#mint and basil monday

[bobacupcake]

oh before i forget happy mint and basil monday. here is how mint gets on the fat cat and here is how basil gets on the fat cat

[elibeeline]

I have aquired a bonsai starter and a slab of soil

[esoteric-chaos]

Spring Equinox Masterpost- Spoonie Witch Friendly

Art Credit: Anastasia Catris

The Spring Equinox, also called the Vernal Equinox or Ostara, is usually celebrated between the 21st of March in the Northern Hemisphere (In the Southern Hemisphere around September 20th or 21st)

In 2024, Ostara and the Spring Equinox land in the Northern Hemisphere on Monday, March 19th.

The Spring Equinox celebrates the arrival of spring. Celebrating balance, growth, and new beginnings as Winter has finally ended.

Spring Equinox Correspondances

Colours

Light Green

Lavender

Sunny Yellow

Light Blue

Pastel Pink

White

Herbal

Lemongrass

Daffodils

Tulips

Violets

Apple Tree

Cherry Blossom

Primrose

Birch tree

Hyacinths

Dandelion

Garlic

Ash tree

Jasmine

Edibles

Honey

Salad greens

Spring veggies

Fresh berries

Mead

Herbs

Eggs

Seeds

Bread

Edible flowers

Quiches

Custards

Maple

Animals

Hares

Baby Chicks

Snakes

Robins

Bees

Butterflies

Phoenix

Ram

Crystals

Fluorite

Moonstone

Silver

Aquamarine

Clear Quartz

Amazonite

Symbols

Bonfires

Flowers

Rabbits

Eggs

Seeds

Baskets

Flowering or Tree Buds

Lambs

Birds

Spiritual meanings

Purification

Cleansing (removal of stagnant energy)

Growth

Transition

Motivation

Balance

Birth

Good fortune

Kindness

Joy

Fertility

Scents

Coconut

Citrus

Floral scents (rose, lilac, jasmine, etc)

Herbal scents (rosemary, basil, mint, etc)

Gods / Goddesses / Spirits

Eostre –  (Anglo-Saxon)

Aphrodite - (Greek)

Gaia - (Celtic)

Gaea - (Greek)

Venus - (Roman)

Athena - (Greek)

Aurora - (Roman)

Eos - (Greek)

Isis – (Egyptian)

Freya - (Norse) 

Persephone - (greek)

Cybele - (Roman)

The Green Man - (Celtic)

Odin – (Norse) 

Osiris – (Egyptian)

Pan – (Greek)

Thoth – (Egyptian)

Adonis – (Greek)

Apollon –  (Greek)

Apollo - (Roman)

Need some suggestions to celebrate? I've got you covered.

High energy celebrations and ritual

Deep cleaning of the hearth and home

Nature hikes

Visiting farmers markets

Making preserves

Create a fae garden

Create a seasonal altar

Abundance/Prosperity ritual

New beginnings ritual

Low energy celebrations 

Wear pastels

Create flower crowns

Light a candle with scent correspondence

No spoon celebrations 

Opening a window

Journaling Prompts

Keeping hydrated

Drink floral tea

Rest

How you celebrate the holiday does not matter. You can choose to do any activity that feels right. These are only suggestions and remember that you're enough no matter what.

Also please note some stuff is UPG. A great book is Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden for honouring the celebrations and if you wanted to work more seasonally. It's not Wiccan-based and has plenty of resources for every witch.

Feel free to post how you celebrate in the comments or reblogs!

Want to see more of my posts? Check out my Wheel of the Year Masterpost or my Main Masterpost.

[astra-ravana]

Essential Correspondences

🎨Creativity

Day: Wednesday, Sunday

Moon phase: Full Moon

Colors: Orange, yellow, red, purple

Herbs: Calamus, wood betony, lemon balm, rosemary, mugwort, cannabis (hemp), damiana, coltsfoot, peppermint, sage, passion flower, ashwagandha, basil, turmeric, mayflower, catnip, St. John's wort, licorice root, valerian, parsley, oregano, coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, mint, eucalyptus

Incense: Sage, citronella, frankincense, peppermint

Essential oils: Orange, rosemary, peppermint

Crystals: Citrine, herkimer diamond, fire quartz, labradorite, orange adventurine, super seven, opal, pyrite, tangerine quartz, amethyst, lapis lazuli, peach moonstone, bumblebee jasper, rutile quartz, orange calcite, malachite, mookaite, auralite, topaz, pietersite, tiger's eye, blue lace agate, purple calcite

Metals: Gold, copper

Runes: Uruz, Kenaz

Tarot cards: The Magician, Temperance, The Empress, Ace of Wands, Queen of Wands, Page of Wands, 4 of Wands, Page of Cups, 6 of Cups, 7 of Cups, 8 of Pentacles

🔮Divination

Day: Monday

Moon Phase: Full Moon

Colors: Purple, lavender, yellow, silver, gold

Herbs: Blue lotus, camphor, eyebright, rowan, dandelion, bindweed, lavender, rose, coffee, red clover, nightshade, trillium, yarrow, holy basil, mugwort, damiana, bergamot, honeysuckle, pansy, bay leaf, calendula, vervain, frankincense, myrrh, star anise, benzoin, willow, orris root, rue, broom, dittany of Crete, flaxseed, buckeye, ivy, jasmine, goldenrod, penny royal wormwood, meadowsweet, acacia, agrimony, mullien, five-finger grass,

Incense: Myrrh, lavender, spirit

Essential oils: Lavender, rose, camphor, clove

Crystals: Lapis lazuli, indigo gabbro, moldavite, danburite, iolite, amethyst, azurite, sodalite, labradorite, blue apatite, charoite, tanzanite, clear quartz, obsidian, blue goldstone, larvakite, yooperlite, serpentine, blue kyanite, celestite, ametrine, moonstone, blue calcite, dumortierite, sapphire, nuummite, aqua aura quartz, chrysocolla, eudialite, sugilite

