#(the cheapest bread they sell)

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

Still coping with homelessness and doing my best to count my blessings when I can.

Though I still haven't found a permanent home within my means, I'm happy to share that I have a safe place to stay since last night and for the next six nights. It's a huge relief not to have to scrabble every couple of days to find a place to lay my head (including the breakroom at work), and I'm so grateful to have access to hot showers and a bed.

However...

The bad news is that this comes at the cost of leaving me severly cash strapped. Between my checking account and my pocketbook, I've got exactly $40 to last until my next paycheck (August 31). I have groceries enough to feed me the next few days and under a quarter tank of gas (the only driving I do is back & forth to work). So, as much as I don't want to ask for help again, I must because next Thursday is still ten days away. The town food shelf is open one morning a week, and that's while I'm scheduled to work. I would greatly appreciate any donations people can spare to bridge me to the 31st.

As always, thank you in advance for your understanding and kindness!💗Even a reblog could make a crucial difference in my situation.

my kofi

[sirenjose]

Analysis of the Food/Diet of the Lower Class in the Victorian era

(It was a bit tricky for me to find sufficiently detailed answers about the time and group I was looking for, as I wanted a bit more than the basics. Apologies for any mistakes)

Bread was a staple of the lower-class diet, such as wholemeal, rye bread, unleavened bread (like oatcakes), etc.. For the poor, it was often made of cheap-quality flour and likely denser than modern bread.

These could be supplemented with whatever vegetables that were cheapest as well as locally available at that time of year. Onions were among the cheapest (half penny for a dozen, cheaper if they were bruised) and available all year. They were more expensive in late spring, at which point they could be substituted by leeks. Watercress was another cheap staple (halfpenny for 4 bunches from April to January/February) and were regularly eaten at breakfast. Cabbage was cheap and easily available, along with broccoli, with lettuce and radishes available in summer. Carrots and turnips were inexpensive staples, especially in winter, and they along with cabbage were often used in stews and soups.

As for fruit, apples were the cheapest and most commonly available (from August to May). Cherries were also fairly cheap (from May to July). Pears, blackberries, and plums were available throughout autumn. Then there were gooseberries, plums and greengages (in late September), raspberries, and strawberries. Not all fruits were affordable, like oranges, which were imported from Spain in winter but were expensive and often given as gifts, and pineapples, which were a sign of wealth.

Potatoes were another staple and were prepared in various ways, including boiled, mashed, roasted, or fried. They grew well in Britain’s mild weather, making them easy to produce and sell, meaning they were cheap and thus became a frequent meal.

In terms of meat, the lower class ate it infrequently, maybe once a week, with the worst off even less often. Pork was 1 of the most common types of meat, when it could be afforded.

As a result, the poor made the most of it (using and eating every part of it). For example, a cook would boil a piece of beef or mutton with vegetables one day (probably Sunday, the only day many people had off from work), then return to the boiling pot the next day and skim the fat off from the top to be used for frying or pie crusts. Then he or she could set the liquid back to boiling, adding a stingy amount of oatmeal (one recipe recommends a tablespoon of oatmeal for every pint of liquid) to produce another nourishing meal from the broth. Recipes call it a pot liquor soup; we’d more likely call it gruel.

Gruel, made by boiling grains, like oats, rice, or barley, in water or milk, was a common food option for the poor as it required minimal ingredients and was easy to prepare. It often served as a breakfast or basic meal.

Porridge refers to a thicker and more substantial version of cooked grains, usually oats, in water or milk. It was typically cooked for a longer amount of time, resulting in a creamier and heartier consistency. It was also a popular breakfast choice due to it being nutritious and filling.

They tended to buy cuts and trimmings of meat no one else wanted, which were referred to as “block ornaments”. Examples included sheep’s organs, shanks, gristly bits, and heads. Most of these cuts were tough or didn’t have much meat on them, but they could produce a filling broth. Tripe (lining of stomach of animals like cattle, sheep, and pig), liver, meat on the bone (shin or cheek), and offal (aka organ meats like brains, hearts, sweetbreads, liver, kidneys, lungs, and intestines) were also cheap.

Chicken was rare, as the birds were kept for eggs, and usually not eaten unless the bird stopped laying eggs.

Later in the Victorian era, bacon became a popular choice at breakfast (alongside kippers aka a type of fish made from herring, eggs, and porridge).

Drippings was another common part of the lower class diet. Drippings refer to the fat that is collected as a result of cooking meat. When meat, such as beef, pork, or poultry, is roasted or grilled, the fat present in the meat melts and drips down into the pan or tray. This fat is then collected and saved, typically in a container or jar, for later use. They add flavor and richness to dishes and are commonly used for making gravies, sauces, or to enhance the flavor of roasted vegetables, as a few examples.

Since meat was a luxury, the lower class tended to go for cheaper proteins, like eggs and legumes.

Many East End homes kept hens in their backyards, with a couple hens able to produce up to a dozen eggs per home per week. Hard cheeses like cheddar was produced countrywide and so available all year round, meaning it was able to enter the diet of the lower class. It was a good protein, kept well, and even stale it could be eaten toasted with bread.

Regarding legumes (ex: beans, peas, peanuts, lentils, etc…), they were a cost-effective source of protein, fiber, and nutrients. Dried legumes were more affordable and available all year round. Beans (good from July to September) were a staple for many lower class, often cooked in stews, soups, or baked dishes. Peas (affordable from June to July) and lentils were also commonly consumed.

In terms of drinks, tea was very common. It became more affordable with the help of increased trade, improved transportation, and advancements in production methods. The poor drank tea that tended to be weaker, as they reused the tea leaves several times before disposing of them. Black tea was common, the most popular being those imported from countries like China and India.

Milk was widely consumed but not usually in large quantities, due to cost and adulteration fears (aka fear of contamination). Beer was also common (made with low alcohol content so you didn’t get drunk), even for women and older children, as water wasn’t safe to drink back them (easily contaminated, but the brewing process killed off the germs). Coffee was another option, but it tended to be more expensive than tea, beer, or milk.

