#benefits of zucchini

[ladywellcare111]

Is It Safe To Eat Zucchini During Pregnancy? Courgette in Pregnancy

#Is #It #Safe #To #Eat #Zucchini #During #Pregnancy? #Courgette #in #Pregnancy #zucchini,zucchini #benefits,zucchini #recipes,zucchini #health #benefits,zucchini #fritters,benefits

Zucchini During Pregnancy is a nutritious vegetable that can be safely consumed. It is low in calories, rich in vitamins and minerals, and provides essential nutrients for the mother and the developing baby. Including zucchini in your pregnancy diet can promote a well-balanced and healthy diet. What Is Zucchini? Zucchini is a versatile summer squash that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. It…

[edithallen]

Pasta - Pesto Orzo with Roasted Zucchini Capture the best of summer with this easy orzo dish featuring pesto sauce, roasted zucchini, and fresh cherry tomatoes.

[sammutant]

Pesto Orzo with Roasted Zucchini Capture the best of summer with this easy orzo dish featuring pesto sauce, roasted zucchini, and fresh cherry tomatoes. 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta, 1 cube vegetable bouillon, 2 medium zucchini cut into 1-inch slices, 1 pinch garlic powder or to taste, 5 tablespoons olive oil divided, salt and ground black pepper to taste, 1 large Spanish onion chopped, 1/2 cup pesto sauce, 8 cherry tomatoes halved or more to taste

[mytinyblackheart]

Pasta - Pesto Orzo with Roasted Zucchini Capture the best of summer with this easy orzo dish featuring pesto sauce, roasted zucchini, and fresh cherry tomatoes.

[anipgarden]

Adding To or Starting a Garden

AKA, the beginning of the Plants-Related section of this series.

This is my third post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps! 

Got an area of lawn you’d like to convert to a wildlife haven? An area you can stick some hanging baskets in? Want to know how your garden of tomatoes and zucchinis is already putting in a lot of work? This is the section for you!

It would be dumb of me to not acknowledge that the act of gardening can come with a lot of costs. Buying seeds, buying plants, buying soil, raised bed materials, mulch, etc. … it can all get a bit daunting, let’s be honest! But there’s quite a few ways to get seeds and plants for free or extremely cheap, which I’ll be addressing in this section! The next section will be all about addressing the other Costs in gardening and how to mitigate or eliminate them entirely.

Also, do keep in mind; there’s no need to try and convert a whole area from lawn to garden or unused to garden at once. In fact, it could actually be extremely beneficial to do it a little at a time--maybe four or five square feet to start out.

Front Lawn (or Managing Principles)

If you live in a place where you’re required to have a grass turf lawn (HOA’s come to mind…), try replacing it with native grasses instead! You could even possibly use a low-growing ground cover plant like clover to a similar effect! Reseeding/replacing an entire lawn can be a big upfront cost, but even just letting the lawn be a little messy and tall helps. If the lawn gets patchy, leave the bare spots for a little while and something different will likely pop up! Pioneer species will fill the gaps and provide benefits to other plants around them, support animals, and more! If you want to take the guesswork out of it, you could always research what the pioneer species are in your area and plant the ones you like most. 

Obtaining Seeds for Cheap or Free

The cheapest way to start a garden is by far via seeds. However, seeds can be a bit complicated to grow, and some sources make them… way overpriced. Fortunately there are ways to get seeds for little to no cost! 

Some places sell seeds for as low as a dollar, 50 cents, or 25 cents! The packets may not have a lot of seeds, but it’s definitely a good start for a low budget! I’ve personally bought cheap seed packets at Walmart--the Ferry-Morse and Burpee brands are not what we’re looking for here. Typically the cheaper ones I’ve found are American Seed (which is owned by Green Garden Products, which also owns Ferry-Morse, Livingston Seed, McKenzie Seed, and Seeds of Change. Do with that information what you will), but they’re rarely stocked near the Ferry-Morse ones in the Formal Gardening Section. I’ve most often found them on end caps near the gardening section, so you may have to weave through a few aisles to find them, but once you do there’s an array of flower and vegetable seeds to select from! Alternatively, I’ve found seeds at Dollar Tree sold 2 or 4 for a dollar in Spring as part of their seasonal product; however, when they’re out of stock, they’re typically out of stock for the year. Try to check them out early in the year!

Otherwise, other seed companies like Urban Farmer or Botanical Interests will often have semi-frequent sales in spring and fall, when people are stocking up on seeds--joining their email lists can help you be the first to know when a good sale is going on!

Some foods from grocery stores will provide seeds that you can use in the garden as well. I’ve had the most luck with store-bought bagged beans, peppers, and tomatoes. Some people have had luck with watermelons, apples, citrus, squash, and more. Do keep in mind that you likely won’t get the same variety of fruit/vegetable as the one you bought--the resulting plant may look different and taste different.

Give it a shot! Pick some beans you like--if they don't grow well, at least you can eat the rest!

If you live in the US, food-producing live plants, bare roots, and seeds can often be purchased with SNAP benefits. But what does growing fruits, veggies, and herbs have to do with boosting biodiversity? While food crops aren’t typically native, they still provide valuable shelter for native insects. Some plants even have intricate relationships with native fauna--like the squash bee, a solitary bee which exclusively pollinates cucurbits like pumpkins, squash, and zucchini. And we get to benefit more directly as well! If you’re planting a diverse range of foods in your garden (as opposed to the swaths of single-plant farms that typically produce what’s sent to grocery stores), you’re supporting high levels of biodiversity by providing a variety of plants for creatures to live and hunt around.

Most of the time, when we think of boosting biodiversity with a garden, we think of a colorful flower garden teeming with pollinator species. However, if we’re striving to use native species, it can be a bit difficult to find some species in stores. I can say from experience that trying to find any wildflower seeds other than butterfly weed, purple coneflowers, and black-eyed-susans is… challenging, if you limit yourself to stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. You might occasionally get lucky with an ACE Hardware or a local nursery, but even then sometimes it can be hard to track down who in your area is selling what--let alone if you live in an area where no one really is selling native plants or their seeds. Not to mention, even once you find a local or online store selling the seeds you want, they can sometimes cost a pretty penny. So what do you do?