Metals: Silver, pewter, meteorite

Runes: Laguz, Eiwaz, Perth, Dagaz

Tarot cards: The Wheel of Fortune, The High Priestess, The Star, The Hermit, Ace of Cups

💵Wealth

Day: Thursday

Moon phase: Waxing Moon

Colors: Green, gold

Herbs: Patchouli, nettle, alfalfa, bay leaf, ginger, cinnamon, jasmine, five-finger grass, bergamot, allspice, thyme, basil, mint, fennel, fenugreek, chamomile, Irish moss, squill root, vanilla, tonka bean, lucky hand root, nutmeg, devil's shoestring, high john, rosemary, clove, dill, marigold, marjoram, black cohosh, bat's head root, pine, orange peel, almond, sugar, amber

Incense: Patchouli, amber, cinnamon, jasmine

Essential oils: Basil, orange, bergamot, patchouli

Crystals: Jade, citrine, pyrite, tiger's eye, green adventurine, peridot, rose quartz, emerald, moldavite, sunstone, serpentine, amber, tourmaline, moss agate, kumbaba jasper, rutile quartz, copper jadeite, green calcite, green quartz, bloodstone, chrysoprase, morganite, fire opal, lodestone, red coral, garden quartz, yellow sapphire, topaz

Metals: Gold, copper

Runes: Fehu

Tarot cards: Wheel of Fortune, The Magician, The Empress, Ace of Pentacles, 4 of Pentacles, 6 of Pentacles, 9 of Pentacles, 10 of Pentacles, Queen of Pentacles, King of Pentacles, 9 of Cups

🧿Protection

Day: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Moon phase: Waning Moon, Black Moon

Colors: Black, red, white, blue, purple

Herbs: Jupiter, clove, althea, sage, rosemary, angelica, cayenne, cedar, rue, comfrey, hawthorne, artemesia, rowan, vervain, yarrow, wolfsbane, black locust, St. John's wort, garlic, elder, aloe, lavender, nettle, thyme, Solomon's seal, holly, onion, chive, holy basil, plantain, neem, eucalyptus, chamomile, mint, cinnamon, datura, mistletoe, oak, black pepper, agrimony, ash, lily, cactus, willow, red clover, boneset, blue berry, anise, bay leaf

Incense: Dragon's blood, sage, palo santo, sandalwood

Essential oils: Clove, cedarwood, rosemary

Crystals: Black tourmaline, clear quartz, amethyst, smokey quartz, hematite, obsidian, shungite, selenite, labradorite, pyrite, tiger's eye, bronzite, black agate, opal, onyx, fluorite, garnet, red jasper, black kyanite, malachite, jet, corundum, amber, fire agate, lapis lazuli, spirit quartz, lodestone, turquoise, black jade, smithsonite

Metals: Bronze, iron, silver, lead, steel, titanium

Runes: Algiz, Thurisaz, Sowilo, Ansuz

Tarot cards: The Star, the High Priestess, the Emporer, Strength, 9 of Pentacles, 10 of Pentacles, 6 of Swords

❤️‍🔥Love

Day: Friday

Moon phase: Waxing Moon

Colors: Red, pink, white

Herbs: Rose, jasmine, hibiscus, catnip, damiana, vanilla, thyme, ginger, black cohosh, lily, orchid, saffron, chickweed, magnolia, lovage, marjoram, walnut, rosemary, verbena, lemon balm, rhubarb, clover, lavender, basil, sesame, meadowsweet, licorice root, lady's mantle, strawberry, sunflower, coriander, apple, cinnamon, juniper, dill, daisy, cumin, fennel, carnation, patchouli, sorrel, elder, marshmallow, cilantro, ylang-ylang, sugar, tulip, oak, cocoa, carraway, orris root, spiderwort, bleeding heart, tamarind, beet, ash, elm

Incense: Rose, patchouli, jasmine, ylang-ylang

Essential oils: Rose, orange, dragon's blood

Crystals: Rose quartz, kunzite, rhodonite, garnet, pink tourmaline, ruby, jade, rhodochrosite, malachite, danburite, morganite, pink opal, carnelian, chrysocolla, ruby-zoisite, strawberry quartz, peach moonstone, red agate, pink calcite, diamond, watermelon tourmaline, howlite, emerald, phosphosiderite, sunstone, amber, turquoise, prehnite, amazonite, rainbow obsidian, ocean jasper, mangano calcite, argonite, topaz

Metals: Copper, rose gold

Runes: Gebo, Ingwaz

Tarot cards: The Lovers, the Hierophant, the Emporer, the Empress, Ace of Cups, 2 of Cups, 10 of Cups, Knight of Cups, 4 of Wands, 10 of Pentacles

☮️Peace

Day: Monday, Sunday

Moon phase: Waxing moon

Colors: Light blue, lavender, pink, white

Herbs: Lavender, chamomile, violet, gardenia, olive, myrtle, skull cap, blue bell, lily of the valley, lilac, lemongrass, sage, ashwagandha, holy basil, lemon balm, passion flower, valerian, rose, cannabis (hemp), penny royal, dulce, loosestrife, motherwort, morning glory, clary sage, marjoram, hops, rhodiola, blue lotus, dandelion, poppy, vervain, mugwort, nettle, rosemary, hawthorne, ginseng, kava, cumin, white rose, carnation, cherry, spearmint, angelica root, peace lily, daffodil, trillium

Incense: Sandalwood, palo santo, lavender

Essential oils: Lavender, almond, olive

Crystals: Larimar, blue lace agate, Apache tear, kunzite, desert rose, lithium quartz, celestite, selenite, lepidolite, sodalite, stilbite, cerusite, angelite, aquamarine, amazonite, fluorite, turquoise, blue-green tourmaline, amethyst, ammonite, shungite, cacoxenite, blue tiger's eye, blue calcite, azestuite, jade, kyanite, moonstone, tree agate, phantom quartz, flower agate, rose quartz, unakite

