#unless i make it with lentils :

[newtness532]

whats greater than knowing theres yummy pasta waiting for you at home

[thenarrativefoil]

oh my god im going to be a 30-something bringing lentil dishes to the potluck

[crowley1990]

Mujadara is my go to easy dinner because it’s delicious and nutritious, doesn’t require me to chop anything and only takes as long as it takes to boil rice

[starb0n3]

TEEN IN A TIM BURTON MOVIE DIET 🦴🌫️

(inspired by @honeysugarfree)

.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆

You wake up with one thing on your mind: going out for a walk in the woods. But you can’t. You’re a teenager who has school, and your parents would kill you if you skipped school.

It’s too early to eat anything. Pass the time playing with your cat or simply reading by the window as the sun rises.

School is so boring when all you’re craving is a nice cup of warm soup or hot chocolate prepared by your mum. Whatever, you’ll suffer in silence and snack on whatever fruits you threw into your bag this morning.✧˖°.☾

For lunch, you’ll have leftovers from yesterday. roasted/baked/boiled veggies accompanied by rice or wheat. you don’t eat it all; it’s cold, and not that nice at all… Maybe your parents packed you a sandwich instead? make sure you don’t eat the crusts, though. they’re the worst part.

If you’re lucky, you might’ve even added one of your bakes as dessert (low cal pastry/cookie), or a small yoghurt. if you didn’t, don’t fret. your parent didn’t forget to include a fruit or veggie for health.

(¬ ´ཀ` )¬

Back home at last — not before you went on a small walk, though. your parents were worried about where you’d gone off too again, and you’re greeted by a warm broth/soup, or some more baked veggies.

you don’t finish your plate unless your walk was very tiring. you’re too eager to finish that book you started!

Once in a while, you might be allowed a piece of cake or some hot chocolate. not everyday, though. that would be bad for your teeth!

End the day with a cup of tea, reading under a warm blanket with a piece of your favourite chocolate or sweet. 🍂☕️🐈‍⬛

MEAL IDEAS I LOVE:

Chickpeas in tomato sauce with rice

Whole bread sandwich without the crust: tomato, cheese and cucumber (ham if you want, i’m vegetarian c:)

Ratatouille or Shakshuka with wheat/bulgur

Apple sauce cookies (i can share a good recipe if you want)

Pasta/zucchini gratin

Lasagna (spinach or veggies with tomato sauce - or mince, once again, i’m vegetarian)

potatoes (sweet is even better) with broccoli

Mushrooms with bread

Tomato salad (vinegar, herbs, olive oil)

Lentil/corn cakes with cream cheese

Pumpkin pie

Vegetable broth (or chicken) with vegetable dices

Potato soup

Tomato orzo soup

Mashed potatoes with lentils

Lentil soup

Beetroot (it’s so good even on it own)

REMEMBER!

You always prefer ‘halloween’ themed pastries — involving apples, pumpkin, carrots…

Eating isn’t a bother, you’re just a slow eater. don’t hesitate to share your love for sweets, while keeping consummation low.

You get tired of veggies so much! never finish a meal you don’t like.

Your favourite candy is liquorice, and most halloween themed ones like acorn or hard candy

Keep the chocolate low. it’s too heavy and nauseating!

If you must, have a piece of nutella/peanut butter and jelly toast, oats, or milk with fruits in the morning. i promise it’s much better than those ‘healthy’ alternatives (makes you satisfies and low calorie if you only have one)

No crisps — they’re too oily and dirty your books. Pop corn is so much better (and lower in cols) — caramel or pumpkin spice is a staple!

Cinnamon on apples… the best treat!

If you ever eat out with family, eat only a third of the meal and get the rest to pack. it’s so good you want to make it last!!

Bake and cook as much as you can! This will make your parents understand what you like, and not push to make you eat those gross overly fat foods.

Try to stay under 1,000 kcals, but don’t count calories obsessively. keep portions small and always leave a third of your plate.

Have fun!

(i’ll make a moodboard with meals etc, i hope you enjoy!)

[kneelingshadowsalome]

Ozzie back here again to add to the idea of how much König needs to eat a day, here are a few suggestions that I can imagine he does to make his great need for food easier to handle (this is based on my own experience and the experiences of the other people at my gym and old veterans at my favourite pub so do not use this for in real life as this is just to help imagine how König eats and lives)

So, from what I know from the veteran I have made friends with, when he was in the military, they had a focus on foods that provided them with a great amount of energy, protein, iron, zinc, and vitamins C and D as it was the nutrients that they tended to run out of the most but it also the ones with some of the greater consequences with diseases that can make them weak and cause their immune system to be weak. Soldiers also eat a lot of protein as it is believed to help them grow their muscles more quickly. This makes me believe that König would focus on foods that provide him with a lot of nutrients but mainly protein to grow his muscles but not too much protein as he does not want to get sick and to build the balanced diet needed for his lifestyle

Some great food options for him would be many vegetables and fruits but for protein, I would suggest things such as eggs, poultry, beans, lentils, fish, nuts, chickpeas, yoghurts, and cheeses, I tend not to suggest red meats unless they are very lean due to the amount of fat in them and not being fond of the texture but I imagine König to enjoy them so if you were to make him food I would include things such as those along with some form of starch/carbohydrate by giving him some pasta, rice, bread, or potatoes which can help fill him up faster without him overeating and if they are reheated they will get resistant starch

I imagine König lives in the Alps so that he can be away from people and enjoy nature but I also imagine him earning a lot of money due to his job, putting his money into stocks/businesses, some dodgy dealings, and saving it up as he had no reason to spend most of it which means he could buy a lot of land. With this large amount of land, I imagine him using it to have his own giant garden with some animals, as it means he has to deal with fewer people to get what he needs. The garden would probably be made up of an orchard with trees of his favourite fruits but it would mainly be patches of vegetables and fruits while for his animals it would make sense for him to have chickens as he probably needs a lot (and I mean a lot) of eggs so having chickens make it a lot easier

If he can not grow it on his own land, he would probably hunt or forage it, which means that he can get his energy and murderous tendencies out that would normally be taken out on the field while still getting some food out of it (but it sadly makes him more hungry). But if it is a certain food like milk or cheeses or yoghurts he will most likely just go down to the local markets in the nearby towns and villages so he can get fresh items from people he trusts

Now we know some information about where he gets the food from we need to know where you would be cooking and keeping it. An appropriate and smart option would be to have a walk-in freezer in his basement that he can use to store the great amount of meats he has that has a wine/alcohol storage opposite it. While the kitchen would probably be massive and fully decked out with anything you need to be able to cook and two or three double-door fridges that are filled with any item that needs to stay chilled in it, although the cabinets are mostly up too high for anyone to reach without a stool unless you are König but they are filled to the brim with sweets as the giant has a sweet tooth to match his size or the weird collection of novelty cups he has collected from places he has went on missions too or beer glasses from different bars or pubs

