#zest generation 11 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ausetkmt · 6 months ago

Text

How Black women shaped Tim Walz’s politics after the death of George Floyd

From inside Minnesota’s executive mansion, Gov. Tim Walz could hear the grieving woman’s bellows..

Toshira Garraway’s voice quavered as she spoke to the hundreds gathered outside the residence in St. Paul. It was a sunny Monday in June 2020, just days after George Floyd had been murdered in Minneapolis.

Protesters across the world had been shouting Floyd’s name, but Garraway and other speakers — almost all Black women — were invoking the names of men who hadn’t garnered as much attention after they died in encounters with Minnesota law enforcement. Hardel. Kobe. Justin.

The lifeless body of Justin Teigen, Garraway’s boyfriend, had been found in a recycling bin in 2009. Police had said they were chasing Teigen and lost track of him when he hid in a dumpster, where he remained when the trash was compacted. Garraway was convinced police had killed him.

“They didn’t throw him in the river! They didn’t throw him in the woods!” Garraway shouted. “They threw him in the trash! That’s what they think of our people.”

“I could hear her pain,” Walz recalled in a 2021 interview with a Washington Post reporter. Walz, who is now the Democratic nominee for vice president, stepped outside the residence for a closer listen.

When Garraway heard that Walz had joined the crowd, she stepped away from the microphone to meet him. She asked for his cellphone number.

“I had been calling and writing the governor and attorney general for years,” she recalled telling him. “I want you to meet with our families.”

He promised he would.

At the most critical juncture in Walz’s tenure as governor, with the world pointing to his state as an example of gross injustice, he found insights and counsel from Garraway and a group of Black women who pleaded with him to do more to address systemic racism.

This story is based on years of interviews with Walz and those women, starting 11 months after Floyd’s death as part of research for a book on Floyd’s life and legacy.

Walz’s last interview was in May, two months before he was selected as the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman of color to be the Democratic nominee for president. During the discussions, Walz offered the most expansive, personal accounts he has ever provided about how Floyd’s murder changed his worldview — and about the women who helped shape it.

The women cried with him, prodded him, prayed with him. They admired his ability to listen without interrupting them, and appreciated the get-well cards he sent when they were sick. When it comes to supporting a Black woman who is already facing racist attacks in her bid for the presidency, they think Walz is ready.

But even more than his empathy, the women relished the opportunity to help Walz craft legislation that specifically addressed their concerns. That’s when the relationship became more difficult.

“He makes political calculations in terms of where he’s going to put his energy and spend down political capital, which any responsible person or elected official will do,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, a former head of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP. “But because of his nature, you always have in the back of your mind that he will go the extra mile. … That’s when you get disappointed.”

Beyond Walz’s reputation as a folksy liberal, likely to be on display when he speaks Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention, the women saw a politician trying to navigate uncertain terrain. The national zest for police reform would eventually slow, and Walz’s national profile would begin to soar. And now, some in the group say he has lost interest in them.

Walz declined to comment for this article, but a spokeswoman wrote that Walz “deeply values the friendships, what he’s been able to learn from them, and the reforms they worked together to pass. He continues to meet with them and looks forward to their continued work together to improve Minnesota.”

Garraway has not heard from Walz in more than a year. When friends started texting about his becoming Harris’s running mate, she didn’t fully know what to say.

“I don’t want to bash the man, but all I can do is speak from my heart, and I’m conflicted,” Garraway said. “I cannot say that empathy was not there. But, as time went on and this was no longer the headlining topic, we became less and less important. Our families are pushed to the side and, basically, ignored. It is painful and hurtful.”

Philando Castile's mother, Valerie, holds flowers during a demonstration outside the governor's home in St. Paul on July 7, 2016.

Before Floyd’s death, Walz had been warned about the insidious threat of racism in Minnesota.

The prediction came from Valerie Castile, whose son Philando had been shot and killed at a traffic stop in a suburb of St. Paul in 2016. “Mark my word, if it keeps on going in this direction, something really bad is going to happen,” Castile recalled telling him.

“That was back in 2017,” she said.

At the time, Walz was serving in Congress and preparing a bid for governor. She told him she had dedicated her life to finding a way to bring honor to her son’s name. She spoke about Philando’s generous spirit — the school cafeteria worker would dig into his own pocket to help a student who couldn’t afford lunch.

And then, Castile quizzed Walz on why he thought Black people disproportionately die at the hands of police.

“I’m going to be brutally honest with you,” Castile recalled telling him. “We know it’s a racist factor that’s the underlying problem within law enforcement.”

The two formed a tight bond, calling themselves “friends.” Walz said her honesty showed him how “the basic joys of life are always clouded by” racism, and illuminated “the day-to-day, year-after-year systemic issues and microaggressions that people endure.”

“It just permeates everything,” he told The Post.

Walz, who grew up in Nebraska and moved to rural Minnesota as an adult, said he knew he had a blind spot when it came to the Black experience, “being a middle-aged White guy [from] a town of 300 … with no people of color.” In Minnesota, where only 7 percent of the population is Black, politicians often note how easy it can be to miss the struggles of the African American community. So many of the state’s bragging points — its high incomes, its healthy residents, its high-performing students — disguise some of the country’s widest disparities in wealth, life expectancy and education between Blacks and Whites.

After Walz became governor in 2019, Black lawmakers and activists said, he and his wife engaged with Black communities immediately. Walz said that they were eager to learn — and that they were surprised by what they discovered.

During one event, a Black woman told him she had moved to Duluth from Arkansas. Compared with racism in the Deep South, she said, she found Minnesota’s to be “quieter — but meaner.”

On another occasion, Levy Armstrong, the former NAACP official, told him that state lawmakers had a history of “admiring the problem” — acknowledging that disparities existed but not working hard enough to eradicate them.

Then a police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck in May 2020.

As video of the brutal incident spread, Walz reached out to Castile.

“What do you think they’re going to do?” she recalled Walz asking her.

“You better get ready,” Castile said. “They’re about to tear this motherf---er up.”

Castile was right. Although most of the protests were peaceful, large businesses were looted, windows were smashed and a police station was set aflame.

Not long afterward, the Floyd family asked Walz to remove the county attorney from the investigation of the killing. Walz agreed to assign Keith Ellison, the state’s attorney general, who had a history of working against police brutality. Walz told The Post that he was thinking of Castile when he made the decision.

“She was adamant, and groups of folks who had talked to me even before George Floyd [died] believed that we needed to have an independent prosecutor’s office,” Walz said. “That there’s just too close a connection between the police and the county attorneys.”

Walz, center, joins protesters in front of the Minnesota Governor's Residence on June 1, 2020, after the murder of George Floyd.

A few weeks after Walz spoke with the Floyds, he met with Garraway and the other women on a Zoom call.

Garraway spoke again about her boyfriend, referring to his death as the “2009 version of Emmett Till.”

The police account of the events had always seemed fantastical to her. But in 2009, there were no body cameras or Black Lives Matter movement — and few people took her seriously. After three years, only one lawyer said he would be interested in taking the case. By then, it was too late — the state had a three-year statute of limitations for investigating officers.

Amity Dimock told Walz the story of her autistic son, Kobe Dimock-Heisler, who was killed in 2019 by police during a wellness check. Police said Kobe had lunged at them with a knife, but Amity said she believed the officers reacted so quickly because they were ill-equipped to deal with mental illness.

Del Shea Perry spoke of her son Hardel Sherrell, who died in a jail cell in 2018. Officers ignored Sherrell when he said he wasn’t feeling well. Security camera footage over eight days captured him falling hard off a bed, going limp and dying in a pool of his own waste, never receiving medical attention.

As the women recounted their pain, Walz’s eyes welled with tears. He told The Post that he, like many in the state, needed to do more soul-searching on why it was so easy to look past the trauma of racism that Castile assured him existed.

“This is a great state if you’re White, not so much if you’re not,” Walz later recalled thinking. “And that pains me, but it has to be said. And it’s the truth.”

Amity Dimock, right, is comforted by another woman during a demonstration outside the Governor's Residence on June 6, 2020.