If you have the option to, consider gathering native seeds yourself! Get good at identifying the native flora and fauna--or at least, a few target plants and their lookalikes--and get ready to go! Learn where they tend to grow, when they’ll be seeding, etc. Try to identify the plant before it goes to seed (for most plants, it's easiest to identify when flowering), then check back regularly to gather seeds. Typically, if I want to learn how to collect seed from a specific plant, I just search it on Google or YouTube--oftentimes, I'm lead to the GrowItBuildIt Youtube page, so it may be a helpful resource for you as well! Of course, make sure to leave plenty of seed behind so the wild population can repopulate, and seed can feed other creatures in the area. A good rule of thumb is to take no more than 1/3rd of what's available.

Buying seed in bulk is an option if you can afford the upfront cost. Try teaming up with a few friends to buy some bulk seeds and split them amongst yourselves--you’ll get tons of seed! Prairie Moon is a popular site that'll sell seeds by the pound if you can afford the price--though they're in the US, and I believe they focus on Midwest and East Coast natives.

If you want to cheat the system, don’t buy bulk sunflower seeds--buy bags of sunflower seeds being sold as birdseed. They’re typically all black oil sunflower seeds, but they’ll sprout, and they’re fairly cheap for the amount you get!

However, beware generic wildflower seed mixes! Many brands like to sell wildflower seed mixes in big box stores like Home Depot, Target, or even Dollar Tree, but they’ll often include flowers that aren’t native or possibly even invasive in your region! Before you make any purchases, double check to make sure the contained seeds won’t do more harm than good! A quality source of native seeds will provide English and Latin names for all seeds included, and will be native to the region or at least non-invasive. 

See this? I don't trust this.

There’s a good handful of programs online that’ll send you free seeds if you’re planning to start a native habitat project! Poke around online and see what you can find; you might get lucky! The best time to start looking for these is fall and winter, I find--by early spring, many of them are either done or beginning to wind down... though some also start up in spring. Ultimately--just check regularly! You never know what you can find!

Other Ways to Get Plants

Don’t want to start from seed? That’s fair! You can try cuttings! Just be sure not to take too much of the plant while you do so. Make sure you’ve gotten a few leaf nodes on your cutting, and cut any flowers you may have gotten. Make sure to leave some blooms and foliage on the original plant for the creatures in the current habitat--you don’t want to destroy one habitat to make another in your garden. There’s tons of methods of rooting cuttings, many of which have different efficacy rates for different plants, but that’s a topic for another post.

If you find seedlings growing in a place where they won’t be able to sustain themselves long-term, or are in danger of being destroyed, consider relocating them! You may be able to gently dig up and transplant the seedling to your garden. Don’t do this if they’re in a place where they can easily survive--ideally, you’ll be taking plants from sidewalk cracks, heavily maintained public gardens, roadsides, etc. Do be careful while doing this--ensure your safety first!  

You’re totally allowed to join gardening communities like clubs, facebook groups, and more before you’ve even put a trowel to the dirt. These are great places to learn information and advice! Many gardeners are more than happy to help out a new gardener, and will eagerly provide seeds, cuttings, or even baby plants! Talk to some people about your gardening journey and what you’re hoping to do, and you just might find some kindred spirits--or at least get more people interested in the topic! 

Seed and plant giveaways and trades happen all the time in gardening clubs, as well as online! Just poke around and see what you can find! Some are explicitly trades, meaning you’re expected to send something in return, but once you get your feet on the ground with some plant knowledge you’ll be stellar! You may be able to explain you’re just starting out, and someone may send you seeds without expecting a trade, but I’d suggest trying giveaways first. 

Poke around online and see if there’s a local chapter of your state’s native plant society. From there, you’ll likely be able to find a calendar of events--many of them will host plant sales in the spring, with a bunch of native plant seedlings ripe for the pickings if you can make it out and have some money to spare! Fair warning, though, you’ll want to get there early if you can. If they say they’re starting at 10, try to get there by 9:45. Year after year, there’s always record turnout, and they sell out of plants faster than ever. Just trust me on this. I’ve been let down; hopefully you won’t have to be.

Some libraries are beginning to host seed libraries! Check around and see if your library has one! Ideally, the system works best if you also have seeds to contribute in return, but if you’re just starting out I’m sure they won’t mind you taking some seeds! Just consider saving some seeds to contribute in the future and pay it forward. If your library doesn’t have a seed library? Consider asking if they’d be willing to start one! Community interest is a great way to get the ball rolling on projects like these, but they’ll only know the community is interested if the community tells them they’re interested!

Volunteer to Garden for/with Someone Else

Maybe someone in your area wants to garden, but is struggling to find the time/energy. Many elderly people who used to garden simply can’t anymore but still would like a garden. Other people may love to have a helping hand in their garden. You might even find a few people in your area interested in renting and sharing a community garden plot with others, so they don't have to handle it all on their own! They may be interested in increasing biodiversity right now, or may be willing to if it’s brought up to them. You might be just the kind of person someone needs! Since it won't be your garden, you’ll likely need a bit of permission and collaboration to get anything in particular going, but it’s worth a shot and a way to maybe even make friends! 

Again, your mileage may vary with some of these. You may not know where there's a bunch of wildflowers growing in your area, or maybe your local library doesn't have a free seed library. That's okay! Do what you're able to, find what you can find, get what you can get! And there's never any shame with starting small--in fact, starting small can make the project easier to manage and expand when you're able!

That's the end of this post! My next post is gonna be about ways to start growing plants cheaply--low cost seed starting set ups, essentially. There's a lot of good options, many of which I've used myself even! Until then, I hope this advice is helpful! Feel free to reply with any questions, success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!

