#Store Check

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

woke up and someone spilled vanilla extract all over my dash, so as punishment you strange little beasties are getting all the VANILLA FACTS i know:

vanilla is the 2nd most expensive spice in the world (2nd to saffron)

which is why more than 99% of what we call "vanilla extract" is actually vanillin (vanilla's dominant flavor compound) and is not extracted from real vanilla.

luckily, even professionals struggle to tell the difference when it comes to things like baked goods. but there is a distinct difference in non-heat treated products like vanilla ice cream. real vanilla has a more complex, individualized flavor profile.

why is vanilla so expensive? because it is a ridiculously delicate & demanding crop. complete primadonna.

vanilla beans come from vanilla orchids. these crazy flowers bloom for A SINGLE DAY and have to be HAND-POLLINATED in a process that is exhausting, delicate, and requires specialist knowledge passed down over generations.

then, if you're lucky, you get vanilla beans.

which then require months of further specialized treatment.

the entire process takes about a year and can go wrong at any stage

vanilla has been cultivated for over 800 years (possibly much longer). the first known cultivators are the Totonac, an indigenous people of Mexico.

the Aztecs used it as a sweetener to balance out the bitter taste of cocoa. it was popular in a drink called xocolatl--the precursor to modern hot chocolate!

it is only pollinated by a very specific orchid bee!!!

which is why no fruit could be grown outside of Mexico until the 1800s

Edmond Albius, born into slavery, invented the pollination method we still use today--launching a global industry when he was just 12 years old.

today, the majority of the world's vanilla is grown in Madagascar

if you want real vanilla, read the labels carefully--it's harder to find than you think!

in conclusion, those tiny black specks you see in fancy vanilla ice cream? those are vanilla bean seeds! itty bitty orchid seeds!!! they are delicious and also a PRISSY BITCH!

(src)

[riding-with-the-wild-hunt]

Olive harvest in the West Bank. Photos by Ari Messinis, courtesy of Al Jazeera.

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 254

So. Danny might have accidentally become a bit of a cryptid. He didn’t mean to, but he’d become a bit nocturnal- like many an Amity Parker- and it wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t be bothered to make sound when he was tired. Or pretend to breathe or, okay, he could see why he kept freaking people out at the grocery store he kept going to. 

But it wasn’t his fault! He has to get food too! And really is it anyone else’s business? Seriously he thought that people wouldn’t be so surprised with how much magic is everywhere. Like you’d think they’d never seen someone who wasn’t fully human before or something. 

Oh great, there’s a journalist at the grocery store now- he’s going to ignore that and finish his shopping and then continue his online work. Ooh, and eat icecream. He deserves it for potentially putting up with this. 

Oh, it’s a little baby reporter, first couple of article thing. Adorable. 

[dimension20official]

New items in the Dropout Store today!

New color variants for the "Check It Out, I'm Gay" hat

The June 2024 Mug of the Month: "I Have So Much Love to Give, Exclusively to Cats"

Art by Zachary Vernon

[heritageposts]

has anyone come across any shareable graphics that show the type of produce (fruits/veggies) that israel exports?

[beaft]

whenever i've worked in retail it has always been emphasised that the Thing To Do when a customer comes in is to approach them and do a big smile and go "hi, how are you!! do you need help finding anything today?" (or something similar).

i thought it was universally agreed that nobody enjoys this, but my friend informs me that apparently this line not only works but noticeably improves sales. so, poll:

[conspicuous-clown-car]

Lucky Stars Giftshop References!

for @melodicrhymez

[comfyhome]

fantastic sticker I just found on etsy

[interpolationz]

i am not okay-

[shesmore-shoebill]

the only correct way to react to news about how you might need to kiss your coworkers for a show is to immediately. lunge towards your coworker like you're about to kiss them

[meroaw]

new warrior cats charms! I dont know if Ill get a chance for nice photography until my next few cons, but they're all available on my store right now!

[za0mbie]

Gubbit the alien!! He'd eat all the colorful aquarium gravel from a fishtank if he could🌟

[attyattlaw]

cora warm up

[treasuregamble]

comfort clowns from the incredible AmberandMoss on etsy!! great store!

sympathy

dreamy

sunny

[morganbritton132]

could we have some more ‘steve on a good day’ or just steve being cute and sweet and making eddie melt? i re read steve singing in the kitchen and would love any more fluff

your series is wonderful i get exited for any updates! :)

Eddie is live streaming in his studio one evening when Steve appears behind him and shoves a hat on his head. Not only did Steve master the second row in crochet, he finally made the hat Eddie requested. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s finished and Steve is proud of it.

He can’t stop smiling when he does his little jazz hands like, “Ta-dah. It’s a gift.”

Eddie loves it.

 

Eddie posts a Tiktok one time where he’s laughing so hard that the camera is shaking. His movements are clumsy when he moves but you can clearly see that he’s in the middle of working on some kind of craft as he settles in next to Steve, who is sitting cross-legged on the floor but is bend forward so his head is face down into the carpet.

Initially, it looks like Steve’s upset but then you notice that his shoulders are shaking and the choked sound he’s making is laughter. Eddie pulls him up and Steve has to take his glasses off to wipe away tears.

Eddie’s arm is tight around his shoulder even though he’s still laughing when he says, “Stevie. Stevie, tell the people what you forgot.”

“Forgot ‘m dyslexic.”

They’re both cracking up but Eddie eggs him on, “Show ‘em your scarf.”

Steve holds up the half a scarf he’s crocheted. Spelled across the work is the letters ‘E b b i’ for Eddie. Neither manage to say anything else before they’re laughing again, practically falling into themselves before the video ends.

 

Eddie manages to get a few good minutes of Steve sweeping off the deck in the backyard off while using the broom as a microphone. He sings along to a Corroded Coffin song. Though he gets some of the words wrong, it’s probably Eddie’s favorite version of it.

 

Eddie’s in the middle of a live stream when Steve tilts his head in his direction and kisses him. Eddie asks, “What was that for?”

And Steve answers simply, sunny like he always is when he’s happy, “Cause I love you.”

[koujaaku]

[CALAMITY GREMLIN ENAMEL PINS]

Instock sales go live Nov. 13th (Monday), 6AM HST!