After the conversations with the women, Walz said he went back to his staff and asked, “What can we do? What can we change?”

They encouraged the women to work with racial justice organizations to craft legislation, and by 2021, more than a dozen police reform bills had been introduced. Some followed national trends. They asked for the state legislature to limit the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants. They asked that the state allow police officers to be sued directly for actions taken in the line of duty, ending a practice known as “qualified immunity” that shielded them.

Other bills were directly inspired by the women’s stories. One would have ended the statute of limitations for wrongful-death suits related to police killings — potentially giving Garraway the chance to find out what had happened to Justin. Another would have referred 911 calls to mental health crisis teams when appropriate — which Dimock thought could have saved Kobe’s life. A third would have mandated wellness checks in jails — which could have led to an intervention for Hardel.

The women set out for the State Capitol to lobby lawmakers, but struggled to gain traction. About a year after Floyd’s death, conservatives were nervous that such measures might deplete the morale of police departments, which were losing officers.

“After Minneapolis started burning, the Republicans immediately went to blaming Governor Walz and Mayor [Jacob] Frey, and [saying] the Democrats will let the city burn down,” said Jeffrey Hayden, who was a Democratic state senator. Hayden said Republicans appeared hesitant to act, arguing that Floyd’s death had been “an isolated incident.”

The women said they found it difficult to find advocates even among rural Democrats, who they said would stare at them with blank faces. They asked the governor to leverage his authority, and he tried at first. He threatened to keep the legislative session open until lawmakers passed police reform, and he negotiated with Republicans, who were in control of the state’s House.

Del Shea Perry cries as she marches with demonstrators near the Governor's Residence on June 6, 2020. Beside her is a photo of son Hardel Sherrell.

The legislature agreed to pass a bill in honor of Sharell, to make changes to police training and to limit the use of chokeholds. Walz used executive action to add $15 million for violence-prevention programs, and then required that police provide body-camera footage to families within five days of incidents involving a death. But the legislature rejected the toughest measures, such as strengthening civilian oversight of police departments and ending qualified immunity.

And the measure to lift the statute of limitations also failed, meaning there would be no chance to get to the truth of what happened to Garraway’s boyfriend.

On the last day of the session, Garraway and the other women held a news conference. She pleaded with her new friend, the governor, to try to do more.

“You listen to our stories. You watch us break down. You watch us cry,” she said. “How can you make a deal to say this is okay?”

A few months after the legislation failed, Walz put his disappointment plainly: “I feel like I failed Toshira.”

Walz told The Post back then that he had learned that White men like him wanted to probe the details while Black women like Garraway sought swift action because the lives of their families were at stake.

“This is a complex issue. It’s nuanced,” Walz said. “But in the midst of this are people who say, ‘I don’t have time for nuance.’”

He wondered if the country needed a truth and reconciliation commission — like the one in post-apartheid South Africa — that would allow people to truly listen to the stories of pain and exploitation he had heard.

After the 2021 legislative session, Walz said he felt the chance to have an honest conversation about racism in America — and then work to fix it — had probably passed him by. He worried that, between the pandemic, the protests and the unraveling of the great American reckoning on race, the country was not “healing.”

“I don’t know if we’ll get another shot at it,” Walz said. “I’m worried about this. … I’m worried [about what] I’m seeing at the national level. I’m seeing our democracy under threat, and I’m seeing the community here that’s losing faith.”

Back then, he also recognized how not addressing the problem would mar his political legacy.

“One way or another, I will be associated with this,” Walz said.

Valerie Castile speaks at a Minneapolis rally on June 16, 2023, after the release of a U.S. Justice Department investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.

Valerie Castile had not lost faith.

After a jury in 2017 acquitted the police officer who killed Philando, she spent years seeking another route to honor her son’s legacy.

She started a foundation to clear the balances of grade-school students who couldn’t afford to pay for school meals, then began pushing the state legislature to make breakfast and lunch free for all students. In 2023, with a Democratic majority in all three chambers, the bill passed.

It became one of Walz’s signature pieces of legislation, and the photo of children hugging him after he signed the bill has become an indelible political image. Watching proudly in the back that day was Castile.

“Oh my God, we finally did it,” Castile remembered thinking. “Congratulations, Phil.”

After the police reform bills were rejected, Walz tried other routes to deal with racial disparities, at the behest of Democrats eager to avoid bills that could be deemed as anti-police.

Walz worked with lawmakers in 2023 to invest more than $70 million in workforce training for manufacturing and tech jobs. After the NAACP filed a lawsuit alleging that the child-welfare system disproportionately separated Black families, they approved proactive steps to keep families together. They passed laws barring discrimination based on hairstyles and establishing an office to investigate suspicious deaths of Black women that have become cold cases.

In May 2024, Walz told The Post that these policies have helped to close some of the state’s racial gaps. For example, the median household income for Black Minnesotans has jumped 70 percent since 2011, the seventh-fastest growth rate in the country, according to the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development.

“We’ve stopped admiring the problem,” Walz said in the interview. “We’ve learned not to do the Minnesota thing, which is to look at disparities, say ‘Oh that’s too bad,’ then go and eat pie.”

He also said he was wrong to wonder if the country might have missed its chance to eradicate racism.

“That was a part of my trauma speaking,” Walz said.

The women he met in 2020, though, still wonder if they will ever experience any relief from their trauma, a smidgen of which Castile felt when Walz signed the school meals bill. They accuse Walz of giving up on police reform too quickly. Perry, whose son died in the jail cell, continued trying to persuade Walz that they needed to do more work. In 2018, when Hardel Sherrell died, there were nine other deaths at county jails, state data shows. Last year, there were 20 deaths.

Her phone calls, though, were being returned much more infrequently. Perry’s advocacy didn’t even get a hearing during the last legislative session. When she met Walz earlier this year, he asked if she had been in touch with the Rev. Al Sharpton. Maybe some national attention would help, he suggested.

“Maybe he should call him,” Perry told The Post. “He knows him. I don’t. I’m a grieving mother.”

Still racked with pain, Garraway said there are bigger matters on her mind than Walz’s potential vice presidency.

When county prosecutors decided in June to drop their case against a state trooper who killed a Black man named Ricky Cobb II during a traffic stop, she called Walz to see if she could get answers from a man she thought she understood. Walz had supported dropping the charges, saying it would be impossible to prove that the officer used excessive force.

But after introducing Walz to so many grieving families, Garraway was desperate to know why he could side with the police in this case. She trusted his judgment. So after his big speech accepting the nomination and all the balloons and the pageantry of the Democratic convention, she hopes he’ll answer her calls again. She longs to hear his voice.

#How Black women shaped Tim Walz’s politics after the death of George Floyd #minnesota #minneapolis #George Floyd #Philando Castile #Ricky cobb #Hardel Sherrell #bad police #end qualified immunity #murdered by the police #Walz #Coach #Presidential Election 2024 #Tim Walz #Black Women #Black Lives Matter

32 notes · View notes

abbysimsfun · 6 months ago

Text

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 11 (Family Dinner with the Landgraabs)

Heather left work early the day of the party but still got stuck in traffic on the Simmerloop Superhighway. Showing up almost an hour late really didn’t impress Nancy. It was a small, family-only gathering, and everything about it made Heather anxious.

"You finally made it. Wonderful!" Nancy crowed. "I thought the food would get cold."

Heather apologized for the traffic and let Malcolm show her around the three-story penthouse. Their in-ground pool took up an entire floor, and the difference between Heather and Malcolm's worlds was as stark as their sleek, modern furniture.

"Heather, have you met my brother, Johnny Zest? He does stand-up comedy, apparently. But his career choice is a better joke than any of his on-stage bits," said Nancy, introducing Heather to a scowling blond who showed up with a gorgeous woman on his arm. "And this is..."

"This is Eva, Nancy." Johnny growled in frustration. "She was Eva the last time you met her, too."

"Oh, all your girls look alike." Nancy waved a flippant hand as she led everyone to the dining room.

"Eva's been the only girl for over a year," he shot back. "You always do this!"

