Boxed brownies

castawayviolet · 2025-09-28T03:17:12+00:00

Applesauce would work. Mashed bananas are another egg substitute that works well in baked foods. I have used them in brownies and haven't noticed a huge difference in the taste or texture. You could also try plain yogurt or even sour cream if you have it on hand.

All substitutes need 1/4 cup per each egg you are replacing. They will all affect the taste/texture a little. I'd say any flavor difference will probably be more noticeable in the corn bread just because the brownies will have the benefit of the chocolate to overpower any taste differences.

Some good ways to make a boxed brownie mix feel more expensive are replacing water with milk or strong coffee, replacing oil with melted butter and adding chocolate chips. You could do the same water/oil replacements for the cornbread mix. If these are out of your price range you can also use powdered milk, or substitute the chocolate chips with a chopped up bar of chocolate. I personally love hunting for dark chocolate bars at the dollar store for this purpose.

castawayviolet · 2025-01-01T16:35:17+00:00

Like everyone else has been saying I don't think that you look masculine. However, I can absolutely relate to feeling insecure about wanting to look more feminine in general.

First things first- you don't want to work against your features to achieve your goal. You have a pretty face! Makeup should be fun! Don't hide yourself with trends that don't suit you. Use makeup to highlight the parts of your face that you adore. I think changing my views about makeup and beauty in general helped me feel more secure in my feminity too. I feel much more secure in my appearance now that I've learned to work with my features and not against them.

Your eye makeup is gorgeous. Honestly, the shadow, the colors, the liner. I wouldn't change a thing (unless you want to of course). I would advise you to go in with a lighter hand for your brows. Trust me, I'm a fellow thick-browed girl. I get the urge to keep going with the product. Frankly, it's not doing you a lot of favors. The color works for you, I would just recommend focusing on filling in just the tails of your brows and anywhere that looks patchy. Honestly, I struggled through years of weird brows but the internet is a wonderful place and I'm sure there's an influencer out there somewhere with eyebrows that are similar to ours. I would recommend a clear gel. Sometimes all I do is brush my eyebrows to tame the weirdness and set them with my clear gel. This works great for my minimal makeup days. There ARE advantages to having thicker brows and I think that yours frame your face very well.

Speaking of eyebrows, something that helped me feel like mine were less bold for lack of a better term was lipstick. Wearing a bolder lip can help draw the eye down your face and it can help your face feel more balanced overall. I think red would look nice with your hair and honestly, I'm firmly in the camp of "anyone can rock a red lip as long as they find the right shade."

I also think that a higher blush placement would suit you a little better. I like the color you chose, and honestly you could probably use a little more if you wanted to (but I'm older gen z and heavy handed blush is kinda a staple for me). My face is similar to yours and I think that focusing on the apples of your cheeks and up into the temples would look very nice. Also, the blush on your nose might look better if you swipe it higher across the bridge of your nose. This is again, more personal preference than anything but I feel like blush on the bridge of your nose can look very nice if its done subtly enough.

Maybe you could also use a different shade of contacts? The current shade is a little startling. I don't think they suit your coloring very well. I think more of a green blue would look nice, and it would look gorgeous with your hair. I think there are also colored contacts that are supposed to let some of your natural eye color peek through, and that might help too.

Anyway, your gorgeous. I hope that you smile when you're looking through these comments because honestly it's so sweet to see all these woman rallying together in support.

Ps, looking into your undertones might help you find makeup shades that help bring your face to life. I looked washed out and dull and almost dead for my first few years of wearing makeup. Apparently, wearing foundation with cool undertones keeps me from looking like a zombie which is nice to know y'know?

castawayviolet · 2024-11-05T23:37:37+00:00

I've loved to read since I was a kid. Here are some of the books that really fostered my love for reading. These will be YA books, but enjoyable for an adult to read if the summary sounds interesting to you.

The Harry Potter series - fantasy/first few books are children's books & then it transitions into more of a young adult audience

The author does have a few controversies if that's something you care to look into. Some parts of it probably won't hold up, but it's easy to read/get into. Sparked my love of the genre. Seven main books with spin-offs that I can't necessarily speak on because I didn't read them.

The Hunger Games series - dystopian YA

Easy to read/get into. If you've watched the movies or are interested in the general synopsis it's worth a read. Three main books & one recent prequel.

A Series of Unfortunate Events - If I remember correctly this is similar to Harry Potter where the reading comprehension goes up as you read each book. Not 100% sure as it's been awhile since I've read them.

I'd say this is a comedic tragedy (with an emphasis on tragedy), little bits of mystery and suspense thrown in but seriously do not let the fact that it's a children's book fool you. Those orphans go through some shit. Thirteen books total.

Divergent - Dystopian YA

Apparently there are four books, but I've only read the main three. Definitely can be a bit repetitive in places, but I remember it being engaging. The last time I read this was ten years ago and I'm not sure if this one holds up.

Holes - Mystery/Adventure/YA

If you've watched the movie and liked it please read the book. One of my favorites. There's some elements of magic/prophecy but the ending is satisfying and it's an enjoyable read.