If you were to cook food for him batch cooking (so you do not keep having to cook again and again) would be the best option with foods that are traditional to Austria or hearty foods like stews that can be cooked in large amounts with lots amounts of meats and vegetables (I can give a whole list of foods I recommend or I think he would like if you want them)

As you can tell I have too many ideas about this and I have way more because this has inspired me, and thank you for reading this long rant that probably does not make any sense

I love this so much 😭 The sweet tooth headcanon, his collection of beer glasses and such, him living in the Alps and hunting some of that precious protein... This screams Cabin/Off the grid König to me, I would make a cute garden for him to get those veggies stocked and stashed to some root cellar like this:

And then I'd probably spend the rest of my time here, cooking those hearty stews for him:

[rosen-dovecote]

@autisticslp asked (on the old blog):

So a lot of cooking advice that people tend to give that seems very basic honestly comes from decades of experience; there's a post that floats around Tumblr sometimes, actually, that talks about how a lot of "cooking from intuition" isn't actually intuition at all. It's deeply ingrained memorization about the "laws of cooking" that we've learned over time, that feel like second nature to us to the point where we no longer have to think about it or physically reference recipes or tutorials anymore.

In essence: We're good at "taking what we have on hand and making a meal of it" because we have a lot of practice! We've built up a skill! A skill you're lacking in. And that's not a bad thing! But it also means that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself because you don't know or can't seem to grasp this stuff that seems so "second nature" or "easy" to a lot of the cooks you know. You're still really new at this! And with various disabilities and mental illnesses, cognitive issues, etc? Of course you're going to struggle harder at it than "most" seem to, to you!

As a secondary aside to that, you mentioned growing up on a farm. But farming and gardening, and the various forms of food preservation that frequently comes alongside small family subsistence farms, is a very different skill set! Knowing what's seasonal in your garden doesn't necessarily inherently translate into cooking it, and building a full meal up from scratch unless you also had someone who had that skill as well to teach you that.

I know my Husband's mom sure as hell didn't. He grew up on a farm like that, and she could can all day ... But Lord. She couldn't cook to save her life. She attempted to impart neither of these skills to my Husband, either ... I grew up on one, as well. But where my mom couldn't can or garden to save her life, she was a damned good cook and imparted those skills to me. Now I'm passing them on to my Husband decades later, because his mother failed to.

What you're ultimately missing is a fundamental set of basic skills, and a knowledge set built up over time and practice. And the good news is, those are really simple skills to learn. The bad news is, it does take a while to learn them and to build up that pool of knowledge. Most of it's experimentation, though, and not a lot of it's super difficult.

For basic knowledge of cooking science and spices, I'd recommend The Science of Cooking and The Science of Spice- both by Dr. Stuart Farrimond. I own both and love them dearly. They'll debunk some common myths, and give you a basic understanding of certain food sciences that are honestly really helpful.

When you feel like you're ready to actually sit down and experiment with spices, I love The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World by Padma Lakshmi. It has information on various spices, tells you their cultural contexts, mentions what they're usually used on in those contexts (vegetables, which meats, etc), and even gives you some common cultural spice blends (though doesn't provide measurements). It's a thick boy, but it's a really fun one to work through if you have no introduction to spices or idea how to use them.

Past that, something you need to build yourself is a well stocked pantry with staple basics. I can't tell you what those are for you. That's something you have to figure out for yourself based on what you cook, how often, etc. But my minimum has always been at least 2 months worth of food in my pantry at any given time, across a broad enough spectrum that I can pick just about anything out of a recipe and only really need to shop for the fresh or immediate-need ingredients each week.

Staple Grains like Rice, Lentils, Cous Cous, and Quinoa.

Pasta Noodles of various types- like Elbow, Rigatoni, Bowtie, Penne, Fettuccini, and Spaghetti

Potatoes in the form of Mashed Potatoes and Scalloped Potatoes both, as well as a "fresh" bag each of Russet, Yellow, and Red Potatoes

Onions. I keep a mesh bag each of Red and Yellow (or White; whichever's cheapest at the time I'm shopping) on hand at all times.

Boxes of Stock (Chicken, Beef, Vegetable, and Protein Broth when I can find it)

Canned items that I use a lot of, like Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Tomato Paste, every kind of Bean (Cannellini, Great Northern, Dark Red, Light red, Black, Pinto, etc), and Chickpeas; plus canned fish (Tuna and Salmon, Sardines, etc)

Condensed Creams Of (Chicken and Mushroom are the two we use most often)

Spices. Of every kind. You literally do not want to see my spice box. It's insane. Yes I'm proud of it. But it would make the average person cry with confusion and fear.

Frozen Veggies in the freezer (Green Beans, Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli, Carrots, Squashes, etc; personally I prefer the frozen to the canned)

I'm sure there's stuff I'm forgetting. But ultimately when you have a full pantry and only have to buy your fresh or immediate-need ingredients? It not only massively saves your grocery bill each week, but it also makes it so much easier to "make things with what you have on hand". Because a large part of the trick is, honestly, having things on hand to make stuff with in the first place. And that's really the big secret that goes unspoken in a lot of circles. But it really shouldn't be an unspoken secret, because it holds so many people back.

Another secret is just knowing basic cooking methods. What is chopping vs dicing? How do you pan fry? What's a dry fry vs a wet fry? What about baking? Broiling? Boiling? What happens if you stew an ingredient instead? How big does it have to be for each of these methods? How does it perform with rice as opposed to cous cous? How is it raw- if it can be eaten raw? Other than that, just knowing recipes is really going to be the big key.

Unfortunately I don't have a recommend for learning any of these ones, since I learned all this the hard way. I do see some cook books that could be useful (like Veg-table: Recipes, Techniques, and Plant Science for Big-Flavored Vegetable-Focused Meals by Nik Sharma; or Vegetables: The Ultimate Cookbook Featuring 300+ Delicious Plant-Based Recipes by Laura Sorkin). I can't personally recommend them, however, because I've never read or used them. But there's a lot of information out there on youtube that can be very helpful, especially for methodology since it's a visual medium- which is, I think, the best way to learn some of these skills in particular.

Personally, I did the recipe thing by looking at cuisines from regions where those foods or ingredients were really popular. So take your Eggplant for example. Eggplants feature a lot in Mediterranean, Levantine, and Middle Eastern cuisines. So when you want to learn how to use Eggplant and build up your knowledge about it? Looking at the people in those regions who use this ingredient a lot already is going to be really helpful to you. They know what they're doing with it!

