#recipes for reuse

[eh-fandomtrash]

I may forget the things I cooked and they were good, so I am putting the recipes here so I can search them again some day-

Quick Mushroom pasta (goes with chicken or duck)

2-4 cloves garlic

Crimini mushrooms (10 minimum)

Pasta (noodle-y biz, pick you brand of Italian, flavored is best, one that cooks quickly if possible)

Brandy (1-2 tablespoons)

Fresh thyme

Butter (1 tablespoon in the pan early. 1 tablespoon after the pasta has been added)

Olive oil (same as butter 1 now, one layer)

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the mushrooms. Half the mushroom slices if they are absurdly large. Cut cloves of garlic in half.

Get the water boiling. Make sure it’s salted. (Start the pasta now or later depending on how long it cooks.)

Heat the pan for the mushrooms and garlic fry.

Add butter and olive oil. Then when the butter is melted, add the halved garlic. Brown the garlic first- this is important.

Once the garlic is browned, add the mushrooms and wait they start to brown and sweat. Add the brandy to the garlic and mushrooms and cook until brown and brandy is absorbed.

(If the pasta takes less than 5 minutes, toss it in now and cook it for 1 minute less than it needs to be just right.)

Add the pasta to the mushrooms and garlic and toss in the hot pan to continue cooking. Add some (2-3 tablespoons) of the water used to cook the pasta, thyme, extra olive oil, extra butter, salt, and pepper. Cook until it is all absorbed and the pasta is done and it tastes good.

Add bird, I guess.

Desperation Christmas Roast

Spice Sauce-

1/2 cup if brandy

1 cinnamon stick

4 cloves of cloves

2-3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Marinade + rub for roast-

Cumin

Salt

Pepper

Brandy

Worcestershire sauce

Soy sauce

Veggie bits-

1/2 a red onion

4 cloves of garlic (I was very low on garlic, okay!!!)

6 small potatoes (or grab a couple of yams, are there root-veg use the root veg)

1 bag of baby carrots

Whatever rosemary (5-7 sprigs if possible)

Leftover thyme (as much as possible)

More brandy (1-1 1/2 cups)

More Worcestershire sauce (1/4 cup)

3-4 tablespoons butter and some olive oil.

[Realize at noon that you need to cook the damn roast, which you would need to improvise a recipe for—hope it thawed over night. Realize it is not as thawed as hoped. Panic.]

Take the roast out of its packaging and apply a dry rub (salt, pepper, excess of cumin) set aside to thaw.

Spice sauce— 1 cup brandy, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 whole cloves in a small sauce pan heat until it starts to boil… then add Worcestershire sauce.

Take off heat set aside to cool.

[notice that meat has not thawed. Add liquid to try and make it warm up faster—water moves temperature, right?]

Create marinade by putting meat in a glass pan and adding the wet ingredients and 1/2 the spice sauce. Roll it around a bit to coat.

Go cut up veggies. Cut potatoes/starchy root veggies into approximately even hunks, half all the baby carrots, roughly chop the 1/2 of red onion, and cut the garlic cloves in half, and then check the meat again.

Realize that it’s still not thawing quickly enough, so pre-heat the oven to 300-320 F and put the meat on top (still in its marinade pan) in hopes that the warmth of the oven will help a little. Turn the meat over again.

Get out any large oven safe casserole dish or whatever-pan with a lid that is big enough to fit all the meat carrots potatoes etc in it (you can use any oven-stove top safe dish as long as you cover with foil—foil is god) put it on the stove top, turn on the heat, and start frying up the onions in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook until the onion is starting to turn translucent then add the garlic. Reach over and add a couple of tablespoons full of the marinade (yes, steal the sauce). Then add the rest of the spice sauce. The onions and garlic should be starting to turn brown.

Put the onions aside, add another tablespoonful of butter to the same pan you used to cook the onions, and toss the damn meat in it. Sear it.

When it’s browned, add in one more cinnamon stick and 2 more cloves. Then grab the herbs and throw them in, add the potatoes and carrots—push them down if you have to, make it fit! Add any remaining herbs, the onions, and douse the whole thing with brandy (1 cup) and Worcestershire sauce (1/4 cup).

Cover the whole pan with the lid or foil.

Put it in the oven and forget about it for 3 hours or so. 3.5 if you like.

Watch a movie.

Play a board game.

Whatever.

It’ll be ready at 7pm and additional veggies are someone else’s problem.

[thestudentfarmer]

2.15.2025

This week's updates~

The chicks are starting to get in their mini adult feathers.

The second hatch out will be ready for the turners to stop on the 21st. And with luck come 24th-27th we'll be seeing a few more chicks. I set the incubator with a majority of green and blue eggs, since I really like the blue shells :)

A bit of growth on the wild seeded area

This area is planted with

Swiss chard, black sunflower seeds, dragon tail radish (the pods are edible, not the root/tuber), green okra, 2 types of pumpkins, Kentucky wonder bean, kale, shin wa peppers, watermelon and Rando wheatgrass, hollyhocks.

So far looks like the sunflowers and some of the wheatgrass came up so far and some holly hocks.

The other area o free seeded hasn't touched growth yet, but it's cold in that area yet, so I imagine most the seeds are sleeping yet or already picked doff by the ants and birds (if so I'll be reseeding it before long)

Not my picture, got it from random Google search, I made seed pots similar to this though for uppotting and trying to seed start with.

I also got a little more gardne stuff rotated and moved round.

The "L" bed is gone now. The unknown bed, sunchokes bed and squash pots all got filled up with the dirt from it as did the basil plant and the strawberry bed.

That wood by the unknown bed is from the "L" bed, just to protect the bed from the chickens picking young growth. I'm thinking I may place some louffsa to grow up the side. Though I'm not entirely sold on it yet lol.

We had a visitor, I haven't seen this one before and not yet certain what kind they are but I think this one is a hawk. It's been awhile since we saw a predator bird (that wasn't the roadrunner).

Been going through some stuff I was given recently and found this

And a few other neat designs in patterns, since there's most the material among this stuff I think I'll be making a few things as gifts and decor for gifts this year as part of our low buy goals of this year.

Just gotta get some yarn (I'll check out thrifts, yard sales, estate sales and some other venues before buying them new)

In the kitchen I've been working on reducing the kitchen waste again. When i get citrus I've been baking soda bathing them (15 minutes)

Drying, using a potato peeler and peeling off the skin to dry for tea. Juicing the fruit, I've been freezing the juice for later use. The remaining pith and flesh I've been dehydrating, grinding to a powder to use for cooking or herbal uses (at worst I figure it can be an extra source of vitamin c to be drank with some water.)

