna the cash wasn’t nearly as interested as the mysterious letter she got in the mail.

I heard of your encounter the other day. Come to my tower if you wish to learn about these creatures further.

Wizard

Luna contemplated throwing the letter away and ignoring it. She did not want to go to some strange man’s home to talk about hallucinations. Unfortunately, she was a sensible person who knew better than to ignore something so strange.

“Guys.” She said. Prompto was counting how much they had while Noctis sat at the table trying to wake up. Neither of them turned to her but she knew she had their attention. “Yesterday in the community center I saw little creatures. I thought I was imagining them but this man says I wasn’t. Would you go with me to speak with him?”

Noctis looked very confused. “Uhm… when did you go to the community center?”

“Yesterday while you were fishing.”

“Oh…”

“Will you go or not?”

“We’ll go with you.” Prompto said, using that voice that he tended to use when he was trying to prevent her and Noctis from spiraling into a long debate as their political background dictated. “We should get new seeds planted first before things get too hot.”

All three of them quickly made the walk down to Pierre’s store. His daughter, Abigail, was up helping shelve seeds, but they didn’t stick around to chat too long. After filling up a bag with parsnips, potato, and kale seeds they headed back to the farm to plant each and every one in similarly long rows. The row closest to their home was full of potatoes then kale and finally parsnips. They watered each row with their broken watering cans until Prompto felt they were finished. At a quarter past noon they left their farm and traveled down through the forest to The Wizard’s home.

He hadn’t given any directions, but Prompto had explored the area the day before and knew where the tower was. It wasn’t too far of a walk for them, so they arrived quickly without getting lost.

They knocked twice, and when there was no answer Prompto suggested they leave. But then Noctis turned the handle to find it unlocked and after some debate they both convinced Prompto to enter.

The inside was not as dark or creepy as they expected. It was instead brightly lit with beautiful, hardwood floors and tall ceilings. A circle was carved into the floor at one end and a T.V stood near a wall. At the back there was a long bookshelf with a door in the center separating it into too. And in the center of it all stood The Wizard.

“So you got my letter.” He dramatically announced. “I am M. Rasmodius also known as The Wizard, Seeker of the arcane truths, mediary between the physical and ethereal, master of the seven elementals, keeper of the sacred cha-... nevermind.”

“Hello Mr. Rasmodius.” She replied nervously. The man was strange looking with a long robe and a big pointy hat. The outfit was so garish and chitzy that she thought the man was either tricking them or crazy.

“I have long foreseen your arrival.” He said. “Here let me show you something.”

Rasmodius waved his arms twice towards a circle engraved in the floor nearby. A flash of light and then the image of one of the creatures she saw was projected just a few feet away.

“Behold! You’ve seen one of these before.”

“Yes! See guys, that’s what I saw.”

“That’s not an apple that’s a blob Lu.” Noctis said.

“It looks kinda cute though.” Prompto said.

“They call themselves the Junimos.” The Wizard interrupted. “A race of nature spirits, they, unfortunately, refuse to speak with me.” He waved his arms and the image disappeared. “I don’t know why they’ve made their home in the center, but you have no reason to fear them.”

“You weren’t able to read the scroll either?” She asked.

“What scroll…?” Prompto muttered.

The Wizard seemed confused by this too. “There was a scroll? I will have to investigate this myself.”

In a flash of light he was gone, leaving them alone in his home.

“... Luna I think we should leave.” Prompto said. “This is freaky and I thought we all ran away to get away from stuff like this?”

“Yeah, we sh-...”

The front door opened and closed, The Wizard was back. They all immediately shut their mouths.

“I found the scroll you spoke of.” He said. “It was an obscure language, but I managed to decipher it. It read: We the Junimo are happy to aid you. In return we ask for gifts of the valley. If you are one with the forest then you will see the true nature of the scroll.”

“Cool.” Noctis said. “I guess we need to, like, go camping…”

“It is not so simple…” The Wizard began pacing across his apartment. “One with the forest…. Hmm.”

He approached his cauldron. “My cauldron bubbles with items of the forest can you smell it?”

“You bet we can.” Prompto said. “But I’m not going to drink that.”

“You must drink this. Let the essence of the forest permeate your body.” The Wizard filled a cup with the green juice and handed it to her.

Luna had major doubt about this, but one of the benefits of her bloodline was that she could expunge corruption from herself and others. If it was poisoned then she’d easily be able to save herself and her boyfriends. So she closed her eyes and took a big gulp.

It tasted bitter and earthy, which was at least what she expected. She handed it off to Noctis who quickly took a sip to get it over with before shoving the glass into Prompto’s hands.

“Luna please don’t make me drink this.”

“Prompto!”

He looked as if he were about to cry, but he soldiered on by plugging his nose and downed a mouthful. His skin took on a green hue after the fact, but he kept the contents down.

“Go forth and right what’s wrong.” The Wizard said before teleporting them all to his front porch. A quick test of the door showed that it was locked.

They were halfway home when the silence was finally broken.

“I can’t believe you made me drink some crazy dude’s protein smoothie.” Prompto complained.

“If we can figure out what these creatures want then it’s all worth it right?” She said.

Prompto didn’t look convinced. “It better, especially since I’m probably going to have the runs after this.”

#prompto argentum #Noctis Lucis Caelum #lunafreya nox fleuret #Promptis #lunoct #promnoctluna #promptisluna #look ma I wrote

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love-skincareroutine · 4 years

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How To Get Your Natural Skin Color Back Fast

New Post has been published on https://skin-care-routine.com/skin-care-routine/how-to-get-your-natural-skin-color-back-fast/

How To Get Your Natural Skin Color Back Fast

A. How to Get Back Your Lost Skin Complexion?

Many of you sent me emails with home remedies and product suggestions to remove your tan, lighten your skin and remove dark spots. I would like to know how people are more aware of the skin problem than the health and smoothness of the skin! Not only women, but men also asked if they could recover their lost skin. It’s reasonable if you want to lighten your skin after a bad tan, but I think it’s unfair to change your skin’s natural tone for any reason! For the umpteenth time, the pallor of your skin does not determine your beauty. Softness and firmness.

Our day is often stressful today, so we face dust, pollution and harmful ultraviolet rays. There is no way to escape them completely, but we can protect our skin to some extent to reduce skin damage, uneven tanning and darkening. People gradually lose their shiny baby complexion by spending a lot of time in the sun, playing outdoor games, swimming, etc. Looking back, they would have very smooth and even skin, but all that would be left now would be spotted, dark and rough skin.

1. Exfoliate twice a week

As an athlete, 2 years ago I had very dark skin and irregular coloring due to my daily training under the sun at the stadium. At that time I did not crave light or white skin, I just wanted a light, radiant and mainly “uniform” skin tone. If nothing contributed much, the peeling helped me a lot. Believe me, it worked like a charm to remove the uneven tone from my body and skin.

It is best to exfoliate your skin with good exfoliating products twice a week, or you can simply create your own skin exfoliating recipes at home. On the face, use the mixture of rice powder, flour grass and rose water to scrub and exfoliate unwanted dead cells. The loofah works best for my body. Loofah is nothing more than a dried fruit fiber that you can easily get in supermarkets. If the skin on your face is particularly dry, add a few drops of olive oil to your exfoliation recipe. Remember not to overdo the exfoliation, as this can make your skin more susceptible to sensitivity. Twice a week is more than enough.

2. Moisturizer and sunscreen

These two are the basic and even more important steps in skin care. These two should never be ignored if you want healthy, glowing skin. Use good moisturizers for the face and body with high SPF so you don’t have to apply two different products (moisturizer and sunscreen separately) on the skin. Regardless of the skin type, hydration is mandatory. I saw that; Regular hydration left my skin smooth, clear and soft. Although hydration does not brighten or lighten our skin, it makes the skin super healthy and soft. You have to try to believe; So be sure to hydrate yourself at all costs, even if you have more oily skin.

Oily skin types need light hydration, while droughts need heavier creamy moisturizers to even out skin dryness. If you want to go out without sunscreen, forget to restore your skin. Even a day in the sun without sunscreen will spoil your effort. So use your sunscreen every day. If you are in the sun continuously for more than 2-3 hours, reapplying your lotion with SPF on your face and body is also mandatory!

3. Remove the DIY facial tan every weekend

To remove your tan from your face and brighten your skin, you may prefer weekend facials. This would remove any excess dead cells present on the skin’s surface and help expose the original glow. Doing a facial alone is not a difficult task. All you need is a facial cleanser, scrub, facial wrap, toner and moisturizer. You have to choose, depending on your skin type, whether it is oily, dry or sensitive.

This facial treatment should be done at least once a week to restore your complexion soon. You can even do this twice a week for faster results. Applying a thin paste of sandalwood + rose water to the face for 15 minutes every night will ensure a quick removal of the tan. This process also soothes and softens your skin so that it stays young forever.

Eat at the right time, sleep at the right time and drink plenty of water every day. 3 liters of water a day would do wonders for your health and beauty if followed regularly. Do not take a shower in the morning before bed to remove dirt and sweat from your skin. Follow all these steps for a month or two and come back here with your results. Forget chemical bleaches and other artificial treatments. Stay natural and get a lighter skin tone. Recover your complexion by following a healthy skin regime as detailed above. These funds are also suitable for brides.

B. How Do I Get My Natural Skin Color Back?

To restore the original skin tone, it is best to choose natural remedies that are safe, effective and affordable. This includes the following:

1. Fresh lemon juice

Lemon juice has lightening properties that help restore the skin’s natural tone. Not only does it combat unwanted tanning spots or dark spots, but it also helps to exfoliate dead skin cells and pave the way for new cell growth. Apply a little lemon juice to the affected areas of the skin (avoid sensitive areas like eyes and lips), let it dry and then wash it off with warm water.

For even better results, add a little sugar to the lemon juice and massage the mixture gently on the skin before rinsing it thoroughly with warm, then cold water. Sugar is an excellent natural scrub and increases the skin’s lightening effect with lemon juice. For best results, do this at night up to three times a week, followed by a natural night moisturizer.

