u/Ecstatic-Actuary5419

For about two years I took stuff from the supply closet at work, pens, notebooks, printer paper, even a few USB drives, way more than I ever needed for personal use. I told myself it was fine because "the company doesn't care," but the truth is I just liked getting free stuff and never gave it a second thought.

Last month, a coworker was written up for "inventory shrinkage" in our department, and it occurred to me that it was probably partly due to what I'd been doing. I felt sick about it. Over the past few weeks I've been slowly buying replacement supplies out of my own pocket and restocking the closet a little at a time so it doesn't look suspicious.

I haven't told anyone what I did, and I don't think I ever will, but I needed to admit it somewhere. It was a small thing that I never thought about seriously until it actually affected someone else, and I regret not thinking about it sooner.

These are a weeknight staple for me, juicy meatballs in a rich garlic-parmesan cream sauce, no breadcrumbs needed. Makes 4 servings (4 meatballs + sauce each).

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1 large egg
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil (for searing)

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, 1/4 cup parmesan, egg, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined (overmixing makes them tough).
2. Form the mixture into 16 meatballs, about 1.5 inches each.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear meatballs on all sides until browned, about 6-8 minutes total. They don't need to be fully cooked through yet, remove and set aside.
4. In the same skillet, lower heat to medium and melt the butter. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
5. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Add the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the 1/2 cup parmesan until melted and the sauce thickens slightly, about 3-4 minutes.
7. Return the meatballs to the skillet, spoon sauce over them, and simmer for another 8-10 minutes until meatballs are cooked through (internal temp 160°F).
8. Season with salt to taste, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve.

Nutrition (approx. per serving, 4 meatballs + sauce):
Calories: ~520 | Fat: 44g | Protein: 28g | Net Carbs: ~5g

Notes: Great over zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice if you want something to soak up the sauce. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Hi everyone! I've been using the same routine for about 4 months and my skin has improved a lot overall, but I still have some rough texture/small bumps on my cheeks that won't budge. Not painful or inflamed, just visually annoying and feels a bit rough to the touch.

Current AM routine:

• CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
• Vitamin C serum (Timeless 20%)
• Moisturizer (CeraVe PM)
• Sunscreen (La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 60)

Current PM routine:

• Oil cleanser, then CeraVe Foaming Cleanser
• Adapalene 0.1% (every other night)
• Moisturizer (CeraVe PM)

Other info:

• Skin type: combination, oilier T-zone
• Been using adapalene for about 3 months, no purging anymore
• No known allergies
• Diet/lifestyle relatively stable, drink plenty of water

Has anyone dealt with persistent cheek texture like this? Wondering if it's a hydration issue, if I should add an exfoliant, or if I'm just not giving the adapalene enough time. Not looking for a diagnosis, just curious if others have had luck with specific ingredients or routine tweaks for this kind of texture. Thanks in advance!