#we have a few other little bowls of similar size but they are not as nicely shaped

[pride-of-storm]

once again upset over that time i accidentally broke bowl and cut myself on it they are such perfect snack bowls and now we're down to two D:

[thewritetofreespeech]

Could I request Alucard/Adrian with an s/o who uses food-based magic? Enlarging the food's size, turning anything she touches into food, etc.

Alucard + s/o with food magic abiliites

The smoldering embers of the battle were starting to fade as the sun came up, and the night creatures retreated back to their holds for another day. For now, these people were safe. But at what price.

“It’s hard to say how many are dead. The magistrate is going to take a roster of the town to account for who’s missing.”

“God bless bureaucracy.” Trevor scoffed at Sypha, as he coiled up his whip and put it back on his hip. “Where would we be without lists?”

“Order gives humans a sense of purpose. A sense of control.” Alucard said. Looking around at the chaos still around them and wondering how these people were going to make sense of it.

“What these people need are resources!” Trevor hissed incredulously. “They don’t need an accounting system right now. They need food, water, medicine, homes. Does anyone really think knowing who’s dead and who isn’t is going help these people when their starving because the night creatures burned down the stores & larders? It’s stupid. What we need todo is work on…where is everyone going?”

During Trevor’s rant about the system, the 3 noticed that people were starting to shuffle off to one corner. Then they were running in the same direction. It couldn’t be them running for cover, as the attacks would be quiet until nightfall, so they went to investigate.

“What’s all this?” Alucard asked as he came upon the crowd. Huddled masses pushing and shoving to get to the front where [Y/N] was standing with a larger caldron, doling out what appeared to be soup.

“Wait your turn!”

Alucard glared at the nasty, but most likely just desperate man, who yelled at him. But before he could say anything [Y/N] called out, “hey! None of that! There’s enough for everyone so if you all remain patient and kind to one another, you’ll all get some.”

The trio didn’t bother with the crowd anymore and just circled around to [Y/N]. “Seriously, what is all this?”

“These people were hungry. I wanted to help.” They replied. Never stopping in their stirring or dispensing of soup.

“Where did you get the stuff to make it?” Sypha asked. “I thought the night creatures burned down the long-term stores and most of the provisions yesterday.”

“They did. But they didn’t get everything. And where there’s a little hope…” They picked up one sad looking carrot in their hand and, soon enough, the carrot had turned as big & plump as any prize-winning root at the fair. “We can all get by.”

Alucard smiled softly. He forgot, sometimes, that the had a knack for ‘food magic’. An odd, mostly unpracticed type of magic that used organic ingredients as their source. It was similar to potion making but with the trick they had developed for actually alternating the organic source’s size. He usually forgot since he didn’t need to eat often, and it wasn’t a magic that came up in battle, but of what a joy it was to have it after the battle it seemed.

“So, this is what you’ve been doing for the past few hours?” Alucard asked softly. Suddenly noticing the people outside the line with bowls and warmed faces.

“I’m…not as good at fighting the good fight as the rest of you.” [Y/N] said, sounding a little dejected. “But this is something I can do. Something I can do to help keep people safe.” They smiled at a young boy, dirty from the streets and probably hiding in a safe hole, as he gleefully took his soup and ran off. “I know it’s not much, but I want to help where I can.”

“It’s a lot.” Trevor pipped up suddenly. Getting all the group’s attention, as he had for once been positive on the situation. “I’ll go find what I can when I’m searching the perimeter. See if there’s anything else they missed.”

“Me too. I’ll see if there’s any other dishes we can find that aren’t broken. Maybe linens for bandages? I can help with that.”

Sypha and Trevor took off on their missions, but Alucard stayed behind. “It’s not nothing you know.” He told them when they were alone. Getting [Y/N]’s full attention for a moment as they looked at him. “It’s not nothing to help people. I can’t help people. Only protect. They aren’t the same thing, and…I don’t have a pure heart like you do to do it.”

[Y/N] blushed at Alucard’s compliment, and he leaned down to kiss their cheek before he left them to get back to their work. He had his own work to do, getting through the next wave. But between all of them maybe this town would make it.

In any case, for now, at least these people had a hot meal and peace of mind. If only just for a moment.

[eyeslikewatercoolers]

Pancake Morning (Wedding Planner AU drabble)

A little Tumblr-exclusive drabble to go along with Sushi Night. I've had this idea for a while, but couldn't find a good place for it until now. Enjoy some family fluff!

Kerri didn’t know for sure when she started calling Sasha by Mom.

In all fairness, Sasha didn’t know when it started, either.

One day, Kerri started using that word when referring to Sasha, whether Sasha was in the room or not. It was a natural change for both of them. Sasha was her mother, so she was called Mom. Sometimes Momma would be used, but nobody batted an eye when Kerri called her anything maternal.

Yet she was still calling Anetra by, well, Anetra.

Kerri loved both her mothers just the same and was close to both. She just hadn’t found the moment when it didn’t feel forced yet to call Anetra by mom.

It was a sunny Saturday morning when the teenager was hit with the smell of pancakes when she left her bedroom. Kerri knew Sasha was working at a wedding this weekend, so it couldn’t have been her in the kitchen.

Lately, Anetra was hardly seen in the mornings. Kerri didn’t know what caused the sudden change, but she did try asking about it. Sasha would make quick excuses for her wife like, ‘She’s not feeling well.’ or ‘She’s sleeping in.’ and then change the subject.

Kerri found her way to the kitchen and found Anetra scooping batter from a large bowl and pouring it onto a small griddle. She didn’t even know they even had a griddle in the house.

Carole King’s Tapestry album played from the small speaker they kept in the kitchen, but was only used a few times a year. She could hear Anetra softly humming along to the music while swaying her hips gently.

Kerri felt herself smile when she saw Anetra feeling upbeat. Every time she’s seen her mother lately, Anetra looked exhausted. She’s even caught her falling asleep on Sasha’s shoulder during a family movie night last week.

“You want some pancakes?” Anetra asked as she turned her head, opening the cabinet for a spare plate.

“Sure,” Kerri said as she sat at the breakfast bar and watched Anetra prepare a plate with a healthy-sized stack of pancakes. “Why are you up so early?” she asked.

“I felt pretty good when I woke up and the ba-” Anetra stopped herself, before continuing, “I mean, I was craving some pancakes,” she said as she placed the plate in front of Kerri.

Anetra was digging around the drawer to find silverware, “Hopefully the Bisquick recipe is good, we ran out of the other mix that we usually buy.” she said as she handed Kerri a fork, before making herself a plate.

Kerri took a bite as she watched Anetra buzz around the kitchen. The pancakes were light and fluffy but notably missing something.

“Hey, Mom? Could you pass me the syrup?” Kerri asked as she busied herself with putting a pad of butter on her pancakes and letting it melt. She didn’t even notice that Anetra stopped in her tracks until she looked up.

“Y-yeah, I can grab it for you,” Anetra said in a wavering voice. She was facing the other direction as she looked deep into the cabinet, but Kerri could hear audible sniffles.

“What’s wrong?” Kerri asked. She noticed her tone was eerily similar to Sasha’s whenever she was upset over something.

Anetra tried to wipe her tears away with her bare hand, forgetting about the syrup. “You’ve never called me Mom before.” she pointed out as she tried to dry off her face.

“Oh,” Kerri said, realizing what she just said. It felt natural to say it at the time. Anetra is her mother, so she wanted to call her Mom. “Then why are you crying?” she asked. Anetra wasn’t the emotional type of parent that Kerri knew her to be since her adoption.

Anetra took a deep, calming breath and sat on the stool next to Kerri. Kerri now had her full attention on Anetra.

“Sasha and I were going to wait to tell you this next week when she was back, but I can tell you early.” Anetra began to explain. “Do you remember when we told you we were thinking about having another kid?” she asked.

“I remember that,” Kerri nodded, even though they told her almost two years ago. She remembered appointment reminder cards from the Women’s Care Center and the sperm bank on the fridge for months, but they slowly stopped showing up.

“Well, we found out that we’re having a baby in November,” Anetra said as she started smiling. “I’m nine weeks along today.”