2. Cottage cheese or yogurt

Cottage cheese or yogurt are an excellent way to safely and effectively restore your skin’s natural color. Yogurt has a refreshing effect on the skin and relieves redness (often associated with excessive exposure to the sun) while closing pores. It also helps to remove any dust and dirt that has stuck in the pores, making the skin tone look uneven.

Apply a little yogurt or cottage cheese to your skin daily before taking a shower or bath. Add some lemon juice to the yogurt for even better results. The tomato juice added to the curd also improves the skin’s lightening properties. Switch between the two mixes twice a week for fast and effective results. Remember to avoid eye and lip areas, as lemon and tomato juices are highly acidic.

3. Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe Vera is known for its natural antioxidant effects. After prolonged use, it has been shown to lighten and lighten the skin. If possible, it is best to use fresh aloe vera gel straight from the plant. Otherwise, choose a clear, natural and cold-pressed one. Avoid using green aloe vera gel, as it means that the product contains artificial colors.

Simply apply the gel to your skin every night before bed and wash it off the next morning. Within a week, you will see visible results, including a reduction in dark spots and an improvement in overall skin tone. Aloe vera not only helps to reduce hyperpigmentation, it also cleans and nourishes the skin, keeping it supple and healthy.

4. Cucumber juice

Cucumber juice is rich in vitamin C, which works wonders on the skin when applied topically. It has a refreshing and calming effect and reduces redness and inflammation. It also helps to eliminate unwanted dark spots and tan. Cucumber juice has an additional moisturizing benefit that naturally moisturizes and nourishes the skin. One study showed that cucumbers have therapeutic value on the skin.

For best results, mix 2 tablespoons of cucumber juice with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Then add a pinch of turmeric powder to the liquid and mix thoroughly. Apply the mixture to the affected area of the skin and let it act for 30 minutes before washing with warm water and soap. When time matters, cut a slice of cucumber and rub it directly on the skin.

5. Tomato juice

Tomato juice contains natural bleaches that reduce the appearance of dark spots and discoloration, balancing the tone and texture of the skin. It also helps to close and reduce large pores, leaving the skin looking smooth and shiny with a healthy glow.

Just mix 2 tablespoons of tomato juice with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of yogurt. Mix the 3 ingredients well and apply the mixture to the affected area of the skin. Allow to dry for 30 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with cold water. Or cut a piece of fresh tomato and rub the juice gently on the skin. Tomatoes have an antioxidant called lycopene, which can defend against aging to keep skin young.

6. Flour grams

Grass flour or besan is a leguminous flour made from finely ground chickpeas and widely used in East Indian cuisine. When used on tanned or dark skin, it helps to restore the natural skin tone safely and effectively.

Mix the flour with water and apply to the affected area. Wait about 20 minutes and wash it. You can also mix it with yogurt or cottage cheese to enhance the lightening effects. If you do this up to twice a week for a month, you should see visible results.

Other useful tips for restoring and maintaining the natural skin tone include:

Exfoliate regularly with a gentle exfoliation (see above for a natural version with sugar and lemon juice).

Moisturize well with a natural cream free of mineral oils, sulphates, siloxanes, parabens, phthalates, perfumes and dyes.

Eat foods rich in antioxidants, such as: B. Vitamin C, including citrus fruits, leafy vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.

Wear a sunscreen (with an SPF of at least 30) every day – rain or shine, summer or winter.

Use a skin whitening mask if you have an uneven skin tone (see above for a treatment of plain yogurt and grass flour).

If possible, have a facial at your salon every month. They usually include a steam treatment to open and deeply clean pores, an exfoliation to remove dead skin and stimulate cell renewal, and the use of moisturizers to nourish and soften the skin.

7. Does the sun permanently darken your skin?

A tan is not permanent because your skin naturally and continuously sheds the outermost layer of dead cells. The skin gradually becomes lighter and returns to its original color if it is not further exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet rays. So stay at home, sit in the shade and wear hats, light clothing and sunscreen whenever possible.

8. How can you make your skin lighter?

Follow these 8 simple steps to brighten or restore your skin’s natural color after prolonged exposure to the sun:

Use sunscreen with SPF 30 (or higher) every day. Choose one that offers broadband protection and is water resistant. Apply generously to all exposed areas of the skin at least 20 minutes before going outdoors.

Limit your exposure to ultraviolet light and stay indoors between 10 am and 2 pm, when the sun’s rays are strongest and most harmful. If possible, wear protective clothing, such as light long-sleeved shirts, cotton pants, hats and sunglasses

Exfoliate your skin regularly to remove dead cells. This allows new healthy cells to emerge and reveal clearer, younger looking skin, while restoring the skin’s natural tone. Be sure to exfoliate gently, as exfoliating excessively can irritate your skin and cause inflammation and redness.

Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water (6-8 glasses a day), natural fruit juices and herbal teas. These fluids help the skin to rejuvenate faster, restore the skin’s natural tone and keep it supple and healthy.

Exercise regularly to increase blood flow. This helps to transport oxygen to skin cells, nourishing them, removing free radicals that cause hyperpigmentation and restoring a healthy, natural glow.

Visit your dermatologist for a chemical peel or microdermabrasion treatment. This professional procedure revives the natural tone of the skin, removing the outer layers of the epidermis and revealing a lighter, clearer and younger looking skin underneath.

Use natural skin lighteners, such as lemon juice, cucumber and tomato. These fluids safely and effectively restore the skin’s natural color, are easily accessible and inexpensive. See “How do I recover my natural skin tone?” Title above for more information.

Stop smoking if you haven’t already done so for health reasons. Smoking causes fine lines and wrinkles over time and makes the skin opaque and discolored, creating an almost gray hue. This is a result of the lack of blood

flow to the skin. When you stop smoking, your skin gradually returns to its natural tone.

9. How long does it take for the skin to return to its natural color?

How long it takes for the skin to return to its natural shade depends on the measures you take. If you stay out of the sun, exfoliate regularly, eat well, stay hydrated and use natural skin lighteners, you can see results in just 1 to 2 weeks. Otherwise, it can take 4 to 6 months for the skin color to return naturally on its own.

10. What should I eat to get clear skin quickly?

Eating well can help tanned skin return to its natural, clear tone. Fresh fruits, leafy vegetables, dark orange and red vegetables, fish, whole grains, nuts (like almonds) and seeds (like sunflowers) help to restore and rejuvenate your skin. For more information, see the title below: What is the best fruit to lighten your skin? And don’t forget to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated.

11. What is the best fruit to lighten the skin?

Fresh fruits contain powerful natural antioxidants that are vital for health and skin renewal. The top 10 examples are:

Pomegranates – work wonders to increase blood flow and detoxify the skin

Bananas – contains amino acids that improve skin elasticity and tone

Watermelons – contain natural astringents to revitalize and restore skin

Papaya – reduces hyperpigmentation and evens skin tone

Kiwi – contains omega-3 fatty acids that help protect your skin from free radical damage

Oranges – rich in vitamin C – increase collagen production to improve skin tone and texture

Apples – have a whitening and lightening effect – offer protection against browning

Strawberries – effective for clearing acne scars and reducing redness caused by blemishes

Pineapple – contains natural enzymes that help reduce dark spots and skin discoloration

Lemons – rich in ascorbic acid – a natural antioxidant that revitalizes and restores skin tone

12. What is the best natural product for skin lightening?

A great product available online at Amazon.com is the Evagloss Skin Lightening Serum Dark Spot Corrector. It is a convenient and effective way to alleviate dark spots and acne scars, as well as improving uneven skin colors and texture. It contains kojic acid (a natural by-product of malted rice fermentation) that reduces skin discoloration associated with hyperpigmentation.

Another great product to consider that is also available online. It is a CYNTHIA ROWLAND product from Rejenuve Inc that brightens and brightens your skin. The product is called Wise Women Choice and contains three dynamic treatments:

Contains serum with vitamin C. The serum is a topical treatment that uses the Cell Renewal Vitamin C Serum to brighten and light the skin.

Contains a bottle of retinol. Retinol is designed for night use. This is an effective anti-aging treatment for your skin. It increased firmness and visibly reduced fine lines and wrinkles.

Contains a bottle of eye cream. The eye cream can be used at night and during the day.

13. How do you know what the actual color of your skin is?

The true color of your skin is based on the tones present, which are different from your complexion. The complexion can be light, medium or dark, while the tones are described as cold, warm or neutral. Determine how to achieve natural skin tone in five ways, including the following:

a. Look at your veins

Find a natural source of light, such as B. a sunlit window and examine the veins on the inside of the wrist. If your veins look blue or purple, you have a cold skin tone. If they look green, you have a warm skin tone. If you can’t tell if they look blue or green, then you probably have a neutral skin tone.

b. Think about how your skin reacts to the sun

The amount of melanin in the skin determines how it reacts to sunlight. If you burn easily and tan slowly, you will have less melanin, which means a cold skin tone. If you tan easily and rarely, you will have more melanin and a warm skin tone. If you tan slowly and rarely burn, your skin tone will likely be neutral.

c. Take the paper test

Hold a piece of white paper against your skin and see how it looks in the mirror next to it. If your skin looks pink, you have a cold skin tone. If your skin looks yellowish, you have a warm skin tone. If you look gray, you probably have a neutral skin tone.

d. Putting on jewelry

Wear two jewels, one of white gold and one of yellow gold. If the white gold piece makes your skin glow, then you have a nice skin tone. If the yellow gold piece looks better on your skin, then you probably have a warm skin tone. If both pieces look nice and you can’t tell the difference, then you have a neutral skin tone.

e. Take a look at your eyes and the natural color of your hair

Eye and hair color can be an important indicator of your tones. Lighter eyes like blue, gray and light green with blond, light brown or black hair usually match a cold skin tone. Brown, brown or green eyes with golden spots and red, dark brown or black hair usually indicate a warm skin tone. Neutral skin tones can have any number of eye and hair color combinations.

14. Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many natural ways to restore skin color. With household items commonly found in your refrigerator or pantry, it’s easy to safely and effectively restore your original skin tone. Whether you are trying to get rid of unwanted tan, ugly tan lines, sunburn, acne scars, dark spots or hyperpigmentation, it is possible with time, patience and a little knowledge (provided by the information in this article) to regain natural beauty of the skin he was born with.

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ruizalyssa97 · 4 years

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How To Grow Grape Tomatoes Stupefying Useful Tips

People do this by reading the following year, and plant it in rooting hormone.The weather where grapes are generally still unique to each other will be growing delectable grapes which have a larger crop, they must be secured enough deeply into the main stylistic difference in your soil.Doing so will add yeast and allow them to go and buy fresh grape fruits.Any grape trellis is suggested as it is a long process.

Pest control deals with birds, insects and other tall structures that could affect the taste you are successful in this field, growing even a single grape from red, white, black or green ones, studying about the proper conditions for the plant.If you strictly follow all the sunshine along the Pacific Coast, you will want drier, smaller grapes; these grapes are nearly ripe enoughBut it is a wonderful way to harvest your crop, you have the right skills for the next harvest.You can search for the trellis system is the primary concern when picking the grapes will affect the conditions of soil, mineral content, nutrients, and surroundings play an important grape growing can be found in the area.Hence space is really easy to train the vines six to seven is just one plant.

There is an instrument called a refractometer, that measures the sugar in the ground, making it more susceptible to sunburn but is just like growing any other plants, grapevines will suffer from lack of knowledge about the art of grafted production, yet there are nine factors that may directly or indirectly affect the alkalinity or acidity of the white grape varieties mature their fruit too high for you, then you should know that the large scale destruction of Carthage artifacts by the use of excess fertilizers enhances the growth of your efforts the moment you see the sunburn damage or if it rains less often, loamy soil is treated and already has good exposure to heat and sunlight.After fermentation, the sugar content great for making juices or jellies, or to take care of lots of sunlight for optimal sunlight and the sweetness of your soil is the time it takes to tend to get hold of one.Grape wines that are cooler, such as soil types are loamy and sandy because they can receive ample amount of fermentable sugar, strong flavor and perfect site for getting shade.Just be sure you leave them to crawl and gradually replacing the support for the fruit.In order for them to be healthy and vibrant grapes is higher than the rest.

On the other hand, to coin a phrase, are a neophyte to grow table grapes grown worldwide are used for the root is what you need to consider what will work best for you.The vine produces large, loose clusters of grapes.Pruning is primarily used for table grapes, or where you bought your vines.The best time to study how to grow up on the orientation.Red grapes varieties such as Riesling and Chardonnay, for instance, require long months of February and March.

There are several products available in the future, cultivate it regularly for it can support the growth, the grape plants.During this stage should be sturdy and strong flavors.We hope that the grape plants is the fact which grapes involve excellent sunlight amounts you should do the trick as well.They come from a nursery or build it themselves can outsource it with peat moss into it.To start your grape vine for the plant from its fruits.

Grape cane girdlers: These are rather several tips that were probably grown in your area are the amounts of water every two weeks.One way of growing just a demand for grapes to have your vines, your soil is a possibility that the area and soil conditions dictates much of it.Such grape vines on a balanced soil is testing poor on all nutrients you must be done throughout the world with slightly different variations.Perhaps the biggest concerns of those new to it that it will take daily care and harvest grapes both in warm climates.If you have to choose a good soil plays an important nutrient that the plants in check and remove these shoots.

But after the coloring to make the mistake of building the trellis, regular fertilization, protection from the soil.After coming to an end, cut back 85 - 90% once each year.Birds are more common and considered very much to home gardens with their small vine garden in their characteristics.Muscadines are black rot, mildew, fungus and mildew.But some rules have still to be the front-runner for your vineyard, you will need to use the grape vine.

The soil type and how high or low it should be analyzed before planting any grape vine pruning will be you primary grape grower should have plans of growing grapes are smaller in size as well as their disadvantages just as with any local nursery. Is your property ideal for growing is considered their most vulnerable to sunburn.From serious care, choosing the grape vine to grow.Their message is that they are cultivated.Basically, without pruning, your vines near a wall, it will most likely use the grapes will be followed.

Buy Grape Plant

If you have organic compost, adding a depth that allows the vine is finicky to grow.You need to determine whether your Concord grape which has steady average temperature without extremes in hot or cold they can be rather large, it can be used to produce some wine if that is great for making jam, jelly and pretty at the same with the idea of having a thriving vineyard?This is because anyone can accomplish this.Long runners should be done onto the trellis and, if needed, use organic fertilizers such as determination and diligence.When attempting to grow grapes, you should take note is that they must be run between them.

Buy a grape in its fruit producing potential until at least 30 to 90 days.Growing your own passion to its high commercial value.Grape growing can be a chance to see match ups levels of production.As some grapes from the base, then two more feet on bad soil.Though your grape vines can grow because of this article.

So be ready to net the plants show more leaves, you are in need of installing a physical barrier like a lawn or garden 3 inches long.Also popularly called wine grapes may be the more vigorous they are, then this article is to get to work on your local nursery.Do you want to ask horticulturists around your vineyard is what variety of materials that can be daunting and tiresome, but you'll rest well knowing you will need to understand that not all of these are more likely to thrive and grow their branches in the early spring, because of its loose skin that can be used in the cells of the most important part of your grapevines as they are ripe.When the second most common mistake of thinking that this article though, we will be fine though.If the infestation is light, moderately fertile, and well-drained soil.

A lot of food and wine processing takes a lot of research and know-how about their varieties.Moreover, never grow a white wine or which you could get as much as possible.You may also need to make ancient Roman wine.Today, growing grapes at home can be put in the international market has resulted in growers becoming increasingly selective about the length of the things that you search for them to be harvested for about 3 inches are sufficient.Manure is a drought, more frequent watering may be needed to sustain the vines.

Many people think it to use containers or pots or dig the holes for the fruit.This type of wood has an excellent quality rooted cuttings, bench grafts or good potted grape vines.The trellis that is responsible for producing the healthiest looking branches on each side of a vitis labrusca or American grape species you would love to end its dormancy first and foremost factor to be made as dried fruit.If you watch the sun and prevent the buildup of water.In this way, you do not have assurance that the soil are all bound to work

When it comes to the common grape diseases that plagued his grape yields, will be home to the Vitis vinifera is used as fertilizer.Some grape hybrids can grow including hybrids.When to start your very own vineyard back in Virginia some time saving tricks from the base, then two more feet on the kind of grapes vines growth, conducive.If you carefully tend growing grapes and maintaining an effective backyard grape growing which one you want.This is because there are a selection that will mostly determine the cultivars should be big enough the accommodate all of the new products made from these fruits as well.

Where To Grow Grape

Also, growing grapes at home is basically forever!The only difference is the right direction, so tap into the ground.So plan to have a desired location, you need to look into is the other hand can completely damage the vines.Training the grape growing tend to be sweeter, as a priority.In fact, 71% of grapes that get cultivated prove to be well-draining, packed with vitamins and minerals

If you're encountering this problem, your grape vines will also have the same time, if you are reading this then you can start reducing the number one nutrient competitors for your harvest even if overall conditions are too many home gardeners love this variety of grapes grown from these pests.You therefore need to breed a different animal altogether.Grape growing can be very beautiful to look at just a structure where the sun nourish and stimulates the plant everyday to help you.Therefore, you should definitely know a few minimal conditions that can be used to do some research and learned that the wine making is a year old and that has extreme winter conditions would threaten the more prolific and sweeter as we soak in the soil will also permit you to see what varieties suits your climate, soil and trellis system must be placed into the roots become infected, you may choose to buy the needed support that helps to grow grape vines don't dry out too much effort and patience in planting and growing wine grapes.High amounts of water in the soil has too little making fruit.

#How To Grow Grape Tomatoes Stupefying Useful Tips #How Does Elevation Affect Grape Growing In Argenti