[steddieas-shegoes]

the magic of snow

for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt 'snow' rated t wc: 723 tags: snow activities, making childhood memories as an adult, fluff, established relationship

---------------------------

The snow had only been falling for an hour when Eddie crashed into the trailer, door banging into the wall and cold seeping into Steve's bones quickly.

"Put on your gloves!" He exclaimed, barely maintaining his balance as he walked over to where Steve was bundled up under his blanket on the couch.

"Um. Why? Are the kids okay?" Steve asked, suddenly worrying that something was very wrong.

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Everything's fine. We're gonna go make snowmen.

"We are?"

Eddie nodded, pulling the blanket off of him and tugging Steve to his feet.

"Meet you outside!" Eddie planted a kiss on his lips before running back outside.

Steve couldn't help smiling as he made his way to their bedroom to pile on some layers and search for gloves that he wasn't sure had been unpacked yet.

He'd only been living with Eddie and Wayne for a little over a week, and had been working double shifts for most of it, so unpacking had not been a priority.

He managed to find everything he needed quickly -- benefits of having very few things of his own -- and made his way outside.

Eddie had already started piling some snow together into something somewhat resembling a ball.

"Stevie! You can start making the middle while I make the bottom."

Steve stared at the snow covered ground and then at the ball Eddie was rolling.

He huffed and leaned down, making a snowball to the best of his ability.

He'd made a few in middle school, pretended to participate in the schoolyard battles, but mostly just hiding behind something until it ended.

He wasn't allowed to go home with wet clothes, so he didn't want to risk it.

"Steve, what are you doing?" Eddie was next to him, looking down at his very clumpy, not-ball of snow.

"I...don't actually know."

"What? Have you never built a snowman before?" Eddie laughed.

"No."

Eddie's face fell as he took in Steve's serious tone.

"You really haven't? Not even when you were little?" Eddie sounded heartbroken.

"It's not a big deal," Steve shrugged.

But Eddie's reaction was making him feel like maybe it was a big deal. Maybe he had missed something by not getting to play in the snow as a kid.

"Do you want me to show you how to do it?" Eddie asked, putting his hand on Steve's hip.

Steve was well aware they had to be careful in public, but the only person who would even notice the touch was Ms. Tremblay next door and her truck wasn't in the yard. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no cars were driving by before leaning in to peck Eddie's lips.

"Please."

Steve watched as Eddie walked him through all the right ways to make a snowman, found any excuse to touch him while they worked on building the body, laughed when he managed to slip some snow under his shirt.

"That's cold!" Eddie squeaked.

"I can warm you up later," Steve winked.

Eddie's eyes squinted back at him.

"You're distracting me."

"I promise I'm paying attention to your lesson."

"Then you know the last part is the face. We need a carrot, something for his eyes and mouth, and sticks for his arms."

"Shouldn't he also have buttons?" Steve asked.

"If you want him to, he can."

Steve ran inside to retrieve what he could, not surprised to find they were lacking a carrot. Eddie and Wayne hated carrots and practically begged Steve to never buy them.

But he did manage to find a zucchini, and that would have to do.

As they finished up, Eddie not even questioning the zucchini nose, Steve couldn't help but smile to himself.

He didn't have much of a childhood, at least not one that he could look back on and have memories of playing in the snow.

But maybe he was meant to do this with Eddie all along.

Maybe the magic of the first big snowfall was meant to be a big moment for him, shared with Eddie, who made everything in Steve's life better.

"I love you," Steve said from the ground, his pants getting soaked through.

Surely, he'd be frozen solid in the next few minutes.

But when Eddie turned to him with a grin and said he loved him too, Steve felt warm.

[grimae]

When you get this, please respond with five things that make you happy! then, send to your last ten people in your notifs (anonymously). you never know who might benefit from spreading positivity

Not going to share this onward but I will gladly take the invitation to talk about things that make me happy. That's something I could always do. <3 1 - Almost all the seeds I planted in the last weeks are sprouting. I got five types of tomatoes, six types of chilis, cucumbers, zucchinis, fennel (super excited about this), two types of beans and many, many flowers. These plants are my little babies tbh. 2 - Related to that: Going to visit my mother's best friend next week to gift her four tomato plants and get lots of eggs for me to hatch from her chickens. Can't wait to see her again. 3 - I have three concerts planned to see this year so far and each is a band I'm super excited for. 4 - Work on my art book has been going amazing. I am in talks with a printer who is able to do everything just the way I want and every step I get closer to finishing this makes me feel pure joy. 5 - I'm absolutely obsessed with my OCs and I feel grateful for being around so many people - strangers, mutuals and friends - who love what I do and draw and even share their own thoughts about them with me.

[transcendental-dustpan]

I was talking with my gf, who is aroace, last night about the future of our relationship and the possibilities I would like to see if it doesn’t work out romantically.

I figured that assuming something happens to our romantic relationship being Zucchinis with benefits would be fun. I do kinda want to see what a QPR with the occasional sex would look like.

[murphyblogs]

9 Underrated Weight Loss Appetite Tips

Cider Vinegar Power Play: Start your meals with a tablespoon of diluted apple cider vinegar (ACV) 30 minutes before. Studies suggest it may increase satiety and regulate blood sugar, preventing hunger spikes.

Volume Eating Magic: Fill your plate with low-calorie, high-volume options like leafy greens, zucchini noodles, and broth-based soups for a satisfying feeling without excess calories. These satisfying options keep you feeling full without packing on the pounds.

Gut Feeling with Probiotics: Your gut bacteria may influence your appetite. Explore incorporating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kimchi, or sauerkraut into your diet.

Spice Up Your Water and Curb Cravings: Plain water is great, but sometimes a little flavor goes a long way. Infuse your water with fruits, vegetables, or herbs like cucumber, mint, or berries. It adds a refreshing twist and may help you ditch sugary drinks that can sabotage your weight loss goals.

Bean Power: Beans are a triple threat for weight management! They're packed with protein, fiber, and resistant starch, all of which promote feelings of fullness and regulate blood sugar. Explore different bean varieties to keep your meals interesting!