Metals: Silver

Runes: Teiwaz, Algiz, Wunjo, Inguz

Tarot cards: Temperance, the Sun, 4 of Swords

🔒Banishing

Day: Sunday, Tuesday

Moon phase: Black Moon, New Moon, Waning Moon

Colors: Black, grey

Herbs: Black willow, agrimony, juniper, wormwood, citronella, devil's bit, fumitory, bay leaf, black locust, cayenne, garlic, fleabane, hellebore, vervain, blessed thistle, mandrake, wolfsbane, broom, lilac, pine, rue, blood root, black pepper, coffee, anise, turnip, clover, paprika, sage, feverfew, oregano, fir, cassia, hyssop, peppermint, lemon, cowslip, stinging nettle, coriander, chrysanthemum, vertiver

Incense: Copal, dragon's blood, frankincense, myyrh, citronella, sage

Essential oils: Peppermint, lemon, cedarwood, clove

Crystals: Black jasper, rutile quartz, obsidian, jet, nuummite, black kyanite, labradorite, lepidolite, selenite, black quartz, black moonstone, clear quartz, optical calcite, fire quartz, fluorite, angel aura quartz, auralite, aegerine, brimstone (sulpher), septarian, black opal, red tiger's eye, marcosite

Metals: Iron

Runes: Algiz, Isa

Tarot cards: Death, the Hermit, the Emporer, 8 of Cups, 6 of Swords

👍Success

Day: Thursday, Sunday

Moon phase: Waxing Moon, Full Moon, Blue Moon

Colors: Yellow, gold

Herbs: Saffron, cinnamon, mayflower, bergamot, honeysuckle, high john, ginger, Irish moss, poppy seeds, basil, patchouli, clover, lucky hand root, sassafras, wood aloe, winter's bark, apple, bamboo, cabbage, violet, mint, heather, comfrey, allspice, dittany of Crete, calamus root, mustard seed, fern, goldenseal, hawthorne, pecan,

Incense: Frankincense, cinnamon, amber

Essential oils: Bergamot, ginger, clove, orange

Crystals: Alexandrite, apatite, Libyan desert glass, pietersite, labradorite, garnet, petrified wood, corundom, citrine, rutile quartz, green kyanite, green tourmaline, lemon aura quartz, leaopard skin jasper, peacock ore, black jade, peridot, aquamarine, K-2 jasper, chrysolite, chiastolite, tiger's eye, yooperlite, herkimer diamond, emerald, green adventurine, rhodonite, hematite, green calcite, yellow jade

Metals: Gold, platinum, iron, titanium

Runes: Jera, Sowilo, Teiwaz

Tarot cards: the World, the Emporer, the Chariot, 4 of Wands, 6 of Wands, 9 of Pentacles, 10 of Pentacles, 10 of Cups, the kings

[restorativemeal]

Menu Twenty

Menu Twenty from Rowan Bishop and Sue Carruthers' "The Vegetarian Adventure Cookbook".

Cream of Tomato Soup: butter, onion, celery, tomatoes, brown sugar, parsley, italian herbs, bay leaf, salt and pepper, vegetable stock, marmite, flour, yoghurt, sour cream

Magical Courgette Bake: courgette, egg, milk, cottage cheese, wholemeal flour, baking powder, salt and pepper, cheese, pumpkin seeds

Jacket Potatoes: potatoes, salt, butter, sour cream

Sweet Baked Parsnips: parsnips, salt and pepper, margarine, brown sugar

Red Capsicum Salad with Snow Peas: capsicums, peas, olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, basil, mustard powder, salt and pepper

Despite the feelings of positivity I had found in Week Twenty-Eight, it was now Week Twenty-Nine and those feelings were gone. To me, though it was now April, the new year had only just rolled over. There was a newness that typically comes with January 1st. Nothing from January, February, or March was coming with me into April. I had nothing to show for myself and nothing going my way. Now returning to the soup section of the cookbook to complete Menu Twenty, a four page spread whose presence I had feared since discovering it months ago. I couldn’t draw similarity to the previous soup weeks because of the overarching theme of newness. 

April began with Easter, granting a day off of the structured labour in my life. Then the sound of screeching tyres and an all encompassing smash, tin colliding with tin. Doors opening and closing, voices, and a car with a crushed behind over the driveway. There was a car accident on the street on Monday morning. Neighbours banded together, and I sent my flatmate outside with the frozen mint peas purchased a week earlier. I was first aid trained but didn’t want to crowd the scene. It felt symbolic, the correlation between a young man stepping too hard on his accelerator, and the feeling that my life was speeding up also. I was still certain from the week before that the universe mapped every event that prevailed down on Earth. The cars were written off, neither one insured, and the fate of both parties troubled me and I became concerned with how self-indulgent I had become through this process. 

Early preparations.

Early fears of Menu Twenty were quelled by the experience and familiarity I had of my kitchen.  The quiet of the kitchen on a Wednesday evening was my break from an otherwise chaotic and unfruitful existence. I cooked diligently, grating, chopping, portioning, blending and cooking down. Guests came in, just three who didn’t reside at the flat. I blended again and tended the oven, before I knew it, there was a Cream of Tomato Soup, Magical Courgette Bake, plate of Jacket Potatoes, Sweet Baked Parsnips, and a Red Capsicum Salad with Snow Peas on the bench in my silent kitchen.

Trivial moments.