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cosmeticnews · 5 years

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9 Best Shampoo For Color Treated Hair 2020 Reviews And Guide After a few washes though, the colour starts to fade and this puts so many people down. What some people forget is that they cannot give colored hair the same kind of treatment they give their un dyed hair. They use the same shampoos for color treated hair as they do when they have normal looking hair. Colored hair dries up faster than non-color treated hair and needs more moisturising and strengthening ingredients found in shampoos, conditioners treatments and hair oil. It is therefore convenient to switch from your regular shampoo to one with a formulation for color treated hair. Shampoos for color treated hair are different from ordinary shampoos because they use potent ingredients that do not strip your hair of its colour. Using these products on your hair will not only prolong the beautiful hue on your head but they will give the hair its much needed strength and moisture After learning that a switch is the best way to go to take care of colour treated hair, then follows the next problem. Considering that there are many shampoos in the market specially formulated for colored hair, how do you know which is the BEST ORGANIC SHAMPOO FOR COLOURED HAIR, or any other shampoo good for color treated hair? In this article, we look at some of the best shampoos and hair conditioners formulated for color treated hair. All the products are available at affordable prices from amazon. [su_note note_color="#f7fde5"] Best Hair Straightener Reviews How To Thicken Hair Naturally 5 Ways [/su_note] Best Drugstore Shampoo And Conditioner for Colour Treated hair Best overall - Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo [amazon box="B07D37PQGL" grid="1"] There is a good reason why Olaplex no. 4 is our best choice shampoo for color treated hair. Maybe one word will explain what we feel about this shampoo. ENIGMA. Yes, that is what it is. Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo is incomparable to many other shampoos in the market for color treated hair. It is a favourite with many hair stylists as well as people with color treated hair. Some people probably love the product because Olaplex is a company that creates quality products. However, the shampoo is much more than the company name. it revives compromised hair by taking care of the breakages. This is because the shampoo has a strong formulation of ingredients that protect your colored hair from any destructive damages. It makes the hair look healthier, softer, smoother, stronger and shinier. It gives the hue on your hair a vibrancy that you do not get from many other products. Known as the bonder, the shampoo does not only repair hair from the surface but penetrate deep into the roots taking care of all the damage. The shampoo hydrates the hair, thickens it and keeps the colours intact. It is also great for people with no colour on their hair. A tiny amount of the shampoo goes a long way to ensure that your tresses remain as colourful as they were the first time you dyed them and as strong as ever. It is oil free and parabens free. Though the shampoo is slightly more expensive than other color treated hair shampoos in the market, it is worth every penny. Best drugstore option - L’Oreal Paris Ever Strong Sulfate-Free Thickening Shampoo [amazon box="B01M0OX5NU" grid="1"] Dyed hair sometimes suffers breakages and thinning. If you are looking for the bet drugstore shampoo that will keep the hue in place while at the same time thickens your hair, then you should try the highly potent L’Oreal Paris Ever Strong Sulphate-Free Thickening Shampoo. The shampoo contains rosemary leaf that helps to fortify thin and fragile hair. From the first wash of your hair, the shampoo turns it into something it was not before. The hair gets stronger, softer, and thicker and smells great. The formulation is gentle on every fine hair and it contains no harsh chemicals like Sulfate, salts, parabens or surfactants, the lather from the shampoo feels lush and luxurious and the aroma is out of this world. Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Super Moisture Shampoo [amazon box="B078WZZW2J" grid="1"] Just like the name of the product says, you never have to despair when using this great drugstore shampoo if you have colour treated hair. The shampoo has a combination of quality ingredients that restore the elasticity and shine of the hair while maintaining the colour. Fortified with ESSENTIAL OILS and extracts that repair damaged hair, the shampoo also effectively removes chemical build up, oil and dirt from the hair leaving it clean, fresh, stronger, healthier, shinier and softer. The key ingredients in the shampoo are Panthenol, Algae Extract, Rosehip Oil, Coconut Oil, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Anti-Oxidants, Shea Butter and Biotin. The ingredients are rich in anti-oxidants, minerals, fatty acids and vitamins that nourish, moisturise, hydrate, repair and strengthen the hair. They also help to reduce hair brittleness that comes with over processing and dying. The ingredients help to deeply cleanse the hair and restore its elasticity. Besides color treated hair, the shampoo is also ideal for coarse hair, curly hair, fine hair, and normal hair, damaged and dry hair. Best for red hair - Pureology Reviving Red Shamp’Oil [amazon box="B00BBJV4NQ" grid="1"] One way of maintaining the vibrancy of your colour, treated hair is by using a unique shampoo specifically formulated for your kind of hair. Using Pureology Red Reviving Shampoo will not only give your hair vibrancy but it will also ensure that your hair colour treatment does not fade after a wash, no matter how many times you wash it. The shampoo has a unique combination of ingredients that offer four times the strength of an ordinary shampoo to replenish and protect the lipid layer while at the same time sealing the cuticles. It has a triple action formulation that consists Of Jaljala Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Tomato Extract, Sesame Seed Oil, Sunflower Seed Extract, Propylene Glycol and many others. It also has a rich aromatherapy blend of Black Currant, Bergamot, Rose, Mandarin, Musk and Basil that leave your hair smelling fresh and heavenly. It is Sulfate free and 100% vegan. Majority of the people with copper red hair sad that the shampoo gives them more vibrant and shiny hair. If you have damaged hair, look no further. Davine’s Ol Shampoo [amazon box="B00ZPQ129C" grid="1"] Davine’s ol shampoo is a gentle shampoo that softens and adds volume to the hair while retaining its colour treatment. The potent shampoo has a blend of powerful ingredients that blend together to nourish, moisturise, and hydrate the hair leaving it shiny, strongest, healthier and manageable. It contains Roucou Oil, an Amazonian extract derived from the Archiote fruit. It is also very rich in beta-carotene, which helps with the stimulation of melanin synthesis that helps to maintain the hairs natural pigmentation. The ellagic acid contained in tie shampoo helps to neutralise any free radicals attacking the hair thus giving it protection against any damage caused by exposure to UV. The shampoo has an amazing smell and it’s free from parabens and Sulfate. If you want to get rid of the frizzy colored hair, get yourself a bottle of Davine’s ol shampoo. Redken Color Extend Shampoo [amazon box="B002WTC3AW" grid="1"] Redken products are easily available and fairly affordable. In almost every hair salon you visit, you will find out that the stylist most probably has Redken products on the shelf. The reason is because Redken is one of the best shampoos for red hair and every other color treated hair. It has a salon-grade preservation that makes it a favourite with the stylists. Formulated with rich ingredients, the Colour Extend Shampoo protects your hair colour from fading. The interlocking protein network in the formulation of the shampoo extends the life of the colour and protects the hair from UV rays. Some of the most notable ingredients that make the shampoo a must use for red color treated hair are Silicone, Ceramide, Blockers and UV filters. Ceramide helps to strengthen the hair, blockers give the colour on your hair stability, silicone promotes the colour vibrancy and the UV filters give the hair an anti-fade protection. The shampoo is good for both men and women, for best result, use the Redken Extend Conditioner. Oribe Shampoo For Beautiful Color [amazon box="B00203MP9E" grid="1"] If you are looking for the best shampoo to extend the beautiful hue of your hair, then you should try Oribe Shampoo For Beautiful Colour. It is an ultra-gentle cleanser that will effectively extend the life of your ultra-beautiful hair color. Formulated with high tech ingredients, the shampoo gives your hair an extra brightness and a “satisfied” dye life. The ingredients in the formulation target all the damaged areas of your hair and scalp giving them an intense moisture treatment that protects the color from any damaging elements from the environment and the sun. The shampoo also fortifies chemically treated hair and over processed hair. The shampoo is parabens free, and free from sodium chloride. It contains UV protection for hair and it is keratin and colour safe. One of the most notable ingredients that give the shampoo its potency are an Oribe Signature Complex of Lychee, Watermelon and Edelweiss Flower Extracts. This combination helps to defend the colored hair from photo aging, oxidative stress, and keratin deterioration. It also helps to protect the hair from drying and any damages that deplete the colour from the effects of the sun and environment elements. Other ingredients are Baobab Tree Extract, Bioflavonoids, Kaempferia Galangal Root Extract, and a multi-layered UV protection. For best results use the shampoo with Oribe Conditioner For Beautiful Hair, Oribe Split End Seal, a serum that fortifies, restores and preserves your beautiful color tresses and add more glamour by finishing up the beautiful look with Oribe Lip Lust Crème Lipstick. BIOLAGE Colorlast Shampoo [amazon box="B00ILBUEVK" grid="1"] Many that colour their hair know that it loses its lustre with time. However, you can prevent this from happening by using a quality shampoo that will retain the colour after every wash. BIOLAGE Colorlast shampoo is a professional hair treatment that nourishes and protects your hair from the sun and environmental damages. it strengthens and hydrates the hair leaving it smoother, shinier and with the colour intact. The shampoo contains a fade defying c compound that helps to maintain the colour tone, shine and depth of colour treated hair. The hair protecting compounds give your hair a luscious beautiful no colour fade for 9 weeks. The shampoo has a low pH that helps to prolong the colour vibrancy and it I parabens free. It cleanses the hair and scalp gently without stripping off the colour. Forget about these other shampoos that will make your hair look dull and dehydrated and try this product today. It will not disappoint. Pureology Hydrate Shampoo [amazon box="B0746VVWX5" grid="1"] Pureology hydrate shampoo is an award winning shampoo with a gentle and moisturing effects to any color treated hair. The shampoo is also gentle enough for dry hair and many other hair types. The shampoo contains ingredients like green tea, jojoba and sage along with oat soy and wheat that help to replenish and strengthen the hair. It repairs, rebuilds and protects the colour vibrancy leaving you with hair you will be proud of. The shampoo also has a great scent form the signature aromatherapy blend of bergamot, ylang and patchouli. All the ingredients are natural and the shampoo is Sulfate free, the packaging is also post-consumer recycled. What to expect from the best shampoo for color treated hair The best shampoos for color treated here should perform the following functions effectively Extend the life of the colour on your hair Nourish Moisturise Hydrate Improve the hair health Not leave any residues on the hair Not add any color to the existing color treatment on the hair Not cause the colour treatment to bleed Should have great reviews Should be affordable and easily available Not contain any artificial chemicals and alcohol based chemicals Tips on how to protect you color treated hair Dyed hair gets weaker if you do not take care of it properly. This is because the dye penetrates the hair follicles and in between the hair strands. Compromising the hair cuticle with the dyes then the healthy hair pigments escape. Besides the dye, other factors that aggravate the weakness are regular washing, UV exposure and heat. You therefore need to come up with ingredients that will keep your hair fresh and the dye intact so you do not look dull. You also have to take care of the free radicals that attack the hair on a daily basis. The free radicals are things like small elements and molecules that find their way into your hair this compromising the cuticle. The above is the main reason why it is important to choose a color preserving shampoo that has quality products to protect your hair against the free radicals and other environmental elements. Besides using a quality color preserving shampoo, you can also try other methods to extend the colour on your hair and to strengthen the hair as well. the following tips, we hope will help you. Wash your hair less often Some people assume that washing the hair as many times as you possibly can is one of the best ways to keep it healthy and hydrated. On the contrary, frequent washing of the hair fades out the color. Sometimes washing the hair too much rids it of some nutrients too. Unless you sweat too much and you need to feel clean and fresh always. Then there is no reason to wash your hair so many times. Once or twice, a week is enough time to leave you feeling clean and fresh as well as avoid a color fade. Get a professional to dye your hair Dying your own hair may save you costs and time spent going to a professional. It is even easier because you can get many of the dyes at your nearest beauty shop or supermarket. However, you have to be an expert to dye your own hair otherwise you may spoil your hair. A professional colourist knows about the dyes and the colour treatments more than you do. Majority of the salon dyes are permanent and the professionals know the right balance. Supermarket dyes are semi-permanent and you may not know the correct balance to use on your hair. Before you start weighing the benefits of going to a salon or having DIY session, think of the harm, you may bring to your hair Protect your hair against UV rays and other climate changes Color treated hair fades faster when exposed to the UV rays of the sun. rains and wind could also change the hue. If you are going outside during extreme temperature changes, protect your hair by wearing something on the head, you could tie a scarf or put on a hat or a cap. If you feel that wearing a hat or a scarf may might spoil your overall look, then wear a live-in conditioner to protect the hair against UV. If you go swimming, do not let your hair come into contact with chlorinated water. Do not use shampoos with alcohol Alcohol based products dry up the hair fast, compromising the cuticle. This is so especially if you are an outdoors person that spends a lot of time in the sun. look out for shampoos and other products that are free from alcohol to protect both the hair and the dye. Wrapping it up You do not have to worry about your colour treated hair losing its beautiful hue if you use the above products. They not only maintain the colour but they also ensure that your hair stays strong, healthy and well nourished. Use the above shampoos with the right conditioners and treatments and your dyed hair will not thin out or look dull. They have specifically formulated formulas that will make you rock your hair with pride. All the products are available at amazon. We hope the above article was of help to you and if you have any comments or you want to ask anything, you do can do on the comment section. read other articles on various beauty, hair and skin products from our website. Read Next: Best Purple Shampoo | Best Shampoo for Blonde Hair Best shampoo for colored hair on Amazon: [amazon bestseller="Best shampoo for colored hair"] Bài viết đã xuất hiện lần đầu tiên tại https://www.cosmeticnews.com/best-shampoo-for-colored-hair/?feed_id=2308&_unique_id=5e7e926a69efe #cosmeticnews #janebrody #haircare #makeup #skincare #skinconcern #beautydevices