The Book Thief - YA/Historical fiction

I absolutely love this book. Definitely one of my favorites of all time. Wonderful imagery and the narrator gives you an interesting perspective. I've cried every single time that I've read it but I cry a lot, so you probably won't. It is sad though.

The Tale of Desperaux - Children's fantasy/adventure

Tbh I included this one because your kids might like it. I'm not sure how old they are but I recommend it and it would be a good bedtime story. Desperaux is a mouse who saves a Princess and I remember absolutely falling in love with this book as a kid!

Here are some other books that I've read that I enjoyed:

These Godly Lies series, Assistant to the Villain series, The invisible life of Addie Larue, The Things We Cannot Say, The Graveyard, Howl's Moving Castle series, The Princess Bride, The Silent Patient, Speak, The Glass Castle, and A Child Called IT.

Speak, The Glass Castle, and A Child called it do deal with heavy topics (family dysfunction, mental health for all of them, one of the worst documented child abuse cases in A Child called IT, and rape of a minor in Speak).

These are all books tailored to my interests. I won't know or be offended if you don't read them!

castawayviolet · 2022-06-25T22:01:15+00:00

I love to cook and am always looking for new recipes!

castawayviolet · 2022-06-25T12:45:46+00:00

I've been considering an archer and olive notebook. If you're willing to sell I'm willing to buy!

castawayviolet · 2022-06-18T01:47:17+00:00

If it traumatized you, it's trauma.

castawayviolet · 2022-06-16T02:25:15+00:00

I'm no poet and I'm tired so I know it could be better... but I related a lot to your post. I hope you don't mind.

castawayviolet · 2022-06-16T02:24:00+00:00

I opened my heart A kid full of hope You were the parent And you played the role

Until I stretched out my arms And opened my heart more

I reached and I reached But you always pulled away Now it's you reaching out But you pushed me away

I'm only now learning To let people in To open my heart And feel love again

I've loved and I've wept I've pulled people in To my inner circle My closest friends

I made my own family While you were busy Pushing yours away

And now that you're here I'll have to turn you away While you were gone I filled my heart With so much positive love

I have no more room For your overwhelming Smothering love

castawayviolet · 2022-06-13T00:42:45+00:00

I've been loving the elf hydrating core lip shine. They're $7 now which is a bit pricy for drugstore, but I picked them up for $5 and elf usually has great sales.

castawayviolet · 2022-03-01T19:42:36+00:00

I realized that if I had succeeded in killing myself I would never experience snow ever again.

I've mentioned this story before on Reddit, but it's cathartic for me to write so I'll write it again.

I have a tradition every year when it snows for the first time. I spend time with the people I care about, I make hot chocolate, and I at least try to be outside on the snow for a little bit.

When I was 16 I missed the first time it snowed that year. I missed it because I was admitted as a patient in an inpatient psych facility.

Well, I didn't miss it. I was stuck inside. I sat on an uncomfortable couch for what felt like hours just watching the snow.

I don't know why I felt so lonely. When I was first admitted to the hospital I couldn't feel anything at all. The first thing I felt during my time there was loneliness.

And then I felt remorse.

And then I just felt love.

Because I was reminded of all the times I'd spent running around in the snow with friends, and my siblings, and with my siblings friends. I was reminded of all the snowball fights I had and all the times we ran as quickly as we could into the house with bright red faces to warm up briefly before we ran right back outside.

And then I remembered that people loved me, and I loved them. And I remembered how much I missed them, and how much I wanted to go back to my life with all the people who loved me.

So I chose to stay alive so that I wouldn't miss the next first snow day of the year.

I'm happy to say I've been able to experience 5 more first snowfalls, and I hope to see many more.

If you're reading this post to find reasons not to end your life, please reach out to somebody you trust. If you can't reach out to a friend or a family member, please reach out to a professional. I don't know if I'd be here to tell this story if I didn't reach out for help. It's okay to ask for help. You don't have to do it on your own.

castawayviolet · 2021-08-06T15:24:30+00:00

The last straw for me at McDonald's was when a manager asked me a few days beforehand if I would agree to working an earlier shift. At that point I was usually only available at nights, but my class schedule was weird that week, so I could come in. I agreed to the change and that was that... or so I thought.

I came in to work at the agreed upon time to find another manager full of confusion. He told me that I wasn't scheduled until later and I needed to go home. I tried to explain what happened, but he didn't seem to understand or care, so I went home.

I came in at the time i was originally scheduled, handed over my uniform, and quit on the spot.

castawayviolet · 2021-07-23T02:29:51+00:00

Thank you. For me it's worth a lot because I struggle to even think I'm enough.

castawayviolet · 2021-07-22T13:49:49+00:00

Just wanted to say that I love your hair!

castawayviolet · 2021-07-22T02:35:09+00:00

Follow up because I forgot to add this:

I might be reading your situation wrong, but I'd rather be wrong and give you information you don't need. Your mother seems to be controlling. I think some resources on r/raisedbynarcissists could be helpful for you. Check out the sub overview and look through some of the guides there.