Sun Exposure for Overall Well-Being: Aim for short bursts of morning sunlight to regulate leptin production, which can influence feelings of fullness.

The Chickpea Water Wonder: Aquafaba, the leftover liquid from canned chickpeas, can be used in vegan baking or whipped into a meringue-like foam, adding volume and satisfaction to meals.

Chew on This: Chewing sugar-free gum for 20 minutes after meals may increase satiety hormones and reduce cravings.

Power of Laughter: Laughter can decrease stress hormones linked to cravings. Watch a funny video or spend time with loved ones who make you laugh.

Remember, these tips can be helpful for managing appetite in various situations, not just weight loss. They can promote feelings of fullness throughout the day, which can benefit those with busy schedules or who tend to overeat due to stress or boredom.

[redd956]

Do you have any ideas on how to come up with fictional vegetables, resource plants, or livestock? I keep coming up with fruit since I can’t really think of any ways of making a vegetable interesting or unique to a setting. The only resource plants I can think of is one that gives cotton and livestock has me stumped.

(Context: My world is full of rabbit-human hybrids that are omnivorous but mainly eat plant food, meat is usually eaten during special events. I want to focus on a world reliant on different crops for food and resources. There’s different biomes like a wooded area, an almost volcanic area, a snowy area, and a naturally occurring magic area.)

Yes, I do!!!

A lot of fruits and vegetables themselves are very similar in growth and function, the main difference being fruits come from fruiting bodies while vegetables are just part of the plant. That's when we get that weird middle group like corn, tomatoes, and eggplants.

But there's a lot of aspects to vegetables that make them unique, with lots of worldbuilding room

Everything is Edible

Creative juices flowing questions... (I'm also grouping grains and vegetables together btw)

What parts of the plants are primarily consumed? The stalks, leaves, roots, bulbs, flowers, tubers? (carrots are roots? Guess I learn something new everyday)

How is the edible part extracted from the plant? What does the plant look like in a crop field? How do people know when it's ready?

Does the vegetable need to go through a preparation process before being eaten? (Crushed, cleaning, cut open)

Does the plant have edible leaves, bean pods, kernels, nuts, oats? Does it have multiple uses? Does it produce more than one edible factor?

Is it harvest from the ground, water pools, trees? How tall is the plant?

How does it spread/reproduce? (flowers, potato eyes, seeds)

Usage & Flavor

Is the vegetable eating directly, usually added to something else, used as a spice? What does it taste like? (earthy, bitter, tangy, sour)

Is it used to make something else that's edible/used in cooking? (Oils, beers, yeasts, flavorings)

Are there non food related uses? (Medicinal, potion brewing, material)

Gourds (fruits but equally fun)

My family fries/grills the blossoms on pumpkins & zucchinis, and I couldn't stop thinking about that so here's some bonus rounds

How do people break into the hard casings to reach the edible parts? Is anything does with the hard casings? What funky shapes are the gourds?

What's inside? What does it look like? Tastes? Seeds? Other uses?

Does it have any decorative uses? Any holiday relation?

Tea & Coffee

What kind of drinks can be made from plants? What extra benefits and effects does it have? Any magical properties? Any recreational properties?

How is the plant extracted? How is it prepared into a drink?

Anything culturally significant?

What does the brew look like? How strong is the smell?

Environmental Factors

What vegetables survive in dry or unforgiving environments? How important are these two the people who live there? What were to happen if harvest failed?

Any diseases or bugs that affect produce? How do farmers protect their crops these? Any animals or technology help in the harvesting process?

How does temperature and rain effect the produce? Anything grow underneath the snow? Soil? Water? Underground? (Huge fan of snowy plants in worldbuilding)

How does the vegetable itself try to protect itself? (cactus needles, thorns, caffeine, poison)

[beautyandlifestyleblog86]

Gut-friendly recipe

Turkey and vegetable stir-fry with ginger and garlic

Ingredients:

- 1 lb ground turkey

- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced

- 1 zucchini, sliced

- 1 cup broccoli florets

- 1 cup sliced mushrooms

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1-inch piece of ginger, grated

- 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free option)

- 1 tbsp sesame oil

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Fresh cilantro for garnish

- Cooked rice or cauliflower rice for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned and cooked through, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.

2. Add the garlic, ginger, and vegetables to the skillet. Stir-fry for about 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

3. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve the stir-fry over cooked rice or cauliflower rice. Garnish with fresh spring onions.

5. Enjoy your delicious and gut-friendly turkey and vegetable stir-fry!

This recipe is rich in lean protein from the ground turkey, fiber and nutrients from the vegetables, and the anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits of ginger and garlic. It's a flavorful and satisfying meal that will support your gut health.

[rangergirl3]

The thing about gradually coming to terms with long-repressed traumatic memories is:

Well, you tend to make jokes that no one else finds funny, but it’s how you cope. Sort of.

Mostly to fend off the screaming in your head.

Which can work. Until you have enough faculties to deal with it, which I thankfully do.

Trauma mentions after the cut. Nothing graphic, just yucky.

I made the following joke upon realizing that there is 100% no way I should ever trust my biological father or mother within 100 miles of me or any kids I have.

Let’s just say that waking up sweating, and visceral panic attacks, intrusive flashbacks, and a literal textbook worth of gradual realizations are a real bitch to work with when it ends up that I also have survived: incest. Wish that was a mistype. But it’s not.

Ugh.

Just YUCK.

Although the stuff my mother would tell me as a kid (aka If you ever tell anyone about the stuff that happens at home the social workers will come and take away your siblings and you’ll NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN) really starts to make sense now. (She was a real mean piece of work too. Each of my parental figures really does deserve the other. It’s a match made in Hades. I wish them a very predictably miserable eternity together.)

At the time, I just figured she really hated anyone knowing we, I don’t know, were noisy and messy at times, like kids tend to be.