We sat at the table and I became anti-social. My hair had grown to a point that I no longer recognised myself and I felt stifled, unable to relate to anyone as if I were meeting them for the first time. With five different meals, we were spoilt for choice. Perhaps the decision of where to begin was overwhelming to all, or just me. The Red Capsicum Salad with Snow Peas, had been made with green capsicum rather than red, and the frozen mint peas rather than snow. “I’ll never amount to anything,” I exclaimed, before swallowing a glass of white wine. Still the least intelligent at the table as my guests played with their food. Jacket Potato into a small man. I considered my future and put my foot in my mouth. Three times sitting at the corner of the table. Discussion turned to silent retreats and the good things we had heard about them. One guest turned to me and said, “you couldn’t do it.” I looked down at my plate and noticed I had spoken too much over dinner because everyone else had finished their plates except me, I still had half of my own Jacket Potato.

The dinner table.

By the end of Week Twenty-Nine, I was all negativity. Seeking guidance through forms of nonviolent silencing and willful ignorance, socialising with groups I wasn’t so familiar with.  I considered whether it was inhumane to refer to such good friends as mere guests. Was I downplaying the roles they played in the cookbook? At the very least it was April and my faith in the universe remained unshaken.

[jedusaur]

good things this week:

my boys took out the defending champs and then took Dallas to game 7 and that... is a good thing I guess :/ no but seriously they did spectacularly well this season and I'm really proud of them and excited to see what happens next year

the Firebirds are still killing it though! my man Joey Daccord! 60 saves in triple OT! Western Conference finals up next! let's go!

hit 6 months with Steph on the same day the Kraken got eliminated so we decided to reschedule date night for a day I was not busy lying on the floor staring at the ceiling in despair, so we did our date last night and it was lovely and I love my girl a lot

UNCLE'S DAY OMFG

my brother wears red/orange/yellow tie-dye shirts pretty much every single day and he also likes Ted Lasso so I decided to get on video chat with the fam in Chicago while they watched this week's ep and it was nice to check in with them (they asked somewhat dubiously if I always watch the episodes more than once lololol)

it was my sister-in-law's birthday this week so a bunch of us filmed tasks for her to judge Taskmaster-style and I maaay have taken it a tad more seriously than some others >.> I have not received the final points breakdown but I did get to see the compilation of videos and I am certainly a contender at least

the temperature hit 90 on Monday so I got rocket bae's air conditioner set up and holy christballs my life is going to be SO much better this summer than it was last summer

made iced tea and stuck in a couple sprigs of mint from the garden and that was very nice on the hot days

one of my closest friends started watching Ted Lasso recently and in S1 she was extremely dubious that she could ever like Jamie and yesterday she got to the Amsterdam ep and messaged me that she now loves "one (1) little asshole" :D :D

had to make an important phone call about my health insurance that could have been massively tedious and difficult but actually went very smoothly and for once nobody fuckin called me ma'am

discovered a local business that looks like a great concept but the website desperately needs a copyedit, so I e-mailed them like "any chance you guys wanna hire me freelance to clean up your site" and they actually seem interested! did not really expect that, maybe I should be cold-contacting more often

made stirfry with peanut sauce and cauliflower curry and creamy fettuccine and a super tasty cheese board and then used the leftover blueberry-lemon-thyme goat cheese on a blueberry bagel with fresh basil from the garden (Mom's suggestion) and Bolivian rose salt, and all of it was delicious good job me

some of my plants are starting to emerge! got tiny lil baby radishes, snap peas, chives, and cantaloupe \o/

painted my nails sparkly gold and they look amazing in the sun

[thessalian]

Thess vs Spring

I know it’s late. I know I should be in bed. I just needed to get some shit ordered. There are going to be experiments.

Well, first of all, I wanted to get my gardening stuff ordered. I plan on actually growing some flowers this year, as well as rejigging the balcony herb garden. My Simon and Garfunkel Collection (literally parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), my mint, and even my oregano survived all the cold snaps and are putting out new leaves, though I probably want to clear out some of the dead bits and repot. However, I do need to plant new basil, coriander (cilantro to those who name the leaf different from the seed), chives, and dill. Also new cayenne peppers and tomatoes. But I did want to do some flowers partly for being bee-friendly but mostly because I now have a pressure cooker and can make my own essential oils.

Okay, also I kind of want to make the balcony pretty, as well as useful.

Anyway, I also did the grocery shopping order. It won’t actually arrive until Tuesday, but when it does, I have plans. I mean, there’s the usual stuff for various bits of pasta and the like that I normally do, and I’m also going to be doing lamb dopiaza and aloo gobi again, but I also decided I was going to try a couple of new chicken dishes. One is chicken chasseur, which I thought sounded nice. The other is chicken adobo - a Filipino recipe that I got interested in trying courtesy @lindira. I mean, I know there’s a Filipino restaurant a fifteen minute or so bus ride away from my house, but gluten intolerance makes that a bit iffy, so I’m just going to make my own. I am very much looking forward to it, if partly for the Cooking With Spoons write-up.

I’m also going to be trying to make smoothies. It’s starting to get to that kind of season and anyway, it feels like a good way to get breakfast. It’s also a good way to get calcium and vitamin D, and the latter especially feels important given that I’m currently on another loading dose of vitamin D so clearly I’m not getting enough of that. And yeah, buying frozen berries and other fruits instead of just freezing my own feels like cheating, but I am not going to manage standing at the counter dicing up a whole bunch of mango etc, and also frozen berries are cheaper, so there we go.

We just had the time changeover, which means that in my brain it is officially getting on to spring. Hence the gardening kicking back off. A little later than last year, but given the cold snaps we had through bits of March, it’s just as well to wait a little. But by the first week of April, I will have seeds propagating and will probably be back to spamming people’s dashes with pictures of healthy seedlings. I would apologise but I’m not really sorry; I love my leafy babies.

Right. A nap would probably be a good idea. This is why I don’t work on Mondays; I get keyed up after D&D sessions and then I can’t sleep for hours. At least this way I use the time productively, I guess?

[lacuna-lunax]

21/09/24

well-a well-a well-a uh!