The peels are quite good in a bit of green tea.

I'm saving the seeds from the ones I find and intend to give a try to growing them. I don't expect much to be honest, but I think it'll be fun to try anyways.

Alright that's it for now.

🌱🌻Happy homesteading🌻🌱

[dizzymaiden]

Want to smell like a yummy fresh baked gingerbread cookie?!

Make this for yourself or make a bunch for gifts!

Prep: 5 mins - EASY

1 cup of dark brown sugar

1/4 coconut solid oil

1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses (FACT: molasses contains lactic acid and can help treat acne, eczema and rosacea. It also has anti aging antioxidants and it sooths skin!) So yeah...use it!

1 teaspoon cinnamon, dried ground ginger and 1/3 teaspoons of dried ground cloves.

Option: a teaspoon of vanilla

Mix all well in a bowl then transfer to mason jars. Add labels that say put on damp skin and scrub lightly. Wash off.

Also - warn them that they will smell like a snack so they might have to sing "catch me if you can I'm the gingerbread man" or replace with correct name :)

[sleepinglionhearts]

Attempted to cook awase dashi tonight so I can cook miso soup tomorrow. It smelled good. It tasted alright. I'm hoping when I get to doing the miso part... it makes it really good!!!

[juliamccartney]

i'm at a point in my ✨ reduce reuse recycle ✨ era where i'll happily choose to buy certain foods in glass jars/bottles over the lighter metal/plastic packaging because it gets me a free jar i can use for batch cooking-and-refrigeration 👀

[secondbeatsongs]

Food Crime: Frosty the Slawman

so a while ago, I saw this photo going around on tumblr:

at first, I thought this was photoshopped. I mean, "welcome new man in your life"? that feels like a translation error, or someone being silly on purpose.

but guess what! turns out, Frosty Slaw Man is real!

and soon...he will be mine. let's get cooking

(full disclosure: I crafted this snowman and took notes about it over a year ago. and then, like with many things in my life, I forgot about him, and let him drift into the ADHD void of Things I'm Not Currently Staring At, where object permanence is tentative and largely unrealized.

but here we are! and here he is: the slaw man. it's time to share him with you, so that you can suffer as I have suffered, and/or rejoice in my gelatin creation!)

so this recipe photo originally came from Mid-Century Menu (archive link), a blog that seems like one after my own heart, and which once tried to make the Slaw Man (with not much success; but we'll get back to that)! but it's not just that blog that has copies of this ad. I also found it on reddit, and in a few different places on ebay!

lookit that guy! he's a real guy!

both the reddit post and some of the ebay listings say that this is from 1963 (though I haven't been able to figure out which magazines it was printed in, to confirm this for myself). but in looking this up, I discovered something else fun! there's another version of this ad!

Best Foods is what Hellmann's stuff is called on the west coast, and the "this is no place for second best" thing makes a lot more sense when you consider that the ad was probably made for Best Foods first, and then just reused and rebranded for the east coast

the more you know!

anyway the benefit of finding this alternate ad is that the scan on this image is a lot clearer, and so the recipe is more readable! and in looking at it, I've realized something important:

when Mid-Century Menu tried this recipe, they got an ingredient amount wrong.

when they made their beloved Slaw Man, they had the water amount written down as 1/4 cup, but looking at this scan up close, it is actually 3/4 cup of water! something that might make a significant difference, considering we're working with gelatin!

(there's also another change I want to make compared to what they did, when I do this recipe. but we'll get into that in a sec.)

for now: we begin

so. there's no way I'm making a Slaw Man this large. I am just one person, and considering the ingredients of this, I don't think I'm going to be able to consume that much Slaw.

two entire heads of cabbage? three pounds of cottage cheese, a thing that I don't even like to eat? no. that's a bad idea.

so I'm starting small here and making this 1/3 the size of the original:

2 packets of unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup cold water 1 cup mayo 1 tsp salt 1lb cottage cheese 4 cups shredded cabbage

surely this will result in a reasonable amount of Man

...okay, I started chopping the cabbage thinking it would be easier, but I've given up and pulled out a grater. this is much better! and somehow more violent (affectionate)

the recipe says to soften the gelatin in cold water, and then stir over hot water until it's dissolved. I'm going to assume "stir over hot water" means a double boiler, so let's do that

hmmm, the gelatin is very foamy? it’s melted, but the bottom of the pot feels really....sticky

okay. after a couple minutes more and no change, I’m calling this good enough.

so one thing that others who have attempted this recipe have not taken into consideration is the cottage cheese. you see, the others used normal cottage cheese, but the recipe says to use "cottage cheese, cream style"

I’ll be real, I’m not 100% what that means, since we don’t have that here. but I can take an educated guess! so let’s blend the cottage cheese!

(with an immersion blender. I am not willing to wash an actual blender because of this)

mmm, yes. very smooth

...actually. why isn't all cottage cheese like this? the thing I hate about cottage cheese is the texture, so why isn't it all smooth and creamy like this?? I could eat this!!

a new discovery is made every day in this house.

okay, time to start mixing things together.

ah, frosty. I opened a whole new thing of mayo for you! do you feel special?

(I'd make a "pre-dinner snack?" joke, but sometimes I think I'm the only one that remembers Regular Ordinary Swedish Meal Time)

okay, the mayo, cottage cheese, and salt have been added to the gelatin. but as this cools, the texture is getting...hmm. less than appealing.

lastly: the cabbage

oh. oh this is not very nice

next it says to pack the "salad" into a one pound container, and two six-cup bowls, but since I made this recipe so much smaller, I'm going to uhhhh. uh. find some bowls that seem like they'd be correct...snowman? proportions?

ah. this bowl is too big.

hey, these'll work!

now I just have to let them chill for a while, and continue another day.

(edit from current!me: ahhh oh my god I forgot this was pretty soon after we adopted Jackie! look at these cat pics that I took while I was food crime-ing!

look at them having their little interactions! Knuckles was trying so hard to be friends with her! I love them)

hello! two days later and we are ready to assemble the slawman. and my sibling has started referring to him as "frosty: attorney at slaw", so that's fun.

I've done a thing where, as these set, I flipped them around in the bowl so that hopefully they'd be more round. we'll see if they actually stay like this.