But instead, my mind was just doing this: Running from anything I felt I couldn’t control. Which was everything.

Thank goodness I have stable relationships now. I mean, it still is nasty to deal with all of the health consequences - past and present - and I’ve definitely begun an overhaul of the house, instead of just a typical spring cleaning. Something about just throwing myself into a mountain of tasks can help me feel a little less lost when the noise inside my head gets too loud. (As long as I make sure I get enough sleep, rest, and relaxation, too.)

But yes, that’s…well, the biggest reason I took so much time off of Tumblr. There were other memories I uncovered - to no one’s surprise, I witnessed a LOT of messed up stuff in my early life that just got stuffed under the rug - including two suicides of total strangers because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time- side note - Please Please Please LIVE. Each life is such an irreplaceable treasure. Please choose to live. Please.

So. That was a lot. I’m a little bit nervous posting this, mostly due to some very cruel anons that have interacted with me in the past, but I wanted to update you, my friends🥰, on what all’s been up these last several months.

Just as a reassurance: I’m safe. I’m truly very happy. And I’m not going anywhere. Except maybe the library. Every time I get another set of books, and cart them back home, my husband just looks up at me and laughs, because it’s not even surprising anymore. 😂

Also my kiddo has asked for a Belle dress as a future gift so that she can ‘look and act just like my mama!’ Which made me supremely delighted.

And now, I’m going to go bake some zucchini bread. And brainstorm my next book. 😎 Because I think some people could really benefit from hearing that people with a terribly painful backstory can still snort milk out through their nose in delight at a funny joke. It just takes some time to get to that point.

[matchamorphosis]

— ❝ 𝐁𝐄 𝐁𝐀 𝐃𝐀 𝐃𝐎 𝐁𝐄 ❞

summary: you return to the city that raised you and help make dinner for the man that claims your heart.

pairings: friends with benefits!carmen berzatto × fem!mena!reader

genre: friends to benefits to lovers. wordcount: 1.6K

warnings: 18+ only. steamy moments but no smut. cursing. small talk of cultural differences. handjob mention. nicknames: “bear” and “clem”. reader is a food critic. mentions of death, generational trauma, anxiety, and stress. a lot of food talk. past friends with benefits sort of thing.

w. note: so i’m officially a carmy whore, that’s what’s new. reminder that reader is middle eastern north african (that’s what mena stands for). anyway make sure to read, reblog and give feedback. muah!

Be ba da do be; a man loves a woman, the woman loves a man.

“It was a hand job, Carmy. I remember it and so do you, you were dazed as fuck for two hours straight on the drive home and my wrist was sore as shit.”

God how he missed her and her tease, more than how he missed the supercut memories of Chicago that lulled him to sleep when he was homesick in New York.

“Clem,” the nickname zesty, tangy, and sweet in his mouth just like the effects of a slice of clementine on his tongue. “I was dazed for an hour at max, the bottle you coerced the waiter to give you just aided in getting me wasted.”

A stream of laughter flows out of her mouth, her teeth gleaming in a smile that is nothing but contagious as she begins to remember more of that summer night she and him spent downtown.

“Sure, baby sure. Go play innocent Carmy on me, it’s not going to work though cause my memories not shit.” shaking her head, throwing in a liberal amount of garlic on the yellow zucchini, roasted butternut squash and sliced red onion soaking in a pot of melty butter.

Be ba da do be, the man grins a smile he doesn’t know he could manifest but knows well it’s the cause of the woman.

The kitchen is clouded in a variety of smells, from the sweet squashes cooking to the spiced yogurt marinated lamb chops searing and the sourdough rising. Sounds hit each other’s ears in a symphony of roaring laughter, loose footsteps following the groove of the stereo, and the music of food cooking a dinner that will fill their hearts before their stomachs.

Carmen looks at her, really taking a good look at her. Because he feels the heavy ache in his belly strengthen, that ache that simultaneously goes along with the fluttery excitement of seeing, hearing, feeling somebody you care in a long time. It’s making his heart hungry, he never felt this hunger in a while.

The feeling is brightening up his face like a runny egg yolk, pigmenting it with a cherry blush when she grabs him by the back of his head to try the sauce coated on her wooden spoon. Cherry-colored like the filling of Marcus’s doughnuts, making him see stars the same color as the icings when she whispers the lyrics of the playing song in his ear.

The details of the occasion where written and sealed when he sent you a late night voice message after looking through some five year old photographs he had hidden away in three of the cookbooks you gave him for his birthday five years ago. The firecracker of realization striking him that so much time has passed since he was in New York, and you were in Boston.

That hungry sensation scented in a cloud of spices that wrap Carmen’s senses, like a pair of arms that he wants to be within each night. Slow then fast, his chopping escalates then declines as he moves the knife with precision across the cutting board.

Be ba da do be; is the exact pace of his heart thumping in his chest.

It goes along with the movements of her lips and the rain against the kitchen windowsill. Warmth filling his heart, making it rise like the sourdough baking in the oven.

“Carmy?” the approach of her words smooths over to him at the counter, “Yeah y/n/n?” he responds, whisking the dressing of a salad then tasting a bit with his pinky, it’s need some more citrus.

It was a night to make up for a lot of lost time, so the both of you decided on a day to experiment with whatever that was in Carmen’s fridge and you bring whatever the hell that could fit inside your grocery bag.

“Could you hand me three sprigs of rosemary?” his head turn over his shoulder to see her jean clad hips expertly swaying, and moving to the beat of the song.

The exposed skin of her back neck burning a hypnotizing trance in his blue eyes, tightening a knot in his stomach as he licks his lips. He remembers how he used to mark it up with his lips and teeth, leaving behind a trial of blemishes that varied in size and visibility. Carmen manages to snap out of it, dashing his eyes up to her at the stovetop.

Her own eyes stay focused on the sight of onions caramelizing in a sizzling puddle of olive oil, loose curls frame her face as the rest stay in order with the great help of a citrus-colored claw clip. A wooden spoon in one hand as the other motions to the rhythm of the music playing on the old stereo in the living room.