When you've made those dishes a few times, you're going to get an understanding not only of how to prepare Eggplant for various methods of cooking, and how to cook it for those methods. But you're also going to get an understanding of what flavors pair well with it. And after a while of doing that, you're naturally going to start thinking "what if I do x instead?" and start experimenting on your own. Play with them. Get to know the ingredient on the most foundational level. And yeah, throw some herbs on it if you're comfortable! See what meshes with what flavors. What do you like? And yeah, some of those are going to be flops. But by the time you start thinking "what if" your skills are usually further progressed than you'd think to give yourself credit for. Just ask my Husband, ha!

As for the stuff regarding disability, mental illness, and cognitive function, I gotchu, babe! One of the most distressing things for me when I became disabled, started suffering really bad from cognitive decline, and started dealing with memory loss, was looking at the potential of never being able to cook for myself again. And that scared the piss out of me, because cooking is my joy. And so my Husband and I sat down and prioritized cooking and making it disability friendly for me. Here's some of the stuff we did.

First step: Get your butt a stool that's a comfortable height for your counter height. Once acquired, sit as much as you can in the kitchen. It conserves energy and lets you use more of it to focus your head.

Second: Get yourself all those fun little gadgets you think look interesting or helpful. Personally I have a fruit slicer (that works on more than just apples), a slap chopper microplane thingy, and a few others. Mostly I got these because occasionally my body loses my hands and has no idea where they went and it's safer for me. But I can't tell you how nice they are even when my body knows where my hands are, ha; they speed up prep, keep your fingers safe (usually), and leave more room for the brain to do its thing.

Third: Make as many lists as you can! I have a list on the inside of all my pantry doors of the staples that are in that section. When something needs refilling it allows me to put a mark there so I know to put it on the grocery list. But it also provides a quick reference when my brain's tired; it's so much easier for me to read a list than try and decipher box labels with various colors, font sizes, etc. Make lists wherever you need them and always keep them accessible.

Fourth: The recipe box. Yes. A good, old fashioned, classic recipe box. I have mine filled with tried and true recipes that I know for a fact my Husband and I love, that I know we have at least 90% of the ingredients on hand for at any given moment. So if all else fails and I can't think of anything? I can just go pull something out of the box and have him jot down to the store for anything we don't have.

Fifth: Keep easy meals on stock, because some days you really can't cook. Your brain won't let you, and that's ok! That's fine! But you still gotta eat, right? So we keep stuff like bagged Blackened Chicken Alfredo, Dirty Rice, Mongolian Beef, Jambalaya, Broccoli Beef, Red Beans & Rice, etc, on hand in the outdoor fridge. If at any point I just can't do it? We grab some of those instead.

And the good news is, you can spruce up a quick meal! Making Dirty Rice? Throw in some bread and butter, and a side of boiled Green Beans from the garden. Blackened Chicken Alfredo? Throw some Bell Pepper on in there; you can bulk this stuff up easily with your produce, and it takes even less effort most of the time.

As for the Covid sense of taste / smell? Keep trucking. It does get better; I suffered bad from Post-Covid Parosmia for nearly 2 years after I caught Covid the first time- bad enough to the point I couldn't bathe myself because of the smell of our water being nauseating to me; couldn't eat anything with Corn, or Wheat, or Onion, or Garlic in it for a year, either. the second I tried, my body auto rejected it. Bananas tastes like Iris flowers smelt ... I feel your pain so hard.

But it does get better. Your system is just rewiring itself completely from scratch right now. And Lord, it's so unpleasant. But the more you give it to taste, and smell, the better it does and the faster it rewires itself. Don't force yourself to eat things that are nauseating or unpleasant. But do branch out. Experiment. Even if it tastes left of how you remember it, keep going! I can't promise you'll get everything back (Lord knows there's still some things that aren't quite right for me, even 4 years later now). But it gets better!

I hope any of this helps- even if it's not as helpful if you'd like it to be. Hang in there, love.

My ask box is always open and Anon is currently ON.

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

Hi Cal :) I think you know what I’m here for.

☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

Hell yeah! 48 for ☠️:

---

“Everything was going fine,” says one of Tommy’s friends from Harbor. Matt. One is Matt, the other is Mark. Athena struggles to distinguish between them, honestly. “Tommy’s parties are always a little… Well, okay. He’s not exactly a riot when he’s the host. So I was surprised he suggested it honestly.”

“Honestly, half the reason I came was because he makes a killer caesar.” Mark explains. “I’ve been vegan for three years, and Tommy always makes vegan and non-vegan options.”

So the party was stale but the drinks were good. Thus explains more and more of Eddie, Chimney, Hen, and Karen’s state of inebriation. Athena doesn’t blame them, to be honest. 

Things started to go wrong shortly after Eddie was revealed as the murder victim, fictionally impaled with a fire poker. 

“Again, let me say, no one was surprised he chose me,” Eddie grumbles. 

“And why is that?” Ransone asks him. 

“He hasn’t liked me since he and Buck started dating,” Eddie shrugs. “I don’t know why. We used to be friends.”

Athena wonders if Eddie might be walking around with a blindfold on. 

Of course, Tommy’s jealousy over Buck and Eddie’s closeness was not the reason the party went to hell. Though perhaps it may have been, if someone hadn’t literally died before that could happen. 

“Right after the murder was revealed, Tommy served the caesars,” Buck explains. “Which I was pretty excited about, because I’ve heard so much about them. But he never makes them unless there’s a party. Anyway, two trays of drinks. Vegan and non-vegan. And the first thing I noticed that was weird is that Captain Gerrard went for the vegan.” 

“Why was that weird?” Ransone asks. 

Buck’s mouth twists to the side a little as he thinks about how best to answer. 

“Uh, he doesn’t hold plant-based lifestyles in a very high regard,” Buck answers diplomatically. “He wasn’t into it when I suggested a vegetarian meal at the fire station one night.”

This gives Athena pause. Because she knows Buck isn’t being fully forthcoming. She remembers the incident he’s talking about, because he complained to Bobby about it and she overheard. 

I wanted to try an Ethiopian lentil recipe and he called me a soy-boy! He said all that tofu would give me breasts! 

Buck had been livid. 

Why isn’t he saying that now? This is Buck, though. He’s kind. Gentle. Maybe he doesn’t want to talk poorly of the dead. 

“Well, of course Vince went for the vegan pitcher!”