Sugar became cheaper at least after 1874, but still tended to be relatively expensive, especially for those on lower incomes. Thus it remained more of a luxury item and consumed in mostly smaller quantities or for special occasions.

Butter, like sugar, would’ve also been considered a relatively expensive item, and thus not as widely consumed. Instead, they used cheaper options of fat, like lard and dripping.

Nuts were another slightly more expensive item. But there were some options if a poorer individual could afford them. Chestnuts were the most common (favorite street snack in chestnut season, running from September to January). There were also filberts and hazelnuts (available from October to May) and walnuts (seasonal). Imported almonds and brazil nuts were more expensive, but commonly consumed around Christmas as a “treat”.

Even if they could afford things like sugar, butter, or nuts, the lower class likely would’ve typically used their income on more basic necessities and things they needed for their job or life.

Individuals were paid on Saturday, and that plus the absence of refrigeration affected the weekly menu. It’s possible the lower class at least may have possessed basic cooking utensils, like a skillet, pot, or kettle. The ‘best’ and relatively most expensive meals were taken on Saturday evening and Sunday, though the poorest would often buy food at the end of Saturday trading, at the cheapest possible prices. Menu choices became cheaper through the week: purchases of food would diminish in quantity as the food budget shrank, and meat would often only be purchased once a week, though vegetables and fruit were usually purchased and consumed on a daily basis.

The very poor might purchase cheaper older fruits, vegetables, and meat on the verge of edibility, though this didn’t really diminish the nutrients in them much.

The lack of refrigeration facilities meant that meats eaten hot on any one day were almost inevitably consumed (cold) on the second day. Any more leftovers were, due to incipient spoilage, curried or hashed on the third day. Spices and the higher heat involved in frying the hash would disguise any taint to the meat and lessen the chances of food poisoning.

Men worked on average 9–10 hours per day for 5.5-6 days a week, giving a range from 50–60 hours of physical activity per week. Factoring in the walk to and from work increases the range of total hours of work-related physical activity up to 55–70 hours per week. They likely required around 5000 calories a day.

The daily wage for poor miners back then may have been around 3-4 shillings, with the weekly wage then around 18-24 shillings. In dollars, 3-4 shillings was likely around $1. In today’s money, 3-4 shillings a day may be around £4 to £5 or $5 to $6.

[copperbadge]

SAM SAM SAM CORNER BAKERY JUST FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY

This is, pun intentional, so delicious.

For those of you who may be new, my feud with Corner Bakery goes back at least a decade at this point because they kept selling me food that made me sick. But the reason this is delicious is not that I am witnessing the fall of a worthy foe -- it's because I think this confirms my theories about its business model, since Corner Bakery explicitly failed because a) trends were shifting before the pandemic and b) Corner Bakery lost revenue that other places didn't due to people working from home.

My theory has always been that Corner Bakery's model was to situate itself in places where there were no other strong options. Corner Bakeries tend to exist in business districts or tourist districts where people are just far enough away from other good food options to make a reasonably priced soups-and-sandwiches place look appealing. They went into museums, or near museums and other tourist destinations, where the other options were either very high-end or McDonalds. Their locations in Chicago's downtown are near skyscrapers full of people who want fresh, "healthy" food quickly on their lunch break but don't want a grocery-store sandwich.

And then they serve the absolute cheapest, poorest-prepared food possible. Tiny expensive bags of cheap chips, the lowest-quality deli meats and condiments, gross bread used even after it goes stale, elderly veggies used after they start wilting. The last time I got a sandwich there, it was made with the heels of the bread, unripe avocado, and deli turkey that was uncomfortably wet. The last time I ate there ever, I got food poisoning from a slice of lemon pound cake.

I didn't know that this was true but I suspected it, and the coverage seems to be confirming that their brand of swindle, which was highly vulnerable to a drop in tourism, turns out to have been even more vulnerable to mass work-from-home than most restaurant chains.

Corner Bakery traded explicitly on the desperation of the people it served and made me sick multiple times before I stopped eating there. Good riddance, I hope its holding company lets it die completely, and I'm going to take credit for it personally if it does. :D

[trivialbob]

Some people

This morning I went to a restaurant drive-thru. A huge semi was parked in the approach lane. It's four-way lights were flashing. A long aluminum ramp ran from a side door down to the building's delivery entrance. A man steered a hand cart loaded with cardboard boxes of food down that ramp.

A woman in front of me drove right up to the trailer, like the enormous truck and trailer were in line for the drive-thru. I drove around them and up to the speaker. Another vehicle drove around the woman and the delivery truck. Only then did she realize the truck wasn't there to buy food.

All those clues she missed!

Later I took my dogs to the off-leash park by my house. At the gate a small container has always held plastic bags, in case someone forgets to bring their own. It's usually full of grocery or bread bags donated by others.

For the last two years someone has been tying individual new plastic poop bags to the fence in about five places around the park. These are colorful bags pet supply stores sell in small rolls, the kind that some people put in little carriers attached to leashes. Sometimes I find these bags tied to low tree branches in one part of the park that is far from the chain link fencing. The bag donor also put up signs that remind people to clean up after pets.

Don't miss all those clues that you have to pick up after your dog!

One way to think of this is that a kind and generous person cares deeply about the dog park. We should all take care of public property. The other way is that someone is being a bit of a nag. There wasn't previously a problem with dog waste all over the park.

This fall the bag thing escalated. Someone else (I assume this because they use different colored bags) has been tying strings of three or four bags every two feet along a section of fence where the small dogs play. They remind me of Steven Tyler's microphone scarves.

These bags, probably unlike the Aerosmith scarves, are of the cheapest quality. They degrade in the wind and sunlight. I know because I tried one once. It fell apart when I separated it from the other bags.