“So I’m getting a younger sibling again?” Kerri asked, her smile mirroring Anetra’s. Having siblings was the only thing Kerri missed from before foster care. Even though she was stuck babysitting all the time, she loved her younger siblings.

She had her younger cousins now that she saw on occasion, but it wasn’t the same as a brother or sister.

“You are,” Anetra said, understanding how Kerri felt about missing blood family. “Sasha was really excited to tell you, but I guess I’ll break the news to her that I told you early.” she frowned slightly at realizing that she would take away Sasha’s excitement about announcing the pregnancy to everyone.

“Or we could pretend that you never said anything and she can still tell me? I won’t say a word to her.” Kerri suggested.

Anetra thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement, “Deal. Mum’s the word.”

[mitamicah]

Oh telling things, just talking like 👀👀👀👀.

Oh i once ripped my pants from sitting in the snow too long, had a big hole in my pants and had to walk home like that (was only a five minutes walk and i was seven)

I once fell off a pony and no one noticed 😃, i just sat there and waited until they came back, greeted me and then were completely surprised, because they had not noticed. The pony was sweet :3☺️☺️☺️

I went into haunted house as a child and afterwards it took two adults and almost twenty minutes to get me off my neighbour, i held onto that poor boy for dear life while screaming and crying. He wore a vampire costume and i was a witch or cat.

I used go be obsessed with wearing a dinosaur costume 😃😃. I also used to have a hat with cat ears and eye holes but grew out of it 😔.

I have a horrible sense of orientation, its almost criminal. I once drank half a bottle of sleeping medicine (sleep issues due to other meds) and slept for 18 hours.

Oh and i got hit by cars a few times but never something bad, sturdy bones and strong kitty.

My twin (my most beloved) and I usually plan multiple movies days, our record is three movies in one day, nine hours in the cinema.

My twin and I once "attacked" each other with stamps and had to walk through the entire building to wash our stained faces because there was only one working sink.

I am terrible on skates, i once fell and managed to land in the only puddle, my entire back and thighs and butt were soaking wet. And cold.

I went to school in a hospital for some time and that was interesting, smallest school i ever went to. I think i still have the clay bowl I made somewhere. And i will never forgive the nurse in another hospital for just turning the tv off i was watching a movie and have to this day not been able to find it again and it was almost 13 years ago, was very uncool.

I once slept through fireworks going off right next to my room, and through a pillow thrown at my face to check if I was still alive, i also once rolled on top of someone and slept through the other person pushing me back on my side.

Hopefully your day will turn better 💛💛💛

Wait ... how is that even possible OVO oh no I am so sorry that sounds horrible but also hilarious at the same time :'D xD

Another incidence on 'how did that even happen' x'D that is a cute story tho - just a silly little time with a pony x'D

Awww sweet summer child (litterally) :'3 <333 sounds like the neighbour was somewhat patient with you tho, that's nice :'D

Ngl dinosaur costumes are cool :D!!! oh no I hate when that happens :'3 would we just stay the right size for our comfort clothes forever :'D

I can relate to the bad location skills x'D

Oh wow that is a long ass nap OVO I have tried something similar (20 hours but not because of sleep medicine but just pure old exhaustion) and it is very disorienting :'D

I am not sure if I should say that you are very lucky or unlucky for that one :'D this cat definitely have nine lives x'D

Awwwn I love that - normalize sibling dates :'D <3

Hahahahaah that sounds like a lovely and silly memory x'D

Oh nooooo :'D whelp you have more experience on skates than I do it seems which is not hard since I never trusted myself on skates x'D hahaha

I agree, not cool of the nurse :'3 must've been a movie you were quite into as well if you still remember so far after the fact OVO

Wait .... how OVO? I would've been acting like a scared/angsty cat or dog if that happened to me :'D

Thank you for sharing all these fun little facts and stories Jay ^V^ I hope it is alright I submit this :'D? otherwise let me know and I'll take it down <33

[ceasarslegion]

Alright I just watched a disastrous date go down at the restaurant I was in (woman getting the cold shoulder from the wait staff after asking if her date left while she was in the restroom) so now I gotta know your ramen story, pretty please ☕️ ☕️

LMAO???

Alright so uh, sit down for this one I guess.

Picture me a few months ago. It was still warm out, I was a bit lonely, I go on tinder. I end up striking up a nice conversation with someone who seemed very similar to me. Third culture kids have very unique lifestyles so when we find each other we tend to cling, especially when that person grew up in the same general area you did and came from the same general parent culture. This was what got us talking in the first place.

The guy seemed nice, okay? Articulate, funny, approachable, and easy to keep a conversation with (which is rarer than the diamond itself for the tinder population, who communicate so little it makes me wonder if I missed a telepathy patch somewhere). So I thought hey, why the hell not, right? Let's go to dinner.

I'm a really big meat-eater who can and has eaten everything from chicken hearts to beef tongue and I enjoyed both of them. My dad's side of the family are cattle ranchers in a province only known for two things: oil and beef. I grew up in the part of the middle east that consumes some form of spiced meat in every damn meal, snack, and candy. I was doomed from the start, bro. No part of me could even be vegetarian. I order my steak blue rare at the places that let me. I drink tall glasses of milk with every dinner. I buy family sizes of meat cuts at the grocery store for myself.

No word of a fucking lie, my mom kept this baby book writing down milestones and personality quirks with me, and under the section that says "my favourite food is..." it just says "MEAT: ALL" underlined 3 times. I was meant to be some kind of obligate carnivore but god decided to curse me for my hubris by placing my soul in the body of an omnivorous ape.

Anyway. I suggest ramen for dinner because it's a good crowd pleaser thats really hard to fuck up for a first date. I mean, who doesn't like noodle soups? I usually order it with pork belly, but I was really craving beef that night so I ordered beef ramen with extra beef and a fried egg on top with a cup of green tea

Apparently, this was an issue.

I thank the waiter and he heads off with our orders. I am greeted by a facial expression i can only describe as "moral fury disguised as vague disappointment."

I immediately start getting an earful about how disgusting it is to eat animal flesh and how I should be ashamed of myself for promoting "speciesism" while calling myself an anti-racist. "Speciesism" was a term I have never heard before that day, and I still think it's fucking stupid to compare eating meat to full-blown racism.

I start pointing out that I have no issue with how he decides to eat, but it's a massive overstep of personal boundaries and a very presumptive and self-righteous move to act like he had any right to tell someone else how to eat. Plus, the shit he was spouting about livestock rearing and byproduct sourcing were straight up untrue and made up by PETA. Plus, I hate to break it to him, but cows are not humans. They aren't. They just aren't, and if he can't understand that then he shouldn't be taking care of them and he definitely shouldn't be acting like he should.

I am not the most held back individual when it comes to these things. I have a big blunt mouth and I don't have much of a concept of a filter. I acknowledge that about myself and try my hardest to only argue things i have immediate credible evidence for, because I know that I always come off as emotionally-charged because of my big blunt mouth. But oh, oh boy. Oh man did he not like that.

The argument keeps escalating and escalating until our food gets served. He decides to make a very exaggerated barf gesture at the beef and egg in my bowl. C'mon, bro. But you wanna be petty? Alright, I can be petty too. I looked him dead in the eye while I picked out chunks of only egg and beef with my chopsticks and ate it. I made constant comments on how good the meat was and how much I loved the texture and juiciness of it. He gave me a very charged silent treatment the whole time.

We mutually ghosted each other after that night.

[just-barrow]

day 26 of @almost-a-class-act's War Is Helloween prompts!

SAS: Rogue Heroes - David Stirling/Doctor Gamal

Someone dropped the ball on buying Halloween candy or costumes and now they have to get creative.

They had put real effort into the decorations around their front door this year, carving pumpkins and putting up little bats that fluttered in the lamplight. There was even a full-size skeleton sitting on a rocking chair. The neighbors' cat had taken up residence in its bony lap. Everything looked perfect.

It wouldn't be long before the first trick or treaters would appear on their doorstep, all dressed up and ready to collect as much candy as they could carry.

David was putting out the bowls of carefully selected mini chocolate bars, lollipops, and other sweets when he realized.

"We forgot our own bloody costumes!"

Asim appeared in the doorway with another bowl full of mini KitKats. "Shit!"