[ryttu3k]

"I've picked up an analogy in my years of public speaking. It's one of the ways I describe the trans experience to audiences of largely cis people. I ask them to imagine that they are a can of lentils. (Bear with me here.) So, there you are, chilling out. Doing what canned lentils do. Then someone comes along, opens the cupboard, picks you up, and slaps a label on you that says 'coconut milk'. Okay. You don't really know what to do. Obviously, you are not coconut milk - you know this intuitively But there's no way to prove your lentilness for certain, unless someone opens you up and peers inside. But they're sure going to be disappointed if they try to add you to a pina colada mix! The trans experience isn't the process of lentils trying to become coconut milk, or vice versa. It's just a matter of changing the label on the outside, so people know what's inside. Sometimes to change that label, people go through surgeries, or hormones. Sometimes they just get a haircut and make a Facebook post. All it really takes is for people to just believe them when they say, 'I'm not coconut milk, and I never was. And next time, can you ask me before you try and label me?'"

- The Pronoun Lowdown, by Nevo Zisin

[macabrelinguine]

You sat in the room you hated, checking the clock. Five minutes. You were hungry, pretty damn near starving, actually. But you didn’t want the door to your room to open. You didn’t want the food she provided under the guise of care. You scoffed. The only thing she cared about was her meal. You didn’t think you could bleed so much until you came here. Three minutes.

You flopped backwards onto your bed, closing your eyes. Thinking of a time before you were little more than a good source. But all you could think of was her smile, her laugh, her entrancing eyes. How her words seemed to flow like water over ice. That same ice could be seen in her gaze in your more recent memories.

You refusing her food, pushing her away when she sat with her. The memories continued as the ice in her eyes seemed to prick you as you held her gaze. Then, in all the memories, she would grab you by your wrist, the back of your neck, your waist. She’d pull you closer with surprising force and-

You opened your eyes. You knew what happened next and you didn’t want to re-live it. You checked the clock.

No. It couldn’t be that time already-

The door clicked open, and in she stepped.

“Hello, love.”

“Jane” you said, not raising your head to look at her. It was a small act of rebellion, but not one that went unnoticed. She strode over to you, grabbing your jaw and wrenching it upward. You hissed a breath between your teeth.

“Look at me when I talk to you.” You stared at her for a second before nodding.

She smiled.

“Good.” You mustered a weak smile as she continued. “It’s time to eat, my love.” You stiffened.

“I’m not hungry.”

“You have to eat. I can’t eat unless I know you’re safe and you won’t pass out.”

“I-“

“Don’t you want me to be happy, love?” You sat stunned for a moment.

“No! You- you tricked me, you kidnapped me, and you suck my blood!” She just stared at you for a second, and you braced yourself to dodge her, but she didn’t move.

“Eat.”

“But-“

“My dear,” she hissed at you, “I’m being lenient with you. Now eat the fucking food.”

you ate the food. A dinner of tofu, spinach, and lentils. Iron rich foods. You glanced up at Jane, pleadingly. She spoke.

“Remember when we first met? You were so cute. I always knew I wanted this. Well, not you being so stubborn. But that can be fixed.” She moved towards you and your heart pounded in your throat.

She smirked at you.

“Don’t be so scared love, I’m not ready to eat quite yet.” You tried to slow your quickening heartbeat as she continued. “Anyway, I always knew I wanted you with me, here. Just for me.” She grinned, sighing. She was very close to you now, and you would’ve felt the warmth of her body if she wasn’t ice-cold as her eyes.

“Alright. Now I’m hungry.” You stiffened.

“Jane, wait-“ you were stopped as she put a finger to your lips.

“Shh, it won’t take long. It won’t hurt too much, you know that. Well, maybe a little extra, for not eating yesterday.” She laughed, exposing her fangs.

“Now, where should I start?” You tried to keep your heart rate steady as she traced a finger along your wrist.

“Here?” she moved her hand to your forearm.

“Maybe here?” You knew she feel how fast your heart was pumping, how scared you were. “Hmm, I think…here!” She said, landing her finger on a vein in your neck. Your heart beat ever faster as she positioned you on her lap, gently moved your head to the side to expose your neck, and bit.

you tried not to move, the faster this was over the better. Jane finished up and put a bandage on your neck.

“That didn’t hurt too much, did it love?”

It had. It was all you could do to keep the tears in your eyes and off of your face. But you cleared your throat and answered

“No.”

She rested her head on your shoulder, relaxing. You stiffened, not used to her touch. She started speaking to you.

“What’s so bad about this life, my love? What makes you put up such a fight?”

She moved so you were face to face.

“Why can’t you just listen? Would that be so hard?” Her voice was soft, but her words felt like knives. She tilted your head up with a single finger, continuing her speech.

“I hate having to hurt you, my love. I try to be patient with you…but-“ She grabbed your wrist and pulled you closer, whispering in your ear.

“Sometimes you’re just insufferable.”

[hollowtones]

i was feeling down today but then i read your kind words about soups and stews and it inspired me to make a delightful lentil soup. thank you.

Hell yeah. That's what it's all about, baby.

I know this isn't the case for a lot of people, but I find cooking myself something nice helps me feel a little better, unless I'm having a "no energy to spare" kind of depression day. Even then, finding something nice I can make for myself with minimal effort / energy also helps me feel nice.

[somethingclevermahogony]

Happy lateish STS! Are there resteraunts in your setting?

Thank you for the ask! Sorry I totally to ask you a question! I'll send two for WBW!

Here is a late response for a lateish STS!

Beer Halls

As per usual I will be sticking with Kishetal, and in this instance I will be focusing on the cities of Labisa and Chibal.

The simple answer to this question is, no. There are not what we would consider restaurants in Kishetal, nor any part of the Green Sea. The closest equivalent would be a Beer Hall.

Beer Halls form one of the main hangout spots for commoners of all ages across all of Kishetal, but particularly so in Labisa and Chibal. Throughout Kishetal, beer has traditionally been brewed and sold by women, for some it is considered nigh sacrilege for a man to brew beer. Labisa alone has 19 Beer Halls, all but one of which are run by women. Chibal is not far behind with around 14, all but two of which are run by women.

Most beer halls serve only beer and water, however some larger Beer Halls may serve food. Typically this is limited to simple and cheap foods, which come in small portions. 

In the case of those Beer Halls where food is served in Labisa and other eastern cities one might expect to find stale bread bought from nearby bakeries, porridges, soups or broths, mashes of lentils and other legumes, nuts, and sausages made from blood and/or offal.

In Chibal one might find various forms of shellfish particularly oysters and clams, salads made from seaweed, stale breads and flatbreads, bruised fruit, olives, and blood sausage.

The prices for these things will vary, typically with items becoming cheaper near closing time as a way to get rid of leftover stock. While coins (or parts of coins) have become the preferred method of payment, this is a relatively new development. Many Beer Halls still sell their product based on bargaining. A bowl of beer and some sausage in exchange for new carpentry nails, olives, or fresh figs.

