Start Date: December 1st

[LadyLisbette]

Oh, I like that quotation from Epicetus, thank you!

This afternoon I hit a wall. Could it be not having had carbs in four days? I ate the white girl yams in the chili and hope to feel better tomorrow. I guess I have to bring more carbs into the fold now that I'm more active! How do you handle this? Every day a serving? Every other day?

7 hours ago, hollysmokes said:

I'll never think about yams the same way again! They will always be white girl yams now and I have a football-sized white girl white yam on my counter right now so I'll have to find something (in)appropriate to add it to. Chili comes to mind and I have some in the freezer, too.

Thanks for making me laugh 

[hollysmokes]

Thank you! I rarely eat carb dense veggies and don't plan for them at all. That may change as I am able to ramp up my workouts, though. If I bake a sweet potato or we make carrots or white potatoes for the hubs, I'll have a couple of bites because I love them but that's it. I have been bringing a ½ cup of mixed black & blueberries with me every day and eat half of them with my breakfast and half with lunch. It's definitely off-roading but one of the side dishes I made last weekend is kind of a Louisiana version of succotash (so corn, limas, butter and cream!). Since I was W30-ing when I made it, I made my husband taste for seasoning. Now that I'm not officially W30-ing, I had a very small spoonful for dinner a couple of nights and it was SO good.

Aside from the 4 borracha beans I ate in Texas, those were my first legumes so I guess that counts as my reintro even though there was dairy in it. I know dairy doesn't give me trouble and I noticed no untoward effects from the beans so I guess I'mm good there digestive-wise if I want to indulge periodically. I have a killer recipe for refried beans and my husband would probably swoon if I made them so maybe I'll make a small batch and I can indulge in a little taste, too. They have a bunch of lard in them so they can't be all bad, right? The paleo crowd is even allowing some beans these days.

I'm dividing my work day in two so I'm only working a few hours today and then going in for just a few hours tomorrow so even though I'm going in on Saturday, it feels like a treat to keep banker's hours! I'm being real ADD about what to do with this gift of extra time alone in the house. My workouts have been leaving my major muscle groups pretty exhausted so I haven't been taking the stairs at work or rowing at home. I'm thinking I'm going to do a short rowing session so I start getting a little movement back in my workouts. I'm loving what my daughter has set up for me (just to keep things confusing, her name is Melissa!); it's a great combo of stretching, weights and foam roller myofacial release work. My shoulder feels better, I already feel stronger and I've definitely released some fat into the universe.

Added bonus: I talked to her last night and both of her kids decided to join her in her W30 (they're 7 & almost 12) and her husband is going to start Sunday when he gets back from a business trip! She's working on her Dad (my hubby) to start but I don't see that happening. I need to get them on the phone together and let her work on him. Aside from beer, I think cream & sugar in his coffee is one of his big stumbling blocks. And bread. It would REALLY increase the amount of work in my weekend cook-ups but I'll make it happen if he'll commit. 

Oh I forgot, you asked about Primal mayo and I never did answer you. I bought a jar super on sale from Vitacost to take with me to Big Bend along with some tuna packets and packets of olives, thinking that I'd stir up a little tuna salad for my lunches. It wound up being so blistering hot that I decided warm tuna salad just didn't sound that great so I carried it to Texas and carried it back unopened. If I had had on my thinking cap I could have brought my little food thermos that I use sometimes to pack my lunches and all would have been good. Next time. 

Ok time to do little rowing, fix my lunch, wash my hair, mix up a batch of toothpaste, get some stuff in the freezer...

[LadyLisbette]

Half days are so civilized!

I've been reviewing and pondering on nutrition and this business of carbs, and think I'd better go back to eating the recommended fist-sized serving of starchy veg...maybe not every day, but every *other* day and experiment from there, dialing down when I'm not doing morning hikes...I recall that it worked for me last year to eat a serving every day and though the weight loss was slow, that was and is okay...so now I'm fine tuning. Figuring out what works for oneself requires close examination, eh? Better than sleeping at the wheel, I never want to go there again.

Another Melissa! That's always so encouraging and enviable when a whole family (no pun intended) unites around an approach to wellness! Epicetus aside, nothing like a bit of peer pressure on the hubs! I remember taking on a weight loss challenge at work 15 years ago, and my closest co-worker joined in under the peer pressure (I clearly remember her facial expression once she caved in and committed) and had great success! They say that we primates will work harder to be together than we will for food. So it's quite meta, isn't it, working together around food!

I would have already been out on the trail this morning but had an urgent phone call with a community collaborator of mine...and need to sweat out the stress hormones! We're managing a legal/moral dilemma, and figuring out how to handle it. So now to hike and then 20 minutes on the floor...to my self P/T exercises I'm adding 20 long breath cycles in plank position, and a couple of variations. I'm not one to work myself so hard that I'm super sore, though that's nothing to brag about – but I am feeling slightly tender around the rib attachments all around my core, so this is inviting me to keep it up.

Oh, Friday....here we go. Happy half day to you, and happy weekend!

[hollysmokes]

Tiger blood! Not sure if it was the rowing session or the fact that we have actual SUNSHINE or what but I feel great today. I walked as slowly as I could from the garage to my building so I could soak up some rays for two blocks.