"Do we have something? Anything?" David was quickly trying to think if there was an old costume they might have hidden somewhere in the back of a wardrobe.

"No?" Mild panic taking over, Asim helped himself to a snack and chewed nervously. "Kids will be here any minute," he said, waving about one half of a KitKat as he frantically looked around the room.

"Wait here." David bounded up the stairs and into their spare room. He knew it had to be somewhere… With a triumphant 'ha!' he pulled one of Asim's old lab coats out of a drawer. "Put this on," he said as he returned downstairs, not waiting for an answer and forcing his boyfriend's arms into the sleeves.

"A doctor's costume," Asim deadpanned once the lab coat was on, standing in the middle of their living room with his hands on his hips. "Really."

David made a face at him before grabbing a bottle from the fridge. "At least I'm taking initiative. Hold still."

With an impish grin he squirted ketchup all over Asim's lab coat, using both of his hands to create big red smears and handprints all over his pristine white outfit. Large blobs of ketchup dripped onto the floor.

Asim looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

The first trick or treaters were already on the other side of the street, and David was still dressed in his regular clothes. "Help me with these," he said, yanking open the first aid kit and taking out all of the bandages.

When their doorbell rang, they had just finished wrapping the final roll of bandages around David's body, covering most of his shirt and trousers. Asim, now starting to see the vision, enthusiastically squirted a few generous dollops of ketchup onto David.

They looked appalling. So did their living room floor.

Hurriedly grabbing a bowl of candy each–leaving bloody ketchup handprints everywhere–they opened the door and put on their friendliest smiles.

A small group of children was on their doorstep, all decked out in their little costumes. They stood frozen and stared at the two men before them, who looked like they had just walked straight out of a very gruesome horror movie.

The kids screamed in unison and ran off.

"Too much?" David said sheepishly, a glob of ketchup running down the side of his face.

Asim thumbed it away and almost licked it off his finger before grimacing and wiping the excess ketchup onto his lab coat. "Too much."

They spent a good hour cleaning up both themselves and the floor; it seemed like the group of children had told all their friends not to bother with their house, because the doorbell remained silent.

Their ketchuped clothes tumbled gently in the washer. Now in his underpants, David sucked on a lollipop and sat down on the sofa next to Asim, who was in a similar state of undress. "Shame about all that leftover candy."

"Yes. Terrible shame." Asim ate another KitKat and absentmindedly ran a hand along David's bare thigh. "By the way, I think we're out of ketchup."

"And bandages."

"Hm. I'll steal some from the hospital."

David gave his lollipop another suck before leaning in to mouth at his boyfriend's neck. "You're so sexy when you talk about committing theft."

Asim snorted, tilting his head back and pulling David into his lap.

With a smirk, David discarded his lollipop.

There were far more fun things for him to suck.

[spooniechef]

Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake (1-2 spoons)

Batch cooking is a great thing for those of us who have to budget our spoons vey tightly. It means that on good days, we can cook something really tasty that will last for several meals, easily reheated on the bad days ... including the one that might come from cooking something overly ambitious. This particular chicken broccoli pasta bake recipe started as a two-spoon recipe, but can be made a little easier with a couple of tricks and exclusions. The recipe originates from the BBC Good Food website (which is a shame because I have Issues with the BBC right now), but I’ve made a few changes, so I guess it’s mine now. When you make your own changes, it’ll be yours.

Here’s what you need:

250g or so pasta (anything from penne to farfalle to fusilli to macaroni will work)

350g or so chicken, sliced

200g or so broccoli florets, chopped small

175g or so chestnut mushrooms, quartered

About 1 and a quarter cups single cream

Half an average-sized container of soft cheese with herbs (Philadelphia etc)

4 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste or similar (see notes)

Cheddar or other hard cheese, grated (for topping)

A lot of these measurements are given pretty abstractly, I admit; I’ve been making this for awhile and while the website gives exact measurements, bringing out the scale or measuring cups is a bit much for a recipe that’s this forgiving. It does say to use chicken breasts, but thighs are just as good and often less expensive. Also, if you’re not much on sun-dried tomato, plain tomato paste or just a good dollop of pesto sauce will do just fine. (I’m making it today - it’s baking as I type - and I split the difference and used two big spoonfuls of pesto with sun-dried tomatoes, so that should be interesting.)

Here’s what you do:

Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F

While the oven’s preheating, start boiling your pasta; when it hits the al dente stage, add your broccoli and cook just a little more until the pasta’s just about done; drain and set aside

Cook your chicken bits with whatever spices you feel like using; then add the mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes

Add the cream, soft cheese, and sun-dried tomato paste (or whatever other flavouring you’ve chosen to use); heat on medium heat, stirring gently, until the paste is blended in and the soft cheese is melted

Add the broccoli and pasta to the pan; stir until the pasta is coated in the sauce

Add the entire thing to a baking dish; top with cheese

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is nicely browned

Obviously, with a pan, a pot, and a baking dish involved, and a fair few chopped things, this one can be a lot of work, especially on a bad day. Also, given dietary restrictions, it can be a little tricky with the amount of things that normally contain lactose and gluten. I figured out a few tricks that make it easier:

If you can, cook the chicken ahead of time. The chicken is meant to be cooked when the other ingredients go in, so all you need to do is throw it back in the pan and let it reheat while you’re cooking the mushrooms. That eliminates the entire “slicing and cooking the chicken” part of the equation, and honestly, little bags of cooked chicken living in the freezer isn’t a bad thing; depending on spicing, it can be used anywhere from fried rice to a way of jazzing up macaroni and cheese from a box.

Chop up the broccoli first too, if you can. Earlier in the day or even the day before; just put it in a bowl with a little tiny bit of water and cover it with tin foil. It just means there’s less to chop up at the time. (I wouldn’t recommend doing that with the mushrooms, though.)

This one isn’t entirely great from the lactose-intolerant point of view. The single cream can be replaced with a dairy-free version, but I’ve yet to find a dairy-free soft cheese that melts well enough to be the kind of sauce-thickener it’s supposed to be here. It’s not too bad with dairy-free soft cheese, but honestly, I get by on Lactaid with this one, since it’s only a half-cup or so.

On the topic of dairy-free options, I’ve found that dairy-free hard cheese doesn’t brown quite the same way the regular stuff does. If you’re using dairy-free cheese, keep an eye on your bake and if the cheese hasn’t browned after 20-25 minutes, don’t panic; just take it out anyway. If you’re worried, tap the cheese on top to see if it’s reasonably hard, but either way it’ll be fine.

Gluten-free pasta actually works fairly well with this one. Since you want it to be nearly done but not quite done when the baking dish goes into the oven, the problem where gluten-free pasta has a very small window between “undercooked” and “overcooked” pretty much goes away. Baking it also means that the pasta gets more of the sauce, since I’ve noticed the gluten-free variety doesn’t soak up sauce as well as the regular kind.

Clean up as you go if possible, because this generates a fair few dishes and if you don’t have a dishwasher, the pile of things used can be disheartening if cleaning isn’t done along the way. If you already do that, then you’re one up on me, but a few tips to make it easier. If you cooked the chicken ahead of time and so don’t have a package on hand to use as an interim garbage can, keep a bowl on hand for the detritus and a separate one for ferrying the mushrooms into the pan when the time comes. Scraping them off the cutting board into the pan is also an option, but requires care and fanangling, whereas dumping the contents of a bowl into the pan is a lot easier. It’s just one more dish to wipe down.

This should be enough for 4-6 servings, depending on how hungry you are. It’s tasty, not quite as hearty and filling as a lasagne but fills the same basic niche.

Also, thanks to everyone who’s put their own tips and advice in the tags. I recommend reading through the notes on these posts, because several people have had great ideas and pieces of advice, and I personally have found them really helpful. Please, if you have tips, keep them coming.

