Overwatch's Valentines Day dating sim Loverwatch is back for a limited time, but Blizzard's missing a trick Loverwatch is back for a limited time. Blizzard has lifted the Overwatch dating sim out of the archive for Valentines Day, and you've got two full weeks to make the most of it. The browser-based visual novel swaps out the high-chaos action that the multiplayer game traditionally...

Bitcoin biopic 'Killing Satoshi' leans into generative AI An upcoming biopic about the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, starring both Casey Affleck and Pete Davidson, is causing controversy for its willingness to use artificial intelligence, not only to generate backgrounds and scene locations but also to adjust actor...

The modern-day nation of Spain was formed by the union of the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile. Aragon rose from being a small vassal state of Pamplona in northeastern Spain to becoming a major Mediterranean power with an empire spanning the Iberian peninsula and parts of modern-day France and Italy.The Kingdom Gains IndependenceA painting of Ramiro I of Aragon, the first king of the independent Aragonese kingdom. Source: Provincial Council of ZaragozaIn the 9th century, the County of Aragon was part of the Frankish dominion, ruled over by the Carolingians. Its people had weathered the storm that accompanied the fall of the Roman Empire and the ensuing chaos afterwards. In the 900s, Aragon came under the rule of the Kingdom of Pamplona (also known as Navarre). The countys capital was located in the small city of Jaca in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula.After the death of King Sancho III of Navarre in 1035, his kingdom was partitioned into multiple territories. One of the territories contained Sobrarbe, Ribagorza, and Aragon, all of which went to different nobles. However, the rulers of Sobrarbe and Ribagorza both died, enabling Sanchos illegitimate son Ramiro to annex both territories into his realm. Despite being nominally linked to Navarre, Ramiros expanded Aragon now became one of the larger states in the region.Ramiro never personally called himself the King of Aragon, although his subjects referred to him as king, and he is known to history Ramiro I of Aragon. His rule was brief and focused on expanding the kingdoms borders. In 1063, he died while unsuccessfully besieging the city of Graus from the Castilians. He was succeeded by Sancho Ramirez, his eldest son.Aragons Southward ExpansionMap of Aragons territorial expansion, 2008. Source: Wikimedia CommonsAt this point in history, most of the Iberian Peninsula was ruled by Al-Andalus. This was the name for a series of Islamic empires that ruled over the territory, such as the Umayyad, Almoravid, and Almohad Caliphates. These Muslim states were often in conflict with Christian kingdoms in the northeast of the peninsula.As the Christian kingdoms became more powerful, they sought to restore Christian rule to the peninsula in a series of military campaigns known as the Reconquista. Aragon aimed to expand along the coastline in what is today eastern Spain. Combining military action with diplomatic ventures, Aragon doubled in size and seized much of the territory south of the Pyrenees Mountains. By 1118, its capital was transferred to Zaragoza.In 1150, the Princess Petronilla of Aragon married Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona, Ramon Berenguer IV. This unified the kingdom of Aragon and the county of Barcelona to form the Crown of Aragon. Alfonso II, their son, succeeded Ramon in 1163. He pushed southwards and continued to battle the Muslims for control of Valencia as the Aragonese nobility demanded. During his three-decade reign, Alfonso constantly struggled to balance the interests of his Aragonese and Catalan subjects.The War of the Sicilian VespersThe Sicilian Vespers by Erulo Eroli, 1890. Source: Gallery of Modern Art, PalermoIn 1282, Sicilian commoners living in the city of Palermo rebelled against the monarchy ruling the island. King Charles of Anjou, the youngest son of King Louis VIII of France, had enraged the Sicilian people by