Carmy believes it’s Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass because he hasn’t heard the song “Ladyfingers” since she went away to Boston.

“Rosemary? Ah yeah, yeah, I got rosemary.” Carmen's hands quickly steps away from his area of chopping a lemon and squeezing it in the bowl, heading to his spice cabinet where he opens it as he inspects what little contents fill the empty space.

I really need to do some shopping before I think to invite people over for dinner, he thinks before closing it.

“Um no rosemary actually, sorry about that Chef.” he just sees her smirk and turn to grab her grocery tote bag, pulling out a small jar of rosemary sprigs from the endless depth. A magician, truly, Carmen also thinks as he gives her a smile.

“That’s why I come prepared for the worse when I plan to cook with you Chef.” it’s playful and filled with just the right amount of spark he missed, he secretly yearns for more of it just as he wants more of her saffron tinted rose water flavored presence filling the lonely blue void of his soul.

Be ba da do be; the man spills the bottle of memories, letting the nostalgia soak him through.

“Hey y/n.” he mumbles, standing besides her as she spoons the hot liquid butter over the garlic and rosemary sitting atop the seared steaks.

“Hey Carmy.” Her response crisp, her own eyes drifting to his that move away every few seconds and he licks his damn lips.

Fucking fuck, Bear — little thoughts of moisturizing his lips with the birthday-cake flavored chapstick you have on emerge.

“What do you remember from that night?” his voice stitched with curiosity he tries to hide, covering it up by stirring the couscous added to the squashes. Carmen knows the tiny bowl of chopped parsley will be sprinkled on top it after the couscous cooks through.

Internally, the highly acclaimed Chef asks himself why he hasn’t ever asked her out then but that answer always seems to answer itself time and time again when it pops up. Torturing him when he laid in bed thinking about the bike rides through green Orland Park. How they read each other recipes from cookbooks on Chinatown Branches library shelves, kissing behind the coffee shops in Little Palestine.

That time ago, it wouldn’t have happened. No matter how much confidence he harnessed from pep talks with Mikey or just the willpower of adolescent desire. It wouldn’t have happened, in secret was the only way the both could explore the world and each other and even then you both wouldn’t go as far to call it a relationship. Him and her, the two of you, were just too different.

It was hard truth to swallow from the criticisms Carmen got from his family, being so interested in a woman from her culture who wanted to taste food for a living just as much as she got backlash from her family for being interested in a white guy who wanted to cook for a living.

“I think we have some polar opinions on what happened that night. But we both know it was your bright idea to convince me to skip my afternoon course and drive downtown with you.” her accent slips into your words formally and naturally.

Carmy loves it when that happens, because she can’t control it one bit. The y/n he knew five years ago used to be so overtly embarrassed of it but now, she doesn’t mind it showing whatsoever.

“You’re right, I remember that part of the night crystal clear.” he tags along to this journey back to the past but he’s hoping you’re willing to talk about what happened late that night.

She smacks his bicep with the back of her hand and laughs, an aspect of his physique she knows has gained a few muscle that last time she saw him. It’s then did Carmen realize he said that thought aloud and not to himself.

“You know what Bear, you’re a lot more of a pervert then I remember.” She smirks as he begins to pour out apologies for all the faults this night has, from the lack of herbs to his “creepiness”. But to be fair, it’s taking her a severe amount of discipline to not think about other areas that may have changed as she looks at him trying to explain himself.

“It’s not a problem Carmy, I wanted to talk more of that night to. Just wasn’t done talking before you swang in on your boner.” she grins and he just continues to blush and apologize, accepting to laugh along with you and your endless teasing.

“The dumplings you got us were good though, and I didn’t have to subject myself to unnecessary persecution from my professor so that was an added bonus.” you sigh as you wipe a little bit of sweat off your forehead with your hand towel.

The heat from the oven and stove rises the temperature of the kitchen, convincing you to slip out of the thick university sweater that wraps your body up and reveal the deep richness of your exposed skin the short tank top provides.

“And I liked the fact that it was me and you. Just us walking through the city and catching a late night movie.” and simultaneously you both think back on his lips hungrily devouring yours and your hands unzipping his pants in the shadowy dark of the theatre.

Be ba da do be; the woman doesn’t know why she feels a pain in her heart but she hopes the man can help relive it.

Carmen nods along — I haven’t forgotten that night. I don’t wanna forget how you made me feel because I feel like I’ve forgotten you.

He couldn’t think of the name of the movie that was playing even if it could save him, and why would he want to be saved? His mind floods of memories of that night with his hands in your hair, your hand playing with his hard cock, and his lips hidden in your neck as he tried to maintain his moans by bitting down and sucking on your skin.

Cool air hits your skin but you feel a burn, something similar to the swelter of something hot to your senses but without the sting. Carmen can’t tear his eyes away, even when the pans of food are under his mercy he can’t help them because he’s under the mercy of your figure swaying under his kitchen lights.

You’re crazy, you’re driving me crazy and you’re enjoying it, Carmen thinks as he leans his weight against the countertop, unashamedly enjoying the show before him.

The pure gold plate of your name in Arabic winks at him as it lays comfortably on your exposed cleavage. Bare waist moving softly then strongly like the waves of a tide, glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. It unleashed another memory of playing near the Pierre, the water that night reflecting off the moonlight as his hands slipped into her underwear, massaging her wetness and bringing it up to his lips to taste her for the first time.

Her eyes meet Carmy’s for a second, his face deep pink like the juice of a raspberry before he turns away with an apology.

Enjoying the view? — is what you want to say but you find yourself a little flustered to tease him — because he looks so fucking good.

The veins running from his hands to his forearms popping here and there with his tight grips and motions. The black ink of his tattoos strained through the muscle of his skin it’s making you hot all over. You’re drinking him in, practically thinking of him fucking you while you try to look anywhere else besides his strong nose or shoulders.