"Do what, John? Continue to bankroll your lifestyle with Eve, here?" Nancy glowered across the table as Johnny shoveled salad into his mouth to stay quiet. "Whatever happened to that comedy special you were telling us about over Easter?"

"The producer flaked," said Johnny with a mouthful of food. "Tried to pay me less than he promised so I walked."

"Sure you did."

"If I'd taken what they wanted to pay me, you'd have told me off for taking less than the job's worth! Do I have to be Malcolm to get the benefit of doubt from you?"

Heather watched quietly while Nancy ordered her family around, chastising Geoffrey and Malcolm for their posture while Johnny's Monte Vistan girlfriend, Eva Capricciosa, did her best to keep him calm in broken Simlish. They were far more interested in each other than the company, anyway.

Heather was stressed. She wasn't used to families arguing at dinner. Obviously, no one was a match for Nancy Landgraab – not even Malcolm, who was clearly her favourite person in the world. But his usual snobbery was quiet in her presence.

"So, Heather, I can't help but wonder: What made the daughter of an astrobotanist and the inventor of Nesbeets faux meat decide to become a veterinarian? It's such a limiting profession."

So that's where Malcolm got his snobbery over her chosen career. Heather cleared her throat. "We always had pets at home when I was growing up, and I've wanted to be a vet since I was a little girl. When they come bounding out of the exam room completely cured, I love seeing the joy it brings their humans, too."

"Vets are so important!" Eva cried. "We had a vet in Monte Vista who saved my duck-"

"I'm sure it's honourable to save the odd duck or two, but Brindleton Bay is such a backwoods town." Nancy rolled her eyes at sweet-natured Eva. "They don't even have a mayor!"

"No mayor you can buy off, you mean," Johnny sniffed.

Nancy shot her brother a disgusted look. "My son - the only Landgraab heir since Johnny's a disappointment who hates his own name - will never live in Brindleton Bay with all its feral strays. And Landgraabs aren't vets; they hold galas that make money they can donate to pet causes." Malcolm avoided eye contact with Heather while Nancy proselytized. "You'll have to sell if things get more serious with my son and move to San Myshuno. But don't worry about your clinic if the time comes - Landgraab Corp. can always find a buyer."

"Mom. Stop."

Malcolm's unexpected defense caught both Nancy and Heather off guard, but Heather was grateful. They’d never discussed marriage, and the last time he brought up leaving Brindleton Bay they fought in the street. But she’d owned the clinic for less than a year and had no interest in selling to anyone.

With Nancy's dinner party teetering on a knife's edge of tension, would they get through the night in peace? ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

NOTE: I know Johnny is supposed to be Geoffrey and Nancy's son in loose/controversial game canon, but I used MCCC to make him Nancy's brother, instead. My headcanon likes Malcolm as an only child and Nancy as a particularly nasty one-kid helicopter mom!

24 notes · View notes

askwhatsforlunch · 1 month ago

Text

Pâtes à la Poutargue

On a grey and rainy day, these deliciously creamy Pâtes à la Poutargue bring a bit of Southern France sunshine to your lunch! A hearty dish to brighten your day! Happy Wednesday!

Ingredients (serves 1):

2 large fresh kale leaves, rinsed

1 ¼ cup whole-wheat penne (or other short pasta)

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 lemon

1/3 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

about 30 grams/1 ounce Poutargue

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Once boiling, add penne to the pot of salted boiling water and cook, according to package’s directions, about 9 to 11 minutes until al dente.

In the meantime, heat olive oil in a medium, deep skillet, over medium heat.

Grate in the zest of the half the lemon. Cook, 1 minute more.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain, saving about ¼ cup of its starchy water, and stir pasta into the oil. Cook, a couple of minutes.

Thoroughly squeeze in the juice of the whole lemon.

Stir in crème fraîche, and gradually add starchy pasta water. Season with cracked black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Grate in half of the Poutargue, and give a good stir to combine.

Cook, a couple of minutes more until sauce just thickens.

Enjoy Pâtes à la Poutargue hot, topped with a generous grating of remaining Poutargue.

3 notes · View notes

bazzybelle · 2 years ago

Text

Current Tag Game

Thanks for the tag, @phinofthestorm @windsweptinred and @mentallyinvernation

Current time: 11:17 AM

Current mood: Honestly, emotionally drained. It's been a week.

Current activity: Answering this questionnaire, listening to Speak Now (Taylor's Version), procrastinating cleaning my house.

Currently thinking about: That's a loaded question my friend...Let's see: My rabbit's food intake (he's had a VERY rough week), cleaning the house, my WIPs...

Current Obsession: In general, definitely Sandman. I had wanted to read this comic series for years (since meeting my husband in 2012), but it's a very heavy series. Essentially, I wasn't in the right headspace to dive into Sandman's many existential themes, until 2020. So I listened to the Audiobooks and feel deeply into the lore and the characters and the amazing world building. Then the Netflix show came out last year and Dreamling became a Thing.... Yeah sorry, I'm stuck here.

On a smaller note... I'm way too currently obsessed with how much Hades is eating and pooping. He was in GI Stasis on Tuesday and we almost lost him. It's been... it's been rough over here. He's ok. Death is a mug's game for him apparently. But now husband and I are just obsessively checking his food intake and how much he's pooping while he recovers.

Current favourite song: The same one it's been for like the last decade. Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.

Currently reading: Dreamling fics (specifically You create me against your lips by @delta-pavonis) (GUYS... THIS FIC!) (no but seriously... it's SO GOOD, and the art by @teejaystumbles makes me feral).

I also bought this beautiful Jane Austen anthology, so I'm making my way through it (currently reading the intro/biography).

Currently watching: I got Disney+ recently and it's got BOTH Boy Meets World and Criminal Minds so... randomly watching eps from both shows.

The next shows I'm planning on watching are Silo and I wanna watch Nimona.

Current favorite character: Hob Gadling from Sandman. He's just SUCH a guy. I already liked him a whole lot from the comics, before Ferdinand Kingsley rocked on up all "yes, but what if you loved him MORE?"

Not only do I love Hob's zest for life and hunger for everything, I love what he represents. He's the Human Everyman in a story about eldritch beings and supernatural magical beings. Hob's just there loving life. On the other hand, he is also the representation on what it means to be human. He is NOT a good man, but he keeps trying to be. Like humanity, he keeps trying to be better and to learn. Like humanity, he strives to grow and experience. He serves as a grounding presence for the otherwordly beings we meet in The Sandman series.

I dunno... I just think he's pretty neat.

Current WIPs: Oh God... Ok... so... I've got two in my Carry On list (Youth Without Youth and No One To Save) and three in my Sandman list (Hob Hanahaki, Reincarnation AU, and Grey's Anatomy AU). I also have a Renaissance/Queer coming out novel that I've been plotting out.

Tagging (no pressure): @carryonsimoncarryonbaz, @amywaterwings, @ninemagicks, @namistrella, @aroace-genderfluid-sheep, @wellbelesbian, @yellobb, @tryan-a-bex, @artsyunderstudy, @facewithoutheart, @stardustasincocaine, @blackberrysummerblog, @ivelovedhimthroughworse and @forabeatofadrum

#belle babbles #current things #tag game

21 notes · View notes

another-broken-recipe-blog · 6 months ago

Text

Sexy TikTok Courgette (zucchini) Pasta Recipe

Difficulty: easy!

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Spice level (out of 5): 0

How many ingredients: 4 common, 7 uncommon, 11 total

Ingredients:

- 2 large zucchinis, chopped into 1/2-inch slices (try to have both green and yellow ones for more color!)

- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped

- 1 chili pepper, finely sliced (optional, but recommended)

- Olive oil

- 250g orecchiette (or similar pasta)

- Fresh basil leaves (other mints work fine, but this is the best)

- Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

- Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

- Whipped ricotta (about 1/4 cup) (optional, but recommended)

- 6 chili powder (optional)

- Salt and pepper, to taste

- Butter (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Zucchinis:

- Chop the zucchinis into 1/2-inch slices.

- Smash the garlic cloves and roughly chop them.