[conkreetmonkey]

Sometimes you're just a goldfish in a bowl that's too small, has no filter, and is furnished with nothing but some gravel and a ceramic castle too small for you to fit in. Maybe it's not the fish's fault it's not the picture of health, that it has become stunted from lack of space, depressed from boredom, anxious from constantly being visible from all angles, or developed respiratory problems from the murky, ammonia-choked water. Maybe some things could help a little, such as adding a filter or transferring the fish to a larger bowl, but the fact of the matter is that it simply cannot thrive under these circumstances, it can only survive, and not for as long as a goldfish should. The only thing that could "save" this fish is living in either an appropriately sized, well-furnished tank with a good filter, or a pond. Slight improvements can help, yes, but the fact of the matter is that goldfish are not meant to live in bowls, and even if you got the largest one at the store and added as much hiding space as you could and attached the best filter on the market, there simply isn't enough space for the fish to thrive. It will still become stunted, and it will still develop health complications from this and not live a happy nor full-length life. Requiring a minimum amount of space to be happy is intrinsic to its nature. And maybe some goldfish are better off in a tank or pond compared to others. Comet tails grow large and are good swimmers, and so would definitely prefer a pond to a tank, whereas double-tailed breeds, with their squat bodies and less maneuverability, would certainly do better in a tank. Different individual fish have different capabilities. But at the end of the day, inescapably, they need space, privacy and adequate filtration. Only with all three of these needs met can they truly be 100% healthy and happy, and live a good life. Humans, in many ways, are similar. Maybe we can't thrive without adequate socialization, personal space and free time. Maybe face masks and little treats are akin to adding a plastic plant to our bowls. It's not enough, and it will never be enough, despite being far better than nothing and still a thing well worth doing so long as it's all that can be done. Goldfish, when properly taken care of, can live for decades, yet it is common belief that they only live for a few years at most, simply because they are almost never taken care of properly. Humans, when properly taken care of, can live for a century, and feel generally content with it all. They're supposed to be eager to work on things that they find meaningful. They're supposed to dance and sing and create art and tell stories, and to want to build and cook and farm and study when their labor benefits them or others. Yet, seemingly, just like with the fish, we've convinced ourselves it is our nature to hate being alive, to endlessly moan about how much we hate our jobs and spouses and dread waking up every morning, to fall into addictions and be constantly tired and hate one another and the world. This is untrue. We're just not having our basic needs met. We will never thrive until they are.

i think a lot of the conversation around self help is useless to anyone who isn’t financially stable. no amount of affirmations and manifestation and effort to take control of your own life can change the material reality of living to work and pay rent and scrape by. and it’s not a moral failing to be incredibly frustrated by this or even to experience depression and dysfunction because of this

[the-firebird69]

There's a few characters he can play one of them is the original juggernaut and he thinks it's a great idea because he doesn't have to be too huge it's not really obtrusive and it's kind of a stretch the superpowers he had for his size and strength appearance and it kind of like that kind of concept and he doesn't think it's gross and it'll be like attacking him and stuff so it probably get him there. There's another aspect of it it's that the look is not that offensive he's not 8 foot high or 10 foot high and he's not 800 pounds there's only like 290 or 280 not too far off what he really is because at that point he would be about 270 almost and you look very similar so they would be saying you're the real thing and stuff like that and he tried to make it helmet or come up with how to and he couldn't figure it out he says you can make one out of Styrofoam but then how do you make the outside look smooth without it looking like Styrofoam she's trying to find some spray coating and things like that and he had no luck she's trying to find objects that are shaped like it it says he can go shopping and some bowls or shaped like it and some stir fry bowls and their flat on the top which is a problem but there are bowls that are shaped like it it's hard to find because they're not really round on the bottom so he said there's pots and mom found pots that were rounded and there's a lot of those so he's going to go look at some point then you have to make a receiver and it's difficult but if you have money he can buy a suit the whole thing for a few hundred bucks and it's worth it it's kind of too bad he can't be the punisher because it's really inexpensive but for us it'll be pricey and for others actually practically everybody it's a little bit much of a push Juggernaut to push that's one that's not subtle and these guys go after bigger people it's kind of a unpleasant thing for him but he'd like doing it we have another costume idea oh yeah the rads

+-Tommy F said he knew and he didn't was trying to tell the assholes and they're not listening and they're saying this is what it is they want to hold their big surprise and they're peeing their pants and he says they're going to ruin us and said yeah they're going to ruin you they're ruining me so I just suggested and they go to town and say he suggested and we can do it and is this guy from the Midwest who is actually having me do it Paul acork and I went off on him and he's blaming the wrong people so we do see what that is and they're saying it but no it's the pseudo Empire and they're holding me hostage and trying to get these things to work and tell him he is a f****** and their f*** ups and the Empire is having them do it in the first place and it's a f****** to have them do it

And that was a clone who's driving the hospitality go-kart

We didn't really say it no we did but it is a mistake but these guys are annoying us into saying it so they might want to be doing it themselves it's kind of a mistake for the Empire it's a disaster some people in the Empire don't think it's disaster and they're going ahead with it and their s*** has and they're wrong and we can't stop them and it is so angry what does Trump idiot says and he is gone he is not here anymore he has left the building too many times and he's out and he's making the whole thing gross and I have a gross person on board too in front and that does it's terrible and the guy has nobody and we kind of some slack and this is good and he tries for a while then there's this humongous effort of idiot to try and mess him up and we need you people to shut up and get out of here who cares go behind your wall and die and they're all going to go he says if the walls go up they're going to run there we do see that

Stan

We suspect that would be the result too they'll probably experiment and think it's fine now there's a couple videos about it they'll never see us scream and there's another one Pompeii this Pink Floyd in the wall that's a whole series into the movie there's a lot of it and they're saying mother should I build the wall and it's really this idiot Trump and it's not a mother to him but they're saying it about us and no Hera is not a mother to him that's what we mean. We are definitely not mother and father to him but that's what he's saying a little bit and he's saying it to Mac and he's saying it to lawyer who's out Lori who's out that's what he's saying it to and she's not here and he says it but he's the one who did it to her mostly and he's not going to get good advice everyone wants him dead so he's going on asking and stuff while he's doing the nasty thing to people and he is incorporating people into the wall to see if it makes it stronger and he doesn't know how to do it right no he does and it makes it stronger he's a gross pig he's going to start this stuff probably today and they're his cities he says and he's going to start doing it and they'll be a war over the wall most people don't want it but bJ is just going to sit there cuz he's a fat ass loser

Thor Freya

Yeah I would like to see you as Juggernaut the first one there's a couple other characters that would fit something that could actually do one of them is Gambit but he's like the character. And it's about bombs and he knows about it and it's not right. A few other people Dr Manhattan and he says he doesn't want to disappear and it's really not fitting to what he used to say I know that there's a couple characters but really you're not going to be that big but fairly big wolverine is pretty good for a fit but he says it might be an idea because he could go in street clothes but his hair would have to be artificial and it would be light and he's kind of a good guy and his anti-hero and they work together but he says he doesn't want me to be his character even though he would not except it wouldn't it would motivate him to be bigger so that one is a possibility but he doesn't want to do the yellow costume he doesn't like the mask what can I tell you he likes the hair he's going to get to get a fake cigar and they light up and stuff it's pretty cool his wife is chiming in saying no and it's really like Alicia

Bja

Yeah I'm having her do it and I don't think that's right now he's like a womanizer and stuff but they like it and it would help me. And the street clothes ideas pretty good he wears a certain weather and certain clothes and it looks like him and you got the hair so he's going to look up the hair hopefully

Hera

Olympus

[dickens-daily]

CHAPTER XIV—VAUXHALL-GARDENS BY DAY

There was a time when if a man ventured to wonder how Vauxhall-gardens would look by day, he was hailed with a shout of derision at the absurdity of the idea. Vauxhall by daylight! A porter-pot without porter, the House of Commons without the Speaker, a gas-lamp without the gas—pooh, nonsense, the thing was not to be thought of. It was rumoured, too, in those times, that Vauxhall-gardens by day, were the scene of secret and hidden experiments; that there, carvers were exercised in the mystic art of cutting a moderate-sized ham into slices thin enough to pave the whole of the grounds; that beneath the shade of the tall trees, studious men were constantly engaged in chemical experiments, with the view of discovering how much water a bowl of negus could possibly bear; and that in some retired nooks, appropriated to the study of ornithology, other sage and learned men were, by a process known only to themselves, incessantly employed in reducing fowls to a mere combination of skin and bone.