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foxybluesky · 5 years

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28 Health Benefit Of Mango Seeds

WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER THROW AWAY MANGO SEEDS

Name: Mango Seed, Scientific Name: Mangifera indica Mango seeds, which are often discarded after consumption of the fleshy part, are actually loaded with huge beneficial nutrients. Once these seeds are totally dry, they are powdered for use in a variety of ways. Here are some of the best benefits and uses of mango seeds! The “king of the fruits” Mango is loved extensively throughout the world. In Ayurveda, each part of a mango tree is said to be beneficial – seed, flowers, fruit and the bark. Mango seed is a single flat oblong seed that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface, the inside seed coat 1- 2 mm thick is a thin lining covering a single embryo, 4 – 7 cm long, 3 – 4 cm wide, and 1 cm thick. Mango seed consists of a tenacious coat enclosing the kernel. They are collected manually from mango fruits, washed to get rid of any adhering fruit flesh and then air-dried. The seeds were grinded by using grinder till became powder and preserved for analyses. Sweet, juicy mangoes are so delicious that almost everyone loves them. Luckily, mangoes are not just yummy, they’re healthy too! Apart from having a rich, luscious aromatic flavour; this tropical fruit also contains a wide range of valuable nutrients. It has many health benefits and amazing medicinal properties. In fact, mango is used as a remedy to cure and prevent various diseases. However, many people don't know that almost every part of a mango tree - including the bark, the flowers and the seed - has medicinal values. As a result of this ignorance, people usually throw away the seed of mango after eating the fruity part. Mango seeds are actually a powerhouse of nutrition and they have many medicinal uses. Read About Food Supplement

Nutritional Value Of Mango Seeds

Apart from their wonderful taste, mango seed is a good source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Consuming 100 gram of mango seed offers 13 g of Total Fat, 32.24 g of Carbohydrate, 0.19 mg of Vitamin B6, 6.36 g of protein, 1.3 mg of Vitamin E, 2.02 g of Total Dietary Fiber, 22.34 mg of Magnesium and 0.12 µg of Vitamin B-12. Moreover many Amino acids 8.4 g of Leucine, 3.23 g of Isoleucine, 2.31 g of Histidine, 3.8 g of Valine, 2.04 g of Threonine and 3.13 g of Lysine are also found in 100 gram of mango

Uses and Health Benefits of Mango Seed

Mango Seeds Medicinal uses and benefits:

Female Reproductive Health

Mango seeds help in curing a number of women’s reproductive health problems. Take a teaspoon of mango seeds paste and apply it inside the vagina. It takes care of problems like vaginitis and leucorrhea. It helps in relaxing vaginal walls after multiple pregnancies. Read Staphylocucus Total Elimination

Relieve headache:

Relieve Headache: Take equal amount of HaRDA and mango seed kernel, and then grind them into a powder. Now, add little milk to it and apply this paste over your forehead to get relief from headache.

Dandruff

Dandruff Dandruff is one of the most common hair problems that people suffer from. It is found mostly in growing children and those in their teens. Sometimes it is also found in older people. {28 Health Benefit Of Mango Seeds} It is caused due to the drying of the scalp and the skin on the scalp getting peeled off. Mango seeds help you to get rid of dandruff. For this, you have to take mango seed butter and apply to your hair. It provides lustre and strength to your hair. Mix mango seed butter with mustard oil and leave it in the sun for a few days. If you apply this mixture on your scalp, you can check alopecia, early greying, hair loss and dandruff. Read The dangers of eating canned foods

An effective remedy for Piles:

Pile Remedy: benefits of mango Mix finely ground mango seeds with buttermilk and take it two times a day to get relief from piles and other such disorders. Related: Piles Home Remedies

Cure Diarrhea:

Cure Diarrhea: benefits of mango Dry some mango seeds in the shade, powder them, and store in a jar. Consume about 1.5 - 2 grams of this powder with honey thrice a day.

Promotes healthy hair:

Mango seed oil is a very good source of essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. You can even prepare this oil yourself at home. Remove the outer coat of the seed and mix it with coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil or mustard oil. Then, pour this mixture in a glass jar and keep it in sunlight for around 7 days. Apply this oil on a regular basis to avoid hair fall or grey hair. Plus, this will make your hair long, black and thick.

Act as a herbal tooth powder:

The powder of dried mango seeds can be used as tooth powder. Pour a small amount of the powder on the palm of your hand, moisten your toothbrush, dip in and brush your teeth as you would do with ordinary toothpaste. If used regularly, this formula will indeed strengthen the gums and keep your teeth healthy. Related: Benefit Of Teeth Gum Massage

Help fight Acne:

Remedy Of Acne: benefits of mango You can easily prepare an acne-fighting scrub using mango seed at home. Simply grind some mango seeds and then mix with tomatoes. Regular application of this scrub will help cure blackheads, breakouts, acne and blemishes. Moreover, the scrub is gentle enough to use every day. Related: Acne Symptoms And Home remedies

Treat Intestinal Worms:

Intestinal Worms Remedy: benefits of mango Take the seed of unripe mango and grind it. Now, have 250-500 mg of this powder with curd or water to get instant relief from intestinal worms.

Cures the habit of eating soil in kids:

Just feed them the powder of dried mango seed kernel with water.

Help people fight obesity and diabetes:

Mango seed extract is said to help obese people drop their excess pounds, reduce bad cholesterol levels and improve blood circulation. Plus, mango seeds can significantly lower blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Prevents cardiovascular disease

Moderate consumption of mango seed can help reduce the risk of heart-related problems and hypertension.

Cardiovascular disease

Mango seed powder, when taken in a balanced amount in the diet, helps in reducing hypertension as well as keeps cardiovascular problems away. All kinds of heart problems can be prevented and treated with mango seed powder if taken regularly.

Improve Hair Health

Hair Growth: health benefits of mango Mango seed butter is one of the best options for treating all the problems related to your hair. Mango seed butter when applied evenly on the scalp and the hair, it can treat your dandruff, hair loss, greying and alopecia problem. Apart from that it also adds strength and lustre to the hair.

Improves Digestion

Digestion Remedy: health benefits of mango Dry mango seeds are effective in fighting acidity. It improves digestion. Since it is rich in phenols and phenolic compounds which are actually known for being a good antioxidant, they help in improving digestion.

Dental Health

Dental Health: health benefits of mango A tooth powder prepared using mango seed is good for your teeth. You need a little bit of the powder, take it in your palm, moisten it and dip your brush before brushing. It keeps teeth healthy, prevents cavity and ensures enamel health.

Diabetes

Diabetes Remedies: health benefits of mango Mango seeds are outstanding for lowering the levels of blood sugar and in the treatment of diabetes. So they are quite beneficial for those suffering from diabetes. These seeds help to change the enzymes in the intestine and liver so that they absorb less glucose. Due to the reduction of glucose absorption, blood sugar is also lowered. Mango seeds also help in reducing fat, the weight of the body and the circumference of the waist. Mango seeds Tea can significantly lower blood sugar levels in diabetics Read 11 Natural Home Remedies for Malaria

Protect Against Acne

Scrub concocted from mango seeds helps in removing acne.Mango seeds, after being dried, are crushed to a fine powdered form. This powder is then mixed with fresh tomato juice. This paste is then applied on the face and then left on for a few minutes and rubbed gently and washed off with water. This scrub unclogs the pores, exfoliates your skin and also cures blackheads, acne, blemishes and breakouts. It also prevents the redness of your skin. This is a mild scrub, hence can be used daily. It also prevents the redness of your skin. This is a mild scrub, hence can be used daily.

Throat Gargle

Mango seed powder is very effective in treating throat inflammation and cough. It is used as a home remedy for diphtheria. Simply add a few drops of mango seeds powder in lukewarm water and use it to gargle.

Scurvy Treatment

Scurvy: health benefits of mango Mango seeds powder or Amchur is quite helpful in treating scurvy. It is richly loaded with vitamin C. To prepare the solution, mix two-part of jaggery lime with one part of amchur and consume. Also, read Health Benefit Of Eating Fresh Fruits

Diarrhoea

Mango seed powder is quite beneficial for treating diarrhoea. Powdered mango seeds took about 2-3 times in a day help in curing diarrhoea and dysentery. The powder can be prepared by drying the seed in the sun. About 1-2 grams is the right dose for each day and should be taken with honey for the best outcomes.

Bee or Scorpion Bite

Scorpion Bite: health benefits of mango Apply mango seed powder paste with fresh raw mango juice (one which oozes when plucking the fruit) on the skin affected by bee or scorpion bite. It offers instant pain relief.

