#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 👀

[southernflamesbbq]

BBQ Leftover Recipes: 3 Delicious Rib Ideas for Mt. Airy & Philly Foodies

Don’t toss those ribs! Try these BBQ leftover recipes at Southern Flames, turning smoked meats into bold, flavor-packed meals. Whether you're in Germantown, Chestnut Hill, or Mt. Airy, discover mouthwatering ideas like a brisket omelet recipe, stuffed baked potato with BBQ rib meat, and more. These creative Southern BBQ recipes are perfect for next-day meals that taste just as amazing as fresh-off-the-grill. Southern Flames BBQ makes leftovers legendary—ideal for Philadelphia BBQ lovers looking to stretch their feast into something new. Dive into these three easy, delicious ways to repurpose your BBQ leftovers!

[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,…

[goldkirk]

and if you weren’t as lucky as I was to learn from Great Depression grandparents:

• everything you can wash, save, and reuse or alter/repurpose, start learning to do it. you can always toss it later if you look it up and CAN’T find a use for it that makes it worth keeping for you. But give yourself the chance.

• learn to mend and do basic hand sewing.

• learn cheap recipes based around rice, beans, potatoes, etc. (casseroles can help with this, and use lots of cheaper frozen or canned food too)

• ten extra seconds every time you use something to refold it really well (or wipe it off, or repack it, or whatever) will extend its life so much. spend the little bits of time and the small routine maintenance tasks so you don’t have to replace things or repair them nearly as soon

• coupon. use sale ads. check every membership and group you have for discounts and deals.

• build a deep pantry. you want enough to feed yourself food you’ll actually eat for two weeks. If you want and you can, you can expand it to three months.

• learn how to dehydrate or can or freeze dry if you can

• learn your local plants and what you can forage

• build strong communities with people you can mutually trade supplies and skills with (ironing, home repair, mending, weaving, carpentry, painting, landscaping, gardening, etc.) and people who you are lightened and warmed by and can socialize with and emotionally support each other with

• swap things. Find local buy-nothing groups and local freecycle people

• USE THE LIBRARY. FIND OUT ALL THE THINGS IT CAN DO AND PROVIDE FOR YOU

• there’s no shame in using a food pantry. Use one if you need it. no one there is judging you. many more people have used one at least once in their life than you’d ever guess, I promise.

• inventory what you already have. For real. Fully. Your supplies for food, your cooking appliances, your toolbox, your entertainment games, your books, your clothing. Know what you have, figure out what you need to fill in still, and figure out if you have any extra you can give away, swap, or sell to those who need it

• humans are always humans. humans have always been humans. in disaster, humans tend towards kindness and community. NOT panic and distrust. accept that fact and live and plan accordingly

• shelf stable is your friend

• Learn To Ask For Help

[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. (:

[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.

[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. 

[dallasgallant]

Time period post: Tough decisions (being poor in the 1960s)

It pains me when Greasers, especially in relation to the outsiders get boiled down to Jackets, hair grease and rock n’ roll. I spoke of it here and a few of my other posts of greasers as a subculture, but it was often times a label put on “Poor Bully” social clubs/friend groups/gangs. Who sometimes where the expected uniforms other times don’t.

Class is something that’s essential to understanding the context of the Curtis gang and The Outsiders. Sometimes, I think that how poor they are tends to be forgotten or people are unfamiliar with things to consider or incorporate so I hope this can help. It’s not ‘we can’t go on vacation :(.’ It’s ‘sometimes you have to chose between food and heat’.

I’m going to try and do my best to share some base elements that’d be helpful for fics and fanart. This is not a historical rundown on treatment, programs or social movements of the time but the more practical, day to day instead of broader background. Also not saying all of these apply.

Lunch meat and stretching-

When it comes to food it’s going to be more canned and processed, baloney as lunch meat instead of turkey. Canned vegetables instead of fresh ones at dinner. White bread over something from a bakery. Cheaper cuts of meat like: rounds, thighs, flank, cube steak, or sometimes not a meat at all if it’s a hard month.