This week someone tied a 13 gallon kitchen trash bag along another fence. It's filled with old grocery and bread bags. The ratio of available bags, new or used, to pooping dogs is probably 50:1.

I think we've reached the point where all the efforts to encourage pet owners to pick up after their dogs is starting to make the park look rather trashy.

[vidaamour]

Vegan/Vegetarian shopping list:

Pre Made salad bags (it’s a lot cheaper to just buy bagged salad and add to it, then buying a bunch of ingredients that will go bad if not used)

Make a list of fruits and vegetables that you like and get them (some times if you get the funky shaped ones you get a few cents off, even if you don’t that stops the funky shaped produce from being tossed)

Nut butters (most almond and peanut butters are vegan, jelly and Jams aren’t because they’re made with gelatin)

Bread, check the ingredients because a lot of breads are accidentally vegan/vegetarian ( Vegetarian/Vegan (link) Sandwiches will be your best friend)

Pasta (like bread a lot of pasta is accidentally vegan, CHECK THE INGREDIENTS)

Rice and beans are some of the cheapest things to buy, buy them dry and you can have them for a while in your pantry

Google vegan ramen, (if you’re like me and love spicy ramen then you’ll be happy to know Samyang 2x spicy hot chicken flavor Ramen in the red pack is VEGAN they use artificial chicken flavor rather then animal products. Vegan Kimchi regular and spicy is a lot easier to find then you may think just look for ones without fish sauce and shrimp)

Tofu (tofu is very versatile and it’s great source of vegan/vegetarian protein made from soy, it takes flavor beautifully and it’s relatively cheap firm/extra firm is best)

Cheese (there are so many vegan cheese options, for grated parmigiana follow your heart has both grated and shredded, Violife has a block. Violife has the best shredded substitutes, and singles. Daiya is a little weird in my opinion however they’re cheddar dairy free Mac and cheese is amazing (you just gotta use different pasta then it comes with)

Meat substitutes ( We’ve come a long way with decent vegan meat substitutes, beyond meat makes a whole variety of plant based meat substitutes that are very tasty especially if you’re still craving that meaty texture. Impossible meat substitutes also has amazing plant based meat substitutes, Impossible also has vegan chicken nuggets that tastes like McDonald’s and even have dino shaped ones. Light life has everything from vegan sausage crumbles to Bacon, the vegan bacon and hot dogs are amazing)

Eggs (just egg and simply egg are planted based substitutes for eggs, they’re liquid like an egg beater but can be used in place of eggs from a scramble to a baking ingredient)

Dairy (Vegan milk/coffee creamer you got options coconut, almond, soy, oat, pea protein. Pick what you like best. Personally California farms Oat milk in original and California farms oat vanilla creamer are my favorites. I’ll throw cream cheese and Yogurt in here as well Kite Hill regular and Strawberry cream cheese are my favorite, Kite Hill blue berry, and Strawberry vegan yogurt are my favorite. MIYOKO’S vegan butter)

Snacks (Lenny and Larry’s plant based chocolate chip cookies, Spudsy sweet potato puffs they have a million different flavors I like the hot fries. Vegan rob’s dragon puffs these are the vegan equivalent to hot Cheeto puffs but without the red dye 40. Vegan rob’s also has cheese puffs)

Sauces (Anne’s goddess dressing is very tangy, Diaya blue cheese and Caesar dressings are amazing, can be thick though, they also have ranch but I got a vegan homemade ranch recipe. Hot sauce, Franks, Cholula, Tabasco, and Tapatío are vegan. Ketchup& mustard are vegan. Hellmans and follow your heart have vegan mayonnaise,Sir Kingston’s and Follow your heart also have chipotle Mayo. Follow your heart also has vegan sour cream)

Seasonings (seasons you should have in your cabinet click here, the dollar tree sells all these for a dollar and most grocery stores sell adobo)

[sheocheese]

I like my work and even my workplace but there is one thing that makes me so furious it's driving me a little insane. So my boss and founder of the company once came up with this quote and he must've felt like a real intellectual when he did because it's plastered in giant letters on the wall I pass every day on my way to the locker rooms. It reads (translated): "Bread is the cheapest luxury item that everyone can afford." I have some issues with that quote. Enough that I spend my paid worktime thinking about it when I gotta do especially boring stuff. 1: Obviously not everyone can afford bread like I know you're the first result on an image search of "Rich old white dude" but come on even you have to know that 2: How dare you try to paint BREAD (like normal ass basic bread, no fancy stuff just flour water and yeast) as a luxury item. It's like. The most basic food there is. If here is ONE food that every human on the planet should have free and unlimited access to it's BREAD. I know I live in germany and we have a... Special thing with bread (we have bread-sommeliers I kid you not) but even "Good german bread" that is "so much better than any other bread anywhere on the world" should be at the very least affordable to everyone. 3: By incorporating the idea that the fulfillment of basic human needs is a luxury into your business philosophy you are part of the reason why there are people who can not afford bread. Because in doing so you have to set a standard for, again, a basic neccessity that inevitably drives up the selling price for your product to the point it's getting ridiculous but also allowing the producers af "non-luxury" bread with low to no standards in ingredient/production quality to sell at higher prices because why should they sell 300% below your "luxury product", when they can sell 50% below and still be the cheapest option on the market? 4: I can barely afford rent and I know this is treated as "normal" for someone in their first year of training and all but I still hate that this quote is in the hallway to my workplace where I have to see it every day especially towards the end of the month when I have to think twice if I can afford to have anything other than bread for dinner.

[writing-good-vibes]

you are now leaving illinois

before the weird sex and the american dreams and the realisations that only the open road can bring, there was the beginning (well, almost). or: corey and michael leave illinois for the first time.