Some Beer Halls will cook food that is brought into them, often without charge as it is expected that the Beer Hall will be able to keep and sell whatever the person that brought in the ingredients did not eat. 

As an example, say a Labisan hunter brings a boar into his local Beer Hall. The Beer Hall will butcher and cook said boar, making roasts, soups, and sausages, potentially dozens of servings. The Labisan hunter will be able to return the next day to eat the dishes made from said boar for free, however the Beer Hall will make a profit by selling the rest to other customers. Not all gifts are treated the same way, and this is limited mostly to meat and seafood. A loaf of bread might get you a free beer, but just the one, no matter how many people that loaf feeds.

There is no menu and the food is not served to order. Rather it is stored in large jars or tubs and dished out either into ceramic bowls or onto plates made from hard almost inedible bread.

Food is secondary, a way to draw more people in to buy beer. In most Beer Halls where food is served, you will not be allowed to purchase food unless you also purchase beer.

Some day maybe I’ll try to recreate a meal that you could expect from one of these Beer Halls.

[acti-veg]

can eating vegan always be done as cheaply as eating meat? e.g. someone from the Philippines told me vegetables there are expensive so veganism is a privilege?

I can only answer this as an outsider but looking at the pricing index, the Phillippines isn't at all unique when it comes to the comparative price of meat vs produce. The national diet is generally quite meat heavy but vegetables and pulses play a big role too, and they're very definitely not more expensive than meat is.

It is rare to find a place where meat and dairy are less expensive than beans, pulses, legumes and vegetables. It just doesn't make much economic sense for those items to cost less unless meat is being heavily subsidised, just because it's obviously so much more resource intensive to produce meat than it is vegetables and beans. Meat has always been expensive, it has historically been a privilege to be able to eat it with any regularity almost anywhere, including Europe, that is especially the case for red meat.

There are vegans in the Philippines, and they're not all rich or even well off - I found multiple groups when researching this. People still say the exact same thing here in the UK, and 99% of the time they just don't really understand what vegans actually eat. They think we're all eating fresh produce at every meal, and while that'd be great, most staples are dirt cheap - rice, noodles, frozen veg, beans, chickpeas, lentils and spices. You will struggle to find a place where 1lb of beans costs anywhere near as much as 1lb of beef.

[barry-j-blupjeans]

@taznovembercelebration - Soup

It's cold. The type of cold that made your fingers go numb if you stood outside for more than a few minutes. Taako and Lup were nestled deep into a back alleyway of the city, using newspapers Taako had nicked off a newsstand earlier as kindling for their fire. It was warmer then. Or at the very least, more bearable. Here, cushioned between the dropping temperatures, the promise of snow the paper had reported, and his grumbling stomach, he felt a lot smaller than he had in the light of the day.

Still. Small victories. The second sun had just barely set when Lup had dragged out a decent-sized pot from one of their bags and filled it up with the river water they had boiled earlier. Taako had transmuted a couple of nails he had found on the street into a makeshift stand for the pot to sit above the fire and they had bought- bought! with their own money!- some chicken broth.

They couldn't go back through the marketplace for a few days, just to be safe, because someone had spotted Lup stealing lentils. On top of that, Taako had tripped during their escape and dropped about half of their vegetables. Still, it was something. They could have stolen the chicken broth, too, but they needed that guy on their good side. He had given them a discount after they had pulled the "poor hungry orphans" card, and if it was that easy, then it was best not to cross him anytime soon if they could help it.

It had been a mess to assemble everything. They didn't have a cutting board anymore- someone had ransacked the bags a few weeks ago and made off with half their supplies- but Taako had transmuted them a new knife and Lup had found a hard enough piece of wood to make due. They were lucky to have the pot still. At the very least, it was one piece of their Tía that had made it with them this far.

Lup glanced over her shoulder back toward the street and Taako checked too, just to be sure. But upon seeing nothing, she turned back to the pot and lifted the lid. A bout of steam rose from inside, followed by an incredible smell. Taako's stomach growled audibly and Lup grinned at him. She took their ladle- another stolen item, thank the gods for unaware shopkeeps- and took a scoop, raising it up towards her mouth for a sip.

"Done, I think," she said, lowering the ladle back down and squishing things around in the pot. Taako passed her the singular bowl they had and said,

"I'll take the pot."

"You got the pot last time," Lup said, spooning heavy scoops into the bowl. "You get the bowl this time."

"I always get the bowl," Taako said, taking it anyway when she passed it to him. He leaned over to his pack and got their spoons out, passing one to Lup. Lup didn't give him the grace of a reply. Instead, she leaned the pot toward herself and took a big spoonful. Taako followed suit.

Gods, this was good. They made it, so it was bound to be good, natch, but he had almost forgotten how nice warm food was. The lentils had softened beautifully and the single potato that Taako hadn't dropped was so, so worth it. He had been worried about the garlic, because it had been pretty old by the time they decided on soup tonight, but it made it so much better. Taako had to lean his head back to stop himself from salivating all over the place when he took another spoonful.

Warm food was delightful. It sat heavy in his stomach and made his chest tighten a bit. He almost had to blink back tears from the sudden memory of Tía dishing out a bowl for each of them. It hadn't been the first thing she had taught them, but it was definitely the homiest. If it wasn't so cold, Taako could almost imagine that they were still back there.

But the wind nipped at his fingers and neck as he ate, and the bowl slowly grew more empty. When he finally had enough left to tip the bowl back into his mouth, he did so with just a little bit of remorse. This was probably going to be the only warm thing they had for the rest of the month unless they got stupid lucky one day. And, just knowing how the world tended to work, they probably wouldn't.

Lup scraped the sides of the pan down and shoveled the rest into her mouth before setting it back down. Their fire was slowly starting to dwindle down. Taako wrapped his coat a little tighter around himself and said,

"D'you think we can wait 'til morning to wash stuff or nah?"

Lup tch'd, clearly thinking about it.

"We nearly got arrested last time they saw us doing that," she said. "So maybe now?"

"Oh. Right," Taako said. "Now it is."

"I'll take the pots and stuff if you get my bag."

"Deal," Taako said, passing the bowl back to her. She set it in the pot as Taako gathered up their stuff. They didn't need a repeat of getting all their shit stolen again- it might have been fine in the woods, but the city was a whole 'nother can of worms when it came to that sort of stuff. Taako kicked the transmuted pot holder off the fire and Lup extinguished it. In a few hours, the pot holder would turn back to the few screws he had started with, anyway.