taxing them heavily and mismanaging the administration of the island. As a result, Palermo residents launched an uprising known to history as the Sicilian Vespers.The rebels requested outside assistance from King Peter III of Aragon, whose wife was the daughter of the former king of Sicily. Peter agreed, hoping to take the island for himself and to expand his realm. Later in 1282, he invaded the island and was crowned king of Sicily to popular acclaim. Peter was opposed by the French, who sought to use force to expel the Aragonese and restore Charles to the Sicilian throne.In 1284, the French tried to oust Peter through the Aragonese Crusade. Over the next year, they fought intensely to wrest back control of Sicily. However, their attempts failed and Peter retained control of the island. By 1302, the Peace of Caltabellotta was signed. Aragon kept control over Sicily while the Angevins kept control of Naples. This cemented Aragons future as a Mediterranean kingdom.Aragons Continued ExpansionMedal featuring King Alfonso V of Aragon. Photograph by Sailk, 2013. Source: Wikimedia CommonsControl over Sicily gave the Aragonese a launchpad for additional conquests in the Mediterranean. After receiving papal blessing, King James II of Aragon seized Sardinia in 1324 from the Italian families that controlled the island. Sardinia became another crucial maritime outpost for Aragon, though the Aragonese authorities faced considerable local resistance and took over a century to consolidate control over the whole island.In 1311, Catalan mercenaries sailed into Greece and captured the duchy of Athens, which had been established a century earlier by Latin Crusaders during the Fourth Crusade. In 1319, the Catalans expanded into southern Thessaly and founded the duchy of Neopatras, making the furthest extent of Aragonese expansion. The Greek duchies remained part of the Aragonese Crown until the late 1380s but were administered by local allies.Aragon would later march through Naples between 1435 and 1442, gaining control of the southern tip of the Italian boot. Alfonso V put together a formidable invasion force that conquered the territory from several Italian kingdoms including the Neapolitan kingdom. The protracted war ended when Alfonso V agreed to recognize Pope Eugene IVs title in exchange for papal recognition of Aragons conquest.The Union of Aragon and CastilePaintings of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile during their marriage, c. 1470-1520What turned Aragon into a global power was the marriage between Ferdinand II of Aragon with Isabella of Castile. The union led to the unification of Spain and set in motion the final expulsion of the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula. It also witnessed the creation of Spains overseas empire when explorers and mercenaries such as Christopher Columbus began establishing colonies in the Americas and North Africa on behalf of the Spanish monarchs.Ferdinand was the son of King John II of Aragon and succeeded to his fathers kingdom in 1479. Isabella was the daughter of King John II of Castile and succeeded her childless brother King Henry IV as king in 1474. They married in 1469 and served as joint rulers over the two kingdoms until Isabellas death in 1504.At this point, Aragon controlled much of the Mediterranean and was one of the most formidable sea powers in medieval Europe. Castile had been slowly pushing the Moors out of the Iberian Peninsula, making it the strongest Spanish kingdom on land. The combination of both crowns sounded the death knell for Muslim rule in Iberia.When Ferdinand and Isabellas grandson Holy Roman Emperor Charles V took over the joint monarchy in 1516, he ruled over one of the largest empires then in existence. Both kingdoms kept their traditions, legislatures, and regional identities intact. However, by this point, Castile became the dominant region in Spain while Aragon became a relative backwater. After the War of Spanish Succession in the early 1700s, the Crown of Aragon was abolished and all of its holdings and possessions were taken over by Philip V, the new Bourbon king of Spain.