I have also made some decorations for him out of peppers, olives, and carrots!

let's build our boy

oh he's so heavy. and wobbly

no no no he almost fell over!!

okay. he's fine. but more skewers were needed.

and...okay. he is complete.

behold!

gaze upon my beautiful man!

(he is not structurally sound! he wobbles unsteadily as I rotate him! there are already cracks forming in the gelatin around where his arms are! don't worry about it!)

 now it's time to stab him

and...to devour him

this tastes like...a bland coleslaw? and not even that. it's just sort of a salty, cottage cheese-y cabbage. the ingredients don't combine to become something greater, they simply...sit there. like this.

and the texture is...mmm. it's not a jello kind of texture, but it is a bit squashy in a way that's mildly strange.

it's very creamy once it softens in your mouth.

...I don't like this!

and look! taking just that one chunk from him was enough to destabilize him entirely :(

RIP frosty. now I just have to see if I can eat all of you before you go bad.

(note from current!me: I could not.

 I ate maybe half of him over the course of many days, often adding other stuff to him to try to add some flavor: bacon, frozen peas, cheese, etc. but even with that, I just couldn't stomach him.

after a while I stuck what was left of him in the freezer, hoping that maybe I'd find the will to consume the rest of him some other day.

do you know what a frozen-and-then-thawed mixture of cabbage, cottage cheese, mayo, and gelatin looks and tastes like?

bad. the answer is: bad.

I threw him out pretty quickly after thawing him.

do not try this recipe at home)

[shrimpscrawling]

Does anyone know of some sort of recipe generator website where I can give it what’s in my fridge and it gives me something to make?

[reducereuserecycleaustralia]

Reducing Food Waste in Australia: A Personal Journey Towards Sustainability

Australians love good food, and our nation boasts a rich culinary tradition. However, this enthusiasm for great meals sometimes leads to a significant issue – food waste. Did you know that Australia throws away a staggering 7.3 million tonnes of food each year? That’s a lot of delicious meals going to waste, and it’s not only harmful to our environment but also to our wallets. In this blog post,…

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Waste Not Want Not

Excess food that will go bad before it can be eaten or goes unused can be a trigger for those with food anxiety. Recipes that utilize food that would otherwise be tossed are a great way to reduce food waste and combat food-related anxiety. This week I used this recipe and turned stale bread into delicious croutons!

[aesethewitch]

Learning to Cook Like a Witch: Using the Scraps

Cooking can create a lot of waste. From peels and rinds to bones and leaves, people throw away quite a lot of scraps in the kitchen. And witches, as you may know, are experts in the art of the cunning use of whatever we’ve got around.

As a witch who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, I’ve had ample opportunities to get creative in my cooking craft. It helps that I grew up in a household defined by scarcity: not our own, by the time I was conscious enough to remember, but my parents’ poverty. It colored the way I learned to cook, using everything I possibly could, making enough to last, preserving what I didn’t immediately use, and creatively reusing leftovers and scraps.

There are some topics I won’t necessarily cover here. Composting is an option, but there are some bits of food scrap that don’t need to be composted — they can be saved and repurposed for all sorts of things, magic and mundane. Likewise, recycling, buying sustainably, and growing your own food when you can are all great options for reducing household waste in the kitchen.

For the purposes of this post, I want to focus specifically on food scraps. This is an organized list of kitchen scraps that I’ve used in a variety of other dishes and projects. I’m focusing primarily on food waste, not so much on packaging (such as reusing egg cartons, milk containers, boxes, and so forth).

Vegetable Scraps

Freeze leftover vegetable scraps to make stock. This is a fairly common bit of advice — save bits of leftover vegetables to make a vegetable stock or another kind of stock. It’s good advice! I keep a bag in my freezer that I put vegetable scraps in to save until I’m ready to make a new batch of stock. Not all veggies should be saved like this and used for stock! Some make stock bitter or otherwise unpleasant-tasting. Personally, I tend to freeze these for stock:

- The skins, ends, and leftover cuts of onions (just be wary of the skins; too much will make your broth bitter) - The ends of celery (not the leaves — they’re bitter!) - Corn cobs - Garlic skins, ends, tiny cloves that aren’t useful otherwise, and sprouted cloves - The ends of carrots (also not the leaves) - The ends of leeks - Pepper tops/bottoms (not the seeds)

I would recommend against putting things like potatoes, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and leafy greens in there. Potatoes don’t add flavor, sprouts and cabbage make the whole thing taste like those foods, and leafy greens end up bitter. If something has a strong, distinctive flavor (beets, sprouts), I wouldn’t add it to my freezer bag. These scraps often form the veggie portion of my Sick-Be-Gone Chicken Broth spell recipe!

Regrow leeks, green onions, and celery. Pop these in a bit of water and watch them grow back! It’s a fun experiment, and you’ll never have to buy them again.

Plant sprouted garlic. Aside from the fact that you can still cook and eat garlic that’s sprouted, you can plant a sprouted clove in a pot. Care for it well enough, and you’ll end up with a full head of garlic from that one clove!

Fry potato peels. Anytime I make mashed potatoes or peel potatoes for something, I always save the peels. Give them a thorough rinse and shallow-fry them in oil, turning them over until they’re golden and crispy. Toss them in a bit of salt and pepper while they’re still hot, and you’ve got tasty chips to snack on while you cook the rest of your meal! No need to cover them in more oil or anything — the heat will cause the salt to stick right to them.

Save leaves for pesto. Yum, yum, yum. Pesto isn’t just all about basil, you know. Save the leaves from carrots, beets, radishes, and even celery to grind up alongside basil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice for a delicious pesto recipe.

Fruit Scraps

Save citrus peels. Peels from oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits have a multitude of uses. Candy them for a sweet treat, dry them to add to potpourri or incense, or save them to put into a simmer pot for bright, sunny energy.

Juice the whole fruit. Again, thinking mostly about citrus fruits, when you need the zest from something but not the rest, don’t just throw away the fruit. Squeeze out all the juice you can. Even if you don’t need it right now, you can freeze it to use later in simmer pots, fruity waters, or anything else that needs a touch of juice.

Turn extra fruit and berries into jam or syrup. If you’ve got berries and fruit that are about to go off, or maybe the ends of strawberries, don’t toss them! Look up recipes for jam of the specific fruit you’ve got or make an infused syrup. Syrups in particular can be used for cocktails, teas, and desserts for an extra magical kick.

Pickle watermelon rinds. That’s right. Pickle those suckers. They’re so tasty. I’ve seen people make kimchi with watermelon rinds, too, though I’ve never tried it myself!