It was a practiced routine. Set up camp, eat, meditate in shifts, maybe, if they could, and then go. They might come back here after washing up, but Taako doubted it. There was a spot by the river that was much more protected from the wind. They just had to figure out who was taking first watch.

"Alright," Lup said, lugging the pot up into her arms. "Lead the way, my man."

"Leading," Taako said, bringing them to the edge of the alleyway. He stopped and looked out to both sides, just in case. The city was as dead as it had been for the past few hours. The weather and the night were keeping most people home. When the first sun started to rise, they'd have to be more careful. They couldn't exactly go hauling their cookware out in plain sight. Either someone would think they stole it or would try to steal it from them.

But it was clear. Taako slunk down the street, Lup tight at his side. At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about watching his back. They might have been outcasts, but if there was one person Taako trusted not to die, or disappear, or get tired of him, it was Lup.

[chaoticgeminate]

Kinktober - Day Four

Pairing: Javi Gutierrez x f!Reader

Rating: Explicit (If that was not entirely clear)

Series Summary: You’re a fanfiction writer turned novelist, which was great since it was the path you wanted your writing to take you down in life. What you never thought would happen was meeting the Javier Gutierrez, who you actively write smutty fanfiction about from his film with Nic Cage, and you especially didn’t expect him to have a crush on you.

Fast forward several months of dating, with a good chunk of your relationship being distance due to his constant traveling and having to go home to Mallorca, when he surprises you with a prompt list and a vacation planned around exploring it.

You haven’t even worked up the nerve to tell him about what you write and post to Tumblr about him as a character yet.

Notes: Going to be using prompts from @ the-purity-pen for my meta as hell indulgence! There are feelings in this (I have no idea how they got there) and I may end up removing some possible chapters here and there depending on how I’m feeling, I apologize in advance if that happens because my brain is super mean sometimes.

Possible Warnings: Semi-public teasing, Javi with leather gloves, emotional vulnerability, implied history with violence/abuse, very low on the smut and heavy on the softness. I CANNOT DO SMUT WITHOUT EMOTIONS I'M SORRY ;-;

Breath Play (1.9k)

After a filling brunch of things like egg benedict with Iberico ham, A5 wagyu steak and eggs, and a lentil vegan dish that just blew you away all four of you went to Ramón and Eleana’s hotel where you signed two sets of your books and did an Instagram shout out to Nina. Javi waved off their concerns over the cost of brunch, that he paid for, and you realized the Ritz was chosen because Javi wanted to treat them to something nice and not because that was what they were used to.

When you both got back in the convertible Javi slipped his gloves back on and your whore brain absolutely sat up and took notice, he made sure that it was slow and deliberate enough that your focus was solely on the way the leather dragged across his skin, and your tongue darted out to wet your lips.

“I guess we can say you do have a glove kink then?” His question snapped you out of the ideas running through your head, his remark about ruining those gloves still echoing, and you had to drag your eyes away from where he gripped the steering wheel to meet his gaze.

“Looks like it.” Your voice came out breathy, the tone making Javi’s pupils expand before he slipped his shades on, and you half expected him to speed back to the house. But Javi surprised you by taking you closer to the shore, pulling down a stretch of road that was empty before turning off the main road and down an inclined road closer to the water, and the area of beach was devoid of anyone. No tourists, no people wandering around, just sand and water and high rocky cliffs to block the view of the street.

“Are you okay with this?” His question made you realize exactly what he was thinking to do, that he wanted you here, and while there was part of you that was definitely not okay at the idea of someone snapping pictures or recording you if you were caught… it was also kind of exciting. You managed to nod, whispering out a yes, before Javi was getting out of the car and you did the same. He tugged you against his body so he was perched on the hood with you facing the shore, you realized that in doing so it’d be almost impossible for anyone to see what you were up to unless they were out in the water.

Even then the deeper water for the ships was so far out that it was unlikely you’d get caught.

“You knew about this place already?”

“Not personally, I just know a few of my cousins have brought people here. I know it is not quite day four, Solecita, but I changed my mind during brunch. Tomorrow will be a day of resting, because I want you more than ready for me the day after.” You shivered at the implication, since the day five prompts were seared into your brain and that was the only valid reason he could have to want a rest, and the fact that he was even going to have a break day wasn’t as disappointing as you thought.

Javi was definitely a service lover but he was also voracious, now that he had you like this he was proving to have an insatiable appetite for your pleasure, and your boyfriend had already confessed he’d held himself back so much in the past because he was nervous of how fast he had been falling for you despite a good portion of your relationship being long distance. The fact that he’d been holding back was both exciting and intimidating.

Did you want him to rail you frequently and without hesitation? Yes, of course you did, you’d be stupid to want anything less.

But the emotional aspect of his intimacy was -as he said- nerve wracking; you’d been falling fast too and the idea of losing him hurt too much already.

“I cannot tell if you’re distracted out of excitement over my intent to fuck you full repeatedly in two days or if there’s something else going on in your head, Solecita.” Javi was using one hand to cup your cheek and turn your face to look at you, his other arm banded around your body to hold you in place, and you felt that worry that you were going to scare him if you told him how deep your feelings for him ran already.

“It’s both. I- even without the sex I’m really attached to you, I know most of our relationship has been long distance so it might seem like it’s too fast and I just don’t want you to find a reason to walk away from me-“

“Solecita, I have held myself back from telling you that I love you since the day you and I spent at your apartment after our fourth date was rained out. When you laughed at how we were drenched from the downpour and heated up soup from a tin in your microwave which we drank in mugs and told me that a little disaster was just the fate’s way of spicing things up.” You remembered his confused and mildly horrified expression when you’d whipped out your rainy day staple, canned soup in a mug was only good when it was rainy or there was heaps of snow, and yet he’d still stayed and ended up tangled in the blankets on your couch kissing you for hours.

“You love me?”

“Sí, I love you so much, I was just worried it was too soon.”

“No Javi, it’s not, I love you too.”

His mouth sealed over yours the moment the words escaped you and you whined when Javi let go of your waist to run his hand under your skirt and up, the drag of the leather against your skin making you shiver. The feeling of his fingertips gliding from your cheek to your neck made you stiffen a little but you leaned more against him and tipped your head in a way that exposed more of your neck to him.

“What’s your word, Solecita, and what do you do if you cannot speak?”

Oh shit.

You swallowed thickly as his whisper was breathed into your skin, making you shiver as you ran your tongue against the back of your teeth to ground yourself.

“Taffy and Brittle, my words are taffy to slow and brittle to stop, and if I can’t speak you want me to tap your thigh. Once to ease up, twice to check in, and three times for hard stop.” Why you chose candies you couldn’t remember as Javi purred a soft ‘good girl’ in your ear and pressed his gloved fingertips to the front of your underwear before his hand settled lightly on your neck without pressure.