Vague rumours of this kind, together with many others of a similar nature, cast over Vauxhall-gardens an air of deep mystery; and as there is a great deal in the mysterious, there is no doubt that to a good many people, at all events, the pleasure they afforded was not a little enhanced by this very circumstance.

Of this class of people we confess to having made one. We loved to wander among these illuminated groves, thinking of the patient and laborious researches which had been carried on there during the day, and witnessing their results in the suppers which were served up beneath the light of lamps and to the sound of music at night. The temples and saloons and cosmoramas and fountains glittered and sparkled before our eyes; the beauty of the lady singers and the elegant deportment of the gentlemen, captivated our hearts; a few hundred thousand of additional lamps dazzled our senses; a bowl or two of punch bewildered our brains; and we were happy.

In an evil hour, the proprietors of Vauxhall-gardens took to opening them by day. We regretted this, as rudely and harshly disturbing that veil of mystery which had hung about the property for many years, and which none but the noonday sun, and the late Mr. Simpson, had ever penetrated. We shrunk from going; at this moment we scarcely know why. Perhaps a morbid consciousness of approaching disappointment—perhaps a fatal presentiment—perhaps the weather; whatever it was, we did not go until the second or third announcement of a race between two balloons tempted us, and we went.

We paid our shilling at the gate, and then we saw for the first time, that the entrance, if there had been any magic about it at all, was now decidedly disenchanted, being, in fact, nothing more nor less than a combination of very roughly-painted boards and sawdust. We glanced at the orchestra and supper-room as we hurried past—we just recognised them, and that was all. We bent our steps to the firework-ground; there, at least, we should not be disappointed. We reached it, and stood rooted to the spot with mortification and astonishment. That the Moorish tower—that wooden shed with a door in the centre, and daubs of crimson and yellow all round, like a gigantic watch-case! That the place where night after night we had beheld the undaunted Mr. Blackmore make his terrific ascent, surrounded by flames of fire, and peals of artillery, and where the white garments of Madame Somebody (we forget even her name now), who nobly devoted her life to the manufacture of fireworks, had so often been seen fluttering in the wind, as she called up a red, blue, or party-coloured light to illumine her temple! That the—but at this moment the bell rung; the people scampered away, pell-mell, to the spot from whence the sound proceeded; and we, from the mere force of habit, found ourself running among the first, as if for very life.

It was for the concert in the orchestra. A small party of dismal men in cocked hats were ‘executing’ the overture to Tancredi, and a numerous assemblage of ladies and gentlemen, with their families, had rushed from their half-emptied stout mugs in the supper boxes, and crowded to the spot. Intense was the low murmur of admiration when a particularly small gentleman, in a dress coat, led on a particularly tall lady in a blue sarcenet pelisse and bonnet of the same, ornamented with large white feathers, and forthwith commenced a plaintive duet.

We knew the small gentleman well; we had seen a lithographed semblance of him, on many a piece of music, with his mouth wide open as if in the act of singing; a wine-glass in his hand; and a table with two decanters and four pine-apples on it in the background. The tall lady, too, we had gazed on, lost in raptures of admiration, many and many a time—how different people do look by daylight, and without punch, to be sure! It was a beautiful duet: first the small gentleman asked a question, and then the tall lady answered it; then the small gentleman and the tall lady sang together most melodiously; then the small gentleman went through a little piece of vehemence by himself, and got very tenor indeed, in the excitement of his feelings, to which the tall lady responded in a similar manner; then the small gentleman had a shake or two, after which the tall lady had the same, and then they both merged imperceptibly into the original air: and the band wound themselves up to a pitch of fury, and the small gentleman handed the tall lady out, and the applause was rapturous.

The comic singer, however, was the especial favourite; we really thought that a gentleman, with his dinner in a pocket-handkerchief, who stood near us, would have fainted with excess of joy. A marvellously facetious gentleman that comic singer is; his distinguishing characteristics are, a wig approaching to the flaxen, and an aged countenance, and he bears the name of one of the English counties, if we recollect right. He sang a very good song about the seven ages, the first half-hour of which afforded the assembly the purest delight; of the rest we can make no report, as we did not stay to hear any more.

We walked about, and met with a disappointment at every turn; our favourite views were mere patches of paint; the fountain that had sparkled so showily by lamp-light, presented very much the appearance of a water-pipe that had burst; all the ornaments were dingy, and all the walks gloomy. There was a spectral attempt at rope-dancing in the little open theatre. The sun shone upon the spangled dresses of the performers, and their evolutions were about as inspiriting and appropriate as a country-dance in a family vault. So we retraced our steps to the firework-ground, and mingled with the little crowd of people who were contemplating Mr. Green.

Some half-dozen men were restraining the impetuosity of one of the balloons, which was completely filled, and had the car already attached; and as rumours had gone abroad that a Lord was ‘going up,’ the crowd were more than usually anxious and talkative. There was one little man in faded black, with a dirty face and a rusty black neckerchief with a red border, tied in a narrow wisp round his neck, who entered into conversation with everybody, and had something to say upon every remark that was made within his hearing. He was standing with his arms folded, staring up at the balloon, and every now and then vented his feelings of reverence for the aëronaut, by saying, as he looked round to catch somebody’s eye, ‘He’s a rum ’un is Green; think o’ this here being up’ards of his two hundredth ascent; ecod, the man as is ekal to Green never had the toothache yet, nor won’t have within this hundred year, and that’s all about it. When you meets with real talent, and native, too, encourage it, that’s what I say;’ and when he had delivered himself to this effect, he would fold his arms with more determination than ever, and stare at the balloon with a sort of admiring defiance of any other man alive, beyond himself and Green, that impressed the crowd with the opinion that he was an oracle.

‘Ah, you’re very right, sir,’ said another gentleman, with his wife, and children, and mother, and wife’s sister, and a host of female friends, in all the gentility of white pocket-handkerchiefs, frills, and spencers, ‘Mr. Green is a steady hand, sir, and there’s no fear about him.’

‘Fear!’ said the little man: ‘isn’t it a lovely thing to see him and his wife a going up in one balloon, and his own son and his wife a jostling up against them in another, and all of them going twenty or thirty mile in three hours or so, and then coming back in pochayses? I don’t know where this here science is to stop, mind you; that’s what bothers me.’

Here there was a considerable talking among the females in the spencers.

‘What’s the ladies a laughing at, sir?’ inquired the little man, condescendingly.

‘It’s only my sister Mary,’ said one of the girls, ‘as says she hopes his lordship won’t be frightened when he’s in the car, and want to come out again.’

‘Make yourself easy about that there, my dear,’ replied the little man. ‘If he was so much as to move a inch without leave, Green would jist fetch him a crack over the head with the telescope, as would send him into the bottom of the basket in no time, and stun him till they come down again.’

‘Would he, though?’ inquired the other man.

‘Yes, would he,’ replied the little one, ‘and think nothing of it, neither, if he was the king himself. Green’s presence of mind is wonderful.’

Just at this moment all eyes were directed to the preparations which were being made for starting. The car was attached to the second balloon, the two were brought pretty close together, and a military band commenced playing, with a zeal and fervour which would render the most timid man in existence but too happy to accept any means of quitting that particular spot of earth on which they were stationed. Then Mr. Green, sen., and his noble companion entered one car, and Mr. Green, jun., and his companion the other; and then the balloons went up, and the aërial travellers stood up, and the crowd outside roared with delight, and the two gentlemen who had never ascended before, tried to wave their flags, as if they were not nervous, but held on very fast all the while; and the balloons were wafted gently away, our little friend solemnly protesting, long after they were reduced to mere specks in the air, that he could still distinguish the white hat of Mr. Green. The gardens disgorged their multitudes, boys ran up and down screaming ‘bal-loon;’ and in all the crowded thoroughfares people rushed out of their shops into the middle of the road, and having stared up in the air at two little black objects till they almost dislocated their necks, walked slowly in again, perfectly satisfied.

The next day there was a grand account of the ascent in the morning papers, and the public were informed how it was the finest day but four in Mr. Green’s remembrance; how they retained sight of the earth till they lost it behind the clouds; and how the reflection of the balloon on the undulating masses of vapour was gorgeously picturesque; together with a little science about the refraction of the sun’s rays, and some mysterious hints respecting atmospheric heat and eddying currents of air.