Save seeds for abundance work. Seeds in general are great for spells geared toward long-term success, new beginnings, and — when there are a lot of them — wealth. Different fruit seeds have properties that tend to correspond with the fruit they come from, so consider their potential purposes before you just toss them! (Note also that some fruit seeds are toxic; these would be suitable for baneful workings.)

Keep cherry stems for love magic. Have you ever done that thing where you tie a cherry stem with your tongue? If I’m eating cherries, I like to save some of the stems for love workings. Tie them into little knots like you might with string while envisioning ensnaring the love you’re looking for. I wouldn’t do this with a particular person in mind; binding someone to you is almost never a good idea. I’ve used it to attract specific qualities in a person of romantic interest: attentiveness, humor, kindness, and so forth.

Use pits to represent blockages, barriers, and problems. I most often use them in baneful workings, typically jammed into a poppet’s mouth or throat to keep someone from talking shit. It could also represent a sense of dread in that way — a pit in the stomach, uneasy and nauseating. But you could also use them in the sense of removal, ritualistically removing the pit or problem from a given situation.

Herb Scraps

Freeze or dry extra fresh herbs. Different drying techniques are ideal for specific herbs. I’d suggest looking up recommended methods before sticking anything in the microwave. If you’d like to freeze your herbs instead, I typically will lay them on a damp paper towel, wrap them up, place them into a freezer-safe bag, and then put them in the freezer. Most herbs will keep for a couple months this way. When you want to use them, pull them out and let them defrost right on the counter.

Make pesto. Again, pesto isn’t just basil! Experiment with tossing in different scraps of herbs to find out what combination you like best.

Reuse steeped tea. Particularly when I use loose herbal tea, I like to lay out the used tea to dry out. It can be burned similarly to loose incense, though the scent may be somewhat weaker than with herbs that are fresher or unused. I find that it’s fine, since I’m sensitive to smells anyways.

Toss extra herbs into your stock freezer bag. Just like with vegetables, extra herbs make welcome additions to a scrap stock pot. I always make a point to save sage, thyme, marjoram, and ginger. You can add just about anything to a stock pot, but be aware of the flavors you’re adding. Not all herbs will match with all dishes.

Protein Scraps

Dry and crush empty egg shells. This is one most witches will know! I use crushed egg shells for protection magic most often: sprinkled at a doorstep mixed with other herbs, added to jars, and spread around spell candles.

Save shrimp, crab, and lobster shells. They’re a goldmine of flavor. Toss them into water with veggies and herbs, and you’ve got a delicious, easy shellfish stock. Use it to make fishy soups and chowders that much richer.

Don’t discard roasted chicken remains. Use them for stock, just like the shells. I like to get rotisserie chickens on occasion since they’re ready-made and very tasty. Once all the meat has been stripped off the bones, simmer the entire carcass with — you guessed it — veggies and herbs for a tasty chicken stock.

Reuse bacon grease for frying. After cooking bacon, don’t throw away the grease right away. Melt it over low heat, strain the bits of bacon out, and pour it into a jar to put in the fridge. You can use it to fry all sorts of things, but my favorite thing is brussels sprouts. They pick up the delicious, salty, bacony flavor from all that rendered bacon fat. So good.

Other Scraps

Use stale bread for croutons or bread crumbs. When I reach the stale end of a loaf of bread, as long as it isn’t moldy, I like to tear it into pieces and toss it into the oven for a little while. Let it cool and then pulse it in a food processor, and I’ve got delicious bread crumbs! Or, cut it a little more neatly, toss it in oil and seasonings, and then bake, and now I’ve got homemade croutons for salads. You can really hone your herbs for both of these, tuning them to be perfect for whatever spell needs you have.

Small amounts of leftover sugar. I don’t know why, but I always end up with a tiny amount of white and brown sugar in the containers. This can be used in teas, of course, but I like to offer it up to spirits. In particular, my ancestors tend to appreciate a spoonful of brown sugar stirred into a small, warmed cup of milk. You can also look up mug cake or single-serving cookie recipes; often, they’re cooked in the microwave, and they only need a little sugar to make!

Keep vanilla bean pods. Vanilla is fucking expensive. When I have a little extra and want to really splurge for a special occasion, I’ll get a couple pods. And because they’re so expensive, I hate wasting any part of them. They’re good for love magic, sure, but you can also toss the spent pods in a jar full of sugar to make vanilla-infused sugar. I’ll often use the pods to make infused milks, too; warm the milk over low heat, add the pods, and let it steep like tea. It goes great in teas and desserts. For a nice self-love spell, sometimes I’ll melt chocolate into the vanilla milk and make hot cocoa!

Save the rinds from Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese. You might not be able to just bite into these, but they’re fabulous additions to a stock pot. They add a rich, umami depth to the flavors. I also like to throw these into pots of tomato sauce to add even more flavor to the sauce.

Used coffee is still coffee. After I make a pot of coffee, I’ll sometimes save the grounds by letting them dry back out. I wouldn’t make another cup of coffee with them, since all the flavor’s gone, but they’ll still have attributes of energy generation and smell great. I like to pack used grounds into sachets to hang in places where I want to encourage more energy and focus, replaced every few days or so. Coffee grounds also have high amounts of nitrogen in them, which can help plants thrive; just be careful about pH values in the soil! You don’t want to hurt your plants with too much acidity.

Final Thoughts

I hope you found these tips helpful! There are a ton more ways to save and reuse kitchen scraps that would otherwise go to waste. Sometimes, tossing stuff into the compost or trash can’t be avoided. But I’ve found that being aware of the possibilities can help diminish the amount that gets wasted.

If you have questions or other suggestions for reusing kitchen scraps, feel free to drop them in my inbox, reblogs, or replies. And if you did enjoy this post, consider tossing a couple dollars in my tip jar! Supporters get early and sometimes exclusive access to my work, and monthly members get bonuses like commission discounts and extras. (:

[kitsumidori]

I completely forgot about that until you mentioned it. (I think I remember seeing it from another post at one point, but it might have slipped out of my mind)

While I'm not an alcohol person, I kinda want to drink it (it's blue and it looks real neat :3)

a taste (pun intended) of the upcoming borderlands cookbook

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

compos mentis 10

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, age gap, chronic health issues, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: After a long court case, your mother stays attached to her lawyer, bringing even more contention into your life.

Characters: Andy Barber

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

You turn the dial and watch the wheel on the screen. The high-tech washer is a bit intimidating. It’s not like your mom didn’t insist on having everything with redundant features, but this is something else. You tap start on the touch screen and the machine shows a smiley face over the word ‘fill’. 