WARNING for mentions of shoplifting, carjacking, smoking and very mild angst, but this is actually pretty mellow. idk corey cries a little bit but that's not out of the ordinary for him.

taglist: @slutforstabbings @ethanhoewke @voxmortuus (if anyone else wants to be tagged in corey related things, just let me know !!)

The first stop they make since leaving Haddonfield is at a Walmart about 20 miles from the state line. Corey goes in, hood up and head down, just to grab some essentials for the road.

Bags of chips, cans of soda and bottled water. An armful of cup noodles and a loaf of bread. A half-gallon of chocolate milk. First aid supplies because he knows he's not the powerhouse that Michael is; rolls of bandages and gauze, a bottle of painkillers, antiseptic cream. He grabs the cheapest electric razor they sell.

He thinks about 'lifting his haul, but he doesn't want to draw anymore attention to himself than he has to -- not before they make it over the state line, anyway -- so he pays at the checkout. It'll make a dent in his wallet, but he'd saved enough to last a while, and it's an expense he's willing to spend for now. He's sure Michael won't mind them scrimping a bit in the future. Hopefully.

The checkout lady tries to talk to him, those empty niceties that he was so scared of before now feel maddeningly absurd after the week he's just survived. Even so, he tries to act as normal as possible, giving her a tight smile that has no chance of reaching his eyes.

Michael waits in the car, parked in a dark corner of the lot. He's wearing the mask, of course, he'd put it on as soon as he'd wrestled it back off Corey. He knew he was going to be in big trouble over that one, but Michael would have to wait a while to exact whatever revenge he wants on his new... accomplice? Amid the raging sea of emotion that is churning his gut, Corey feels a sick sort of thrill at that thought, at taking whatever Michael will deal out to him once they're in the clear.

Jogging back to the car, Corey throws the grocery bags in the backseat before sitting up front. Corey slides slightly across the bench when Michael makes a sharp turn out of the lot and back towards the highway.

Darkness surrounds them on both sides again, as they head out of town. Corey reaches back and routes through the bags until he finds the razor. He unboxes it in his lap, finding the charging cord and plugging it into the port on the dashboard.

"They're gonna be looking for us," he says, slumping in his seat and watching the side of the road where their headlights just about reach.

Michael doesn't say anything, but Corey knows he understands. Michael's been on the run before, he should know what he's doing. Although he has no practical experience, Corey had wiled away his adolescence thinking about how he could run away, far enough that Momma would never find him. There are worse people to worry about than Momma now.

At the next gas station they make another stop; a run-down mom-and-pop place, the type that Corey had assumed didn't exist anymore. The type of place he assumes won't have company policies or CCTV that backs up to a cloud.

Corey leaves Michael in the car again and heads into the garage. The burning adrenaline is starting the wear off, and he buys fresh pack of cigarettes to soothe his obliterated nerves, then makes a beeline for the bathroom, a single stall with a toilet and basin.

Corey's hands grip the edge of the sink and he looks at himself in the cracked mirror, the aged silver surface mottled around the edges. He'd never thought much of his looks, never had anyone to impress or any real reason to care, especially after the accident. But now, oh god now he feels like this is the last thread connecting him to his old self to everything he's done and did not do, and it's not as easy to cut as he expected.

He picks up the razor, clicks it on and feels the vibrations through his hand. Watching, eyes fixed on the halo of curls around his head, he brings the razor up, runs it through his hair, just above his ear. A tuft of hair drifts into the sink. He looks down at it, and even as he squeezes his eyes shut, the tears make their way out anyway. Pathetic, he thinks.

The sink fills up, tawny like a birds nest, and when Corey is finally finished, he almost doesn't recognise himself. He looks so different like this. Running a hand over his buzzed hair, Corey steels his gaze.

Corey had never been to Missouri before. In all fairness though, there were a lot of places he'd never been. Michael doesn't seem too affected, as they cross the state line, the Mississippi River raging beneath them. Missouri didn't even seem much different than Illinois, though in the dark of the night, he supposes he can't really tell. He's heard there are more cornfields, maybe, but other than that, the long stretches of highway felt the exact same as back home.

Home. Shit.

He wondered what home even meant anymore. It felt strange to even think they'd never be going back to Illinois, though he was pretty sure at this point they never would. Michael's home was gone, razed to the ground in a bid to wipe him clean off the face of the town that had ruined him; Corey had nothing to go back to either, nothing that hadn't ruined him, nothing he hadn't torn to shreds and set a blaze before leaving behind.

For the first time in his life, the open road seemed like the only real, tangible thing. Not just a pipedream or a childish fantasy anymore. He'd been stagnant, wasting, for so long he'd forgotten what it felt like to really move. Corey felt alive and he wasn't going back to the way things were, not ever.

Just on the horizon, Corey can see the watery grey-blue of the sunrise approaching. He doesn't notice that the white-noise rumble of the road beneath them is soothing him to sleep until his head drops to Michael's shoulder. Michael's eyes stay firmly on the road, and Corey decides, like most things about their partnership, that as long as Michael will let him have this indulgence, he's going to make the most of it.

[luulapants]

Ok, you wanna learn how to make the best sweet potato hash browns you ever had in your life?

You need:

Coffee (may sub with tea)

Oil (olive, coconut, vegetable - something mildly flavored)

Cheapest sweet potato at the store

Eggs (I use local eggs from Mike at the farmers market, which are $5/doz but they were also $5 before the avian flu bc that's just how much eggs cost when the guy selling them to you knows the chickens personally)

Paprika

Cinnamon

Garlic (fresh, jar, or powdered)

Fresh veggies (whatever needs used)

Hard cheese

Other seasonings (follow your heart)

Salt & pepper

Bread (optional)

Instructions:

Put on some coffee, strong

Grate the sweet potato directly into a bowl of cold water.

While that soaks, take however many eggs you want out of the fridge and leave them on the counter to warm up. I pulled out three because I needed to use up the last of the carton because I bought a new carton I didn't need yet because I wanted to talk to Mike.

