I’m leaving all of the nonsense behind, and becoming myself again.
Yesterday I decided to, once again, start eating the things I enjoyed, and stop the nonsense of trying to lift the Titanic; so to speak.
I made a batch of small, about 10cm in diameter, corn tortillas, just to get my guts back into the habit of digesting such hellenistic things like grains. As it’s been since just before Ivan died that I stop eating sugar, wheat, and grains, I thought I’d better ease back into them.
I found it a bit difficult to sleep last night in anticipation. I got up this morning and refreshed my sourdough starter that has been in the fridge for months. I’m hopeful it will be useable by the weekend. I’m coveting a slice of toast with avocado, salt, and a couple of strips of bacon on it.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
Post script: next week I’m on to wheat!!! Have a very Merry Christmas everyone.
Currently I have it in 2 different forms: its natural green powdered form, (thought it was white when I ordered it, but found it was green when it was delivered), and its liquid form, my favorite. I use it anywhere I would normally use sugar. Since I’m not eating any sugar right now, it has made the not eating of sugar very doable.
I eat a cup of Lactobacillus Reuteri “yogurt”, really just a fermented dairy with that specific bacteria fermented in it, every day, and it’s incredibly sour. Just adding a dropper full of the liquid Stevia to it, makes it nice and sweet, easy to eat.
Then, there’s the sauerkraut I make. It, too, is incredibly sour, but tastes like a guilty pleasure with a dropper full of Stevia. In fact, I no longer need to make coleslaw as I get those flavors from the aforementioned sauerkraut with the sweetener.
As I’ve been making the chocolate chip cookie bars, using almond flour, and Stevia, I’m using the green powdered form of the Stevia there, not the liquid. I have about a half kilo of it in powdered form to use up, and, as it’s green, it changes whatever I use it in, a very odd color. In the bars, they become a strange grey/green color, somewhat off putting, but delicious.
I also use it, with Erythritol, and Monk fruit, when I make chocolate fat bombs to make them edible. Cacao powder is incredibly bitter, and sour, so the combination of the 3 sugar alternatives makes my life so much easier. In fact, when I have my dish of yogurt, after dinner, I add about 2 T. dried cranberries, the 2 droppers full of liquid Stevia, a tablespoon each of chopped almonds, cashews, and pepitas, and a chopped up fat bomb. Mix it all up, and Bob’s your uncle. Lovely. I look forward to eating a bowl every evening. I may start making it for brunch soon.
Just thought I’d let you know some of the good things to do with Stevia, in case you’re not familiar with it. I grew it for several summers back in Iowa. Loved it.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
My skill at making an omelette is sorely in need of refinement.
Good thing I don’t work as a line chef, or any kind of chef for that matter. Though I’m sure that if I did, my skills would be much better than they are currently. I think that, even though it didn’t look like much, it sure tasted good.
I watched an omelette making video yesterday on a YT channel called Sam The Cooking Guy, (STCG), where he made 5 different, though similar, omelettes. They all looked delicious so I thought I’d try making the Denver omelette.
Easy enough, I must say, though mine looked nothing like his. I was encouraged by his saying, frequently, that it didn’t have to look good, it would still taste good. He was right about both thoughts.
I also happened to have a bit of Costco ham, cooked green pepper, white cheddar cheese, and onion at hand. Score. Sometime later, I was sitting at the table in the LR, eating my ugly, but delicious omelette. The only negative thing to say is that it needed some spicy heat, a salsa, or pickled jalapeño.
So, this was my creation. Enjoy the “creativity” of it. Please remember, I don’t have a boss, and I’m not getting paid. 😉
Sam executed only a “fold over”, not a trifold, so I did the same.
Christmas is right around the corner, so start behaving, or you’ll end up on the bad list. Me? I’m looking forward to an electric sander, and pads. You?
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
I’m not going to rush into doing things, and buying the things needed to do those things. I’m going to take my time, and wait until after the beginning of the new year, when my finances have leveled out, and have become more stable.
Then, best not get in front of me at the checkout. I’m going to go like a house on fire.
In the mean time, I’m going to take it easy, do a little of this, and that, and make tentative plans for what I want to do, and in what order. Meanwhile, I’ve got the herbs to get on top of.
Sound good? I thought so too.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
Post script: only 7 more shopping days until Christmas. Have you finished your shopping, or do you wait for the last minute?
I just had the worst dinner I think I’ve ever made.
I had a dried out chicken breast, green beans, and “rice”. I put the rice in quotes as it was the worst replication of rice I’ve ever eaten. I won’t be eating it again.
It’s made from Lupin bean flour, etc., and was awful. I’m not sure if I’ll try to use the rest of the package in a soup, or casserole, but I sure as certain will not be eating it as a side. It was awful.
Did I mention that it was awful? Well, it was.
I don’t usually cook chicken breasts as they routinely come out dry. I checked the internal temperature, and took them out too late. They came out at 165ºF, not 145º as they were supposed to do. I was busy doing who knows what, and forgot them. Dammit.
I struggled through the chicken, and some of the green beans but couldn’t/wouldn’t finish the “rice”. It was awful.
It sure looks like rice, doesn’t it? It doesn’t taste anything at all like rice.
Next, I’m going to try making some sort of small tomato based casserole using different flavored pastas. I’ll let you know how it/they turn out. At the moment, I’m not encouraged.