Saturday 21st September; 2 Fizz

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa White Chocolate Cookie

Monster Energy Drink Ultra Zero Sugar

Strong Roots Veg Thai Green Curry 329

Mr Kipling Mini Battenbergs Cakes

Maltesers Milk Chocolate & Honeycomb

Sunday 22nd September; 10 Fizz

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Oreo

Monster Energy Drink Ultra Peachy Keen Zero Sugar

Plant Pioneers Vegan Meat Free Lasagne 363

Hartley's 10 Cal Strawberry Daiquiri Flavour Jelly

M&S Dessert Menu 12 Mini Macaroons

Maltesers Milk Chocolate & Honeycomb

Monday 23rd September

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel

Monster Energy Ultra Rosa

Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself Tomato & Basil Pasta Ready Meal For 1 354

Fulfil Peanut Butter Chocolate Flavour Vitamin & Protein Bar

Terry's Chocolate Orange Minis

Tuesday 24th September

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Monster Energy Drink Ultra Zero Sugar

Stamford Street Co. Macaroni Cheese Ready Meal For 1 487

Barebells Coco Choco Soft Protein Bar

Milkybar Gold Caramel Flavour White Chocolate

Wednesday 25th September

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel

Monster Energy Drink Ultra Zero Sugar

Stamford Street Co. Cheese & Tomato Pasta 417

Hartley's No Added Sugar Orange Jelly Pot

Lindahls Pro+ Kvarg Blueberry Muffin Protein Yogurt

Cadbury Dairy Milk with Daim Chocolate Bar 642

Thursday 26th September

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Oreo White

Monster Energy Ultra Rosa

VFC Chickn Fried Rice One Bag 439

Hartley's 10 Cal Cherry Bakewell Tart Flavour Jelly

Battle Bites High Protein Bar Jaffa Bake Flavour

Aero Melts Orange Chocolate

Friday 27th September

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Monster Energy Drink Ultra Zero Sugar

Whole Creations Dairy & Gluten Free Roasted Tomato & Basil Sheesy Pizza 617

Lindahls Kvarg Stracciatella with Chocolate Pieces Protein Yogurt

Milkybar Giant Buttons Raspberry Ripple

Saturday 28th September; 2 Fizz

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa White Chocolate Cookie

Monster Energy Drink Ultra Zero Sugar

Strong Roots Veg Thai Green Curry 329

Mr Kipling Mini Battenbergs Cakes

Maltesers Milk Chocolate & Honeycomb

Sunday 29th September; 2 Fizz

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Oreo

Monster Energy Drink Ultra Zero Sugar

Lazy Vegan Tikka Masala Ready Meal 444

Hartley's Raspberry Jelly Pot

McVitie's Jaffa Original Cake Bars

Maltesers Milk Chocolate & Honeycomb

Monday 30th September

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel

Monster Energy Ultra Rosa

Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself Tomato & Basil Pasta Ready Meal For 1 354

Hartley's 10 Cal Apple & Watermelon Flavour Jelly

Barebells Raspberry Cream

Cadbury Dairy Milk Salted Caramel Chocolate Bar 583

Tuesday 01st October

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Monster Energy Drink Ultra Zero Sugar

Sainsbury's Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni, Taste the Difference Ready Meal For 1 465

Battle Bites High Protein Bar Toffee Apple Popping Candy Flavour

Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Wednesday 02nd October

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel

Monster Energy Drink Ultra Zero Sugar

Lazy Vegan Pasta al Pesto 458

Misfits Caramel Fudge Flavour Plant Based Protein Bar

Munchies Milk Chocolate Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Thursday 3rd October

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Oreo White

Monster Energy Ultra Rosa

VFC Chickn Fried Rice One Bag 439

Hartley's 10 Cal Cherry Bakewell Tart Flavour Jelly

Barebells Caramel Choco Soft Protein Bar

Aero Bubbles Peppermint Mint Chocolate

Friday 04th October

Coffee

Grenade Carb Killa Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Monster Energy Drink Ultra Zero Sugar

White Rabbit Margherita Gluten Free Pizzetta 399

Hartley's No Added Sugar Raspberry Jelly Pot

Lindahls Pro Kvarg Lemon Cheesecake Protein Yogurt

Cadbury Dairy Milk with Oreo Chocolate Bar 672

[killbaned]

the chicken is in the oven. i was originally going to just. use butter and salt because i'm scared if i use my seasonings it's going to make the gastritis go sicko mode but i can't. i can't fucking make bare seasonless chicken i can't FUCKING DO IT i'd rather starve.

i did, however, select only three seasonings (basil, parsley, poultry) out of the mix along w sea salt and butter so we'll see what happens.

i bought myself some of those knock off gluten free thin mints when i did my errands monday so i just munched on some of those for a sugar boost bc once again. i did not eat anything before i left the house.

in my defense, i literally couldn't have eaten even if someone tried to force me bc The Gastritis Is Gassing.

and also speaking of food regarding mom, she also said the food at the new rehab is decent. hospital food will never be "good" and her lunch came while i was there and their version of scalloped potatoes looked dry as fuck but i also asked if she wants me to bring leftovers when i come tomorrow and she said no since the food is good enough so that's also nice.

it's nice because these are all things that led to her flipping out repeatedly until she finally went AMA last time.

it's also nice because i feel like i can unclench a little and relax and not obsessively sit on my phone waiting for her to call losing her fucking mind about it.

oh also the new place has actual security features. you have to get buzzed in to enter, you have to sign in, you're given a visitor pass, and you have to get buzzed out.

the place she was at here just had an automatic front door and nothing else. which. i will be honest i stopped by a few times after work and i was like.

huh. kinda don't like you can just walk in at 1030PM or later and like no one is around or gives you a second glance. like what if there's a freak around who wants to bother vulnerable old people???