“Do you ever think that you’re using a bit too much onion and garlic in your dishes? It smells damn good but I can immediately tell which plate of food is yours from a hundred just from the onion to garlic content and ratio.”

Carmen means it in the most politest manner and he tries and fails to keep back a laugh when you give him your signature questionable look that is ingrained in your family.

“Is that your nice-guy way of saying i’m predicable Carmy? That I’m some sort of onion and garlic addict? Well listen Carmy, I can’t help it, onions and garlic are my love language. The more I love a person the more I use them.”

“You must love me a whole lot then ‘cause my apartments gonna be smelling like ‘em till next month.” he laughs and she giggles while shrugging her shoulder in agreement then taking her squash couscous and braised lamb chops to the little table in the corner of his kitchen.

“Sorry Carmen, I hope you don’t mind it. I mean I just moved back here and i’m already etching myself on you. How is the restaurant doing?” her words soft and gentle, her eyes etched on Carmy’s back, her heart pausing when he stops whatever he was doing to turn around and look at her.

“No no I don’t mind it. It means a lot for you to be here, I’m glad I called you. I, I really missed seeing you, talking to you.” Carmen assures, he doesn’t want to have her walk on eggshells around him, he already cleared everything up with her about Michael and doesn’t want the tension to resurface.

It was great that you two had a lot to talk about but the generational trauma of both your families anxieties and stresses wasn’t a light subject that you both are eager to dive into.

Be ba da do be; the man plays at the strings of his heart, grateful to know they still create the same ballad that plays when the woman’s near.

“And the restaurant is going great. We’re still experimenting with a new menu. I have to talk to some contractors and designers for the layout tomorrow.” she nods along, a little seed of happiness for him growing fast. Growing green veins that wrap around the vesicle of her heart, like a second skin she didn’t know she shed once she stopped talking to her old dear friend.

“I’m happy for you Bear. It all has lead up to this huh?” the twinkle in her eyes glisten, giving him a quick wink that makes him do a mental double take.

Carmen watches her pour her standard household amount on both of their plates and sprinkle it lightly with parsley. The candle in the middle of both your dishes was lite, only she’s not the one that light but him earlier that night.

“Yeah, yeah really it has.” Carmen can’t tear his eyes away from hers, “You know, if you’d like you could drop by tomorrow. You could try this new dessert Marcus is whipping up, I have this ah—” Carmy’s hand lifts up to scratch his head, his eyes roaming from her lips to her nose to the earrings that hang from her ears.

Everywhere before swimming in the soft intensity of her eyes, licking his lips when her lashes shut her eyes for a second before opening them to reveal the intensity of them again.

“This dish, that I’m working on. It has a some uh, you know you could see what I’m talking about band try it out. Only if you want to, you know.” Carmen explains, now looking at you after taking the sourdough out of the oven and playing with the gorgeous brown crackly surface.

“Oh I know, maybe I do want to drop by tomorrow.” her tone is making his head spin, a dozen of ideas for new dishes coming to mind that he wants her to try. Each step she takes closer to him makes his heart pound a new beat, he wishes the smell of her perfume would stay present.

“And you know, maybe you could go easy on me and my crew to. I know how offended you critics can get when you don’t like what the Chef serves up.” Carmen whispers, he doesn’t need to raise his voice with her face inching so close to his.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go more than easy on you Bear. You don’t have to worry about that.” She whispers back, he breaks from his reserved space to inch closer. Admiring the shape of her lips, imagining how soft and warm they feel.

“Then what should I worry about, sweetheart? Should I worry about your daddy? Or your mama? Or my mom? I don’t really care about them right now. I don’t care because they don’t matter.” all forms of fear and hesitancy are thrown out the window and into the rainy night.

“Stop fucking around and tell me what you’re trying to say Carmy.” he sees the watery glint in her eyes, regret rises in his chest as his throat goes dry.

It isn’t fair, it isn’t fair how he’s letting the fears that prevented him from loving her then keep him from loving her now.

When Carmen thought of Chicago when he was in New York he thought of his family, his childhood, his food, and her. Any image of her just is associated with a feeling of regret of what could have been. He just wants to know if she feels that to, and if she doesn’t want to live in that stage of regret anymore.

“I’m saying that maybe we don’t have to feel scared anymore because there’s nothing to be scared of. You know I’ve— I’ve always loved you. I was stupid then to not have told you that but I’m telling it to you now.” he stops talking to take a good look at her, vulnerability spread on every feature of his face.

“What should I be worried about now? There isn’t a single thing I wouldn’t do for you.” he whispers, grasping her face in his hands to keep her avoiding glance to his.

In that action, his nose touches hers, the warmth of her lips seems to radiate against his mouth, her loose curls and his blonde strands of hair touch and twine together. Her hands touch his that still cup her cheeks and she holds the nose of his neck and pulls him to her.

Be ba da do be; they kiss and fill up that space of feeling they never felt but so desperately wanted.

“There better be plenty of onions and garlic in that special dish of yours tomorrow Chef.” y/n lightly demands, taking his mouth to hers again when he decides to lick his damn lips again.

A smirk spreads on Carmen’s face as he kisses back, it was so typical you to make him fall harder with her weird preferences, if that was possible.

“Trust me sweetheart, there’ll be more than enough.” he whispers against her lips, tasting the cake flavored chapstick she had on. “The whole blocks gonna know how much I love you.”

They can’t help the laughter that escapes them, her fingers tangled in his hair whilst he laughs into the crook of her neck. A new ache fills their chests after they come down from their giggles and smiles, but it’s an ache they’re willing to protect and nurture.

Be ba da do be; the man loves the woman and the woman loves the man.

[butterfrogmantis]

It’s Spinner hours again lets go. Specifically in depth ones this time rather than generic cause I feel like I’ve never really EXPLAINED it in specifics and in case there was any other confusion I feel like this helps clean it up. 