Your hips jumped at the contact and Javi used his foot to kick your legs wider, gently enough to avoid hurting you but hard enough to make sure you knew it wasn’t a suggestion. You didn’t really know what to do with your hands, they were currently reaching behind you and gripping the leather belt he was wearing like a vice, and your boyfriend nipped at your ear gently with a soft moan as you rocked back against him.

“My beautiful Solecita, to have your love… I am the luckiest man. Your beauty captivated me but your ability to weave words and create stories that I could see as clear as if they were a film left me needing to know you.”

While you certainly knew you had a praise kink it was the fact that he wasn’t even talking about anything sexual and you were still getting turned on that had your head spinning, the softness of it making your heart squeeze even as his fingers circled your covered clit. A low moan from you made the grip on your throat tighten just a little, to remind you he was there, and your hips jerked against him.

“Javi-“

“Hold your skirt up for me, Solecita, I want to see.”

Your hands were trembling as you moved them to raise the front of your skirt and hold it, feeling the way Javi’s cock twitched and hearing his low moan in your ear, and he rewarded you by sliding his hand into your underwear; the leather was smooth and warm and as Javi slipped two fingers into your wet pussy he tightened his hold on your neck to smother your moan. He wasn’t squeezing hard, you could still talk if you had to, but the fact that it was even a little more difficult to draw breath than normal made everything feel different.

Even the tension in the air felt different.

The soft choked noise you made sounded so loud.

Hyperaware of the hand on your throat, of the sensation of his fingers gliding in and out of your wet channel, the creak of the leather when his hold loosened and the pounding in your chest as your body began to draw in full oxygen again. It was an overwhelming feeling and you couldn’t decide how you felt about it, but Javi’s grip loosened further and you shivered when he pressed his forehead against the back of your shoulder but you knew something was wrong. The strange tension wasn’t gone, even though he’d loosened his hold, there was something almost rigid in the way Javi was holding himself now.

You didn’t like it.

“Javi?”

“Hush- Solecita, you’re doing so well.”

“Taffy.” Javi’s hand stopped moving and you let the skirt of your dress fall in order to take the hand resting near your collar and grip it in both of yours. Javi’s breathing was harsh and you realized he was shaking a little, something had rattled him and you couldn’t help but scan the horizon before listening just in case you weren’t as secluded as you thought.

“Talk to me, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t like that, the choking, I- the trust you have in me makes me so conflicted but I don’t like it. Violence and pain has always lingered in the background of my life, I do not really wish to bring that near you.”

Javi’s open admission that he wasn’t feeling it made you reach one hand back to stroke his hair gently, his openness about why he didn’t like it was more than he even needed to say.

“Okay, then we mark that off as a hard no. Why don’t we go back to the house then? I want to thank you for being so good to me.” Javi made a small sound before lifting his head and pressing a kiss to the side of your neck, not fighting you as you pulled his hand out of your underwear, the wet sound of it making both of you shiver but Javi needed your support and care.

Sex wasn’t the most important part of this for you, his comfort and trust was.

“Thank you, Solecita, I’m sorry I can’t-“

“No, don’t apologize, we already said there was no judgement as to why we did or didn’t like things we tried.”

He stopped arguing with you and even let you drive back, his hand holding yours tightly the entire ride. This was going to have to be a bigger conversation but not right now, he was too raw right now, and you decided that you’d initiate a break day of your own since that was more important to you than a list.

Javi had done so much for you, the least you could do was give him the emotional support he needed and deserved.

All Fics Taglist: @hardc0rehaylz @wordsnwhiskey @pagannightwitch @radiowallet @musings-of-a-rose @amneris21 @trickstersp8 @practicalghost @rominaszh @alwaysdjarin @alexxavicry

Just Pedro Taglist: @maievdenoir @beecastle @littlemisspascal @writeforfandoms @AynsleyWalker @lovesbiggerthanpride @MSWarriorBabe80

Alt Taglist: @imtryingmybeskar @fan-of-encouragement @grogusmum @sizzlingcloudmentality @deadhumourist @prostitute-robot-from-the-future

Kinktober Only: @nicolethered @katareyoudrilling

[stewyonmolly]

frankieeee im making soup tonight for a dinner party but idk what soup to make What is your favorite soup recipe!

OOOH GOOD QUESTION. splitting this up so awkwardly bc i said so much… also full disclosure i was vegan for 5 years until a year ago so most of the soups i make nowadays are still at least vegetarian 😔 unless you don’t eat meat in which case 😄

you can never go wrong with a classic minestrone imo which is basically a broth of your choosing with whatever vegetables you have on hand (https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Minestrone-di-verdure.html)

but i’m also a big fan of coconut milk-based soups such as https://ohmyveggies.com/thai-pumpkin-soup-recipe/

or a good chicken soup with a hefty amount of dill ❤️

i think you can never go wrong with anything that has a root vegetable base (potatoes, pumpkin, winter squashes, etc) and i love anything i can add loads of ginger to!!

some fav soups of mine are carrot and ginger (exactly what it sounds like, i roast carrots and fresh ginger with oil salt pepper and it would be mad delish with curry powder too & blend it up with broth and you could totally add cream or milk),

pastina with chicken broth and tons of grated cheese (i follow my heart when making it there’s no recipe but it’s comfort food),

oooh you could even do a broth started with sautéed zucchini in a pan (onions, some sort of cured meat if you’re a meat eater, that type of stuff) and pasta!!!

my mom did a lot of soups growing up perché siamo napoletane and that’s peasant food so OH MY GOD LENTIL SOUP. LENTIL SOUP. carrot celery onion lentils add some fresh greens once boiling maybe some chopped tomatoes…

my mom also made this awesome mushroom soup with quinoa kale spinach and cinnamon when i was sick last year and it healed me (spiritually).

escarole soup obvs http://www.christopherpless.com/recipe/zuppa-di-scarola/ also

zuppa di ceci chickpea soup was an absolute STANDARD in my house we usually didn’t blend it (whole chickpeas https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Zuppa-di-ceci.html) but it can totally be blended too (https://www.italianfoodforever.com/2009/11/zuppa-di-ceci-creamy-chickpea-soup/)… i could go on

[livehorses]

Friday of Sorrows or Passion Friday

A week before the Good Friday, we Catholics commemorate a special Friday dedicated to the advocation of our Lady of Sorrows. This is a day dedicated to remember all the pain Mary suffered on the Passion of her Son, to pray and accompany her in her despair. The Devotion to the Sorrowful Virgin goes back to the early years of Christianity, and quoting Wikipedia: “In 1727, Pope Benedict XIII extended a feast commemorating the sorrowful Virgin Mary to the whole of the Latin Church, assigning to its celebration the Friday in Passion Week, one week before Good Friday.” But these specific traditions held in Hispanic countries persist since the Viceregal era. In México were originally started by the “Servitas” (Mary’s Servants Order) in XVIII Century.