[herbgardenguide]

My Herbs are Crying Out for Help (and I Don't Speak Plant)

Okay, buckle up, plant fam! My name's Lila, and let me tell you, my 30s are all about embracing new challenges. Sure, I've climbed the corporate ladder, slayed spin class, and even mastered the art of the perfect smoky eye. But this year? I'm on a mission to become a plant whisperer. Specifically, an herb whisperer, because my tiny windowsill jungle is looking, well, less than #thriving.

See, my basil leaves are about as lively as a Monday morning meeting, my mint smells like it forgot to wash its metaphorical hair, and the oregano…let's just say it's seen better days. Are they hungry? Nutrient-deprived? Suffering an existential plant crisis?

So, naturally, I did what any self-respecting internet denizen would do: I dove headfirst into the rabbit hole of gardening blogs and forums. Turns out, my wilting friends were sending me subtle SOS signals I desperately needed to decode. ️‍♀️

First up, the mint. Pale leaves and a weak scent? Magnesium deficiency, apparently. Hello, Epsom salts, my new best friend! Next, the oregano with its sad, yellow veins. Iron deficiency, says the internet sage. Time to whip out the iron chelate!

And it worked! Slowly but surely, my herbs started talking again. The mint regained its sass, the oregano perked up like it just had a double espresso, and the basil? Let's just say my pesto game is about to hit epic levels.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Over-eager me accidentally gave the parsley a fertilizer overdose, and let's just say it wasn't feeling the #glowup. But hey, every gardener (whisperer?) makes mistakes, right?

Now, my windowsill jungle isn't just a source of fresh herbs (although let me tell you, homemade pesto is a game-changer!), it's a testament to my newfound plant communication skills. I can practically hear them whispering their needs, and I'm learning to respond in the language of nutrients and sunshine. ☀️

So, fellow plant parents, don't despair if your greenery seems down in the dumps. Pay attention to the subtle signs, do your research, and don't be afraid to experiment (maybe skip the fertilizer frenzy though, trust me). Soon enough, you'll be conversing with your leafy companions like a pro, and your kitchen will be overflowing with the delicious rewards of a thriving indoor jungle!

[bobacupcake]

bleeeeh :p

[cilantrospirit]

fuck it meal plan for the week:

lunch for today:

something made by notme (I am not saving $100 this month y'all but that is the least of my worries)

dinnar:

harvest grains w/ red curry to use the leftover onion

other veg: carrots, bok choy, half a pepper, some cauliflower

protein: tofu

side of cucumber spears and soy sauce

bfast friday:

boiled egg with black sesame seeds

potatoes again

lunch friday:

hummus wrap

veg: cauliflower (cooked), lettuce, pickled cucumber or cabbage

dinner friday:

lasagner (inc. carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, & half a pepper)

salad 👍

bfast saturday (before Big Sleep):

toast with jam & peanut butter

snacktime!

dinner saturday (before/during ofmd?):

big harvest grains salad w/tofu and lettuce, lemon juice as dressing

hmm lasaga

"lunch" "saturday":

microwave quesadilla hours

orange or other fruit (hi jeanette winterson)

breakfast before the sleeptimes:

egg! wahoo!

toast

evening meal sunday:

baked potato w/ any leftover veg that is lingering

salad

work meal "sunday":

wouldn't you know it's lasagna time

and salad yahoo

monday breakfast:

man idk follow your bliss

snacktime!

m(onda)y dinnar 🔥:

mayhaps pizza bagels

with salad ofc

work meal "monday":

fresh rolls! with soy sauce and hummus

veg: cucumber, mint/basil, carrot, lettuce

orange

breakfast tuesday:

egg :]

snacktime!

dinner tuesday:

also pizza bagels

orange

last work meal of the week yahoo! woo!

egg salad sandwich (I have to finish this celery and the mayo fr)

wednesday breakfast:

whatever you want babygirl (lie: options are limited)

wednesday lunch:

gotta keep eating that egg salad!

wednesday dinner

leftovers night if applicable, quesadilla or omelette if not

next thursday breakfast:

salad (rolls) yay :-)

after this go shopping again but egg salad for lunch probably

snack foods to get:

whatever the discounted fruit is ofc

oatmilk for the rest of the cocoa

pistachios

crackers

preserved stuffed eggplants in tomato juice or dolmas

literal candy for morale

[strange-calathea]

FIRST CUCUMBER SEED IS STARTING :D AAA SO EXCITED TO SEE THEM GROW

Also mint updates!!! Star has been moved into her own pot since she's significantly bigger than the others. Fanta seems very weak and keeps drooping when I mist them, but aside from that there's a new baby coming up :D not sure what to call them yet

Other than those, I'm pretty sure my basil had bugs eating at them so I used a homemade insect killer to try and deal with it, they seem to be doing okay now but I will keep a very close eye on them as they grow :]

(basil history for me to keep track bcus memory bad, were growing well for like a month, then one day started dying, waited like a week since I didn't know what to do, then planted new seeds, couple days later saw something moving around in the soil and watered all the soil with part water, part dawn dish soap, part veg oil insect killer as google instructed, been watering as needed and looking out for bugs since then)

I have quite a few other plants I should introduce but I don't have photos of them all yet, I have a purple passion velvet plant, a string of hearts, a small spider plant (that I need advice for and will likely show soon unless things get better!!), air plants, fairy washboard, and I'm propagating some succulent leaves I bought :3 + some seeds that haven't popped up yet

Okay that's all for now byee!!!!

(edit: posted Monday June 19, 2:45 pm)

[borismann]

A week of delicious food at Bodega Ridge

I just got back from a company retreat1 at Bodega Ridge, a large group event space on Galiano Island.

It’s owned & operated by Jesse Keefer, you can read more on the about page.