Until next time my friends, do stay happy, and healthy in the Lord, won’t you?
Specifically, Genovese basil, chives, cilantro, dill, Greek, and Italian oregano, and Mexican tarragon. Nothing in the peppermint, sage, or Thai basil cells, but it’s still early days for some of these.
This morning I was able to remove the plastic wrap covering the cells to maintain moisture. I also added a second grow light over the seedlings as the dill were getting a bit leggy, IMHO. Since I’ve never grown dill, I really have no idea if they’re considered leggy, or not.
Let me show you how things look on this particular day.
I’ve had to add another grow light to the equation as I feel the dill has been leaning over to find the one light I originally had. Here’s what I’ve done.
The light on the right, (red spectrum light, for established plants), is now hanging directly over the plants wintering here from the LR, and there are now 2 grow lights, (with blue spectrum light, for seedlings), hanging directly above the seedlings. I also put the lily on the warming mat just because I could.
So, for the foreseeable future, I will definitely have Genovese basil, chives, cilantro, (which is a bit more difficult to grow than most people realize), dill, oregano, tarragon, and thyme to learn how to use in my cooking.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
It was delivered today, late morning, so I spent 2 hours getting it put together, and moving the microwave off of my very limited countertop, and onto the cart. I took everything off the small metal cart that was there, and found plenty of space for everything on the behemoth. You’ll see.
I bought this big cart because I wanted to take both appliances out of the kitchen to be placed on the cart, but the SmartOven decided it needed to be fed directly from the outlet nipple. I had to put it back on the counter. Well, getting one off the counter was better than nothing. The microwave doesn’t require as much energy evidently.
Anyway, here’s a quick peek at my accomplishments for today. I’m going to rest as I’m tired from manipulating those metal pieces by myself.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
I cannot tell you how much better I’m feeling today.
As apposed to just this past Friday, I’m terrific.
I’ve been following a different exercise routine that I’ve gleaned from the physiotherapists Bob & Brad on YT. I’ve taken 11 of their suggestions and put them into 1 workout routine that I’m going to practice on M-W-F, while walking around the park on T-Th-Sa, with a day off on Sunday.
So far, I’ve done the routine 3 times, and haven’t been this limber, and pain free in forever. Seriously. The pain in my right hip is completely gone during the morning until late afternoon, when it starts up again if I’ve been sitting at the LR table all afternoon, as I sometimes do. Then all bets are off.
The routine takes about 20 minutes, I’d guess, though I’ve never timed it. Don’t want to know, really, as it’s a comfortable workout, and I can feel the difference in my hip even while I’m practicing it. TYJ.
So, on that note I’ll say
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
We have a peephole in our front door, as most front doors have.
Our peephole, however, works for someone well over 5’1” tall. (That’s me. 5’1”).
So, I’m taking it upon myself to move the damn thing down to my height. I’m the only one going to look through the thing, but the one that’s there, I’m only able to see the light on the ceiling outside the door. Well, that’s helpful.
Not that we have many people coming to the door, but on that occasion when someone does ring the bell, I’d like to have an idea who that person is before I open the door. More often than not, it’s one of the security guards bringing me a package that was delivered, and they were kind enough to receive it. Or, I’ve had the condo administrator, Ivonne, stop by with paperwork that I need to sign, or what have you.
All the same, I’m going to be able to see them prior to admitting them into the apartment. I’ve ordered a peephole that includes the drill bit, so now, I just need to buy a dowel that is the same size as the drill bit.
Field trip to Home Depot. Can’t wait.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
Post script: I found the dowels I’m going to need to fill the hole where the original viewer was. They were in the corner of the laundry room. I had completely forgotten they were there.
Happy birthday Lucas. And, happy birthday, tomorrow, to Harlow.
I think I posted a while ago that I was going to start growing, and learning to cook with fresh herbs. I have set up a grow station in my office, on the wire rack, very similar to what I had in Iowa. This time I’ve used what I already had, and making do. The only thing I’ve bought are fresh seeds, a warming mat, seed tray, and fresh soils. I say soils, plural, because I also bought soil amendments; hummus, vermiculite, perlite, and compost. I want to start with the best, not the old crumbly dirt I’ve had for the last 5 years.
The grow lights I have are the conical ones, not the tubular, shop lights like I used before. These I bought a few years ago when I had the jungle, and wanted to try to keep some of it alive throughout the winter months.
So, I’m starting my herb garden
in the winter months. How very clever.
I expect good things as my attitude is half the battle I believe. I want it to work, so it will work. The seed tray is coming on Sunday, and the seeds on Halloween. I’ve started some seeds that are “coated”, and heirloom, that I bought in 2020, so the Lord alone knows if anything will happen with them.
Let me show you my set up, then I’ll let you go.
This is the clamp that normally goes around the grow lights, but I couldn’t get the distance correct if using it. So, I took it off, but will keep it for future use.
I removed the hanging mechanism, and hung the light suspended on 3 “s” hooks. Genius, I know. Improvise, adapt, and overcome.
Oh, I forgot that I ordered a heating mat to help the seeds germinate as it’s about 48ºF at night right now. It gets up to 80º most days still, but pretty chilly at night. I also put the light on a timer to turn on at 7am, and go off at 10pm. I’ll let you know how this all works. I’d eventually like to grow a head of lettuce, or 2, and maybe some mushrooms. We’ll see.
Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.