There was also an interesting account how a man in a boat was distinctly heard by Mr. Green, jun., to exclaim, ‘My eye!’ which Mr. Green, jun., attributed to his voice rising to the balloon, and the sound being thrown back from its surface into the car; and the whole concluded with a slight allusion to another ascent next Wednesday, all of which was very instructive and very amusing, as our readers will see if they look to the papers. If we have forgotten to mention the date, they have only to wait till next summer, and take the account of the first ascent, and it will answer the purpose equally well.

_____

Title | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter |

[shwetanadda]

“Most Important Thing You Need To Know About BOONDI LADDU RECIPE”

INTRODUCTION

Boondi laddu is one of the most popular sweets all over India because of its unique taste and flavor.it is a spherical shape ball made with gram flour boondis, ghee, cardamom, and goodness of sugar syrup. It is also known as also known as Boondi ke laddu or Tirupati laddu. In this post, I share a detailed step-by-step recipe for making boondi laddu.

BOONDI LADDU

Boondi laddu is a very popular variety of laddu loved by all, made by combining little balls of fried boondi with sugar syrup and garnished with diced nuts and aromatic spices that enhance the flavor of laddu.

The word Boondi comes from the Hindi word Boond which means droplet. So, boondi is made from droplets of gram flour batter which are fried in oil

 It is made of similar ingredients as that of motichur laddu, but the difference between them is the size of the ball of besan. Boondi laddu has a bigger sized ball as compared with motichur laddu. Boondi laddu is made up of bigger size round shaped balls of gram flour, deep fried till crispy. Later mix with sugar syrup and shape into round balls.

TIRUPATI LADDU

Boondi laddu that are offered as Naivedhyam to lord Venkateswara at Trumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati , Andhra Pradesh, India known as Tirupati laddu or Srivari laddu .The laddu is given as prasadam to devotees after having the darshan in the temple.The laddu prasadam is prepared within the temple kitchen known as ‘Potu’. The boondi for thes laddu is fried in pure ghee not in oil which is the speciality of these tirupati laddu.

INGREDIENTS FOR BOONDI LADDU RECIPE

2 cup Besan flour/chickpea flour

Few drops of Food color, saffron

2 tablespoon ghee

Melon seeds

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

Oil/ghee for frying

Pinch of baking soda

Nuts & Seeds

2 tbsp Cashew nuts diced

2 Pistachios diced

To make sugar syrup:

3/4 mug sugar

1/2  mug water

2 drops of rose essence

1/4 tablespoon of lemon juice

RECIPE OF BOONDI LADDU

MAKE BATTER

To make batter in a large bowl take 2 cup besan, add pinch of saffron food colour and little water.Whisk and mix well so that  no lumps remain in the batter.

Further, add water slowly, and make smooth flowing consistency batter, also, add pinch or  ¼ tsp baking soda and mix well.

Make  batter consistency smooth flowing,if the batter is thin, watery, then the boondi will turn flat, and if it is too thick, then the boondi will be formed with a tail.

While you make batter, heat up the oil or ghee, if you used oil add 2 table spoon of ghee in it to enhance the flavor.

MAKING BOONDI

Check the oil/ghee it is hot enough not hot smoked. Firstly we check the batter consistency it is important to check, to make perfect boondi laddu.

Tap wired whisk into the hot oil to make some boondis, if it become flat, the batter is thin and soaked more oil so, add little bit of gram flour(besan),mix well and again check.

If the boondi will be formed with a tail, it means batter is thick add some water to it and check again. Boondis should have a round shape.

Boondi can be prepared using a flat round holes perforated spoon/ jhara (ladle), and place it above the hot oil, use a spoon to add batter on it and spread it once you spread all batter wipe or clean the jhara properly for next turn.

Fry the boondi until they are cooked golden. Once they almost crisp and the oil stops sizzling, remove the boondi.

This step is also important because if boondi becomes too crispy they won’t be able to absorb the sugar syrup.

Do not overcrowd the boondi as they stick to each other, stir gently. Fry boondi in small batches and keep them aside.

MAKING SUGAR SYRUP

Take 1 mug of sugar in a large thick-bottomed kadai or saucepan.

Add ½ mug of water to it and heat it to dissolve sugar.

Add a few drops of orange/saffron food color, stirring frequently.

Cook the sugar syrup or saccharine till you get thread-like thickness in it, and turn off the flame. Now add cardamom powder and rose essence to the syrup.

Eventually, add some drops of lemon juice to prevent sugar syrup from crystallizing.

CHECK SUGAR SYRUP CONSISTENCY

MAKING BOONDI LADDUS

In hot sugar syrup, transfer the prepared boondi, and add melon seeds (magaz) to it. Mix it well and make sure to coat all the boondi with sugar syrup.

Add 2 tbsp diced cashew and 2 tbsp of diced pistachios in it and mix well.

Cover it and keep away for 10 minutes, at least for all the syrup to be absorbed.

When you see, that all the sugar syrup has been absorbed, mix it well, apply some oil or ghee on your palms, and shape the laddu.

The mixture would be warm when preparing the laddu. On cooling they become firm.

Finally, Boondi laddu is ready to be served or refrigerated for 5-6 days.

STORAGE OF BOONDI LADDU

You can store laddu in air tight container and enjoy for up to 7 days when refrigerated.

You can order Boondi Laddu from our website shimlasweetshouse.co.in, and customize it according to your taste and needs, and enjoy high-quality delicious sweets from Shimla Sweets House.

[ihavetoomuchhomeworkforthis]

I don't actually know if many people have the resources to do this, especially if they normally rely on fast food, but what my family (5 people) does for most dinners is this:

(I have done this before and it isn't difficult. The process takes maybe 40 minutes if I had to estimate. I hope this helps!)

Things you need: big pot/pan/wok, another big metal pot, a colander (pot with small holes), a big spoon, noodles, many vegetables, cooking oil (olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, grapefruit seed oil, really doesn't matter much) and ideally some tomato/marinara sauce

Large wok/pot

Put some oil in it (don't turn on the heat yet)

Chop up an onion into relatively small bits (and toss it in the oil, now you can turn on the heat)

Get a big wooden spoon and use it to occasionally stir the onions

If you have spices (oregano, basil, cumin, things listed on the back of a tomato sauce container) you can put that in too

Get another big (tall, metal) pot, fill it 3/4 of the way with water (tap water from your kitchen sink) and put that on a second burner. It'll take a while to start boiling.

Chop up various other vegetables, whatever you have (we get them from the local farmer's market) and toss them into the onions

You might need to add more oil and/or turn down the heat at this point

Carrots, broccoli, other "hard" vegetables go in first, while cucumber, zucchini, spinach, leafy green things similar to spinach (lettuce), peppers, other "soft" vegetables go in later

Stir often, don't let things stick to the bottom, and if it sizzles too violently, add oil, turn down the heat, maybe even add a little water (which will evaporate)

If you have canned tomatoes, tomato/marinara sauce, or canned beans, you can put those in last (this adds a significant amount of liquid, cooling things down, and effectively ending the cooking process)

About halfway through putting vegetables in, maybe a bit later depending on how fast you chop vegetables, the water should be boiling (constant medium sized bubbles across the whole surface) and you can put in a whole box of noodles, whatever kind you like. Follow the instructions on the back and set a timer accordingly. (Should be 7-12 minutes)

Stir the noodles gently until they've softened enough to be fully underwater, and then just stir them occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom (the big vegetable stirring spoon is fine)

Once you're done with the vegetables, you can turn the heat to low, just to keep it hot while you wait for the noodles, or while you wait for people to show up, whatever

When your noodle timer goes off, use a big spoon (again, the one you used to stir the vegetables is fine) to lift one or two noodles out of the pot (this is a little difficult, it helps to have a specific noodle grabber spoon, but that's not really necessary) and try to eat them (maybe let the noodles hang in the air a few seconds first, they're hot, they were just in boiling water)

If the noodles were too hard/chewy for your liking, keep the rest in the boiling water for maybe 2 more minutes, or estimate how much longer will be necessary, and try again

When you've tried the noodles and they're how you want them to be, turn off the heat

Grab a big colander (round pot with small holes everywhere), put it in the kitchen sink

CAREFULLY grab the pot by the safe plastic handles on either side, with your palms facing upwards, and carry it to the sink

Tilt it AWAY from yourself, above the colander, and pour all the noodles (and water) into the colander, then put the pot back on the stove

There are probably some noodles left over in the pot, you can fish them out (carefully) with any utensil and eat them.