Buying foods on sale (everything really) or from thrift food stores. Around this time SNAP (foodstamps) got a big revitalization so fresher food is more available and there’s help with grocery costs. Other resources are places like Food banks, food pantry’s , soup kitchens, charity’s or churches as a place to get some ingredients or a meal if particularly in need

Seasoning and sauces tend to be heavy, both out of recipes at the time but also if you have a lesser quality ingredient it’s easier to taste better/be better for you. Meals could be fixed too, having fixed menus and a few staple recipes to recycle through can be a real budgeting help and help to mothers/who cooks (this is true in middle class homes too)

I don’t know for sure but I can imagine that some staple recipes that might be shared are hold overs from the Great Depression or war rations, as they aren’t far off in the 60s. Things from necessity can quickly become a staple/nostalgic as well as already being a thrifty recipe.

Repair, reuse and recycle-

Broken and dirty things aren’t just tossed away as easily, if it can be cleaned or fixed in anyway- it will be or kept around until it can be. Clothes are mended— wear shoes till there’s holes and they’re taped just to stay on before getting a new pair.

Repairs, damaged and broken things or parts of the house that need repair can take a long time to get around to if most of the house is working. If you can’t fix yourself but can’t afford a repairman either. Poor economic circumstances can make people get creative and build practical skills, learn to fix, pick parts and Jerry-rig. When fixing or replacing can be a luxury it’s a great skill to learn for yourself.

I’ve talked about it in my car post but there’s also junk yards! It’s not just cars and it’s not always an established spot, sometimes it’s someone’s literal lawn/yard. A place to pick stuff apart for parts to use or sell — it is a good help and spot for community. Mentioned in the movie how the Curtis yard and a few surrounding have the beginnings, old Cars, lumber etc

Use things up! You finish shampoo? Put water in it. Stretch it. There’s a tangible appreciation of even mundane products, fully using what you have.

Reuse old containers (like the trope of the sewing kit in the cookies or the butter as Tupperware.) the 1960s had a lot of good solid glass and other material containers that could truly be reused and durable.

Sacrifice-

Sometimes you have to make the rough choices, what gets fixed, what bills get paid, who showers, who eats? What is the priority for this paycheck? It can be hard to save up.

There’s also a variety of social programs, officers and charities to work through. While not always reliable services like employment offices, night school, skill centers etc all exist as additional resources. Increasingly so with the social changes of the 1960s and pressure put on the government to make change.

Pride and community-

First brought up and I’ve explained it better in this post, but there’s a real social safety net and reliance on others. You help your own and also know when to mind your business. Talking at the gas station or bait/hunting shopping or local dive instead of cocktail parties, waving off porches where everyone’s invited.

At the same time it’s an environment where it’s easier for teens to turn to the street, getting rough and gangs. Between boredom, masculinity and sometimes necessity it’s easy to see. Especially when home might be at work a lot or caring that stress/anger home and creating a cycle.

There’s resolve, practical skill, love, resilience too. At the end of the day you go out and shop, you talk with neighbors, you go to school or watch TV like anyone else. what I don’t want to do is paint a desolate victim image— there’s so much more to a person than hard decisions or being poor. That’s part of what the Outsiders is about— how they’re regular guys too but this image put on them can really bring a guy down.

There’s pride too, that doesn’t come from ownership. From paving way, from survival, from managing on your own. Pride for yourself and your community despite negativity.

Greasy girls make do-

When money is scarce you’re not going to have a large budget for non essentials like makeup, hair rollers etc. So you get creative, there’s stories of Dolly pinching her cheeks or making eye liner from burnt matchsticks— girls find a way to pretty themselves. Now I don’t think most on the east side are at that extent but it highlights my point. Honestly i think most of the girls would lift some of their collection, or have it from the pharmacy not the Sears (not so different from today.) they’d also do it far bolder/heavier.

No rollers the size you want? No problem… orange drink cans! Or any empty can, it’s become a “redneck trope” At this point but it’s longstanding, same goes for using a literal clothes iron to straighten hair (both would also be used by middle class girls).

Girls would also be working, helping family if need be too. Important to note this. There’s always been working women, long before Ww2 and don’t ever think otherwise.