1 - Teenage confusion. Teen Spinner has been listening to the village go on and on about first relationships and snogging behind Papa’s lab where he can’t catch them and he just doesn’t understand it. At first he’s like ‘ok cool well I guess we’re growing up now those urges will come to me soon’ … they don’t.

Vanity Smurf is a bit of a serial romantic. Spinner isn’t sure he’d called Vanity a friend but … he’s the best he’s got. It’s a bit awkward, he doesn’t really know how to go about it but eventually he just sort of pulls Vanity to one side and is like ‘uh um ah I know this sounds weird but can I kiss you?’ and hey Spinner is a good looking enough Smurf so Vanity assumes he’s asking because he (Vanity) is just irresistible. Of course Spinner darling who WOULDN’T want a piece of this?

They kiss. Spinner does not react well. In fact he really doesn’t see what all the hype is about. They try again after an apology for the bad reaction. He just feels nothing. Not good, not bad … just nothing. It’s like kissing a warm stone. Vanity is a bit miffed because what kind of Smurf isn’t overjoyed to receive such an honour but Spinner decides to give up on his quest to understand the romance hype and goes home deciding to unpack that another day.

2 – Current day; Platonic Soulmates. So whilst Spinner generally prefers the company of Weaver and Tailor growing up, there is ONE other Smurf he eventually becomes quite close to and it becomes more than friendship … BEST friendship!

Spinner & Wooly refer to each other as ‘zucchini’ or ‘squish’ (platonic crush; desire to be close to but not romantic) and are a bit closer than even Brainy & Clumsy in terms of physical affection which can include holding hands, cuddles or sharing beds or partially living together all with the EXPLICIT understanding than none of these actions mean romance. Hence, rather than just being best friends like B&C, it’s a QPR which blurs the line a little bit. Think of it like a platonic life partner. There’s 0 kissing or intimacy but might joke about get married for tax benefits in the human au. Hence also why Wooly was the only one Spinner was comfortable asking about having a child, but they aren’t traditional “parents”. They’re both fairly lonesome Smurfs but that’s not the same as wanting to be loneLY. Call em besties, buddies, pal o’ mines, whatever, as long as they get to share a stew and a warm woollen blanket. Might say ‘I love ya’ but this is the same thing I’d say to a good friend so that’s more a familial love.

It’s also currently the only QPR (at least specifically described) and other aro-ace Smurfs like SmurfJockey and SmurfCobra specifically don’t want anything like this so it’s more of an exception than a norm but it works very well! Sometimes you just gotta cuddle ur buddy. Wooly could theoretically have a romantic relationship alongside if he wanted but he doesn’t anyway and is grateful to have his aroace pal because unfortunately for Wooly a lot of Smurfs have crushed on him and he can’t say he thinks the same about them DFJSK

Spinner (sorta but mostly mine tbh) Vanity and Wooly (c) The Smurfs

[clatterbane]

Tonight's plan: some basic very American style lasagna! Full of cheesy goodness, and assembled in advance last night.

I had been wanting some for a while, and actually included cheeses and stuff for a nice batch in the last grocery order. But, I finally got around to making a big batch (by recent two-person standards) of meaty pasta sauce yesterday.

We had that with spaghetti for supper, then I did get my ass in gear to use the rest for lasagna. Supplemented with some jarred stuff mixed in, but hey. It's all good.

A couple of foil pans in the freezer (around 1L each?), off my little night shift production line. They're still laid out flat on a cutting board for freezing, but need to be shuffled around to a better temporary home in there.

These are actually made with a mix of ricotta and small curd cottage cheese, because I got an urge for closer to what I grew up with at home. But, access to ricotta is of course much easier these days, and combining the two makes for a great texture balance.

The bigger pan for tonight also got a layer of sliced zucchini worked in, because we had half a big one that needed to be used. Mr. C doesn't much like squash, but he doesn't really object when it's worked into something like this.

One great tentative tip for dealing with the no-boil noodles, btw:

The gluten free varieties I have tried behave particularly unpredictably when used dry as directed, and you never know how they're going to absorb liquid. Either you're left with weird-textured gummy half-cooked noodles glumping around in an overly soupy mess, or ditto but after slurping up all the liquid available. It's not good, and I honestly just thought all the ones I was finding in stores were shit.

But, I am stubborn. In past, I have tried the hot water soak approach to rehydrate the things before cooking, but that is a gigantic PITA. They WILL weld themselves together in a heartbeat if they touch at all. Enter big awkward baking sheets, and pieces of aluminum foil to separate the well spaced-out single layers. Much better (read: pretty normal for fresh or preboiled noodles!) results when cooked. Using them rehydrated, you can also easily cut the noodles up to piece into your pan better. ✂️

But, fuck that noise. At least before cooking, soaking them for a longer time in room temperature water like rice noodles this time did, indeed, seem to get about the same flexible results. With the benefit of just being able to throw them all together in a pot of water without sticking. We'll see after these are cooked! But, AFAICT the trick is to get the dry pasta rehydrated.

I thought I could fit another layer in all of those pans, and even counted out the necessary number of noodles to fit! But, these things do tend to grow out of control, and those are not the deepest pans. I got fed up and just shoved them in the fridge last night. (Actually layered with plastic wrap this time, because I did not trust them not to glue themselves together while sitting.)

So, I guess we have some surplus soaked noodles to use up somehow within the next few days! Either that, or I can concoct another freezer delight with different ingredients. There were more than enough noodles left for that size foil pan, but I actually judged about right on the amount of other lasagna ingredients needed for what's already made.

[mexicain-sans-frontiers-v2]

For @masondixonn

Veggie garden update

The basil didn’t think would make it after a sudden heat wave. Has gone to seed though.

Various peppers that need to be potted.

Mint that is going ham

Zucchini that is going apeshit. Actually harvested a couple last week and they were bussin👌🏼

Yellow squash that is probably too close to the zucchini but still putting up a fight

Peep this little guy

And lots of tomatoes

Forgot the snap peas that got soo fat they bent the trellis.

Anyway, grow your own food. If not for the nutritional benefit then for your mental health!