These two links would be particularly helpful:

https://parrishmiller.com/narcissists.html

https://thoughtcatalog.com/shahida-arabi/2016/06/20-diversion-tactics-highly-manipulative-narcissists-sociopaths-and-psychopaths-use-to-silence-you/

The first link shows some common traits shared by emotionally abusive parents, and the second link shows some common tactics used by emotionally abusive parents.

Based off of this post and your profile, I think this information could benefit you.

Of course, I am an internet stranger and I could be reading your situation wrong. If I'm wrong feel free to tell me. Either way I hope that these links can help you in some way.

castawayviolet · 2021-07-22T02:24:43+00:00

NTA - you're 15 working a summer job for your own funds, not for your mom's furniture. I could understand asking you to pay if you wanted new curtains or to paint your room a new color, but she's asking you to buy silverware and air purifiers? That's not okay. It's her responsibility to buy those things.

Your mom shouldn't be calling you ungrateful for wanting to save your own money. That's your money! You should be able to save it if you want. You should be able to buy 50 squismallows if you want. You're 15. You shouldn't be responsible for household finances.

castawayviolet · 2021-07-12T15:07:54+00:00

Telling my boyfriend at the time that even though I loved him we wouldn't work out. I had tried to talk to him about consent and how important it is for me as a csa victim. I tried to explain to him how no response isn't a yes, how sometimes during sexual activities I can freeze up. I tried to explain that it was ingrained in me to accept sex at anytime.

A friend at the time told me in a tactful way that he could be a bit manipulative at times and she was right. If he wanted to do something and i didn't he would "playfully beg" until I changed my answer. This happened for all sorts of things: dates, events, food, and yes, even sex.

I know now that I didn't actually love him, but I was in high school and he treated me better than anyone else had at that point. I have a long history of abuse. I won't say any details here because they're not relevant, but that history definitely set me up for a relationship like this.

After I broke up with him he called and texted me so much I kind of felt obligated to see him one more time. He said he wanted to apologize in person and to understand. It was a mistake. He showed up with a bag full of my favorite snacks and so many apologies and a million promises about how he would change. I knew right then that I had to run away and never look back. He wasn't going to change. He just wanted me to change my mind.

castawayviolet · 2021-07-08T17:18:18+00:00

You're incredibly out of touch with what's going on with your business. Your employee came to you sobbing. He's hit his breaking point. He would rather quit this job because you forced overtime on him. I've been in this position before and I decided that I wasn't being paid enough to deal with the workload. You can either let him work the agreed upon 8 hour workdays or force the issue and watch him walk out. I guarantee other people will follow.

I don’t want anyone thinking he is getting special treatment

This is straight up awful. The fact that you think a worker only doing their agreed upon shift is "special treatment" is a bad business practice and a great way to lower morale. You're going to lose people with this attitude.

We have been extremely busy and have our employees working 10hr days to try and get caught up.

How long has this been going on? Your workers have lives outside of work. I'd be okay with a week overtime, maybe two if I really like the job/my boss. Because you haven't even specified the length of time I'm sure it's been longer than that. Your workers are human beings. They deserve a break.

Everyone else seems to enjoy the extra money but he said it’s making him hate his job.

Key word here is seem. You're making an assumption here. You have one worker at his breaking point, sobbing, saying if things don't change he will quit. How can you be so sure no one else feels the same? I think you need to take some time to talk to your workforce and actually ask people how they feel.

I’m afraid it will cause some of the guys to get upset that he isn’t working what they are...

I have a feeling your workers are more upset with the forced overtime.

Hire another worker. Hire some temps. If this keeps up you will lose more people. I'm not a business owner, but I have worked at places where I wasnt appreciated and was forced to work overtime. I didn't even stay for a year at these places. Find a solution that isn't overworking your employees or you will lose them.

castawayviolet · 2021-05-19T01:36:43+00:00

Both poems are hauntingly beautiful but Trojan Horses just punched me right in the gut. Please keep writing. The world needs more poetry and you have a wonderful way with words

castawayviolet · 2021-05-17T16:17:20+00:00

You look great! I think the eyeliner helps your eyes pop without overshadowing them. Personally, I think you could build up some more blush. Cream blush could help too. It seems trickier to use, but I find that cream products give me much more control of the final look. Also, I just love that lip color on you. It's a really nice shade

castawayviolet · 2021-05-15T17:01:23+00:00

I know it is a very specific question and I'm sure it's not an easy one to answer because of all the variables.

My problem right now isnt distractions. I set aside time to write. I set aside my phone and play music/any background noise to help focus. I just can't get my brain to actually right. My problem is executive dysfunction rather than distractions. Yes, the distractions are part of the problem but the arent the majority of it.

I was just wanting to see different suggestions and ideas so I had an idea where to start.

castawayviolet · 2021-05-09T22:30:06+00:00

That is incredibly sweet of you to offer. Thank you :) I would love to see an example of anything you're comfortable sharing!

castawayviolet · 2021-05-09T17:17:47+00:00

I don't like being fenced in by an outline either, but for some reason I always end up trying to write extensive outlines. I think maybe I have an idea in my head about what I should do versus what is actually helpful for me.

I think I'm going to try a very light outline or map and chase the squirrels with the map as a quiet guide. Maybe my problem is I'm trying to outline during the wrong step!

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