Pour the coffee into a mug.

Drain the sweet potatoes, then fill the container with cold water again.

Get a skillet on the stove. A large skillet might be best, but I use a small one bc my big skillet died a horrible death. Coat the bottom in oil and turn the stove on medium heat. If you're using fresh or jar garlic, add it now. Drink coffee.

Drain the sweet potatoes again. Once the oil is hot (or garlic spitting), press them out in the pan to create an even layer.

Scrub out the grater and potato bowl while that heats up. After breakfast you will thank you.

Over the hash browns, sprinkle one part cinnamon, two parts paprika. If using garlic powder, four parts garlic. How much is a part? When sprinkling the cinnamon, you should be like, "shoot, that was almost but not quite enough to evenly distribute it over the whole pan," but it's going to be okay. Look me in the eye. It's going to be okay.

Drink coffee. Stir the hash browns until they're a relatively uniform color with the spices intermixed. Press them flat again.

Now it's time to get out your vegetables. "Vegetables!" you say. "But luula, I thought we were making hash browns!" Listen. Hash browns are not a meal unto themselves. They are part of a culinary experience and the only way to enjoy cooking is to learn to time out making different things at the same time.

Prep your vegetables. This is the step that makes people hate cooking, so I recommend buying the same vegetable a LOT, looking up tutorials on the best way to chop or prep it, and practicing until it's so quick and easy that you don't have to think about it. Then move onto a new vegetable. I'm cooking shiitake mushrooms and asparagus this morning bc asparagus is in peak season and on sale and because the woman at the mushroom stall at the market is cute. The mushrooms I just cut in half. Drink coffee.

Pause to stir the hash browns, making sure to scrape up anything sticking to the bottom of the pan. If your pan isn't nonstick, you can deglaze with a bit of cold water.

The secret to asparagus is DON'T chop the ends with a knife. Pinch the hard end between your fingers while holding the supple end in the other and bend it until it snaps. Throw away the hard end that snapped off. It will look like a lot to throw away, but that's because most people under-trim their asparagus. Those ends are a gross texture and will ruin your asparagus experience.

Stir the hash browns again and scrunch them off to the side to make room for your veggies. Add more oil to the empty spot.

When pan cooking veggies, the order of operations is starchy > firm > soft > watery. Starchy things like potatoes take ages to cook, which is why your hash browns have been in that pan since the dawn of time. My asparagus is firm, so that's going in next, until it's bright green in color. My mushrooms are soft, so I add them in once that happens. They just need to get warm, really. If you are cooking with watery tomatoes, those go in at the very last second if you cook them at all. Season the veggies with whatever speaks to you. I used thyme because thyme and mushrooms is a dope combo. Drink coffee.

In the time it takes your veggies to cook, you probably need to stir the hash browns once more, and by the time they're nearly done, you should have some good crunchy bits in the hash browns. Turn the heat all the way to low, then scoop the hash browns onto a plate. Cover the plate. Leave the veggies in the pan.

If you're making toast, put the bread in while the pan is cooling down.

Add more oil to the empty spot where the hash browns were. It's time to cook the eggs. Carefully crack eggs into the pan.

If you want cheese, sprinkle it on top of the vegetables. I used Parmesan because it crusts onto asparagus nicely. Salt and pepper the whole pan. Cover the pan. Drink coffee.

The secret to eggs, and the reason you want low heat, is they need to be cooked over easy. If you want your yolks cooked through, just bake a cake. The other secret is that you should flip them when the bottom layer is solid white but the top is still clear and runny. Focus on flipping each individual yolk, not the whites. The whites will follow.

If you're making toast, butter it or whatever you're doing with it while the eggs finish cooking.

Turn off the heat. Scoop everything onto the plate, taking care not to break the yolks. Serve with whatever is left of your coffee.

[lesless]

The Calm Before the Storm (as always)

There is a stillness to life at the moment that I know will not last, but I am using this time to ready & prepare. My partner is on a work trip this week visiting 2 states, I have a few things to polish at work & not many commitments. We leave for an atypical holiday trip next Tuesday, I am excited! In advance of this I laid out toiletries & other items to check them over before the trip & became frustrated with my ancient plastic travel containers & toiletries bag that barely zipped closed over the bulbous minis.

I went to Target at 9 PM & grabbed square silicone containers & a toiletries bag. I was delighted that the cheapest one ($12) ended up being my favorite & the only isle open at that time was the self-checkout which I firmly believe means you pay what you think is appropriate for the items you are buying. Anyway, I would normally feel it silly to spend $ on replacing something like travel containers but I also went to the beauty store earlier in the day & impulse purchased some leave-in conditioner & lotions in addition to my staples & honestly this trip we are taking was not in my budget so I have decided if I'm going over, I'm going over & will just be comfortable owing some on my credit card until next year. Between travel & holidays I refuse to interrupt my good time worrying about money, I will worry about money in January. So I got myself a few treats & replaced the travel containers & feel very smugly pleased about the whole thing. Also, quite unexpectedly, a ring I dropped off to sell a while ago just sold so perhaps the $ will all balance out?

I also cleaned the house yesterday, picked up some pears & a variety of heirloom apples & tomatoes, croissants(!!!!), made some delicious pasta, washed the sheets, & of course worked. Today I am working from home so I think I will try to go on another jog with Max, & be miserable, but feel accomplished, & take a shower. I will do my nails & try to work on my writing or photo project, probably talk to my cousin who is planning to fly up to CO to drive back to TX with me for Christmas! I may need to go back to the grocer as I only purchased fruit, bread, & pasta ingredients enough for dinner & 1 lunch, which I will need to take into the office tomorrow. Overall, a doable series of tasks & a nice bit of solitude before a week with family.

[twotangledsisters]

Cheap Meals

So, I've got to shopping today because my fridge is literally empty. And I googled cheap meals to kind of inspire me and try not to buy the same five things every single week.