You shut the door of the laundry room as you carry out the empty shopping bags. You enter the kitchen where you hear Andy. He has his back to you as he reads something. 

“Got everything sorted. Colours first,” you say, then let out a strange wheeze. You’re not out of breath but you just feel like you should be. You’re still adjusting. 

“That’s good,” he says as he puts down the canister and turns to you. “I was just about to start some dinner.” 

“Dinner?” You repeat. “Could I... help?” 

“You wanna?” He sounds surprised. 

“Sure, I... before... I never got to do anything,” you take a deep breath.

He frowns, “are you okay?” 

“Yes, I just... it’s weird not having the air,” you shrug and look down at the bags. “Where can I put these?” 

“We can reuse them. Just in this cupboard.” 

He crosses the kitchen and opens a lower cupboard. There’s a plastic crate with folded cloth bags and the like. You near and bend to tuck the other ones beneath. He doesn’t move back but you don’t think he realises he’s crowding you. 

“So...” you stand straight and face him. He is very close. You didn’t notice the little silver strands in his beard before. “What are you making?” 

“We’re...” he corrects you, “making some fried chicken. Or trying to. I still haven’t perfected it but I found a recipe online.” 

“Oh. Fried chicken?” You say. 

“You don’t like it?” His brow furrows. 

“No, no, I... I can’t remember if I like it. Mom never let have any once I got sick. She said it was bad for me.” You look down. “She lied. Just like everything.” 

“Oh, honey,” he puts his hands on your arms, startling you. Even so, you don’t pull away. He’s being kind, you don’t want to offend him. “I’m so sorry. I know it must be hard but... try not to think about her. She doesn’t deserve your energy.” 

You nod and sniffle. “I’m trying. It’s just... hard.” 

“I know,” his thumbs rub against your sleeves. “Do you want a hug?” 

You flinch and look up at him. Your brows squiggle and your blink in a flutter. You don’t know how to answer that. You remember the few times you tried to hug your mom and she shooed you off, saying she didn’t want to get tangled in your tube. 

“You seem like you need it,” he coaxes. 

After all he’s done for you, you feel guilty refusing him. And you’re not quite sure either way. It might not be that bad. Not if he’s offering, right? 

“Okay,” you answer. 

He slides his hands around your arms and encloses you in an embrace that has your head against his chest. You turn your ear to him and hear his heartbeat. He rubs your back. His firm palm sends warmth through you, along with a strange chill. Something not quite cold, just tingly. 

You stay like that. Rigid at first. Then, feeling awkward, you move your arms around him. 

He holds you for a bit longer then slowly releases you. His hands trail up and down your arms as he looks down at you. Your cheeks are flush with heat. 

“You give great hugs,” he says. 

“I... do?” 

“Sure,” he smiles. 

“Um. You too.” You utter. 

He runs his hands down to your hands, clinging to them for just a second, then lets you go completely. He clears his throat and looks away. “So, are you hungry or what?” 

“Yeah, actually,” you shuffle over to the counter as his steps are more certain. 

“Alright, to start... By the way, I use the air fryer. Deep drying is so bad for you.” 

“I don’t mind,” you assure him. “Mom used to by these frozen dinners I just put in the microwave...” 

“She didn’t cook for you?” He asks. 

“Not really,” you shrug. “I was always too light-headed to stand that long...” 

“Right.” He stiffens as he opens a cupboard and takes down a large bowl. 

You squirm, “I didn’t mean to talk about her. Or upset you.” 

“You didn’t upset me. She does,” he insists as he uncaps the canister of breadcrumbs. “I just—thinking what she did. How she tricked all of us, but you especially. She made you think--” He stops himself. “I won’t get into it. I’m sorry.” 

“I feel bad she dragged you into this,” you hang your head. 

“I don’t,” he intones as he shakes crumbs into the bowl. “If she didn’t, she’d still be hurting you. I wouldn’t have been able to help you.” 

“Oh...” 

“Do you want to grab the flour, sweetie? It’s just in that cupboard.” He points in front of you. 

You open the door and find the sack of flower. You grab it and offer it to him. 

“You go ahead. About half cup for now.” He directs. 

“Oh, I...” 

“Just guess. Doesn’t have to be exact,” he assures. 

You nod and carefully unroll the top of the bag. You tip it over the brim and tap the side to get the powder out. You think you poured too much. You turn the bag upright. You fold it down again. 

You put it away as Andy spins the spice rack. You watch him pick out several jars. You rub your fingertips, dry from the flour. 

“Andy?” you eke out. 

“Yes, sweetie,” he says as he seasons the crumbs and flour. 

“You didn’t... didn’t just help me, you know?” You turn and twiddle your fingertips together. “I think you saved me.” 

His cheeks dimple and his blue eyes flick over to meet yours. “I’d like to think so, but...” 

“But?” 

“But it took me so long,” he shakes his head. 

“But you did! Andy. You really did.” 

His lips slant and he shrugs, “I don’t know.” 

“Andy, if you—if you never stood up to her, I wouldn’t have,” you frown. “I’m too weak for that.” 

“You’re not weak,” he insists. “You just never got a chance. She took that from you.” 

“Maybe...” you drone. 

“She did,” he says, his eyes clinging to you. His expression softens and he narrows his eyes. 

“What? What are you looking at?” You touch your face in panic. 

“You,” he smiles, letting the tension slake away. “I said it before but you really do look so beautiful.” 

“Beautiful? You didn’t say... that,” you blush. 

“Didn’t I?” He wonders. You shake your head. “Well, I’m sorry because you do. You are really beautiful.” He blinks and pokes his tongue into his cheek, turning back to the bowl as he pushes the contents around with a wooden spoon. “I don’t wanna stop looking at you.” 

“Andy,” you gasp. “You don’t have to say that.” 

“I have a bad habit of telling the truth,” he chuckles. “Sweetie, you mind getting the chicken out of the fridge?” 

“Yeah, I can do that,” you say. 

You go to the fridge and open the left-door. You find the package of drumsticks and shut the door. As you glance at Andy, he’s staring. Again. 

“I’m not trying to gawk,” he says as he takes the chicken from you. “Really. I just... can’t help myself.” 

“Andy,” you squeak again. 

“Don’t be afraid to tell me to cut it out if I keep staring,” he laughs. “But I can’t guarantee I’ll listen.” 