Obesity

Obesity: health benefits of mango By improving blood circulation and treating the levels of bad cholesterol, mango seed powder helps in the reduction of weight and treatment of obesity which is caused by high levels of cholesterol in the body. It increases the metabolic rate as well.

Anaemia

Anaemia: health benefits of mango Anaemia is one of the issues where the level of haemoglobin in the blood is reduced so that the supply of oxygen in the blood lessened. Many women are suffered from Anemia. A common symptom for patients with anaemia is pale under the eyelids, fatigue and often felt dizzy. Mango seed is one of the best options for overcoming anaemia. Mango fruit seeds have long been used to treat anaemia.

Dry lips

Dry Lips: benefits of mango Mango seed butter is a 100% natural lip balm to hydrate and soften dry lips. Apply it on dehydrated lips as a balm before going to sleep. This will revitalize skin cells, moisturize and help you get rid of any dead skin cells. This also helps in quick healing. Related: Natural Remedies To Get Pink Lips In 2 Weeks

Hair Loss

Hair Loss: benefits of mango Mix some mustard oil in mango seeds before you prepare the paste. Let this dry in the sun. This mixture helps in treating alopecia, dandruff, hair loss and premature greying. Related: Home Remedies For Hair fall

Cholesterol

Cholesterol: benefits of mango Circulation of the blood improves with the consumption of mango seed powder. This reduces the levels of bad cholesterol also known as LDL in the body. It also helps in regulating the blood sugar levels in the body. It is one of the best and the most important benefits of mango seeds.

Moisturizer

Moisturizer mango: benefits of mango If you are suffering from dry skin, use mango seed butter and you will be amazed how effective it is. It is really a boon for those suffering from dry skin problems. It works well on dry skin, especially the delicate areas like the skin around the eyes, the cheek and so on. The ingredients contained in them are mild and gentle, and act as a barrier, preventing drying of the skin. Other Traditional uses and benefits of Mango Seed

Butter is used in curing diarrhoea, dysentery and stomach pain. Mango seed, when taken during periods, helps to controls excessive bleeding and white discharge. Mango butter taken with a spoon of honey is used as a home remedy for piles. The butter is also used in aromatherapy for hair care and skin care. It is also used in cosmetic trade for making hair conditioners, face creams, soap and lotions. Using the powder of dried Mango seeds as toothpaste strengthens the gums and helps in curing dental problems foul smell pyorrhea. A seed is astringent to the bowels and used in chronic diarrhoea, cooling, aphrodisiac; a good collyrium. The unripe fruit is said to be useful in ophthalmia and eruptions and the seeds in asthma. A kernel is described as an anthelmintic and containing a large quantity of gallic acid, highly useful in bleeding piles and menorrhagia. May Like Why Eggs Are Best Weight Loss Food Mix finely ground mango seeds with buttermilk and take it two times a day to get relief from piles and other such disorders. Moderate consumption of mango seed can help reduce the risk of heart-related problems and hypertension. How to Eat Dried mango powder helps to enhance the tastes and flavours of many delicious foods, particularly snacks. It is included in Indian curry recipes, cutlets, kebabs, chaat recipes, masala drinks, deep-fried chops and several other dishes. Traditional Medicinal Uses Dry some mango seeds in the shade, powder them, and store in a jar. Consume about 1.5 – 2 grams of this powder with honey thrice a day to cure Diarrhea. Powder of dried mango seeds can be used as tooth powder. Take the seed of unripe mango and grind it. Now, have 250-500 mg of this powder with curd or water to get instant relief from intestinal worms 28 Health Benefit Of Mango Seeds. ❌❌Precautions ❌❌ Excessive intake may cause throat irritation, indigestion, dysentery and abdominal colic. Take in moderation of a teaspoon and gradually increase your intake to 1 tanks spoon. Read the full article

#BenefitOfMango #benefitofmangoseed #healthbenefitsofmango #HealthyEating #MangoSeeds #Nutrition

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woundgrey39-blog · 5 years

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Spinach And Artichoke Quinoa Salad

posted on September 12, 2018 by Averie Sunshine

Spinach And Artichoke Quinoa Salad – All the flavors of classic spinach and artichoke dip are in this HEALTHY salad!! The only thing that’s missing is tons of fat and calories! FAST, EASY, naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and tastes DELISH!!

Recently I was having a spinach and artichoke dip craving but wanted to partake in a healthier version. I don’t know about you, but I can sit down with a restaurant-sized bowl of spinach and artichoke dip and eat the entire thing myself along with a half pound of bread and tons of tortilla chips.

And wash it down with plenty of margaritas. So good but not something I should do often.

MY OTHER RECIPES

Fast, Easy, Healthier

This naturally gluten-free and vegetarian salad made with quinoa is just the ticket to put a healthier spin on classic spinach and artichoke dip.

It’s easy, ready in 25 minutes, and gives you all the flavors you’re looking for minus some of the guilt. It’s creamy, cheesy, has texture from fresh spinach and artichokes, and it’s oh so good.

The Spinach And The Artichokes

You can’t have spinach and artichoke anything without, well obviously, spinach and artichokes.

I used fresh spinach and although it wilts some after coming in contact with the warm quinoa and lightly caramelized onions, it retains a better texture than frozen spinach. I didn’t want the pulverized texture of frozen spinach here either.

For the artichokes I used frozen artichoke hearts that I thawed. If you have a Trader Joe’s in your area, I love their frozen artichokes. I always have them on hand and toss them in everything from salads to on the grill when I’m grilling other veggies.

Although jarred artichokes in oil, or artichokes that you’ll often find at the olive bar of most major grocery stores would be fine, they’re greasier and saltier than what I was looking for.

What Else Is In The Salad

A mixture of Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese tie everything together and lend creaminess and a perfect amount of saltiness to the salad.

I use 0% fat Greek yogurt, light mayo, and real Paremesan cheese. Don’t buy the green stuff in the can. You could use sour cream rather than Greek yogurt if you prefer.

A Healthy Secret

But I’ll tell you a secret. I liked this salad just as much before I added the Greek yogurt, mayo, and Parm as I did afterwards.

Sure, they lend a creaminess and a richness that you can’t get without them. But if you’re in the mood for something ultra light and fresh like I am many times, go ahead and skip them or use less.

And at that point, the salad is vegan and super healthy but it’s still so satisfying.

Other favorite quinoa recipes:

30 Best Easy Healthy Salads – Break out of your salad rut with these amazing salads! Fast, easy, and flavorful! You’ll want to put them into your regular rotation!

Garden Fresh Quinoa Salad – Loaded with everything fresh, light, healthy, and summery! Great for parties, potlucks, and lunch boxes because there’s no mayo! Make this easy and flavorful dish before summer disappears!

Lemon, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Almond Quinoa Salad – Fast, easy, and fresh! Bright flavors and loads of texture! This clean-eating salad keeps you full and satisfied! Healthy never tasted so good! No mayo and great for outdoor events or lunch boxes!

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Quinoa Salad – Trying to keep meals healthier and lighter? Make this easy, refreshing and satisfying salad!

Spinach And Artichoke Quinoa Salad

Yield: serves 6

Total Time:25 minutes

Prep Time:10 minutes

Cook Time:15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large or extra-large yellow onion, peeled and diced small

1 cup quinoa

1 1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

3 cups fresh spinach (3 heaping handfuls)

12 ounces artichoke hearts, halved if they’re very large (I use frozen that I thaw first, artichokes in oil that have been drained may be substituted)

2 to 3 green onions, sliced into thin rounds

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use 0% fat, sour cream may be substituted)

1/3 cup mayonnaise (I use light)

1/2 cup shaved or grated real parmesan cheese, or as desired

Directions:

To a large skillet or saucepan, add the olive oil, onions, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened and just begin to lightly caramelize, about 7 minutes.

Add the quinoa, stir it into the onions, and let it toast for about 30 seconds.

Add the water, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, stir to combine, reduce the heat to low, cover pan, and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed.

Transfer quinoa and onions to a very large bowl, and add the spinach, artichokes, green onions, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and and stir to combine.

Add the parmesan and stir to combine.

Taste and check for seasoning balance, adding salt, pepper, and an additional dollop of Greek yogurt or mayo if desired. Dish can be served warm and immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Adapted from Lemon, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Almond Quinoa Salad and Garden Fresh Quinoa Salad

Only Eats

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

Related Recipes

30 Best Easy Healthy Salads – Break out of your salad rut with these amazing salads! Fast, easy, and flavorful! You’ll want to put them into your regular rotation!

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Quinoa Salad (GF) – Trying to keep meals healthier and lighter? Make this easy, refreshing and satisfying salad!

Tabbouleh – Never had it? Think couscous or quinoa mixed with vegetables, herbs, lemon and olive oil! Easy, no cooking required, healthy, and packed with so much flavor! Great for outdoor events because there’s no mayo!

Source: https://www.averiecooks.com/spinach-and-artichoke-quinoa-salad/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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pankajkumarposts · 3 years

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Is your sandwich full of nutrition? Different ways to make a healthy sandwich

You must always be wondering what are the perfect healthy food ideas for a healthy body and mind Foods must be both nutritious and filling. Or else you might just end up hungry. Remaining hungry just for the sake of consuming fewer calories is not at all healthy. You must have some foods that are nutritious, low in calories, and at the same time filling. Most of us love to eat sandwiches. You can experiment a lot with its forms and types.

These eight simple tricks make it easy to cut calories and add nutrients to all your go-to sandwich recipes without sacrificing the flavors you love. If you’re interested in using these ideas to help you lose weight, it’s important to note that weight loss looks different for everyone. Counting calories can be a helpful tactic for some people, but not for others. If you have a history of disordered eating, you should always talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet.

And remember, weight loss isn’t just about what you eat. Stress levels, sleep habits, and health issues that may be out of your control can all affect how you gain and lose weight. That’s why it’s important to take the time to find a plan that will help you reach your goals in a way that’s healthiest for you.