But whenever I do this I'm reminded how the word "cheap" is not always the same. And how often times cheap also means extremely high effort which isn't compatible with many lifestyles as well as people struggling with mental illness or physical illness...

So here are the meals that got me through some really difficult times (these meals aren't all healthy, they are simply healthier than skipping meals constantly which is what I did for a long time):

1.- Popcorn, where I live three bags cost one euro, that's 33 cents a meal that is hot, has flavour and just needs throwing in the microwave. Perfect to stop yourself from skipping a meal.

2.- Humus. A cheap blender, preferably the type uses for making juice is honestly the best thing ever. For humus you just throw chickpeas (I always use jarred) into said blender with whatever spices you like (I usually do salt, pepper, comino and curry powder), you blend and done! It can be eaten with nachos, on toast, or just on it's own. Takes five minutes is super cheap.

3.- Eggy bread, (basically French toast without the cinnamon) you just throw some egs in a bowl, mix them, add spices, dip the bread in and throw onto the pan. Takes barely any time, good hot meal, cheapest thing ever.

4.- Toast, obviously, having just some jam at home that can be spread onto some toast is another good way to avoid skipping a meal.

5.- Porridge, oats are super cheap, you just mix them with some milk, throw in the microwave and ta-dah! I add honey because honey is super cheap here but I know some areas it's more expensive, I've also added bananas when they're in season.

6.- Roasted vegetables, the other day pumpkins were cheap so I grabbed one, cut it in half threw it in the oven and that's that. Three meals ready to go. You can do a bunch of different vegetables, add spices or don't, do whatever works for you. Fried vegetables is also good but that requires a tiny bit more attention.

7.- Salad. People underestimate salad, at home you have full control, the other day I had glass noodles with cucumber and soy sauce. It was easier to make than pot-ramen and super healthy and tasted great. Sometimes I do pasta salad by making the pasta the day before and leaving it in the fridge (usually I make a pasta meal and just set some aside), russian salad is also amazing and super cheap.

8.- Vegetarian wraps, I just buy the frozen already chopped peppers form my supermarket, I fry them with a seasoner for burritos and then throw them into some wraps, cheap quick and delicious.

9.- Cereal, this is within the toast and popcorn area, just worth having around for when depression is high.

10.- Ramen but not ramen? Obviously, the pots of ramen are really expensive if you are dirt poor, but most supermarket sell noodles and chicken broth wich is the same thing. You just boil the noodle in the broth, I usually do this until their is no broth so it's not really ramen but to each their own. Make it extra amazing by adding a few more spices and an egg. Cheap, five minutes, delicious.

11.- Carbonara or bolognaise: just spaghetti (or any other pasta it doesn't really matter), for bolognaise I do tinned tomato, some onion, some garlic (depended on the season it'll be fresh or frozen), and if I have a bit of extra cash I add meat, but mostly my meals are vegetarian. For carbonara (this isn't proper carbonara but it works) I just do cooking cream, mushrooms, sometimes onion and again, if I have the money, bacon.

12.- Pizza bread, or pizza really. Just throw some tomato, cheese and ham on a piece of bread and put it in the oven. You can add or remove ingredients. If you have the time, flour and water makes dough to do proper pizza but you need to leave it to raise and I know I rarely think that far ahead.

13.- Toad in the whole, basically you mix water, flower and egg to make a pancake like batter, add some salt, put it in an oven friendly bowl or whatever, throw in some sausages (though I've done this without the sausages plenty of times), you get a bread, pancake, kinda thing and if you added sausages the juices make it taste extra good.

BONUS DESSERT: Cartwheels, basically you buy a pack of digestive biscuits and a bad of marshmallows, you put one marshmallow on one biscuit, put in the microwave for literally 10 seconds or less, when the marshmallow expands you place the other biscuit on top and voila! Super fast, cheap because you get lots of them out of those packs, warm.

Also, if you's feeling a bit depressed hot beverages are the cheapest treat I consistently get myself, like nice teas if you count the price per cup is super cheap but makes me happy. I also have like a pot of instant caramel cappuccino and some nice hot cholate powder.

Anyway, if you're struggling right now, good luck, the world is a mess right now and we just kind of have to trudge through that mess. Feel free to add anything that helped you through hard times because everybody has their own experience.

And again, most of these are not healthy, but sometimes you're just surviving and trust me, this is so much better than fainting because you haven't eaten in too long.

Good luck.

[silcosentropy]

Svickova - a recipe, because I was asked

Ingredients: 1.7lbs sirloin steak 0.6lbs root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celery root) 1 onion 0.1 simple mustard 2tbs sugar 2tbs vinegar 0.2lbs vegetable oil A piece of butter 0.2lbs whole bacon 1tbs flour 8.5oz whole cream or liquid whipped cream/half to half 3 pieces bay leaf 5 pieces allspice 5 pieces whole pepper lemon juice to taste salt beef stock Process Stuff the sirloin steak (whole) with spikes made of the bacon (if you freeze the spikes it's fairly easy), roast quickly from all sides in oil with butter. Take out the meat, roast roughly cut root vegetables and onion in the leftover juice in the same pan until well roasted, add sugar and caramelize. Add mustard, all the spices, vinegar. Put the meat back into the pan, add hot beef broth. Cover with a lid and put into the oven, bake in a moderately warm oven (some 356F/180C or so) for between 1.5-2 hours without interjecting. Once the meat is very soft, take it out of the oven. Fish out the meat and all the spices, mix the baked vegetables in broth well until creamy and smooth. If you want the sauce thicker, mix a little bit of milk and flour and add it into the sauce, then bring to boil for about 15-20 minutes. Add a bit of lemon juice, the whole cream/half to half, a sliver of butter, salt to taste. Ideally serve with bread dumplings but many people also serve it with pasta. It tastes delicious if you add a spoon of cranberry jam on top.