Put some cool water into the colander with noodles, pick it up, shake the noodles around a little (get the water out), and then put the colander on top of the pot

All the heat should be off at this point, and you're ready to serve the food

Put the noodles in your bowls (or plates) first, and then heap the vegetable sauce on top of them. You can use the vegetable spoon for the vegetables, but for the noodles at this point, it's helpful to have tongs or something. Whatever works.

(Depending on how much veggies you use, and whether you add a second box of noodles) This should feed 5 people, with enough leftovers for several people to have seconds, one person to eat the leftovers as lunch the next day, or to be recycled into the next night's meal

i am not joking we need to force teach cooking in schools. like. it is an essential thing for survival. do you know how easy it is to make things if you know even the bare bones shit about how cooking works. we need to teach teenagers how far you can take an onion and some other veggies it''s sad that people grow up not knowing how to prepare literally anything. and i'm not talking about oh this home ed class taught me how to make chicken nuggets at home i'm talking about learning the balancing of sweetness and acidity and saltiness and bitterness and shit like that and techniques and oil temperatures and how meats cook. it needs to be taught because it's literally not even that difficult and it matters so much

[crystal-in-nagasaki]

roll cake workshop

In April I had the opportunity to take part in a workshop making strawberry roll cakes at a popular local shop and farm called Chou Chou (pronounced shu-shu). This farm grows various fruits like strawberries, grapes, and pears where you can partake in fruit-picking during the on-season. They also have a small shop selling local fruits, vegetables, artisan goods, and crafts, as well as a very popular ice cream shop and bakery, which I visited after my hike in this post. In the bakery, you can participate in community workshops to make things like bread, pizza, cake, sausages, and yes of course, roll cake!

Since it was still strawberry season, we got to head to the greenhouse together to harvest a few strawberries for our roll cakes. We were instructed to pick five strawberries of a similar size and put them in a small cup to carry back to the kitchen. I grabbed some medium-sized, aesthetically pleasing strawberries, but realized my friends and everyone else were grabbing the biggest strawberries they could find, so mine were a bit small, haha.

After collecting our strawberries, we returned to the kitchen to watch a demonstration by the workshop teacher. She showed us how to cut the strawberries each for a particular purpose, how to spread the icing, and of course how to roll the cake. We were each provided with a pre-made sheet of cake and bowls of icing, so we got to work cutting up our strawberries and spreading icing on our cakes.

After icing what would be the inside of the cake and sprinkling pieces of strawberries in with the icing, it was time to roll the cake using the wax paper. It was difficult because if you put too much pressure, you could crack it, but I managed to do it passably.

After rolling the cake, we spread more icing on the outside and added more strawberries for decoration. The instructor showed us how to cut the strawberries into little hearts, which was cute.

My friend and I had some leftover icing and took turns trying to eat it when no one was looking. There were many kids at the workshop and we didn't want to set a bad example, but of course the icing was very tasty and we didn't want it to go to waste!

After we finished rolling and decorating the outside of our cakes, the instructor gave us each little boxes to put them in and an ice pack to keep them cold while we took them home.

Once everyone had finished and packed their cakes in a box, we all cleaned up the kitchen together, doing dishes and wiping down the tables. I think if this had been in America, it would have been normal to leave the mess for the workers to clean up after finishing, but I appreciate that Japanese people instill the value of tidying up after enjoying an experience. I'm not the most tidy person, so having small opportunities like this to value the space I'm in and clean up after myself teaches me a useful skill too.

The best part of making something special is sharing it with other people. So after the workshop I brought my cute little cake home to my partner and we enjoyed eating it together <3 As expected, it was very delicious!

I always enjoy finding opportunities participate in my community, even in the smallest of ways. This workshop was really cool and I got a fun experience and a tasty treat out of it! I look forward to finding more enjoyable experiences in my community.

Thanks for reading :)

[trash-monkey]

Sunkissed Days

Chapter 8

I study the Cats hunters as we rode through the forest at the edge of the border and noticed their clothes are similar to our own but the cloth hanging from their loincloth are longer while they also have thin but tight cloth around both arms starting at their wrist before stopping at their bicep and like us they to wear their tribes colors, red and white. Suddenly we pass through the tree line and into open space.

"This is just a small part of the Matasile plains that runs into the Cats land while the rest runs into The Hunters territory." Takeda whispers to me as we pass through the plains while the Head Hunter of the Cats tribe lead us onto a path through another forest on the other side of the plains, after a few minutes of traveling down the path we finally see the large Ichtys River Takeda talked about with different sizes of huts sitting on the left side of rivers bank while the Chiefs hut sit on the right side by itself with a wooden bridge connecting both side together. I straightened my back while holding my head high when people notices us arrive and started to gather to get a look at us, Kuroo hops off his horse once he got us over the bridge to the Chiefs hut and the rest of us did the same. We all move into the front room of the hut to see an old man with a large bone necklace sitting in front of a fire that sits in the middle of the room, he gesture for us to take a seat which we did and we're handed bowls of water before he started speaking.

"Welcome to my tribe, I'm Chief Nekomata." He smiles and we all say our thanks for having us as we continue to drink from our bowls.

"So who did Ukai pick?" He asked after a few seconds of silence, Takeda gestures to me.

"This is (Y/N)." I smiled at the old Chief before slightly bowing to him from my seat before the two started talking about business while I carefully listen, the rest of today I'll get settled into my hut I'll be sharing with the rest and I'll be introduced at tonight's fest before Chief Nekomata shows me the ones that are ready to marry in the morning. Then I'll choose someone to show me around the tribe while I spend the next two weeks to get to know everyone once the two weeks are up I'll do the Cats ceremony and once I pick someone we'll have the wedding ceremony before sharing a hut together until we leave for the Hunters tribe to find my next husband. Once the discussion is over for the time being Kuroo leads us back over the bridge and to a large hut on the outer edge of the tribe, Kuroo takes his leave while we using the rest of the daylight to settle in and started talking.

"Hello?" Half an hour after sunset a voice called out but we saw the light of a torch first.

"Yes?" Suga pull the flap open to see two dudes waiting.

"My name is Kenma, Kuroo's husband. We're here to show you to dinner." The shorter duo colored one speaks while gesturing us to follow which Daichi and Tuskishima quickly lite the spare torches in our hut to light our way a little more, once at the bonfire I quickly smelled the cooked food before Takeda takes me over to Chief Nekomata which he stand from his seat and hold both arms out causing everyone to quit.

"My people! You maybe wondering of the purpose of the Crows tribe people visiting and I will tell you why now! We, all Chiefs at the meeting, have agreed upon an action to keep the peace between us for many generations to come! That this young man here shall take a husband from each tribe to signify the peace between us! Now let us celebrate for peace!" Immediately everyone started howling, dancing, and singing in happiness while feasting, quickly I return to my people's side.

"Here" I thanks Suga after he hands me a food and water bowl once he returns to my side again with his own.

"Eat, I can see someone wishing to dance with you." I said with a smile as I leaned closer to Suga after glance around the bonfire only to see Daichi staring at Suga from where the food and water is being handed out.

"Stop it" He joked with a small laugh and a blush after also glancing around himself to also see Daichi glancing at him.

"Go after him, he's to shy to run after you." I said to Suga when noticing he's to busy thinking then eating.

"What?" He questions after looking up from his bowel.

"Although I don't know Daichi well but I can tell he's too insecure to go after you, he gives you loving eyes when you don't look or notice." Suga blushes at my word as I take his bowels.

"Go after him before it's to late and you'll regret it for the rest your life." He sighs as he gives in and gives a small nod with a smile before standing up and walking over to where Daichi is sitting, I pull my eyes from them as Takeda comes to my side from talking to Chief Nekomata and his advisors.