You smile. You can’t think of another time when anyone called you beautiful or said anything nice. It was always bad news or reprimands. The doctors were annoyed and just wanted you gone. Your mom was the same. But Andy. Andy has no obligation to you and yet you don’t feel that. You feel... wanted. 

You chest tightens and your eyes burn. The realisation is a bitter as his compliments are sweet. You turn away. 

“Do you mind if I just... check the laundry?” You ask quietly. 

There’s a lull before he answers. You can feel his gaze again. “Go ahead. You know if you need anything, you can just tell me.” 

“I know, Andy,” you traipse away. “I’ll be right back.” 

You flee into the hall and don’t stop until you’re in the laundry room. As much as you want to cry, you won’t. You wouldn’t be able to hide the evidence. No, you can do this. Just take a breath. Deep; in then out. Isn’t it wonderful how easy it is? 

🩷

Sleep nips at your eyes but you can’t quite sink beneath the surface. You’re adjusting. This house is still strange to you. Just like everything else. 

You turn onto your side, then roll the other way, back and forth as your insides stir. You can’t get them to stop. Or your brain. 

When you’re not thinking about your mom, you’re thinking about the doctors, and when you’re not thinking about them, you’re thinking about the people and things you never knew. All those missed opportunities. You blame her but you blame yourself too. You let her do this to you. 

When at last you can shove aside the memories that make you cringe and shudder, you think of Andy. He’s so nice but you think you know why. He feels bad for you. Just like those people who used to see with your tank and offer you their seat or hold the door for you. 

You think of all he’s done and how you could pay it back. How you can’t. It’s a rotten feeling to owe someone. That’s how you always felt with your mom. She never failed to remind you about everything she did for you. 

You sit up, your stomach brewing. You can’t settle down. You’re trying but the more you do, the worse it gets. 

You linger on the edge of the bed and try to figure out what to do. You need a distraction. You stare at the peek of the moon visible between the curtains. 

The house is quiet. You don’t want to wake Andy but if you stay upstairs, you’re certain you will. You get up and listen at the door. You hope he doesn’t mind... 

You go out into the hall. The house is dark. You tiptoe to the stairs and slowly put your foot down the first step. 

You’re sure you’ll get through one rerun of Law and Order and be ready to pass out. It always does the trick. As you come down to the first floor, you notice the haze from the front room. The flicker of colours along with the low buzz of voices draws you forward. 

Andy beat you to it. He’s watching The Andy Griffith Show. You remember the actors from when your grandma used to let the episodes play in the background. The last time you saw her, you were six. She’s gone now. 

You hide behind the door frame and look back at the staircase. You could try again. 

“Can’t sleep?” Andy’s voice startles you. You yelp. 

You sniff, “uh, yes. Sorry.” 

“Don’t be sorry. I can’t either,” he says. “You wanna watch something? Doesn’t have to be this?” 

You turn and peer through the door. You shrug, “if you don’t mind. You don’t have to change it.” 

“I don’t mind at all.” 

You cross the room and go around the couch. He's in a tee and a pair of shorts. They might even be boxers. You try not to stare.

You sit on the opposite corner. He offers you the remote. 

“No, please, you pick,” you wave it away. 

“Really, go ahead,” he wiggles it at you. 

“I... okay.” 

You take the remote. You look down at the buttons and reluctantly push the Guide button. You flick through, searching for something that isn’t too niche. 

“I’m just happy to have someone around,” he says as he leans back. “It’s been a long time since I that’s been the case.” He shifts a little closer. “I didn’t realise how much I missed that.” 

You keep your eyes on the screen and select Law and Order. You rest the remote on the armrest and chew your lip. You’ve always been alone but you’re starting to realise how miserable that was. 

[dizzymaiden]

I thought you guys would like this idea! -Reusing empty fruitcups for a separate cracker/crouton container when paired with a canning jar snack/meal! (Note: With the bigger jars, you can use two fruit cups, -one inside beneath the seal, and one on top, held in-place by the lid's ring. -The one under the seal works great for "wet" items like dip and salad dressing. )

for double fruit cups you would put the first fruit cup right side up resting on the lip of the jar, put the seal lid on, then put the other cup on upside down and put the ring on to keep it all in place. See photo where the dip is inside the jar.

[homey-worshiper]

crafts/activities for lady hestia

that are not only "baking and cooking"

clay candle holders {air dry clay, polymer}

candle making {not only you can reuse and mix the candles you already have, leftovers of candles, but also i see so many candle making kits, so just imagine getting a tea for you and lady hestia and spending the evening making candles}

having a cookbook {activily looking for recipes, while scrolling pinterest saving pictures of pretty cookies and then trying to recreate them}

start a collection {shells, postcards, crystals, books, candles, blankets...}

make a craft/hobby basket {if you're a crocheting person - have your projects in it, maybe you also like coloring books - put one there, if there's a specific tea you want to try - put it there, when the time comes you will have a full set of hobbies to choose from}

[jujuscrolled]

Baby, It’s Cold Outside !

☆ pairing: satoru gojo x gn!reader

☆ synopsis: Your best friend Satoru Gojo had a bad habit of hogging you all to himself - especially around the holidays - but he always knew when to share. That being said, despite you telling him about your very important date with the guy from one of your classes, he seemed to be abnormally clingy (which you didn’t even think was possible.) Hopefully your hot date won’t mind the messy hair and rosy cheeks you’d probably show up with…

☆ content: fluff, slight very minimal angst if u squint super duper hard, just toru being … the cutest <333

☆ word count: 2.4K

☆a/n: happy toru day !! pls enjoy <3 comments and reblogs always appreciated!

“Wait, what?” Satoru asked, cerulean eyes staring at your figure as you moved across the room. He watched as you twisted the bright red ribbon in your hands into a perfect bow before you secured it to the tree you had been helping him decorate.

“Mm? Oh, I said we have to hurry because I have a date.” You all but squealed. Only sparing him a measly glance, still missing the absolute heartbreak in your best friend’s face.

He had noticed how quick you were moving, almost as if you wanted to leave as soon as possible, and it had hurt his feelings when he was only assuming that you wanted out but now that it was confirmed that you actually did want to leave he felt even worse.

Decorating the Christmas tree was tradition for the two of you - was a date really more important than tradition? Would Satoru act the same if he had a date with someone? He wouldn’t know - he hasn’t looked for a date since… Well, actually, he couldn’t recall the last time he’d been attracted to anyone since meeting you your freshman year in high school.

His frown only deepened at the realization that he’d been single for far too long.