There were two dates for this feast, the Friday before Palm Sunday and September 15. Although with the Second Vatican Council, all the duplicated feasts were reduced to one date. The date of the fifth Friday of Lent was removed and the one in September was left. However, Mexicans tend to focus more in the Independence Night, but the tradition of the Friday of Sorrows is still strong in churches and towns. Later on, the Pope Saint John Paul II reintroduced it as a mass commemoration. As always, the tradition brought by the Spanish to America, took a very unique and folkloric tone.

On this Friday, in some towns and states around the Mexican Republic it’s made a procession in which it’s carried an image of the Sorrowful Virgin around the block. It’s also a tradition that people put an altar either on a church or in their house with many elements that each one of them keep a particular symbol.

The Virgin of Sorrows

Firstly takes protagonism an image of the Lady of Sorrows, covered with black, dark blue or purple clothing, to highlight her state of grief, with luxurious embroidery and crowned with an encrusted crown. Those images made by the hands of skillful artisans are the most beautiful and moving one could find, resembling in her expression the work of Renaissance sculptors and painters like Michael Angelo or Raphael. The most notable aspect are the tears that fall over the Virgin’s cheeks. Some of these images are centuries old.

The colorful glass spheres

Around the Altar there are placed a numerous group of glass spheres of bright colors, with the popular intention to cheer up the Virgin’s mood and as a way to comfort and distract her.

The whithered flowers and grass

Because we’re meant to be grieving, it’s traditionally prohibited the placing of aromatic and beautiful flowers. Instead, it can be used whithered purple flowers or, four weeks before, plant seeds of wheat, barley, chia and lentils on little pots, and let them grow without permiting the rays of the Sun to land on them. That way, the plant grows with a yellow tone, dried and whithered to resemblance the discouragement of the Virgin. Specifically these plants make reference to one of Jesus’ teachings: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24

The wheat is also the plant used to prepare the communion wafer, and therefore, the grass of wheat represents the Eucharist. Sometimes it will be accompanied with a bunch of grapes, since from this fruit the wine for the Eucharist is made.

The pierced oranges with flags and drawings of sawdust or whithered rose petals

Also along the Altar are many oranges pierced by flags, sometimes of cut paper material or with silver and gold tones. As long as I remember, these last colors represent Mary and Jesus respectively, showing this way the closeness they have with each other as Mother and Son. The orange is the fruit of choice resembling the sour taste with the sour feeling within the Virgin’s heart as she saw her tortured Son in the way to Calvary. The flags represent how even the sorrow is crowned with the banners of glory that promise the Resurrection’s victory. Also, the pierced fruits by the flags are meant to simbolize the pierced Inmaculate Heart of Mary by seven swords, making reference to the prophecy of Simon the prophet in the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple: “And to you, a sword will pierce your soul” Luke 2:35

There’s also a catholic devotion that comes from that prophecy, that remembers The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary, which contemplates: The Prophecy of Simon, The Flee To Egypt, The Child lost and found in the Temple, The meeting in the road to Calvary, Jesus’ Crucifiction and Death, The descent from the Cross, and The Entombment. For each one of these sorrows is prayed a Hail Mary. Sometimes, the Virgin’s Monogram, precisely her Inmaculate Heart pierced by seven swords, can be represented along Jesus’ Monogram with sawdust of diverse colors or whithered rose petals. In general, the Altar is full with colorful sawdust desings.

Elements of Christ’s Passion

In some Altars it can be seen some elements of Christ’s Passion, like the ladder that was used to descend Jesus from the Cross, the Cross itself, the nails, the spear which was used to pierce Jesus’ chest, the rooster that sang as soon as Peter denied to know Jesus, the whip used to hit Jesus, the dices with which the soldiers made a bet to see who of them would keep Jesus’ robe, the crown of thorns, the sponge with vinegar and many more.

Candles, cut paper and garlands

As a decorative addition, the rest of the Altar is decorated with traditional chinese paper usually with Mary and Jesus’ initials, garlands of white and purple colors and with multiple candles. As always the purple symbolizes sorrow, grief, penance and sobriety, while the white is purity and holyness. The candles represent the light that God projects over the World, vanishing all darkness and shadows. Candlelights can also represent a night of vigil, when someone stays awake to pray. In that way we express we keep company to the sorrowful Virgin the moment she’s left alone after her Son’s Death, as the Apostle Saint John did. By the light that the bright flags reflect from the candles, it is traditionally said that the Altars of Sorrows are set on fire.

Flavored waters

One of the most popular elements in the Altar of Sorrows is the fresh flavored waters. Around this time in México, the weather has turned hot, and people search for ways to calm their thirst and cool off. It’s a tradition long lost in the urbanized zones to visit the neighbour houses to see each one’s altars and to stand by to pray a little. When a visitor arrives, since centuries ago the tradition is that this one asks: “Has the Virgin wept yet?” and the host inmediately hands off a glass of fresh flavored water. As you can imagine, these special drinks are meant to symbolize the numerous tears the Virgin wept on Good Friday. The flavors can vary and each one has a respective meaning. The Jamaica one, by its strong reddish tone symbolizes Jesus’ spilled blood, the Horchata one, made of rice with milk and cinnamon (rice with milk, a traditional Mexican dessert) mixed with water, by it’s white color represents Mary’s purity and others say its her maternal milk, the tamarind one is the vinegar that Jesus tasted in the Cross and finally the lemon with chia one is Mary’s tears mixed with sour feeling. Anyways, the flavors can be more than these ones.

The Friday of Sorrows is no doubt one of the most beautiful and devotional ones in all the liturgical year here in México, its devotion and pious aspect is mixed with strong tradition and floklore, making it unique as how each mexican tradition could be.

Is there something simillar in your country to commemorate the Friday Of Sorrows?

If I have time, I will share with you photos of my Altar I usually make each year.

Photo and research sources:

https://inah.gob.mx/boletines/5100-altar-de-dolores-tradicion-viva-en-museos-del-inah

https://desdelafe.mx/noticias/sabias-que/todo-lo-que-debes-saber-sobre-el-altar-de-dolores/

https://www.reconociendomexico.com.mx/altar-de-dolores/

https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=luisalberto.rosalesherrera&set=a.932188683482052

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viernes_de_Dolores

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_of_Sorrows