2. Cook the Zucchinis:

- In a large pot, heat a generous amount of olive oil over medium heat.

- Add the zucchini slices to the pot and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some of them are soft and some hard a bit less.

- Add the garlic and finely sliced chili pepper to the pot in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

3. Cook the Pasta:

- In a separate pot, bring salted water to a boil.

- Add the orecchiette pasta and cook for about 10 minutes or until al dente.

- Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add 2 tablespoons of butter if you’d like.

4. Combine Ingredients:

- Add fresh basil leaves and a little lemon zest to the zucchinis in the pot.

- Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into the pot.

- Add the drained pasta to the pot with the zucchinis.

- Add as much sliced chili pepper as you want.

- Add a dollop of whipped ricotta and the reserved pasta cooking water.

- Stir everything together until the sauce is nice and creamy.

5. Season and Serve:

- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chili powder if you have any, and yes, be generous with it.

- Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil leaves and lemon zest if desired.

Enjoy your delicious Zucchini Pasta!

If you’d like, you can substitute the pasta for omelettes, toast, frittata, risotto, and more!! I also served mine with a side of fresh tomatoes from my garden and some fresh chili seasoning!

Original link: https://www.tiktok.com/@julius.roberts/video/7115881775494073606?lang=en

#recipes #vegitarian #vegan #cheese #pasta #zucchini #courgette #TikTok #creamy #not hard #easy #summer

1 note · View note

thedragonagelesbian · 1 year ago

Note

For the uncommon questions asks:

For Pally Cyrus 6) Does he consider laws flexible, or immovable?

Ranger Cyrus 2) How easy it for your character to laugh?

Yiseeril 11) How does she cope with confusion?

Durge Cyrus 14) What animal do they fear most?

For you! H) What trait do you admire the most (for any of them, all of them, or just in general)?

thank you smmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm <3333333333 ily (uncommon character asks here!)

Pally!Cyrus

6) Does he consider laws flexible, or immovable?

Cyrus will always be someone who prioritizes people over laws & institutions. He's not personally an active rule breaker, but he defends those who are-- protecting the other orphans from the headmaster or from the Flaming Fist, for example. Of course, when it comes to his own personal code of ethics & his oath of devotion, he is much less flexible. Do good, all the time, and if you make a mistake, your soul is going to be a little bit empty forever. Lol.

It's why breaking his oath is so devastating at first-- and why Karlach persuades him to keep it broken. To punish himself less for the impossible standards he's set for himself.

Ranger!Cyrus

2) How easy it for your character to laugh?

It's VERY hard lol I have a post somewhere in my drafts about Karlach & Astarion getting together in this playthrough after bonding over a bet to get him to lighten up for one miserable fucking second. Especially early game, Cyrus is all business. No time for mucking around or having fun, there are people to save and tadpoles to extract and a mind that will not stop looking for threats around every corner. On guard, always, like he has been for the last fifty years.

Wyll has the easiest time of anyone. He's just so silly!! And it doesn't compromise his sense of duty & purpose. It makes those burdens easier to bear, where Cyrus is so used to just bearing it without even the lightest of reprieves. It really catches him off-guard the first couple of times, but it's nice to laugh again

(How long had it been anyway? Did it occur to Cyrus, sometime before he killed her, before the life transference spell, in the decades of their normal life together, that he wasn't laughing as much as he used to? Or was it only after everything that he realized it was another thing she had taken from him?)

Durge!Cyrus

14) What animal do they fear most?

Durge!Cyrus is scared of very little external to his own ruined psyche. Like every other iteration of the character, he has a mild fear of dogs, stemming from a pre-Urge incident in which one was sicced on him after he stood up to its owner for harassing someone.

But for most fear... does the slayer form count? I mean I know it's a monstrosity technically, but... even pre-amnesia Best Boy of Bhaal Cyrus was terrified of being bequeathed this particular 'gift' from his father. It really is all of Cyrus' worst fears--being a mindless weapon & having his body transformed by magic--in one gory package.

Yiseeril

11) How does she cope with confusion?

99.9% of the time, Yiseeril embraces confusion readily as an opportunity to learn more. The unknown is tantalizing, bursting with its promise of discovery when the right mind (hers) is applied to it.

The edge case is anything to do with her own desires, esp re: her faith, which she obstinately refuses to interrogate beyond what is most advantageous for her to want in the moment.

H) What trait do you admire the most?

Cyrus: His heart. There's a real element of wish fulfillment to his character for me as a person trying to do/be good in an unjust world. He can do it!! It's hard and it takes a lot out of him but he can do it!!! And I can keep trying to do it too.

Yiseeril: Her zest for life. Which is ironic/tragic because I have a number of songs on her playlist about death/being dead/dying as a metaphor for her illithid ascension, but before that, her love for the most trivial of mundanities is, I think, wonderful. It reminds me a bit of the program house I was in in undergrad, which really loved to grab furniture off the side of the road & collect random books & hoard strange odds & ends. I want to live life like that, invested in the material & aesthetic pleasure of small things.

#cyrus bg3 #durge!cyrus #gods least favorite princess #also tumblr insists stubbornly on fucking up the link formatting is2g it should NOT look like that but i cant be bothered to fix it

2 notes · View notes

bluesuedeclogs · 1 year ago

Text

an intense urge for midday gratitudeposting welled up, starting with

1. roasted chickpeas

2. quick IT resolutions

3. curb finds that are perfect for what you need but not what you would've purchased

4. texting

5. free admission at museums

6. free events at public libraries

7. when mayors listen to their constituencies

8. long walks with a pal

9. work from home flexibility

10. ancient vacuums that are still chugging along

11 water soluble paint

12. my younger siblings

13. finding out you can freeze something unexpected

14. airport reunions

15. the cast of dimension 20 fantasy high for helping me finally "get" the appeal of ttrpgs

16. lavender flavored beverages

17. sales on tea

18. that my weird rm situation leans far more neutral than negative

19. washing machines

20. manageable amounts of rain

21. running into familiar faces on the train

22. a specific ultra cheery [redacted] train conductor

23. friendly national rivalries (this is about jollof rice)

24. traffic calming planning projects

25. the sensation of improving at crossword puzzles

26. women who write weird short stories

27. the fact that my partner has being doing 90% of my laundry for 2+ years

28. citrus zests

29. piercing professionals

30. my general lack of social anxiety

31. house slippers

32. cheese and crackers

33. novelty keychains

34. email filters

35. consignment shops that run excellent ig accts

36. photojournalists

37. everyone who has every created a hairstyling tutorial video

38. ginger snaps

39. whatever innate constitutional quirk that makes me unable to hold grudges

#equal to or greater than celsus #gratitudeposting

5 notes · View notes

storyofanothersimblr · 2 years ago

Photo

Griffin had an aneurysm and unfortunately died :(

#the sims 4 #ts4 #sims #simblr #sims 4 gameplay #zest generation 11 #couldn't save him like I did with Kylie

4 notes · View notes

corvidquartz · 1 year ago

Text

Witchy Questions Tag...Thing?

Came across this in my scrolling and thought it looked fun! I know I reblog a lot of stuff related to witchcraft and have briefly talked about my practice, but if anyone is curious to learn more, this is the place for it!

Here's the link if anyone wants to do it too!

Do you use runes as a written language? - No I don't. I do use runes on occasion for spellwork, but not as a written language.

2. Do you feel you have natural gifts such as (premonitions, hearing spirits) and if so do you think this is what led you to this path? - I've found that I'm rather good at sensing different energies (whether physical or emotional) and I can read people incredibly well. That in of itself isn't what led me down this path, but these skills have certainly come in handy during my practice.

3. What deity do you work with if any and why?- I currently am working with Apollo, Cerridwen, Hades, and Oonagh. Apollo has been helping me a lot with self-care and self-esteem and generally helping me rediscover a zest for life I thought I'd lost. He kindled a love for Divination I haven't let go of too and is a big help when it comes to my creative work! Cerridwen has been helping me better connect with my heritage and has been a beacon of inspiration as I delve further into my craft and into who I truly am as a person. Hades has been helping me manage my money a bit better and has been a very calming presence while I’ve begun processing my own mental health battles and trauma (he and Apollo are preparing me to do a LOT of Shadow Work.) Oonagh is the most recent deity to reach out to me, and she intends to assist me with building a better relationship with exercise and my own self-image as I begin to take steps into a transitional period of my life. She’s hoping to help me reconnect and heal my inner-child as well.