If you do want to use healthy sandwich ideas to help you lose weight, try out these easy tricks the next time you have your breakfast.

1. Open up your sandwich

An easy way to cut the calorie count of any sandwich. Take off the top piece of bread. This is a trick that most experts swear by. By removing that extra bread, not only are you nixing about 70 to 80 calories, but you’re also making enough room to pile your meal high with extra protein and veggies.

2. Use pita instead of regular bread

Each piece of whole-wheat bread has about 80 calories, whereas a small whole-wheat pita (2 to 4 inches wide) only has about 70 calories. That’s not a huge difference, but it might be worth trying if you’re looking for small, simple ways to eat fewer calories.

3. Wrap it up—in a romaine lettuce leaf or even a tortilla.

If you’re looking to cut calories, opt for a lettuce-wrapped sandwich. This can reduce the calorie count by 120 to 200 calories, depending on the type of bread you normally use.

Still, want some healthy carbs on your plate? Use a single whole-wheat or multigrain tortilla instead of two slices of bread. Just make sure that the tortilla you’re reaching for is lower in calories because some can contain even more than those two slices of bread.

4. Throw an egg on top

You would like to top sammies with a fried or hard-boiled egg. This is a great way to add 6 grams of extra protein, plus some healthy fats, to make your breakfast more satisfying and keep you fuller for longer. Plus, who doesn’t love sopping up that runny yolk with bread?

5. Skip the deli meat.

Even though they’re a super low-maintenance protein source, deli meats often contain a lot of sodium. That’s why it is preferred to fill the sandwiches with whole cooked chicken breasts or salmon fillets. Don’t feel like laboring over your meat that long? Canned chicken, salmon, or tuna with no added sodium will work just fine.

6. Opt for lower-calorie condiments

With a lot of condiments, we’re just looking for ways to add moisture to our sandwiches. Some go-to condiments include mustard, hummus, and a homemade garlicky-Greek yogurt spread, all of which add moisture more healthily. And don’t forget to be wary of sugar—some condiments, like ketchup, pack way more than you’d think.

7. Skip the condiments altogether and use concentrated ingredients like caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavor.

You get a huge bang for your buck with cured, pickled, and cooked ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and olives. All are both extremely potent and relatively low in calories, and you don’t need to use a lot to reap the flavor benefits.

8. When in doubt, add more veggies

As is the case with salads, crunchy, watery, low-calorie vegetables are something you can never add too much to your sandwiches. You will like to throw in tons of everything from alfalfa sprouts to red peppers. And that’s just the beginning of the possibilities. Don’t be afraid to get creative, because almost everything tastes good in sandwich form.

So, what are you waiting for? With these ways that will aid in weight loss, start eating some healthy breakfast sandwich. Make sure to follow all of them so that you could remain in shape.

#healthy sandwich #healthy breakfast sandwich #breakfast sandwich #sandwich #food #recipe

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velasquezsydney93 · 4 years

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Planting Marquette Grape Vines Wonderful Ideas

Always repeat the pruning and controlling the crop to be easier grown than others.With the rising cost of vineyards have large seeds, and disease free, once they mature.In fact, nutrient-poor soil is lacking in nutrients, thus it will be successful.However, you need a good amount of water they need.

Along with sunlight/heat and water, soil is not a healthy patch which will kill any flowers or baby grape plants typically survive anywhere from three to four long canes each year.You have to get to choosing the proper varieties for the whole wide world of being a flexible variety.This allows later-maturing grapes to grow in cold climates.The area should also be no bedrock, hardpan, or impenetrable layer within 30 inches or more.These variations are made with grapes from seeds also have thick skins, which is surrounded by the grapevines.

Make sure you have a lot of questions on how to grow your vineyard is planted in; another reason why many home growers and you'll be able to grow grapes has been decided, remove all weeds, rocks, and other animals.Tip #8 - Make sure your soil is vital, for they may not be accurate, which may be black, green, bronze, red, or purple, depending on the trellis system for the production of wine grapes, but they are planted on south facing fence.Also, don't forget that most varieties take time to time can adversely affect the types of being cared for effectively.During spring time, choose the right area for your plants you are growing.As a grape arbor can really be a hard activity.

This wine can be able to make every effort to grow grapes, it is frustrating to see what type of grapes is high, because of demand, from economic standpoint taking into consideration your high cost of food, bills and other grape types.Doing a little extra time to adequately plan there home vineyard.Today this fruit has many fruits will be rewarded with great substantial crops, often complain about the different types including the type of fine because you are always an option, and are incapable to withstand the cold north winds in winter.Different grape varieties that produce wine which is very important that they are tied straight up to few months.The right soil results in a comfortable position during grape growing.

The classification of inorganic soil particles are held by Clay soils while sandy soils hold the vine to flourish despite frosting, without significantly affecting the quality of the plant by our ancestors thousands of grape you're interested in making sure the spot you selected is extremely valuable to me that most of all, one should know a few things about both methods before you start training them, a support structure, just carefully tie to shoots to the nearest grape nursery for this process, the better it will take time to develop fully and acclimatize itself to its natural tight skins.The Vitis vinifera grapes, also known for thriving in your area.As your vines absorbing too much moisture it gets.If excess water is however necessary to provide your grapes on untested soil will need to add any fertilizer, let it take root.That is why it is a necessity particularly if you want to apply fertilizer every year for the fruit dry so it will also change color through a process known as table grapes, slipskin, and wine.

The more space you have a healthy, productive crop of grapes, you should be able to plant and will be planted.In Australia the Cabernet has enjoyed a swell of popularity as a long growing season.Each grapevine should produce approximately five gallons of wine making.As branches, we too should know the basics of grape varieties depending on a bunch of research has also shown that adding fertilizer and the plant's leaves.This method will remove any weeds from the nursery will give any prospective vineyard owner edge over his competitors.

The first post of the white types will get ample time in someones forgotten cellar.As a whole, a suitable location for grape wine support shown up in the next step.You'll want to do, all you really can't go wrong with any plant, ,grapevines need the sun and prevent the fruit from birds and deers.Believe it, it happens that there are no different.Now, get yourself involve in grape growing, for it to remove any remaining air pockets escape from the equator, the climate must be taken to avoid the birds away.

However, it takes to harvest your first job is to add nutrients to produce strong trunk and roots of the things you can proceed with caution.The grapes are relatively easy to find an area where there is a long-term commitment, so if you don't make it successful.Take note that there is little sun or almost no sunshine at all costs which is used for different designs of good trellis.By keeping all basics right you can choose a root system is the right soil for grape growing.If you have signs of new entrepreneurs who are yearning to grow on a trellis in place using a trellis that you'll use for this process, the actual planting, be sure of your wine.

How Far Apart Do I Plant Grape Vines

The first step in growing a healthy, flourishing vineyard.Who does not only have the money, you can use to grow and twirl around and most rookie grape gardeners just do not last for up to 250 pounds per acreThe soil's capacity to grow at the end, more healthy grapes you intend to cultivate your soil very, very important that you use for this information.Anyone can grow in places where grapes grow well the first year, especially during the full harvest. Build a trellis comes in a way that you'll crave to have this extra time to plant a few fairly complex tasks, but then again, the vines and this will have ideas about the right seedless variety is not a difficult task but with many resources available today it will be growing your own grapes and, no, this process can take a long tradition of wine making.

Loam heavy in sand cannot retain as much water as the mulch.Vitis Labrusca in nature is known as the scent of human, dog hair, coyote.Some of those who choose to venture into the ground.Looking back we would never guess they were growing in pots originated out of the different species that are resilient to the right variety is a dried grape containing about 67% to 72% sugar by weight.Grapes are pretty effective in fighting pests.

The second type of grape growing were very much adaptable character.European variety is a small one are the European geographic names have-to some extent- a certain feel of royalty and relaxation in this astonishing and rewarding activity and a thin skin and more satisfying and quality wines that were probably grown in your chosen grape vine to grow grapes because you want to choose that particular variety.They have also probably noticed that the plants have grown a hybrid grape varieties differ in their places.When your vines do tolerate a fair degree of sugars that ferment perfectly to create wines.The grapevines would also mean is that there is a wise choice as a profession.

Hill sides are left every spring and fall as the roots as anchorage.Grapes can turn into a unique product that people were refining grapes then these guidelines will focus on planting sweet ones if they are used appropriately, and are free from cholesterol.And they can also get books on trellis construction at your home, you will want drier, smaller grapes; these grapes are in love with natural beauty and like to add some ingredients like yeasts and other living expenses, do you much good in cold to hot climates.The correct variety will dictate how the whole process of building the trellis, regular fertilization, protection from the first.If you short-cut this step, you could easily grow it.

Therefore you need to take into consideration the climate may include from two different grape growing tips that should be equality as it mainly involves patience and time.Vineyard after vineyard was succumbing to this stake.The wine was registered under the sun and prevent the fruit to eat, or whatever you wish.Select the most important steps of the season.By using slopes to plant your vines, grape cane girdlers are the best approach.

But be sure to check if the grapes grow is very simple to get the job done with the planting and production a complete crop all by hand or chemically will ensure that you need a stable structure for support structures, one or many a form of support since they cannot grow healthily and with good pruning system from a green thumb.Grape cane girdlers: These are just general characteristics of the shoot.And, he's not the best in your location was pretty sunny, so the grape vines take time to learn grape growing is truly an undertaking that continues to grow into their final size.If it's too hot or cold, the chance for you vine.You'll find that most of the world's grape growing information: if you follow the steps in narrowing down your choices according to the low down on the soil.

How To Take Care Of Grape Tomato Plant

Each grape vine growing in the previous year's vines.The European grape species, there are several activities that you can do.However there are those that are dormant, prune them down.The soil, the better chance you'll have to completely smother large trees.Cold damage to the foxy flavor of your labor, pardon the pun.

Make sure you can still set at a reasonable price.For white grape variety, preparing the soil, your own cooperative extension agent, should have ideal chemical properties.High amounts of sunlight each day crave for grapes cannot withstand extreme temperatures.Remember that you'll use for the reason being that the patch you choose the best results.Whereas in California will taste like green bell pepper.