"You should have fun too, (Y/N)." He urges me to go dance before the bonfire like many others are.

"Show them why we picked you." I rolled my eyes with a smile and stand from my seat on the log as music of drums and stringed instruments continues to fill the air with rhythms and vibrations that gets people moving with it, with a deep breath I close my eyes and let the music guide how my body should move. My feet glide over the soft dirt around the bonfire as I twirl causing my skirt fan out and I can feel eyes watching which slides over my skin but unknown to me they belong to guys I will be seeing tomorrow morning, hoping I'll pick them by the end of the week and be their wife. My hips shake to the drums as they get faster and although I don't know who's watching but one of them feels so right, I try to glance around to see who it is but there's too many people for me to see.

The night continues on until the bonfire is only just embers and by that time my small group has already returned to our temporary hut, I changed out of my outfit which I sit aside to wear again tomorrow and into my usual loincloth.

"Out, everyone out now!" The next morning Suga awakes everyone up to make them get dressed in a hurry before urging them out of the hut except for Takeda as he got a hot bath ready for me and Suga pulls me from my bed roll, I gasped in shock when Suga basically throws half asleep me into the portable tub of hot water and without waiting for the shock to fade from me Suga start washing me.

"You nervous?" Suga asked as he washes my long hair after undoing my braids while also removing all the the feathers and beads I have in it, after giving me the rude awaking.

"Truly, yes and how did it went with Daichi last night?" I teased as I turn my head to him with a mischief glint in my eyes as I changed the subject to last night and causing him to blush bright red in the face, I playfully wiggle my eyebrows at him.

"(Y/N)!!" He scolded me while playfully hitting me in the head with some hot water and begin to roughly wash me down, I give a laugh.

"We talked and nothing more, you hear?" Suga narrowed his eyes at me after giving a sigh and finally tell me about his night.

"I hear, what you two talked about?" I asked curiously as I step out of the fast cooling water and begin to dry myself off with a fur towel.

"Just the usual small talk, (Y/N)."

"Oh, too awkward to about about anything else." I teased again only to get my clothes thrown into my face by Suga.

"(Y/N), leave the poor man alone! He wouldn't do that if it is you!" Takeda scolded me as he guides me to seat down on a stool so he can brush and fix my hair like I usually have it.

"Sorry Suga..." I apologize to him for my behavior.

"Don't worry about it as I know you was just playing around." Suga quickly reassured me that I don't have to actually apologize for it.

"I know but......."

"No buts and you were just curious, that's all! Yes, at first it was awkward between me and Daichi but we got over it after some time." Suga specks as he looks over my clothes to make sure their clean as Takeda put the finishing touches on my hair.

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[raspberryconverse]

In the doghouse (technically craft room) once again.

So the Container Store is having a big Black Friday sale and I ordered some things. Mostly for my stuff, but a few for other things we discussed getting.

My spouse has a set of drawers similar to this

only they're blue with some red and the handles are yellow. Basically, they're for a child. They bought it for $2.99 at Goodwill.

I bought some clear drawers to replace them and they lost their shit about it. I also bought a storage bin that they specifically said they were looking for ("the same size as this wire basket you have under the sink, but with taller sides"), a little drawer organizer bin for these bowl covers I recently purchased because they're getting all over the kitchen drawer, another jewelry thing for organizing my jewelry, one other storage bin for hot chocolate packets (whenever Amazon finally ships the ones I bought) and 3 bins that fit perfectly in the dresser drawer that has been sitting empty because they said that the reason they haven't put their socks and underwear in there is because they wanted to be able to separate things and they wanted bins instead of drawer dividers because "the inside of those drawers are gross."

They've been using another set of similar drawers (these are black and for some reason have what looks like Christmas wrapping paper on the sides) since before we met (6 years ago). I asked them last weekend what it would take to get them to put the items in that drawer somewhere else and they said the bins. So I got the bins. There are literally no other ones that will fit in the drawers without wasting space, so there's no reason to complain about those.

On Wednesday we went on a date to the Adler Planetarium and while we were waiting for the El, they told me that if we get divorced, they're keeping the house. I can't help but take that now as a definite possibility. We are looking to start couples therapy (because apparently 2 therapists and a psychiatrist aren't enough for all my problems) but I know I'm the one who has to make all the changes because they're autistic. And I don't think that's fair. I know it's how things are going to have to be, but I still don't think it's fair that I have to make all the changes.

[tesria]

I also love doing this, and IKEA is the easiest flat pack furniture of a few different kinds I've done. Tips I find help with flat pack building: (this got longer than planned, sorry about that)

Before you start building, separate all the parts into piles. Only put pieces together if they're truly identical, sides of drawers for example might look the same but have holes drilled in different places. IKEA is better than other brands at not making things 99% identical and difficult to see the difference, but it can happen. Other brands can be worse for this.

Check each item against the instructions and count to be sure you have everything.

Next the screws and dowels etc. Definitely shut any pets or small kids out at this stage, where possible. If you have a tray, bowls, ramekins, or whatever, use them here. Empty all the little bags into separate piles.

Again count and check against the instructions. Counting and checking are vital steps, both so you're not frustratingly unable to continue when you've already halfway built a wardrobe because you're missing the screws for the door or one of the sides, and to familiarise yourself with everything to make it easy to find and grab. (IKEA in particular often gives 1 or 2 extra dowels or screws, this is fine, just as long as you have the minimum of each type! Don't panic about having a couple of extras!)

If you think you'll have trouble identifying either similar furniture pieces, or screws or whatever during the build, don't be afraid to get some scrap paper and label pieces or piles that look similar with their ID number/letter from the instructions before you start. This might seem like extra work, but if you know you get confused between sizes of screw when you're holding panels in place, two minutes prep now will save you 20 minutes of pulling apart and rebuilding later.

Look through the instructions before you start and try to see how it all goes together. You're not trying to learn how to do it blindfolded here, just get a feel for what you're about to do. Understanding helps confidence in my experience.

Make sure you have the tools you need, with IKEA they'll usually give you any hex keys you need, but you might need a screwdriver (or two, or interchangable heads) or a hammer.

When you start building, don't be afraid to take it slow, double check fixings are the right way around, and check each step as you finish it against the instructions and any in progress pictures or diagrams. Oh, and never try to make a piece fit that doesn't seem to work well without double and triple checking it's the right way around or that you didn't already use the piece you needed in the wrong place. It can happen to the best of us. If you're very sure it's just not well made (very unlikely with IKEA, but something from Wayfair might have this issue) do the best you can, ask for help from someone who might know, or if it's really bad don't be afraid to return it as a faulty item. (IKEA has a helpline you can call for advice too.)

None of this is secret skill or magic, but I suspect I find flat pack easy because the first few times I built stuff it was with other people who found it easy and saw how they did it and absorbed their relaxed confidence. When we try to learn entirely from scratch or from other people who find it hard, sometimes we're just not aware of something that seems obvious once we do know it. That's not our fault! Things are only obvious based on experience and understanding.

Also, things get a lot harder when we expect them to be hard and lack confidence, so this post is also permission to go at your own pace, to check your work, and let yourself get more comfortable with it.

Lastly, even when you're good at it, building with someone else requires a lot of patience and good communication. If you build with someone else and find it a stressful nightmare, it might be that your frustrations and anxiety are creating a feedback loop. Sometimes you need a second person, but in my experience most things can be done with one. I did need a second pair of hands to help hold things in place with a large wardrobe, but I've made big sets of drawers and sideboards by myself with no issue. Two people can make it faster, but only if you're not arguing constantly. Having one person directing and one following can help, or working on different parts (eg one making drawers, one building the frame), but again, both people need patience and good communication.

Seeing people say it's easy when you don't think it is can be a reassurance to try again, or sometimes be more off-putting because you have no idea how it's so easy for them and you feel worse. I hope this helps some of the people who see an IKEA box and get a sense of panic or dread, because it doesn't have to be terrible! It can even be relaxing, I promise, just don't pressure yourself and give yourself at least as much time to do it as the instructions suggest (many have a time estimate!).

rip to you guys but i love assembling ikea furniture its so fun its like legos