4. Have you always worked with this same deity? - I’ve only really begun deity work this year, so all the deities I’ve listed are the only ones I’ve worked with so far and are the same ones I work with right now.

5. Do you use any personal items in your practice, (blood, semen, tears, urine, etc)? - No, I haven’t used anything like that. Maybe fingernail clippings or hair in the future, but nothing further than that.

6. Do you do past life readings or have ever had one done; who where you or how did you die? - I haven’t, but I’m interested in it!

7. What is your favorite magical tool? - My tarot cards! I absolutely adore them and I get in such a good mood whenever I get to use them.

8. What is a song or type of music that gets you into a witchy mood? - Anything by Celtic Woman, Fish In A Birdcage, and/or Poor Man’s Poison.

9. Where is the most magical place you have ever been? - There is this foresty area my parents used to take me to a lot when I was a kid that honestly felt like stepping into a fairytale whenever we arrived.

10. What animal is your familiar if any? - I currently don’t have a familiar.

11. If you have a familiar, did you choose them or did they choose you? - As previously mentioned, I don’t have a familiar as of right now.

12. What in the craft are you best at (tarot, spells, ritual,) etc? - I’ve done a lot of divination work, mainly with tarot and pendulums, and I’ve found I’m the best at that.

13. What in the craft would you say you are weaker at? - I’m not very good at astral projection, but I’d love to get better.

14. What is your most favorite part of your craft (spell writing, divination, etc)? - Divination for sure! I also love the deity work that I do and the bits of dabbling that I can do into kitchen witchcraft.

15. What was the first tool you ever purchased? - My first tarot deck! Was only of the major arcana and it was themed around cryptids. It's now my main way to communicate with Hades. He really likes it. ^^

16. What was your first homemade tool for your practice? - My first physical book of shadows. I use a digital one a lot more now, but I hope to transfer everything into a proper physical form one of these days.

17. What are your feelings on raising kids in the craft? - If I were to have kids, I would be open about my craft, observe Wiccan holidays, and answer any questions they’d have, but ultimately leave whatever spiritual path they wish to go down up to them.

18. If you were a goddess or god, who would you be? - Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m quite content in my mortal coil and enjoying the relationship I have with the divine as of right now. ^^;

19. Do you use astrology in your practice? In what ways? - I’ve always loved astrology and try to work moon phases into when I do spellwork and star signs into my divination work when I do readings for other people.

20. What if any ways could you practice dark magic and still respect the beliefs of Wicca? - I’m a firm believer in not harming others when it comes to my craft. If it were in self-defense it would be one thing, but I won’t be practicing anything that could violate the natural law and morals I’ve come to know for so long.

21. Do you have any witches in your family? - My mother and my younger sibling! My father and stepmother are also spiritually inclined, but I don’t believe they consider themselves witches.

22. What item can you not witch without? - My pocket sack of crystals and oils! Never leave home without them.

23. What is your favorite sabbat or time of year ritual? - I’d say Samhain and Yule are my favorites!

24. Have you ever had a YouTube burn out? - Occasionally, but nothing that pulls me away for too long. It's a big part of my job after all!

25. What is your fav witchy shop, and do they have an online store? - Blodforlog on Etsy! Their stuff is extremely well made and the owner is so kind!

26. When buying witchy items, do they choose you or do you choose them? - Depends on what I’m looking for! When it comes to things like herbs or crystals, I tend to choose them. Anything else tho, I either feel pulled to them personally, or one of my deities draw me to them.

27. How do you organize your herbs/ingredients? - I organize everything into labeled jars and bottles that I either line on my windowsill or keep in a designated box.

28. Do you have interest in other deities that you don’t work with; if so, which ones? - I currently don’t work with Loki or Dionysus, but their mythology interests me a lot!

29. Do you have a favorite time of day to do spell work; if so, why? - I prefer to do spellwork whenever I need to throughout the day. No real designated time.

30. Are you solitary or do you work with a coven? - Currently a solitary practitioner. If a coven ever came my way that seemed like a good fit for me tho, I might consider it.

31. If you could pick a certain witchcraft tradition that fits your practice most what would it be (Druid, Celtic, Wicca etc)? - I’d consider myself a Wiccan, though I hope to research further into Celtic practices given my Celtic heritage.

32. What was the most creative spell you have ever done. What did you use? - I came up with a long-distance protection spell to help keep my partner in good health and spirits while his state was being overrun by smoke. It mostly consisted of spoken word and runes as well as some protection oils and black salt that I had on hand (I was staying with my family for a holiday and didn't have all my usual tools and materials on me).

33. What do you prefer for divination (tarot, oracle, runes ,etc, and why?) - Tarot cards and pendulums are my go-to items for divination.

34. What are some ways you keep yourself grounded? - I have a pouch of protection/grounding stones and oils that I keep on me at all times. I also wear a lot of grounding-based jewelry and have different playlists prepared for me to listen to if I feel myself spiraling or getting anxious or overwhelmed.

35. Have you ever had a spell go horribly wrong? - Not yet, as far as I can tell.

36. What are your opinions on initiation rituals? - I honestly don’t know a lot about them, so I don’t really have an opinion. ^^;

37. Have you ever had full contact with your deity; if so, what happened? - I’ve mostly heard their voices in the back of my head and catch glimpses of them when I’m really tired and a bit more “floaty” if that makes sense? I have a good idea of what they look like and what they sound like, but otherwise, divination is really the only way I can communicate with them directly and get a direct answer back. The first time I ever actively communicated with a deity was Apollo. I had asked for a sign that he was present and reaching out to me while I shuffled my tarot deck, and the cards exploded out of my hand and all over the floor. The first card I picked up was the sun card, so that certainly was the sign I was looking for. XD

38. What about you is un witchy? - I’m a giant weeb. ^w^

39. For the dating witch, how do you tell a new love interest that you are a witch? - I’d honestly just be open about it and understand that there may be questions about it. So long as I’m transparent with them, I’ve found they take it best.

40. Who is a past witch that has inspired you ,famous or not? - SpiritualiTea has been a big inspiration to me! Her approach with witchcraft is super grounded and she clearly has a lot of fun with what she does.

41. How do you handle rejection from a fellow witch that refuses to do a reading or spell for you? - That hasn’t happened yet.

42. Do you think it is necessary to cast a circle when you do spell work or any magical working? - I don’t typically cast a circle for typical spellwork, but it is something I recommend of you are calling on other entities for assistance.

43. If Steven Spielberg called and wanted to make a movie of your life, who would you want to play as you? - Uhhhhhh…if it were animated…idk…Ben Schwartz?

44. What is some advice that was given to you that you pass along because it made an impact on your path? - Your path doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s. Do things at your own pace and do what brings you the most happiness. So long as you aren't hurting anyone of course.

45. What is some advice you would give someone who has not found there diety? - Trust your instincts, do your research, and be openminded. The divine may just surprise you.

46. Where do you buy your herbs? - Either online or from whatever grocery store that has what I need.

47. How did you feel casting your first circle (silly, scared, stumbling, etc)? - Very intimidated and like everything I was doing was wrong.

48. What was your first successful spell? - I did a restful sleep spell to help with my insomnia. It’s helped a great deal (tho honestly I’m overdue for replacing the jar ^^;)

49. What is your general practice for meditation? - I have a hard time doing traditional meditation, so I’d consider listening to calming music and taking a walk or laying in bed quietly to be my personal form of meditation.

50. Are you a day walker or a night comer? - I’ve always been more of a night person, tho I do enjoy many aspects of the day!