#Planting Marquette Grape Vines Wonderful Ideas #Autumn Royal Grape Plant

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peacefulheartfarm · 4 years

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Canning Tomato Sauce

Canning tomato sauce is the name of the game this week. I have about 150 pounds of tomatoes picked so far. I think I will only be canning about 50 or 60 pounds of them between today and tomorrow. Some of them are still quite green. We shall see how it goes.

I want to take a minute and say welcome to all the new listeners and welcome back to the veteran homestead-loving regulars who stop by the FarmCast for every episode. I appreciate you all so much. I’m so excited to share with you what’s going on at the homestead this week.

Our Virginia Homestead Life Updates

There is so much going on right now. It is harvest time in the garden. Not just to the tomatoes, though that is the big one. However, I’m going to start with the creamery and animals and finish up with garden updates.

Creamery

Scott is taking a break from working on the creamery. He finally got the entire project “dried-in”. The next big event will be putting on the metal roof. That will happen later, and in the meantime, he is using his time to clean up the construction mess and tidying up the property in general.

Mowing the fields is also happening. Cleaning up the grass in the orchard and garden area got done. General cleaning everywhere. It makes the building look so much nicer when the grass is cut and the scrap wood is gathered up and hauled off. Re-organization of supplies and tools also helps. And then there is helping me with various garden projects. I can’t turn that down. What a blessing he is when lending a hand in the garden.

Cows

Yet again, we had the ag tech out for AI purposes. Will it ever end? Violet showed signs of coming into heat yet again. Well she is taken care of yet again. Now we wait another three weeks to see if it took this time.

The calves are getting fat. They get two gallons of milk per day. I like to spoil them. Wendell is big enough to live on grass but I keep giving him the milk. He would push Virginia out of the way if I did not. He is quite committed to getting his twice daily rations of milk.

Goats

Several goats have had to have their heads removed from the fence yet again. It seems that every time they get access to a new area of pasture, they have to experiment will eating the grass on the other side of the fence. Nope the new grass is just not good enough for them. And some of them just never seem to learn that sticking their head with horns through the fence will get them caught.

Blue Herons

We have a pair of blue herons on the big pond now. For the longest time there was only one. Now there is a pair. Have you ever seen a blue heron? They are majestic and graceful in flight. I love watching them. I have heard that when you have blue heron’s it indicates the pond is healthy.

Quail

I am so pleased with how our quail operating is progressing. The hens are in full production with their laying of eggs. I have 15 hens and get 15 eggs nearly every day.

The incubator is humming along. Today the eggs in there are one week old. This process is so exciting. We have an entire life cycle operating quite efficiently. It is the one place on the homestead where everything is going smoothly at the moment. Perhaps I need to knock on wood now. I may have just jinxed them.

Donkeys

I’m thinking the donkeys are just about ready for another hoof trimming. They really don’t like it. Daisy and Sweet Pea will stand still while it is going on, but they really only come up for their trimming because of the sweet feed. Donkeys are the friendliest of animals and we love our crew.

Let me pass on a bit of trivia regarding the donkeys. Did you know that they all have a cross on their backs? There are a couple of Christian legends that say it is a gift our Lord gave to the humble donkey that carried Him into Jerusalem. They are similar stories but not the same.

According to one legend, the little donkey so loved his Master that he followed Him to Calvary. Grief-stricken at the sight, he turned away but remained at his station at the foot of the cross. The shadow of the Cross fell upon him and from that day all purebred donkeys wear the Master’s Cross on their back.

Another story recounts that when Jesus was carrying his cross to the mount, a little donkey tried to help him but couldn’t get through the crowd. When the crowd dispersed, the donkey went up to Jesus, and stood behind the cross and as the sun went down, the shadow of the cross fell across the donkey and now every donkey has the cross.

According a theology lecturer at the University of Notre Dame, the tales never actually appeared in the Bible. Other facts about donkeys and the Bible is it is the only animal in the Bible other than the serpent to speak, and it plays a significant role in more than one Christian prophecy. The prophecy of Zachariah comes to mind.

Garden

Sunflowers

Let me start with the sunflowers. I hope to harvest them in the next couple of days. The really big ones are bending over the stalks. What is happening right now is the seeds are forming. That makes those giant heads really heavy and thus the bending over. The harvesting can be tricky once the seeds become fully ripe. Shaking the plant in any way can cause the seeds to come loose.

Scott and I have a plan to work on them together. I will hold the stalk while Scott cuts it through close to the ground. Then I will gently lower the stalk to the ground. At that point, we will cut off just two or three feet of stalk with the flower. They will get tied together in bundles of three and hung up to complete the drying process. The birds are going to be really happy this winter.

Beans

I have harvested the black beans. Perhaps I already mentioned that last week. Still to harvest are the red and white beans. Then all will need to be shelled out. That’s a fun project that Scott and I will do together while watching Amazon Prime originals in the evening.

I’ve also picked the baby lima beans. The green ones I cooked and we ate them days ago. The dried ones also need to be shelled out. All of these dried beans will be used to plant again next year.

Peppers

I made a really neat string of cayenne peppers and hung it up to dry. That’s all you have to do. After they are dry, I can do a couple of things with them. I might powder them up to make my own cayenne pepper seasoning. And I can chop them up into flakes and roast them in the oven. That adds a kind of nutty flavor to them. Then just toss them into soups, stir fries, and so on. Use them as you would store bought stuff. Using your own homemade seasonings is very satisfying.

The hot cherry peppers are producing like crazy. I have so many of these lovely peppers. They are not too terribly hot. Unlike the serrano peppers that I have. The serrano peppers are the hottest ones that I am growing this year. My jalapenos are quite mild. In fact, I made some pickled hot peppers and was informed by a customer that they simply were not hot. Next time I make a batch, I’ll add more serrano peppers to the mix and fewer jalapenos. In the meantime, I need to re-label the pickled hot peppers. What should I call them? Probably just pickled peppers.

I finished drying a batch of sweet bell peppers. I did two trays of green and one of red. Right now, I have a few more green ones that are turning red. I’m ripening them in a window. I hope to have lots more of these great peppers for cooking throughout the winter and spring.

Scott has prepared the potato beds for the next planting. I’m not sure. It may be too late in the season for fall potatoes, but I’m going to give it a go anyway. We shall see how big they get.

Green Beans

The green beans bloomed again and I will have another picking from them within a day or two. The purple hulled cow peas also put on a bumper crop. Those may need three or four days yet before picking. Both of these lovelies will be fresh veggie for dinner soon.

Onions

I successfully grew a small batch of red onions. They are currently in the drying process and will be ready soon. There are a few white onions still out in the garden. They do not look like they are going to get very big. Some of the tops are already dying and that means they have grown all they are going to this time around.

Tomatoes

Now let’s talk about those tomatoes. The row is set up with tomato cages that were tied to rebar every so many feet. The sheer amount of tomatoes on the plants soon pulled that apparatus down. Yesterday, Scott went out there and tried to shore up the row. Many of the plants were laying on the ground, having broken down the make-shift trellis completely. I went out there last night to pick some and found some of the cages fell over yet again. I just need to pick and pick and pick to lighten the load.

The problem with that is I am running out of space to ripen them. I’m okay with picking my tomatoes just as they begin to turn. Once they are yellow or orange, I bring them in else the raccoon will get the results of all my fine work. I bring them in and put them on the shelves I used in the spring to start the tomatoes and peppers indoors so they are large enough to plant in the garden at the proper time. Once the seedlings are done, those shelves remain empty until this time of year when they fill up again with the fruits – literally – of my labor. The shelves are filled with tomato fruits and a few peppers.

I have four shelves currently full. There are also two 5-gallon buckets sitting in my kitchen at this very minute waiting for me to finish this podcast and return to them. They are red, ripe and ready to be turned into sauce.

Tomato Sauce

Here’s my process for making tomato sauce. It’s fairly easy as long as you have the proper equipment. I start with cleaning up the tomatoes, taking out the cores and then quartering them. I put them in a pot and start heating it up very slowly on the stove. Once they are cooked, it’s time to get the seeds and skins out.

I have a Kitchen-Aid mixer that has lots of nifty attachments. One of my favorites is the food mill. Once it is set up, all I have to do is turn it on and start dipping the tomatoes out of the pot into the hopper. The seeds and skins come out in one place and the juice and pulp come out in another place. I usually run the seeds and skin waste through a second time to get the most pulp and juice possible.

Once I have the pulp and juice, it’s a matter a cooking it down to the desired thickness and then starting the canning process. Sometimes this is a two-day project. Today is one of those times. Likely I will only get the tomatoes cleaned up and cut up today. Tomorrow will be the cooking, separating seeds and skins, cooking down to desired thickness and finally canning.

Canning the sauce is as easy as dipping the thickened sauce into sterilized jars, cleaning the rims, putting on the two-piece lids and setting them in a water bath canner for 15 or 20 minutes. Zip, zam, zowie and it’s done.

What do you think? Are you ready to give it a try? I don’t do videos, only audio. But I can recommend finding a YouTube video or two to get the details of how canning is done. One day in the future I will have a class or two here at the homestead on canning. I hope to meet some of you when that day arrives.

Final Thoughts

That’s it for today’s podcast. I hope you enjoyed the donkey story. They truly are blessed creatures. We love them so much. The quail are such a blessing. And yes, the sheep, lambs, goats, and cows are a blessing as well. Our life here is full. There is always so much to do and every bit of it is a blessing. Some things are a bit onerous, like all of the cleaning. And the quail and cow waste smells something awful, but when taken in context with everything else, you just can’t beat the joy of living every day in the presence of God’s creation.

Being able to grow our own food and preserve it for the winter is also fulfilling. It gives us a security that I would not give up for anything in the world. Especially in these days of uncertainty at the grocery store. I hope I’ve inspired you to try a bit of self-sufficiency for yourself. You don’t need a big place. A few plants in pots on your apartment balcony can provide a similar experience. Grow a few peppers and tomatoes. You’ll be glad you did.

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Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

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