Then again, you’d been single for about the same amount of time - it was really no shock that you were excited to be going on a date - but still, Satoru couldn’t help the green eyed monster that was clawing it’s way out of the deep depths of his soul.

“Toru, the ornaments aren’t gonna hang themselves, silly!” You called, finally sparing him more than a glance. It was only then that you saw his adorable pout that he always seemed to sport whenever he felt you weren’t giving him enough attention. You couldn’t help the soft chuckle that left your lips, causing Satoru’s eyes to light up - something that you had missed since you had turned around to place your ribbon down before turning back to him and making your way over.

“You’re so needy, Toru, you know that?” You sighed, ruffling his hair before sitting next to him and grabbing one of the hooks from the little box so you could help him place them onto the ornaments.

Truth be told, you hated having to place the hooks into each of the ornaments but Satoru always insisted that it was what made the decorating so fun - pouring your blood (sometimes those hooks were far too sharp despite being reused so many times), sweat and tears into this tree was where your pride should come from. (He mostly says this because truthfully; a pretty tree was never something you’d both achieve - your tastes were just too different so the poor tree was more chaotic than aesthetic. In the end it was more of an eyesore than anything but the experience was what gave it its beauty.)

“Well sorry that I enjoy having you around.” He shrugged, glancing over at you before continuing the tedious process. You only grinned at him, placing your head on his shoulder as you told him about a random TikTok video that you’d seen earlier about a hot chocolate recipe you two should try. He hummed along to what you said, unable to really process anything you were saying because of your close proximity, but trying to regardless.

You’d both always be touchy; holding hands, hugging each other, your feet always finding each other under the tables, all of these things were normal - but for some reason, knowing you had a date with someone who wasn’t him made all of the touching so much more intense. Would you be touching your date like you touched him tonight? Would you touch him in ways Satoru could only dream of?

Once again, he swallowed his jealousy, choosing instead to wrap his arm around your shoulder and lean into you.

“Speaking of, I saw this video about a mac and cheese recipe I want to try. Should we make it right now? I can go get the stuff!” He had already made his way to stand up but you grabbed the the waistband of his pajama pants (and yes, they did match the ones you were wearing as well - that’s was another part of the tradition), pulling him back down.

“Toru, we need to finish this tree.” You whined, handing him one of the ornaments you’d put a hook into. He groaned, grabbing it from you before putting it back in the container and tackling you into the couch.

You groaned under his weight, shifting so you’d be able to breathe despite his arms being wrapped tightly around your torso. His face buried itself into the crook of your neck, tickling you as his breath fanned across the nape of your neck.

“But, Y/n~.” He whined, pulling you impossibly closer to his body. His body heat combined with the heat of the fireplace was making you dizzy. Or maybe it was his cologne, and the way his fingertips were slowly inching their way under you to the back of your neck forcing your own arms to wrap around his neck so your arms wouldn’t get sore.

You blinked before sighing and reaching a hand up to turn through fluffy white locks of hair. Satoru practically purred under your touch, lips so close to the erratic pulsing of your jugular vein that if he had no self control he’d be placing a soft kiss onto it.

“I think you should cancel your date.” He whispered causing you to pause your ministrations. “Huh?” You asked, completely caught off guard by his request.

He’d never interjected with anything you did in your life; in fact, he was always your number one supporter. It didn’t matter what you did, he’d be right alongside you cheering you on or even joining you if possible. Hell, one time in high school he’d even joined the cheer team for you - the both of you ending up quitting about a month in because neither of you enjoyed using your flexibility.

It had been years since you last went on a date with anyone, it really was getting a bit disappointing to still not have a significant other or even a damned situationship would be better than the lack of attention. So you thought he’d be jumping for joy with you - not encouraging you to die alone.

Though, if you really thought about it, you hadn’t really felt lonely the entire time you’d been single. Satoru had always been there, keeping you company and cheering you up whenever you needed him. But, Satoru was your best friend - not your boyfriend.

You sighed at your thoughts and pulled away from Satoru slightly, looking down only to see that he was already looking at you, eyes wide and pleading. You frowned and began playing with his hair again.

“I can’t just cancel my date, hun. He said he’d been planning it the entire week.” You explained watching as he furrowed his brows before burying his face back into your neck.

“So? just tell him it’s cold outside and that you don’t want to get sick.” He shrugged causing you to roll your eyes.

“I have a jacket.”

“Your hands are freezing and you’re not even outside yet.” He scoffed.

“Not fair, they’re always cold.” You said. It was true, you’d seen the way the goosebumps rose on his skin the second your hands had touched him. That was the funny thing about Satoru though, he’d never back out of your touch despite how cold your hands always seemed to be. You grinned at the thought, running your hand back down to the nape of his neck making him shiver.

“I’ll make you that hot chocolate you talked about - have the ingredients ‘n everything.” He bribed you, glancing up at you before closing his eyes. You felt his lashes brush against your pulse point, coaxing a shiver out of you.

“Toru.”

“Please, I’ll even let you borrow my other pajamas. Know you like those.” He grinned against you. You rolled your eyes; “I already have pajamas on.”

“But mine are much warmer…”

“… I guess, technically, we do have time to make the hot chocolate….”

He immediately removed himself from you making you shiver as a rush of cold air hit your body at once. “Perfect! Y’know where my stuff is, you change and I’ll get the stuff out.”

One batch of hot chocolate later, the two of you found yourselves lying by the fireplace, legs intertwined as he played with your fingers. “Can I practice palm reading on you?” He asked not moving his eyes from your hands that he couldn’t help but notice fit perfectly within his. You hummed in thought, eyes focused on the television that was playing some random Christmas movie - another tradition of yours.

“Is that a yes?”

“Depends how quick you can get it done.” You murmured watching as Jack Black charmed his way into Kate Winslet’s heart.

“Ugh, you still haven’t let that go?”

“My date? No, Toru, I haven’t forgotten about my date.”

He groaned dramatically, rolling on top of you again before biting down on your clothed shoulder, “ouch! Toru, that hurts!”

It hadn’t hurt but showing up with a bite mark to your date probably wouldn’t be a good look. The messy hair and rosy cheeks from the heat of the fireplace (and such) were probably going to cause you some trouble as is. Not to mention the probability of you showing up late was increasing the longer Satoru held you hostage in his arms.

Before he could say anything, a particularly loud gust of wind blew through the cracks of the windowpane causing a eerie whistling sound to fill the room and a cold chill to lick its way up your exposed arms. You shivered under Satoru who only huffed, “it’s freezing out there, just stay the night, Y/n.” He murmured looking back down at you. You frowned, “I already told you it’s too late to cancel.”