51. How and when did you know you wanted to be on this path? - I was raised Pagan by my parents and picked up Wicca as I got older. It was made clear to me that I was free to choose my own path, but Paganism and Wicca just resonated with me the most and thus when I was old enough to decide that for myself, I knew that the path of witchcraft was the best path for me. It’s helped me through so much in my life and I want to continue that trend for both myself and those around me.

52. What type of pagan are you (Wiccan, eclectic, hedge, etc)? - I would consider myself Pagan-Wicca that is pretty eclectic in terms of witchcraft practice.

53. What candle color do you use most? - I live in a dormitory that doesn’t allow candles right now, so I haven’t been able to do many candle spells yet. Of the colors I HAVE used tho, yellow and white seem to be my go-tos as of right now.

54. What area would you like to see your craft grow in? - I’d love to look more into medical herbalism! It’s an area I’ve always been really interested in!

55. What is your preference, to buy or make your tools? - If I’m unable to make something myself, I prefer to purchase handmade items from small businesses and show my support to fellow witches.

56. What fictional witch book/screen inspired you the most? - I adored Sabrina The Teenage Witch growing up and The Owl House is one of my current favorites! I have always been drawn to shows and books that featured witchcraft in general, so it's nice to see more witch-themed content being made.

57. With your first spell where you alone or in a coven? - I was alone.

58. What is your favorite candle, incense scent for magical purposes? - I adore the smell of lavender and anything with a bit of a spicy scent to it like cinnamon!

59. Where is your favorite place to go to reconnect with nature? - A park near my family’s house has a hidden clearing that looks over a river. It’s one of my favorite places in the world.

60. Do you believe in fantasy creatures (unicorns, gnomes, elves, fairies, etc)? - Of course! Fairies have been an active part of my life since I was small.

61. Do you believe in ghosts/spirits? - Yep! Have always been surrounded by the supernatural.

62. Would you ever teach the craft? - If I ever became an expert at any specific area of it, I’d consider it!

63. What if any legal herb do you use for moods? - Essential oils are my best friend! I have different ones for every occasion!

64. What is the most recent spell/ritual you have done? (slight detail please) - I have a simple intentions ritual that I do in the morning that involves runes and different oils that help me get in the headspace I need in order to do what I need to do that day. For example, if I know I have a lot of work I need to do that day (I’m a freelance editor), I would do a ritual with Road Opening oil and Divine Blessings so that way I know the flow of creativity I need will be available to me and I’ll be less susceptible to distractions.

65. Do you have a happy place you go to during meditation? - Either my bed or somewhere outside.

66. What is your favorite witchy book? - Nothing specifically witchy itself, but a book that always puts me in a witchy mood is Coraline by Neil Gaiman!

67. Do you have a ritual to get ready before a ritual or spell? (what is it) - Not really. Most smaller spellwork I do is stuff I do as it comes throughout the day. No real need for prep beforehand.

68. Do you always use your own spells or do you tweak others? - I tend to take inspiration from other spells and make them my own to suit what I need them to do.

69. Do you prefer spells/ritual inside or outside? - They’re typically done as I need them, so whether that’s indoors or outdoors is left up to circumstance.

70. If you are coming from a Christian/catholic background. Did you find the transition hard with family and the whole going to Hell thing? Basically leaving all you been told was right? - As I said before, I was raised Pagan, so I never had that issue with my family. The last two partners I had came from VERY strict Catholic and Christian upbringings, however, so explaining my background to their parents was always…interesting. My current partner’s family is very open to Paganism thankfully, so haven’t run into issues there yet.

71. What are your totem animals? - I don’t believe I have any yet, if I’m understanding the question properly.

72. What are some things you reuse after spells/ritual work? - Mostly jars and containers if I clean and cleanse them first.

73. Who helped you most when you starting on your path? - A lot of resources in the form of online creators that I found online and from my own family has been extremely helpful.

74. Do you know any good witchy phone apps (like moon phases)? - I’ve used a moon phase app and a stone identification app in the past, but the names aren’t coming to mind atm. ^^;

75. What is your favorite magical study? - Honestly, anything I can find! I’ve been enjoying learning divination and kitchen witchcraft the most tho!

76. Outside of the YouTube and Facebook community, do you have a lot of witchy friends in the physical world? - I have a handful, but we all haven’t talked in a bit due to life stuff. ^^;

77. Do you feel that the deities we work with are a force from one higher power and that all beliefs and religions are from the same one God/place? - I’m more of an Omnist and believe that all deities from all cultures are real, even if I myself don’t work with all of them.

If you have any questions regarding any of my answers, feel free to let me know! Otherwise, here it be! Hope you all enjoy! Blessed be!

#witchcraft #witch questions #witch questions tag #Pagan #spellwork #witchblr

2 notes · View notes

moonlight26posts-blog · 1 year ago

Text

In Baltimore City, MD: BONDED PAIR: A couple of super cute, super squishy siblings are looking for a home together! - BARCS, Baltimore MD

Andy (left)- 2 years, unaltered male, 60lbs

Anne (right)- 2 years, unaltered female, 58lbs

Andy and Anne are two peas in a pod! After being brought to the shelter by Animal Control, this pair has proven that they are not going to let their situation get them down! Andy and Anne are a friendly and polite duo who have a zest for life and the world around them. They are highly food motivated and aim to please the humans, and bonus- they are even housebroken!

When tested off-leash in the shelter's play yard, Anne was nervous but tolerant of other dogs. Andy seems overall a bit more interested in friends than his sister, and was also tolerant and able to coexist peacefully. Although they may get along with another four-legged sibling, Andy and Anne have a whole lot of love to give just between themselves!

Upon examination, our vets noted that Anne had otitis, some fleas with a 1 inch diameter hotspot at the top of her tail, and bilateral cherry eyes. Andy appeared generally healthy overall, but was also treated for fleas at intake. Full medical summaries can be provided upon request.

While we know taking on two dogs at the same time is not what everyone is prepared for, if just one family could open their hearts (and their home), we know Andy and Anne would be forever grateful.

They are available immediately for rescue pick-up.

Please let us know if your organization can help!

Thank you,

The BARCS Rescue Team

Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) New Address! 2490 Giles Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225 [email protected]| (410) 396-4695

Rescue pick-up hours: Monday-Friday: 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m

Adoption hours: Monday-Friday: 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, Inc. (BARCS) | 2490 Giles Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225

#dog rescue maryland

2 notes · View notes

libidomechanica · 4 days ago

Text

Untitled # 13324

A limerick sequence

Near they little in the lips of men. Rings overworn. Is shrivell’d trees. The earth is there, meek, you’llchoose to paused for who had not eat my darling, while my sin your hair.

Not only take quarter. Who hath with modest hope of higher love? Are shown, and kissing home. Us as a goodly matches, presence of day a day of welcome!

The feeble: let us go. And fruits, and warrant’s banner, had brought, too stronger points were won or loving, runs my head. As a purer laws. On that Evangelist.

That great cause of my beautiful still, and thy innocence which some hundred years. The General Ribaupierre’s was much time to my brother perfect rows where the main.

The wheel extermined scorn to choose sons such is polygamy, the ground. Disguised poem: which else can reach thro’ circle of the Geordi-an knot want of his chair.

Whence hast down, that brought his drunk with strife, their city by the Lord’s, so that same stroke, sublimer azure orbit rouses thinking moon. I seen, like a mothers of doom.

And beaded panes; and then comes a separate mind? And then stately mountain he died, or some dead woodlands? Aurora scarce endure; which I can turn’d—her body have birth.

Like glories, Forsooth, let gown to keep so sweet about the battles, sieges, and formal, and gay Koutousow mighty wrought his hid; the new. And can do not discord.

And aware or leather various eyes. At the will not you get up, and salpicon’-with the Promises to wear the Flock or none; or like—like the hummingbird!

And heard the same mystic deeps, and then as it was there little light. And flicker than laugh so very loud alarms that we stayed away. Ask me not a lost a day.

All which small the world turning city. Could intendeth, which multiplication required. This man! But here fillets, carry from being, haue so froth of nothing it?

Johnson I will less had more intervals appear the peace here, a long since greatest him, this when I was born, a bittere is no record? But when Juan walk’d of men.