Rachael and I had stayed there once before, almost exactly 11 years ago. @walkah checked in on Swarm and found my recommendation from 2012. 2

Apparently tent caterpillar infestations repeat in roughly 7-12 year cycles (and it’s something I remembered from our 2012 visit), and that’s the first thing that greeted us: caterpillars crawling everywhere and webs in the trees.

It was a great company retreat but this is going to be a post about the food.

I already put in entries for Lola the restaurant at Bodega Ridge, and Chef Elmark Andres, into the FoodWiki. I’m hopefully going to get a full menu list to keep and annotate in the wiki.

We serve locally caught local seafood and local produce from the island, much of which is from the Bodega Ridge Farm. The menu is written in a blend of Tagalog and English. Family style/sharing plates with bright surprising flavours and a focus on fire-forged ingredients.

Lola Restaurant on the Bodega Ridge Website

We had lunch and dinner served family style for ~20 people, including accommodating food preferences and sensitivities. Meals were served either at the big long table indoors at the lodge, or out back under the tent pavilion.

The food was incredible and plentiful. Lots of Southeast Asian influenced flavours, and lots of fresh local ingredients. I’m including a few photos, but half the time I had half a plate to take a picture of.

Dinner on Sunday was our first meal. Braised carrots with sumac, a Panzanella Salad with great fresh tomatoes, and chicken legs with a garlic-y verde sauce. I was impressed right way, I thought they’d made a special welcome dinner.

The only photo that I remembered to take was this yuzu pudding with pistachios. Toasted coconut substitute for those with nut allergies.

At lunch the next day, I found out that that quality of meal was just “regular” for Bodega Ridge. House made Baba ganoush and hummus with fresh baked bread seemed great for lunch. And then the food kept coming! A tomato salad

Monday dinner was outside in the tent pavilion.

Grilled Asparagus with Puttanesca Sauce

Potato Pave with Chive Cream Sauce

Grilled Flank Steak

And for dessert, two Basque Cheesecakes with sour cherries.

Tuesday lunch I knew I was in trouble. High end restaurant quality meals twice a day??? But I didn’t regret it, everything was so good.

A cold ramen noodle salad with Thai basil, crunchy rice, pomello, and an amazingly tangy sauce that made everyone come back for more. Yes, this is a terrible

Local prawns in a black pepper sauce. Not everyone has the patience to peel and eat prawns, so Ryan and I made sure they were taken care of.

Local ling code with salmon roe and a nam prik-style sauce.

Cucumbers with gochujang sauce and roasted sesame seeds.

Flan with passionfruit sauce.

Smoked pork collar with nam price sauce and mint.

The bar is well stocked with a small selection of wine and beer. Hoyne Hazy IPA and Hoyne Pilsner. Phillips Blue Buck Ale and Tilt Lager. A yummy white wine, the 2021 version of this Daydreamer Pinot Gris from BC’s Okanagan Valley. A French red, Ardeche Syrah - Saint Desirat.

The last night saw a few cocktails poured. “Into the Woods” is made with tequila or mezcal (the latter was out unfortunately), a house made grapefruit rosemary syrup, Ancho Reyes Chile Liquer, lemon juice and a few other things. Thanks Skyler!

As I said above, I’ll actually aim to get the whole menu list and add it to the FoodWiki. The food and entire experience of having a retreat at Bodeda Ridge was amazing. Thanks Jesse, Chef Elmark, and the entire crew for hosting us!

my company Fission has a fully distributed remote team, so we do semi-annual retreats. [return]

There was some sort of cancellation so Bodega said “if you blog about your visit you can stay for free”. We took a car2go over on the ferry and rented it through the weekend to get around. [return]

[lavandevanille]

March 13th

Monday morning brought new shoots up! New shoots sprouting everywhere! Or... everywhere except my mints 🥲 those babies still be sleeping~

Lavender and calendula pods sprouted up so many new shoots. I'd pulled out at least six from lavender to transplant outdoors because I didn't want the roots to get too long that it would kill the seedlings when I pull em out. But they're so delicate that I ended up hurting two seedlings and dropped a third somewhere so that's gonna be fun to find 🥲

The largest seedling on my basils are already showing baby shoots of its third pair of true leaves! All the others are still working hard on growing out their first and second pairs so seeing this tiny lil overachiever doing the absolute most is pretty amazing. I'm naming this one stalk Hermione 🤭

I also decided to sow some bird's eye chilli seeds next to my basils. Hopefully I'll see some more sprouting action in about a week!

Speaking of chillies, I've made substantial thinning to the chilli seedlings. The ones in the blue pot are, I believe just normal chilli peppers yknow the ones that literally look like 🌶 that lol. And the ones in the red pot... I think might possibly be either bird's eye or some hybrid of 🌶 and bird's eye, I honestly don't know.

These seeds were given to me by my mum with no labels or identifiers, so I guess I'll just have to find out when they finally bear fruit!

The calendula seedlings are in the green pot - most of them are still only half sprouted in their seed casings, so they're covered until they finish germinating.

The lavender seedlings are in the yellow pot - I'm really worried about them, because the soil mix I used turned out really strange after watering, and might end up just killing them instead. I don't know. We'll see. My 6yr old niece really wanted to "plant the purple flowers" so I let her help me with it.

We also placed a new hyssop pod to germinate in a cup on my SG3 as a backup (she oddly didn't want more lavender even though she loves the name 🤭). I decided to also pop in a new lavender pod after she went home just in case she changes her mind - as most 6yr olds do! So she'll still get her pretty purple flowers one way or another~💕

[restorativemeal]

Menu Thirty-Seven

Menu Thirty-Seven from Rowan Bishop and Sue Carruthers' "The Vegetarian Cookbook".