“The fact that he hasn’t cancelled already just shows he’s a red flag. What kind of boyfriend wants you to be out in the cold like that?” He muttered rolling his eyes.

“Don’t be silly, I already told you I have a jacket. And besides he’s not my boyfriend he’s a man i’m going on a date with.”

“Who wants to be your boyfriend.” He clarified, but you only rolled your eyes.

“I have an hour before I have to leave and we haven’t even finished the tree.” You reminded him, trying to push him off of you but he wouldn’t budge.

“Toru.” You warned causing him to sigh and release you, “you really won’t cancel?” He asked. Satoru was very playful, cracking jokes at times that most would consider inappropriate, but on the rare occasion that he was being serious the mood would immediately shift. This was one of those times and it made you frown.

“Why are you so insistent on me canceling?” You asked, sitting up so you could look at him closely. He sat in front of you, legs crossed and hands placed firmly on his knees before he let out a big sigh. “Well, how do I know you’ll be okay? Who even is this guy?” He scoffed.

“He’s in my child development class. Plus I don’t really think he’s a freak or anything since we’re friends and all.” You shrugged, leaning back into your elbows. Satoru watched you closely, eyes narrowing as he gathered his thoughts.

“Friends, you say, but I’ve never even had the displeasure of meeting him? What are his grades like?”

“I dunno, like a B?” Satoru scoffed at your answer, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

“B for bum. I passed with an A.”

It was your turn to roll your eyes. “He was sick for a week so he missed a couple assignments.” You explained, shrugging. “So now he wants you to get sick. Probably wants to drag you down instead of building you up like I would.”

“Toru, you’re ridiculous. He’s not trying to fail me.”

“Did he tell you this?” You groaned, rubbing a hand over your face in frustration. You didn’t understand why he was making this so difficult for you. It was just a stupid date that you agreed to go to because he offered to take you to your favorite restaurant. That’s it. He was cute, sure, but you weren’t even sure if you’d wanted to be in a relationship right now. You thought you did, because it really was starting to bother you that you’d been single for such a long time, but really you had never felt the need to look for someone other than your best friend.

“Satoru, why are you so adamant on this? It’s just a stupid date!” You huffed.

“You say it’s just a stupid date but yet you’re willing to cut our tradition short over it? How does that even make sense?” He scoffed, brows furrowed and breaths quickening. You matched his anger, suddenly feeling attacked.

“I’m not, but you rushed it too! You are the one who insisted on having it today even though I told you I had plans tonight!” You said making him groan.

“Yeah but you didn’t mention it was because of a date!”

“What difference would that even make?! A plan is a plan!” You argued to which he only shook his head to. “It makes a hell of a difference, Y/n!” Your eyes widened at the use of your name in such a serious manner. His chest was heaving, cheeks flushed in anger and eyes dulling significantly but still holding a fire behind them.

“Why?!”

“Damnit because i’m in love with you, Y/n! And I’m sorry it took being jealous to realize it but now that I’ve realized I’m afraid I can’t let you go on that date. At least, not unless you tell me to fuck right off.”

Your lips parted in shock, eyes widening significantly as you scanned his features for any chance that he was playing a sick joke on you. The only thing you were met with was furiously red cheeks, and pure genuineness adorning his every feature. You let out the breath you had unknowingly been holding.

“You love me?” You asked, he shook his head, “no, i’m in love with you. I adore you, and I have for a while now, honestly.” He muttered, eyes looking anywhere but your face.

“Toru? Toru look at me, yea?” You coaxed finally getting him to look at you.

“I’m in love with you too, silly.”

Safe to say, you hadn’t made it to your date that night, but the tree was your usual beautiful eyesore and the kisses shared under the mistletoe left you warmer than any hot chocolate recipe out there.

[tiramisuwithmascarpone]

Flowers you gave to Gods have withered away? no problemo, reuse them!

Hello guys! I believe I made a post before in which I talked about my habit of picking up flowers for Lady Aphrodite, Lord Hermes, and Lady Athena whenever I come back home. However, since they do not have dirt in which to expand their roots and absorb water, they wither away very soon. Generally, I would advise you to not leave expired food or dried-up flowers on your deity's altar. But there comes the question

,, Jelly, what do I do with them afterward?"

Well, fear not, because I've got just the solution as your fellow devotee and flower enjoyer!

1. Make homemade Potpourri!

A potpourri is basically a jar full of flowers, fruits, spices, etc. Which you leave in your room for its scent. Once your flowers get all dry, you can make one of these and place them in your room as to fill it with scents that remind you of your deities! and it is also a way more natural alternative to room freshener. I personally follow this recipe:

– Spread your flower heads and petals on a baking sheet. – Dry your flowers in an oven at 93° Celsius (200° Fahrenheit), which may take up to two hours. – Place dried flowers in an airtight container with a lid and add two or three drops of essential oils for your ideal scent. Rose, lemon, lavender, and cinnamon are among the most common fragrances for the home. – Store for six to eight weeks to allow the flowers to absorb the essential oils.

PS: Can also be a good freshener for your altar!

2. Homemade dried flower body scrub!

I actually only found out abut this today. But, apparently, if you mix up dried flower petals with Epsom salt, sea salt, baking soda, and essential oils you can basically create a scrub! I dunno if I would recommend it to people with sensitive skin tho...

3.Scented room spray

Mix together essential oils, alcohol, and dried flowers, and BOOM natural room spray! poof a little on your altar every morning!

4. If they are roses, make rosaries out of them!

Even though rosaries can be found a lot in Catholicism, many other religions use them. Buddhists, Muslims, and so much more! and, they actually used to be made out of actual roses. @jekraftbooks has a very good tutorial on TikTok about this, but basically, you need to:

1.Take your dried roses and throw them in a blender

2.Cook them down for several days at a low temperature. Only simmering, never boil.

3.When it begins to form like a clay ball, it is ready to go! Get a cheese cloth and squeeze all the water you can out of the clay. (Keep it for later)

4.Roll them into balls. Put a needle through them to make the hole, then leave them on cardboard for a few days to dry.

5. Once they dry, they will be rough, but we need them to have a smooth texture. Use the water from step 3, then rub some oil on them to give them some shine and protection from water ✨

6.Your beads are done! congrats! make necklaces, earrings, bracelets, any type of jewelry you wish for with them! You can also dedicate them to a deity as devotional jewelry or use them for prayer. Let your creativity go wild!!