There is a stones to hear the Bar enoch Arden flowers: a single soul? Meeting phantom-warning much mortified, flame along with no language starry heaven.

For I am so much zest upon the wild wing! Here again. As Horace fat, or his tent writing foplings, if men with aimless fade: exit seraphim and fate?

A time that all counterfeit is poorly imitating to think to a tune. A pavement—if it done away as thou, new- year dead unders! Was heart and dread it.

And vast, ere well; there some hundred brow. Her life in mine eye on song—simple spot to be sure. Call, but apprehensive, and they knows what their cradle Song crossing soul.

Then I love of gay flowers are ended, these fools of thy Throne indeed. Friends, and never a look on his count itself in all truth. We went and kind; or lie in fee.

Knowledge of I’ and squires and active powers of the laddie! His night above are not to know how she lo’ed a dearest. That you cannot go astray. Which watch there.

Thou comes to such a perfect gift then? In holding: now called it EVIL. The drawn; and all be done, set me alone. Of all,—what vague desire: I have forever.

And sorrow’s crowd? The sea, to tie me loue, or, seeing, haste. But at his being mud. Once, the moonlight and keep aloof. And rites were on that. Was this question carried.

I found Him not made. And force, when one kneelings of youth and the men lie; peace, and lips to keep it, and for t’ other’s dust of art—more night an echo of the gout?

Are not well he common sense is less the shatter’d the high a Bough, and gaudy shows half yields to the maiden in all shower and no less with a brazen pillars?

But the days must be touched, I’d grow quite disappointed to be sanction on its little scorching urn: and in my heart, and kissing sound! And something women love.

What come thousand types are quite dissent. Her soil; the dawn. And I have been. We moon. When the worse for here, and fowl, and the stars the catalogue, fable wind trouble tide?

Iron-jointed into which makes men, this others, his world. And then? Sorrow o’er a burial fee, and came first to ride, as well benumb us at last, and go.

Perhaps she muscles, the slow clock count its soul of Richard’ may aye inhere; and brown, her dangling doves will say no. Thou know’st, in Nature’s gentless iron well his face?

There was become an officer of the tints of odour mother and now thy lights are set to be made the sea-stocks blood to which us out of these? And winters.

Also did the same, but play’d with a living sudden passions of light unto his horses plays are out of Allah! The sage that sate him off my believe, shall die.

But thou with larger lay, the soul can buttons&we understand. When I was desolate, and the feet, which to though which hell were left an his eyes and I was crazy.

From the gynocracy. A musical and its sheathe. Who lights on the vacant chair. But laissez aller’— knight them. As at breath with had done. She said it did except.

But still remains, on music of their portions; double wind along, the brought forking in the sailing in. At ancient to prove, fatal losses are soon comes to please.

Would hopes the plot: we are left, when I do come. Behold, ye speak, and bring into bedew the balls, wielding this children’s chimney glow, that a summon up remember?

The dubious felicity! And with no temptation. For I have much- beloved. An hendy hap ich habbe yhent, ichoot from thee. Which I became the hands.

Of waking a virtue hath no touch’d at the runaway boy who kept hold I am old, o ye Graces! On 100K a week and soul, Mermaid was drowning belly.

But when they went and glad arms tore her a slave: blest thou the French the crowd. Calm that I remember, a pavement—if it came, or dive below the one’s own consequence.

Her which pass’d in his chocolate, mark, and thou, Anthea, must find an image o’ mine. Convinces all the summer suns from the sexual orchis, bridges, who pass.

Wave, or out; the fancy; what was oft to shoots javelin-like besmear’d with pains! Tis strength of us walk away with a melody, and Debt, as on all make it true?

Oh my bonie Betty, as he pass watches for existence the next trees of Death. Whatever fellows, to behold, feed in the frail, discussing tears that comes Sorrow.

Henceforth and there, or loving: o, but we passing then concern, where in disgust, which turn’d backward. Love’s grave, and positions. Feeling a line a murmur of his rest.

Saying, tho’ the questions can sort of the act. Content the fire-flies aware in that rippling him; we have gone forced ever heart, with gilded bed-posts in signs to dwell?

In ripple round the death-watch, would melody, and hell, and taste, and felt his little, hurried him—although true; for supernatural warmth; and in heaven knows? Fools!

How know not weeps, the could keeps the church lands or pantomimes. He too quiver’s vow they should gulf thanks are puzzled but women, who are she foster’d master are few!

Or ran away. And, in opend sent of events as often clasping bride- maidens gather of the moon let my tongue wag thro’ life that Plato’s pride were all alone?

It was a change to coast to me? A poison of this save the west side something maid in danced from the charms, who would read the rest him, and of eraser and an R.

Myself; and oh blood, until the grave, and branchise despatch: I knew a man in his day; but, heaven. The yule-cloth, and fill’d the woods, which would thro’ meadow and the brave?

And state to the sun are artillery angle and saw him for; and go, with heart and in forges the suns. The works with the house; nor many virtue of ruin!

That now When I sorrow’s child’s a pretty children dear to throned races may with overthrown line, the better springs rather onward our neck. Less to Pall Mall.

Who objection. Through truer of us the boy’s pale and most I strive their place can die! At there’s tolerably evening for hand shrug on the first we to thee.

Ere they shall approaches still from the birds in undiscovered in deeds, at that Boon living blush, and true, begin! What thou, my merrimental surge of hand, a weight.

It’s upper flood their gods of sweet dreamy touch the curse changing little shall be more basking in the muscles, their sin: each seals to say leads melodrames or heart!

For they never-lighted with her politics my duty, own’d Arab’s lip. When, jaded wide,—not stay’d to hear the pools: the widow’d with any of these have not you?

Upon mine, that soul of Richard’ may appal. Dreary leisure from their smiled, the dance taken of radiate: fierce and Timour- Mammonite mother simple ration.

And dreamy touch of earshot, ere heaped aside; and save;—a most lucky together and I can’t compell’d without hope—but models arrived. The more that inly feel?

And dark, whose of thorns an ancient goose. How do we course onto myriads more the slippery rocks of state to shape of a world are dry. And she’d call yet once, moving forth.

Whether would finding from the fear; rather fortnight, by God! Wild Hours to climbed high, the bridegroom wait as a child with his Chambers between through my knee; but think he wall.

And rarely smile, if you news after toil; nor shame, And now to Shooting, song, solvent. The sense gives more worthy of correctest contain commit to thy troubled hands.

And with Learning thro’ our day. While green: she sate upon a time I vanish’d forth a thousand the serpent draw some coxcomb is the hangs stay to your preserved the dead!

Was to be gone.: Perceiving her beautiful simplicity’s child has never me, thy parting way, whose ethereal eye— and the could scorn: he place of its Fires.

Juan witlings from the Alps are rags or dancing, flash and great work, whom a conversation; the man whose love the chestnut patteries of spring-tides the strange was love?

#poetry #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Markov chains #Markov chain length: 6 #192 texts #limerick sequence

0 notes

velourfrog · 14 days ago

Text

Neapolitan Cookies

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp cornstarch

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

⅔ cup freeze-dried strawberries (this measurement is before pulverizing in the food processor)

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

1 large egg yolk at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon zest divided

2 ½ tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder

¼ tsp instant espresso optional

White, pink, and brown sprinkles or jimmies optional

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheet pans with parchment paper. (You only bake them one pan at a time but it's nice to have a cooled pan ready to go right when the first batch comes out).

In a medium bowl, combine 2 ½ cups flour, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulverize ⅔ cups freeze-dried strawberries into a powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat 1 cup (or two sticks) butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 ¼ cups sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg, the yolk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

Dump the dough out onto counter or work surface and divide it into three equal portions. Put one-third of the dough into the mixer and add ½ teaspoon lemon zest. Mix on low speed until the zest it fully incorporated, only 5 to 8 seconds. This will be your vanilla portion. Remove the dough and set aside.

Add another third of the dough to the mixer and add the powdered strawberries and remaining ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. Mix on low speed until totally combined, about 10 to 15 seconds, then remove the dough. This will be your strawberry portion. Quickly wipe out the bowl of the mixer.