Potato and Green Pea Curry: oil, poppy seeds, mustard seeds, onion, garlic, cumin, tumeric, coriander, pepper, dried chilli, frozen mint peas, potato, tomatoes, salt, tamarind paste, water

Nutty Carrot Loaf: wholemeal breadcrumbs, carrot, basil, margarine, water, vegetable stock, lemon, parsley, orange juice 

Celery and Apple Sambal: celery, apple, lemon Plum or Prune Raita: coconut yoghurt, red plums, cinnamon

Eternal slog, another week, by now so resigned from the process I don’t even invite my own guests. On the Friday night of the preceding week, my close and personal friend, very often a guest at my dinners, invited somebody new. In the events leading up to the invitation, my close personal friend and I had bickered over the lyrics to George Michael’s “Faith”, which had been performed at the bar by the worst cover band I ever saw. I had been pushed aside by the guitarist as he made his way on stage, this action was clouding any real judgement I could make on the band. There remains a blurry mugshot that I took of him in my iPhone’s camera roll. “‘Faith’ is one of George’s best songs,” I had said to my friend as we rested in the back courtyard of the bar. She had responded, “no, it isn’t.” 

I persisted, “you have to really listen to the lyrics.” and she paused. 

“You gotta have faith- faith- faith.” I pestered. 

Those weren’t the lyrics I meant at the time, what I wanted to get across was that I had found it heartfelt when he referred to his foolish notion of waiting for something more.

In any case, I had a new guest arriving for Week Twenty-Eight, a vegan one that I considered to also have a nut allergy by association with her boyfriend, who had not received an invitation to my dinner. Monday of Week Twenty-Eight was spent rifling through the only fresh pages of the cookbook, uncharted territory. The pages of the Vegetarian Adventure Cookbook were sticking together, tainted by dishes past. I looked ahead for remaining menus that suited the dietary requirements, landing on Menu Thirty-Seven. It was the only vegan menu in the cookbook, if you take the margarine option over butter, and I could make it allergen free by taking the walnuts out of the Nutty Carrot Loaf, to render the “Nutty” in its title redundant. To cook Menu Thirty-Seven in Week Twenty-Eight was a glimpse into the future and a taste of the end.

Tangibly, it really was, at long last, the end of March. March seemed to have brought along an onslaught of poor treatment unto me by others and to accept they weren’t part of my life anymore opened up space to rethink. I was in the middle of two self-help books trying to rectify the textbook issues that I now knew I had, the first of which dealt with facing reality, and the second with comfortably sharing this reality once I learnt to face it. I was learning about making responsible choices that served my best interest in a reality that might not necessarily be the one that I had wanted. At the supermarket I was again confronted by the car I had done something to at the beginning of March, I was beginning to feel personally victimised by its owner and I struggled to pinpoint any meaning or symbolism from its continual presence in my peripheral vision. Was it even there? Distracted with thoughts of the carpark I mistakenly picked up frozen mint peas from the freezer in the supermarket, Bishop and Carruthers had listed “frozen green peas” in their ingredient list for the Potato and Green Pea Curry. 

Wednesday of Week Twenty-Eight arrived, I was in the kitchen and it was unseasonably warm for the time of year. To make a Nutty Carrot Loaf the wholemeal breadcrumbs were placed into a bowl, along with grated carrot, seasoning, a crumbled vegetable stock cube and three tablespoons of orange juice. This was well mixed and then reconstituted with a portion of water. It went into the oven and I moved onto the Potato and Green Pea Curry. The curry came together like a standard curry, Bishop and Carruthers’ curry however, came together with a certain warmth and understanding that I had picked up from the second book I was reading, I knew intimacy and compromise and I understood fear both at a conscious and subconscious level. I was aware of mistakes I’d made in the past, including the mint peas rather than green peas. My guests arrived one by one and on this night I had eight. While they chattered in the living room I put together the remaining dishes, the Celery and Apple Sambal, and the Plum Raita. Each of these dishes contained just three ingredients respectively, and I had swapped out plain yoghurt for coconut. I finished the Nutty Carrot Loaf/carrot loaf with a twist of lemon and dash of parsley and pulled a large serving of rice out of the microwave.

Into the dining room, we sat crowded around the table. Over dinner we discussed the geriatric ward and the admin that goes into discharging a patient that has stayed for 65 days, ill-health, and lonely dinners. Meny Thirty-Seven went down with compliments, though confusion arose around the Nutty Carrot Loaf, what it was, why it was there. The Plum Raita seemed to be taken like a dessert and eaten on a side plate to cool palates after the Potato and Green Pea Curry. By the end of dinner, I broached the subject of those conscious and subconscious fears, how often we think we fear one thing, when in reality our fear is something quite different. For instance the Love Addict consciously fears abandonment, while subconsciously fearing a commitment built upon shared reality. The Love Avoidant consciously fears taking on the reality and needs of someone else, while subconsciously fearing that they’ll be abandoned (Mellody, 1992). The Love Avoidant and the Love Addict are the most riveting of all zodiac couples. When the last guest left, the newest guest, we talked about Higher Powers and what it felt like to know someone who felt like religion.

By the Thursday of Week Twenty-Eight, I was out late again, sitting on a bench with another close and personal friend, an occasional guest to my dinner parties. Enough time had passed since Wednesday night, that I had processed many thoughts. Focusing on a cookbook, was microscopic in the scheme of lifetime, I thought about the universe. The title lyrics of George Michael’s “Faith” had more importance than I thought, I had faith that everything would work out. I felt confident that moons and stars pushed and pulled in ways that they were supposed to, I had seen tangible results. Someone once said to me “sometimes the stars don’t reach the earth.” I dispute this now, because the stars always reach the earth, just not necessarily in the way that you wanted nor expected them to. In the first book I was reading this week, the author reported on a case study. At its closure he said his patient could not be described “as happy because she hasn’t that much to be happy about, but she is no longer painfully unhappy…she is gaining the strength to live a new life, finding not happiness perhaps but periods of peace, a new experience for her.” (Glasser, 1965). I was moved by the sentiment.