*

Honestly, many people around here try to sell this as a complicated recipe. It isn't. You stuff meat and vegetables into the oven and then go write smutty fiction for two hours. You take it out, mash the hell out of the vegetables, add cream, and done. It takes a long time, sure but you spend most of it passively waiting for the meat to be finished. And yes, absolutely, it can get expensive - sirloin steak, whole, certainly isn't the cheapest meat. But this is a dish meant to feed a family of six or so. By the way, the bacon spikes are totally optional. Why are they there? Because sirloin tends to turn out dry and hard as a military boot. If you don't like bacon, like me, just...don't put it in there. The meat's going to be drier, that's the only difference. Do NOT ask me for a recipe for dumplings. I fail at making them, I just buy them done or make potato based ones (which is just...boiled potatoes, ground, add some salt, flour, and egg, that's it) If you'd like more terribly unhealthy Czech cuisine (which really is just a mash-up of German, Austrian, Polish, and Hungarian cuisine), ask. For @lullabyes22-blog

[shop-korea]

NCT DREAM 엔시티 드림 'Hello Future' MV

RENJUN - POB - CHINA - NO -

2 YR - MILITARY - IN - KOREA -

5'7 FT - I - LOVE - MINIATURE -

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LINES RENJUN - NCT DREAM -

OUR - LITTLE WHITE PEANUT -

HE's - SO BEAUTIFUL - BLOND -

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2 - PROTECT - KIDS - AFTER -

EATING - WHAT - THEY - GET -

REGISTER - PULSE - THE 2ND -

FINGER - THEY - ATE - WHAT -

WE - GAVE - FORGOT - 2 YES -

MENTION - LEGAL - PERMIT -

RED - PANDA

24/7 - HOLIDAYS

(DEFEAT - 7 - ELEVENS)

(NO - BACKPACK BAGS)

(ILLEGAL - MISOGYNY)

(HARM - ABUSE OF WOMEN)

MASCOT PLUSH RED PANDA

DISNEY - PIXAR

'TURNING - RED'

SPECIAL - DAYS

HUGE - MEILIN MEI LEE

AGE 13 CANADIAN CHINESE

RED PANDA - 24/7

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SALAD - BAR - CHEAPEST

CHEAPER THAN WALMART

THAN - 'PUBLIX' - 'LOWEST'

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EACH BAG - SALAD - GETS -

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0 CAL - DRINKS - $0.25 BOTH -

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$0.25 - WE - WILL - SHARE -

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CORN - SYRUP FRUIT

JUICES - $0.25 - FOREVER

LEAN - CUISINE

MARIE CALLENDER's

STOUFFER's

BANQUET

WE'RE EATING EVERYTHING

RAMEN - NOODLES - FREE

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OUTSIDE

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CHEAPEST

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MY CHATEAU - IN - BRITTANY -

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GOATS - COWS - FINEST MILK -

A 2 - FINEST CHEESE - CHEAP -

RED - PANDA

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AND - PARIS - FRANCE

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MIAMI - CALIFORNIA

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MAKATI - MINDORO ISLAND

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THEIR - HEART - STOPS JP

BEATING MOST PEACEFUL

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CHATEAU - IN - BRITTANY

MOSO - BAMBOO - KINGS

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APPLE TREES - 42 DEGREES

SELLING - SWEETEST

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LARGE - ORGANIC - EGGS

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LEGAL PERMISSION -

RED - PANDA

24/7 - HOLIDAYS

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LOWEST - PRICES - YES

FRESH - INDIAN CUISINE

PHILIPPINE - FOODS - PH

TAHO - PALAMIG DRINKS

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CAKES - COOKIES - DARK

CHOCOLATE CHIP WHITE

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DEFEAT - '7 - ELEVEN' - 24/7

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[cavendishbutterfly]

multi day tag game

Thank you to @saintgarbanzo, @academicdisasterfic, @geesenoises, and @sorrybutblog for the tags <3

relationship status just two guys being dudes. five feet apart etc.

favorite food warm fresh bread. brownies with a crackly crust on the outside. my dad's salad dressing. the cheapest boxed mac and cheese they sell in the store.

favorite color blue. the hue keeps changing.

song stuck in your head "why am I like this" by orla garland.

last thing you googled j kenji lopez alt recipes

time time for me to go to bed

dream trip right where I am. other than that, I want to grab my best friend and go to disney and just steep there for a while.

last book you read I'm in the middle of three at the moment. one of them is pleasure activism, which I desperately need to message chickpea about because I can't stop thinking about it.

last book you enjoyed the trick is actually finishing them. I did adore exhalation by ted chiang.

last book you hated reading the sources of normativity by christine korsgaard was a bit of a slog. interesting, once you bang your head against it a couple times.

favorite thing to cook/bake simple stir fry. my grandma's holiday cookie recipe.

favorite craft to do I keep trying to be a crafts person. I crocheted a couple octopuses. then I forgot to keep going.

most niche dislikes certain noises drive me up the wall. especially if they break my concentration, or if everything else is completely quiet except that one thing.

opinion on circuses I have never been to one!

Do you have a sense of direction and if not what’s the worst way you’ve gotten lost? if I look at a map enough I always have a sense of where I am. if I haven't bothered to look at a map then I choose where north is based on vibes only and about 75% of the time I am wrong.

last song you listened to touch by shura. I'm trying to listen to more artists from the heartstopper playlist.

last show you watched I just rewatched fleabag with my housemate. the first episode of the second season is still my favorite bit of television writing I've ever seen.

currently watching I'm trying to get the crew to finally watch our flag means death with me.

currently reading books I'm also currently reading: harrow the ninth, wound from the mouth of a wound

current obsessions a fic that only lives in my mind that I will probably never write. hp nextgen fic. damen/laurent/nikandros trios. making myself tea in the morning. my friend's minecraft server. whatever it is I want to focus on next.

if you're seeing this, you're tagged! feel free to do this! or feel free to untag yourself! do what makes u happy

[ur-mag]

Cheapest place to buy dinner rolls and it’s not Trader Joe’s or Target | In Trend Today

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[sassypotatoe1]

Ayo I had to take a double dose of anxiety meds when I haven't taken a single benzo in months except for the time I got a story about a disabled patient being burned with boiling water allegedly by nurses and needed to calm the fuck down instantly so I didn't commit a murder.