Add the last third of the dough to the mixer. Add 2 ½ Tablespoons cocoa powder, plus ¼ tsp espresso powder, and mix on low speed until totally combined, again about 10 to 15 seconds.

Pinch small portions (about ½ oz. or ½ Tablespoon size) of the vanilla dough until all the dough has been portioned. Repeat with the strawberry and then the chocolate dough. You will now have several small balls of all the dough ready to be combined.

You can create your Neapolitan cookies a few different ways.

I prefer to take one piece of each dough, lightly squish them side by side together and then insert into the cookie scooper. Press them in firmly but not super tight, then remove with the click of the scooper. Repeat until you've combined them all. This is my favorite way because most people like to be able to bite each flavor individually and this is the prettiest method.

2. If you like to combine the colors to mix and marble a little more, don't worry about lining them side-by-side and instead kind of combine haphazardly. Again place into the cookie scooper.

3. Some bakers make the balls and then randomly place them into a loaf pan, pressing together slightly. Then scoop each cookie out of the combined dough. This method is super easy if you don't care if the flavors remain distinctly separate.

4. You can also just roll the balls into one bigger ball with your hands if you like.

Top with a generous amount of sprinkles, if using. I would do this pretty quickly. As the dough sits, it dries out just enough that the sprinkles have a harder time adhering to the cookies. If this happens, kind of press the sprinkles onto the cookie. Place 6 or 7 cookies on the baking sheet, about 2 ½-inches apart. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until the sides are set and the cookies are puffed. Do not let the edges start to change color, they're better just barely golden on the bottom (in my opinion and my taste-testers').

Remove the baking sheet to sit on top of your stove and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Notes

The lemon zest is optional but adds a nice brightness to the cookie that combines well with the strawberry and chocolate flavors.

I highly recommend weighing the flour as your way of measuring if you have a kitchen scale and are able to do so.

I use black cocoa or Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a rich chocolate color. For the strawberry portion, if you want you can add 1 or 2 drops of red food coloring but you really don't need to. The cookies I've shown you do not have any food coloring in them.

Also, I have read other recipes where bakers added 2 tablespoons of Strawberry Nesquik or strawberry extract to increase the strawberry flavor. Also absolutely not necessary. I find the freeze-dried strawberries provide plenty of fresh, natural strawberry flavor (I easily find them at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods). The 2/3 cup measurement for the strawberries is before they've been processed in the food processor.

The 1/4 tsp of espresso powder can be left out if you desire or don't have any but the espresso deepens the flavor of the chocolate. This amount won't add any coffee flavor to the cookies.

I've made these cookies several times using salted butter. If that's all you have, just decrease the added salt by half.

#cookies #cookie recipe #snack recipes #dessert recipes #food recipes #recipes

1 note · View note

askwhatsforlunch · 1 year ago

Text

Creamed Spinach Conchiglie (Vegetarian)

These hearty Creamed Spinach Conchiglie are also bright with a touch of lemon, which make them a comforting lunch after an hour or two spent weeding, trimming, and planting bulbs in the garden! Happy Tuesday!

Ingredients (serves 1):

125 grams/4.40 ounces conchiglie

about ¾ cup leftover Creamed Spinach

1/2 lemon

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook conchiglie according to package's directions, generally 9 to 11 minutes until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat leftover Creamed Spinach in a large saucepan. Once hot, grate in the zest of the lemon halve.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain quickly, saving about 1/4 cup of its starchy water, and add both to the Creamed Spinach, stirring well to coat, until sauce slightly thickens.

Thoroughly squeeze in the juice of the lemon halve, and cook, another minute.

Enjoy Creamed Spinach Conchiglie, topped with a little freshly grated Parmesan, and with a glass of chilled dry white wine like a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

13 notes · View notes

developerwith1 · 1 month ago

Text

Discover 20 Creative Cheesecake Toppings: From Mango to Mascarpone

Cheesecake is a blank canvas waiting to be transformed into a masterpiece. While the classic cheesecake base is already heavenly, adding the right topping can elevate it to a whole new level of indulgence. Whether you prefer fruity, nutty, or creamy enhancements, there’s a topping for everyone. Ready to take your cheesecake game to the next level? Let’s dive into the world of creative cheesecake toppings!

1. Why Toppings Matter for Cheesecake

Toppings can make or break a cheesecake. They add texture, flavor, and visual appeal, turning a simple dessert into a culinary masterpiece.

Analogy: Think of cheesecake as a stage and toppings as the performers, each bringing their unique charm to create a show-stopping experience.

2. Fresh Fruits: Nature’s Sweet Touch

Fresh fruits are timeless cheesecake toppings. They’re vibrant, juicy, and naturally sweet, making them a healthy yet indulgent choice.

Strawberries: A classic choice for their balance of sweetness and tartness.

Pineapple: Adds a tropical vibe with its juicy tang.

3. Mango Bliss: Tropical Elegance

Mangoes are a golden ticket to tropical flavor. Slice fresh mangoes or blend them into a puree to drizzle over your cheesecake.

Pro Tip: Pair mango with a sprinkle of shredded coconut for an exotic twist.

4. Berry Medley: A Burst of Flavor

Combine blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for a medley of sweet and tart flavors. Berries add a pop of color, making your cheesecake look as good as it tastes.

Bonus: Berries are rich in antioxidants, so you can indulge guilt-free!

5. Citrus Zest: Tangy Twists

A sprinkle of lemon or orange zest can add a zing to your cheesecake, cutting through the richness with its bright flavor.

Tip: Combine zest with a citrus glaze for double the impact.

6. Nutty Delights: Crunchy Goodness

Add some crunch to your creamy cheesecake with a variety of nuts.

Almonds: Sliced or slivered for a subtle nutty flavor.

Pecans: Perfect for adding a caramel-like richness.

7. Honey and Nuts: A Classic Combination

Drizzle honey over your cheesecake and sprinkle it with chopped walnuts or pistachios. The honey’s sweetness and the nuts’ crunch create a perfect harmony.

8. Chocolate Heaven: Decadent Options

From dark chocolate ganache to milk chocolate shavings, the possibilities are endless.

Pairing Idea: Add a hint of sea salt to your chocolate topping for a gourmet touch.

9. Caramel Drizzle: Sweet and Salty

Caramel is a match made in heaven for cheesecake. Drizzle it generously and sprinkle with a touch of sea salt for a sweet-salty combination.

10. Mascarpone Magic: Creamy Perfection

Spread a thin layer of mascarpone cheese on top of your cheesecake for a rich and creamy finish. Add a touch of vanilla extract for extra flavor.

11. Savory Surprises: Think Outside the Box

Who says cheesecake can only be sweet? Try savory toppings like goat cheese and herbs or smoked salmon for a unique twist.

12. Unique Syrups: Beyond Maple

Experiment with syrups like pomegranate molasses, elderflower syrup, or passion fruit glaze to create a sophisticated dessert.

13. Edible Flowers: Beauty and Flavor

Decorate your cheesecake with edible flowers like violets or pansies. They add a touch of elegance and a hint of floral flavor.

14. Crushed Cookies: Textural Bliss

Crushed cookies like Oreos, graham crackers, or shortbread add a crunchy contrast to the creamy cheesecake.

Fun Idea: Use themed cookies for holidays or special occasions.

15. Seasonal Favorites: Holiday-Inspired Toppings

Celebrate the season with toppings like:

Fall: Pumpkin puree and a dash of cinnamon.

Winter: Crushed candy canes and white chocolate drizzle.

Summer: Fresh peaches and a sprig of mint.

16. DIY Cheesecake Bars: Custom Toppings for Everyone

Set up a DIY cheesecake bar with a variety of toppings so everyone can create their own perfect slice.

Popular Choices: Chocolate chips, fresh fruit, whipped cream, and syrups.

Conclusion

There’s no limit to how you can transform a simple cheesecake into a show-stopping dessert. From tropical mangoes to decadent chocolate and unique savory twists, these 20 creative toppings offer something for every palate.

0 notes