When you hop into a horror game, you're expecting, above all else, to get scared. Sometimes, though, you get a lot more than what you bargained for, and you'll be on an emotional journey unlike any other.

Loverwatch is back for a limited time. Blizzard has lifted the Overwatch dating sim out of the archive for Valentines Day, and you've got two full weeks to make the most of it. The browser-based visual novel swaps out the high-chaos action that the multiplayer game traditionally trades in, and instead gives the people what they really want from its cast of suspiciously attractive heroes: the chance at a smooch. But with the big Overwatch Season 1 overhaul now upon us, I can't help but wish that Blizzard had taken the time to bring some of that newfound energy across to Loverwatch as well.Read the full story on PCGamesN: Overwatch's Valentines Day dating sim Loverwatch is back for a limited time, but Blizzard's missing a trick

Homemade cookies are delicious but time-consuming. Premade dough is convenient, but it generally needed to be refrigerated, until one brand changed that.

This Crock Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup is a hearty, comforting slow cooker meal made with beef, peppers, rice, and tomatoes. So easy and filling.A FLAVORFUL SLOW COOKER SOUP RECIPEFor years and years, one of my go-to comfort foods has always been stuffed peppers. But they can require a bit more time and effort than I am willing to give some nights! sometimes So, Ive been a huge fan of Stuffed Pepper Soup for a while, but I realized I didnt have a slow cooker version. So I took my popular Stuffed Pepper Soup and turn it into this crock pot version. I think the longer simmering time in the crock pot took this to a whole new level!FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:How much uncooked rice do I need for the cooked rice in this recipe? You need 2 cups of cooked rice for this recipe so I would prepare about 3/4 cups uncooked. How can I add some heat? You sure can and I have a few ideas you can try. First, try adding some crushed red pepper flakes, hot sauce or some banana peppers. You could even try a can of Rotel tossed in there. Can I make this a vegetarian soup? Yes! You can skip the meat and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. For extra heartiness, add beans like black beans or kidney beans, or use a plant-based ground meat substitute. Do I really need to brown the beef first? Yes. Browning the beef adds flavor and allows you to drain excess grease so the soup doesnt become oily in the slow cooker. What to serve with Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup? To me, this is one of those whole meal type soups. But if you really want to serve something with this soup, go for some bread and a nice salad. Homemade Rolls, loaf bread, Breadsticks, or Texas Toast would all be great options. What else can I add to the soup? For the last 30 minutes, you can add corn or black beans. How to store leftover Stuffed Pepper Soup? You can keep this in the fridge for up to 4 days. The rice can get softer when reheated. Can I freeze leftover soup? This soup freezes best without the rice. The rice can become mushy when thawed and reheated, so add freshly cooked rice when serving. INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)ground beef Ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or even Italian sausage all work well in this recipe.yellow onion use yellow onion over red for the soup, as the red onion will be too overpoweringgreen bell pepper Green peppers are best for this, as the traditional stuffed bell pepper recipe used green bell peppers. But you can add red or yellow for added sweetness.diced tomatoes You can use regular tomatoes or even Rotel if you like a bit more kick.tomato sauce You can use tomato soup in place of the tomato sauce. The tomato sauce just adds more tomato richness. If you dont have tomato sauce or soup, you can just omit it. This soup would still be good without the extra tomato flavor.tomato paste I wouldnt go out buying a whole can of tomato paste just for this recipe. I really like those squeeze tubes of tomato paste (paid affiliate link) because you can just use what you need, screw the top back on and store it for later.chicken broth Beef broth in place of the chicken broth will work for this recipe too. It sounds strange to use chicken broth for a recipe that uses beef, but I have made this both ways and it really does taste so much better with chicken broth. The beef broth can overwhelm all the other flavors. Having said that, you could make this with beef broth or vegetable broth if you prefer. rice White or brown rice will both work in this recipe. If you need a quick way to cook the rice, you can get some boil in a bag rice and cook up some minute rice really quick. You can actually put the rice in uncooked, but youll need to add more liquid to compensate.sugar You can replace the sugar with honey, it doesnt make it sweet, just cuts the acidity. The sugar just cuts the acidity of the tomatoes. If youre opposed to using sugar, you can leave it out. You can just use a pinch of baking soda to help cut the acidity too if thats something youd prefer. garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper dont skimp on the seasonings, but feel free to add anything else you would like, such as red pepper flakes or Italian seasoning.HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT STUFFED PEPPER SOUP:To a skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef, onions, and pepper. Cook for 7 minutes or until the juices run clear. Drain any excess fat.Transfer the beef and vegetables to the crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients (minus the rice) to the crockpot.Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours, or on high heat for 2-3 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Add the rice in the last 1/2 hour of cooking.Serve and enjoy.CRAVING MORE RECIPES?Stuffed Pepper CasseroleCheesesteak Stuffed PeppersChicken Stuffed PeppersInstant Pot Stuffed PeppersStuffed Peppers For TwoStuffed Pepper Soup (stovetop version) PrintCrock Pot Stuffed Pepper SoupA hearty and comforting soup with all the familiar flavors of stuffed peppers but in soup form and in the Slow Cooker.Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, SoupCuisine AmericanPrep Time 15 minutes minutesCook Time 2 hours hoursTotal Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutesServings 8Calories 176kcalAuthor Brandie SkibinskiIngredients1 pound lean ground beef1 small yellow onion, diced1 large green bell pepper, diced2 Tablespoons tomato paste28 ounce can diced tomatoes8 ounce can tomato sauce2 cups chicken broth (or beef broth)1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powdersalt and pepper, to taste2 cups cooked riceshredded cheddar cheese (for topping, optional)InstructionsTo a skillet over medium heat, add the1 pound lean ground beef, 1 small yellow onion, diced and 1 large green bell pepper, diced. Cook and crumble the ground beef until fully cooked and vegetables are tender. Drain any excess grease. Transfer the cooked ground beef mixture to the crockpot.Add 2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, 8 ounce can tomato sauce, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder and salt and pepper, to taste to the crockpot. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours, or on high heat for 2-3 hours. Add 2 cups cooked rice in the last 1/2 hour of cooking (be sure to re-cover the crock pot.) Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese if you prefer.NotesPlease refer to my FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.NutritionCalories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 565mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g

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