Why did I need a double dose? Good question I'll tell you. Not only, did my mom throw a hissy fit because I called myself autistic, and I realized anew that I'm in an extremely toxic environment with people who are slowly chipping away at my humanity every fucking day and I'm still dependent on them, I remembered anew that housing is unaffordable even if I have a 35% deposit and pay the loan off over 30 years instead of 20 for the actual cheapest apartments on the market.

I'm serious, the monthly payment may be affordable, it's less than a third of my income as is recommended generally, but with my chronic medication, cellphone contract, car insurance, gas, doctors and psychiatrist appointments, water and electricity, property tax and other rates and taxes, I do not have enough money left over in my monthly salary for a week of food, nevermind a month.

I'm currently living with my shit stain parents, so I pay minimal contributions to groceries, like I literally get the milk, the occasional loaf of bread and some snacks or treats. I do not have a 35% deposit saved up, I'm somewhere around 23/24%. I probably will have to save up for another 6 months at least and I mean put away two thirds or more of my entire salary every month to reach 35% so I can get an apartment.

I lost a stream of income because Elon fucked up Twitter and tweetdeck, which reminds me I gotta find out why I haven't gotten June's payment, and I make jewelry and jam on the side but I'm so fucking exhausted and overwhelmed that I never get around to making the jewelry so I don't really have stock to sell.

I haven't made art in months, I desperately want commissions but I have no portfolio for my current skill level and I have no energy to market for commissions, nevermind actually make them. I'm so fucking tired and so fucking desperate and everywhere I turn it seems like I'm stuck with no way out. I just need something, just one fucking win that's all I want.

Not to mention I keep losing family members left and right and I cope the worst with grief of anyone I know, meaning I don't cope at all I ignore it for years before it's bearable enough to actually allow myself to feel it, but it's overwhelming me right now anyway and I took a week of paid leave just to get a break but it's not enough it's never enough I just want a fucking break I deserve a fucking break I'm so fucking tired.

Ps I'm not about to kill myself I'm frustrated and desperate but not that frustrated and desperate I'm just going to have a good cry about it and go to sleep and hope I wake up having won the lottery or something. Because having that money would solve a shit ton of my problems.

[niiicedave]

Metro Boomin & Future - "Superhero (Heroes & Villains)" (2022)

[Part I: Superhero]

[Intro: Future] Yeah, yeah, two (Metro) Yeah, yeah Drinking dope turned me to a superhero, yeah, yeah Hit that pill, turned me to a superhero, yeah, yeah (Super) Boominati turned me to a superhero, yeah, yeah (Metro) (If Young Metro don't trust you, I'm gon' shoot you)

[Pre-Chorus: Future] I'm on that dope again, I'm on that flow again Switch up the flow again, yeah, yeah (Switch it) Flyer than a parachute, grippin' that pole again I'm on that oil again, yeah, yeah

[Chorus: Future] Candy in the cup, gotta get paid (What?) King of the streets (Yeah), young nigga made Sprayin' up the crowd, takе it to the grave Ain't having problems, I'm sipping thе Barre Shoutout to Dallas, my bitch is a star Nigga get rich, better take it to war (Yeah) Piss on your casket, shoot at your broad Do you somethin' nasty, roll you in a 'gar Bitch get graphic, fuck me in a car I get you a brand new Rollie tomorrow I put a brand new Rollie on your arm Ain't moving slow but I'm still on oil (Skrrt) Tennis bracelets and they came with the frost (Frost) Cuban links all the way up to your jaw (All the way up) Step up the swag when I step on a broad

[Verse: Future] Two dollar a half, ooh, that's the cheapest one Stacking these hundreds up, like coupons Told you from the begin, upper echelon I get to stacking up, I'm untouchable I get to represent, money multiple I'm at the top of the charts, unapproachable Bread by the loaf, turbo the motor Tic-Tac-Toe, kill another vulture Selling the bowls, bitch do yoga I deserve awards, serving these boulders A hundred grand large when I shop, that's the total Fill up the garage, bitch, I'm a mogul Ain't no facadin', ain't no fugazi I jump it off, I get paid Drop top Royce, I'm going crazy I push off, smoking on haze Not tryna floss, Cartier shades [Chorus: Future] Candy in the cup, gotta get paid (What?) King of the streets (Yeah), young nigga made Sprayin' up the crowd, take it to the grave Ain't having problems, I'm sipping the Barre Shoutout to Dallas, my bitch is a star Nigga get rich, better take it to war (Yeah) Piss on your casket, shoot at your broad Do you somethin' nasty, roll you in a 'gar Bitch get graphic, fuck me in a car I get you a brand new Rollie tomorrow I put a brand new Rollie on your arm Ain't moving slow but I'm still on oil (Skrrt) Tennis bracelets and they came with the frost (Frost) Cuban links all the way up to your jaw (All the way up) Step up the swag when I step on a broad

[Part II: Villain]

[Verse: Chris Brown & JAY-Z] Dark Knight feeling, die and be a hero Or live long enough to see yourself become a villain Soon as you up, these niggas wanna bring you down The weight of the world sit on my shoulders, hold the crown I ain't got a cape so I can't save you now Niggas wanna hate (Yeah), rather see you drown (Yeah) And the world keep spinnin' (And) Like I'm the only one in it (Am I the only one?) Why? They don't wanna see you winnin' (No, no, no, no) So who's really the villain? (Yeah, ooh) Who's the villain? Who's the villain? Live long enough to see yourself become a villain