N=1! I love finding out what works for ME. I find that it lets me tune out the noise from other "experts" (as well as those that profess to be experts) that want to tell you what & how to eat/exercise/sleep/whatever. We are all unique creatures and what works for me may not work for my husband or my mom or you. My husband has commented before about how carb consumption affects me so differently that it does him. He also told me last night that I was looking really good!

19 minutes ago, LadyLisbette said:

Figuring out what works for oneself requires close examination, eh? Better than sleeping at the wheel, I never want to go there again.

Yes! Thank you Melissa Hartwig and W30 for giving us the tools!

[LadyLisbette]

Yay for Tiger Blood!

On Sunday I allowed myself to rest. I made a delicious W30 brunch. I talked on the phone with two dear family members. There was pleasure reading. It was time to cook-up. But I didn't. And it was great, all lazy and loungy until 6pm when it was time to help with the 13 yr. old neighbor girl and her Rube Goldberg project which occupied me until almost bedtime. So for all the week so far I have been winging it and eating out quite a bit. Today I went shopping for some new summer clothes and scored some new jeans, and some new summer tops. I'm still a size 10 but they fit like a dream and I do feel slimmer. As I pulled out of the parking lot with all my new treasures, I thought, "come on, summer heat, bring it on!" This was fun...but seriously, it's time to cook-up!!! I haven't gone this long without what I need in the fridge. I brought home super spicy Vietnamese, and had to have a chocolate after, so yeah, it's time!!!

[hollysmokes]

It sounds like a lovely day of rest. I have never tried Vietnamese food and really want to but when I look at it all I see are noodles and sandwiches. What did you get? "Super spicy Vietnamese" made my mouth water! I had to wing it last week and it was a pain in the butt! I felt like I was scrambling all week long. At least I got my breakfasts done Sunday while we watched the Formula 1 race but I don't know if I'll be able to pull it out this weekend. I'm going to try.

We are getting 8 yards of compost delivered this afternoon and it's supposed to rain all day Friday & Saturday. Ideally we would have it spread before the rain starts but I'm not sure if we're up to the task. Monday morning it was 37 and now it's supposed to be around 90 every afternoon until the rain starts. Quality time with a shovel in the sun in 90 degree heat is not so much fun. I actually like shoveling but shaded and in the 70's makes it way more enjoyable. Saturday or Sunday, depending on the weather, we're supposed to drive to a friend's farm in Red Boiling Springs, a couple of hours NE of here (don't you love that name?!), and pick up a load of biodynamic compost but we're thinking that it's going to be too wet to get it spread. I have to try to figure out how I'm going to do my workouts AND shovel but I'm going to find a way. I haven't missed a workout yet and I don't plan to.

Good for you with the new summer clothes. That's always fun especially when they fit so well. I need to go shopping but I'd like to slim down a bit more before I do. I have 3 pairs of jeans I can't wear because they're so baggy but I also have 2 pairs that I haven't been able to wear for a couple of years that fit now. They're a little snug but they fit so I'm trying to wait until those are too loose before I get any more. I don't wear jeans much in the summer anyway and prefer nice, cool skirts.

A friend of ours was having a CD release party last night so we drove in to town to support him and actually ate out! Not having to cook was a nice treat. It was a kinda crazy taco place and they use flour tortillas so I was a little limited on what I could eat. They do a Peruvian roasted chicken that sounded good so I got that and had enough for my lunch today. I had some fried plantains as one of my sides and they were so good. It's been ages since I've had them but I think I need to fix them at home every now and again. I also found out that you can order any of their tacos as a "bowl" so now I know and that open up more options.

It's always good to have options, right?

[LadyLisbette]

Yes for options! Taco bowls sound great, and like a fun night overall. Red Boiling Springs IS a great name, and I get such a visual portrait from your descriptions. It sounds gorgeous. And all that farm country, including in your backyard! (Have you seen A Quiet Place? it's a real cinematic thriller - I just saw it, it's also set in gorgeous farm country. And though it's not central to the plot, they eat W30 it looks to me LOL) We're having what I call whiplash weather here, too, "extra blanket on the bed, extra blanket off the bed. Summer shoes one day, winter boots the next" seems like spring in a lot of places including yours. Can't shoveling count as exercise? I guess not – go Holly! You're on a champion roll now!

The restaurant I went to is run by a Hmong family, so it's Vietnamese, Thai, and Lao on the menu. Lots of Hmong refugees came to the Central Valley from Laos after the Vietnam War.  I noticed a NYT write up on them posted on the wall! Kudos for this tiny hole in the wall in North Visalia. I'm proud of them! I got classic combo Pho for the hubs, filled with noodles, for myself I ordered chicken larb, which is a spicy salad with loads of mint, red onions, lime juice, crushed chilis, and basil. Hubs didn't want the bean sprouts, basil and lime (and jalapeños) that came with his pho, so I added that to my larb and it was heavenly. It comes with a side of lettuce or cabbage leaves, so while a classic Lao dish, it's also very W30 friendly. Medium spicy was a little hotter than our comfort zone, but we devoured it all. Holly, at some time you must try pho, and taste the broth. I don't know what they do to make it so savory, but there is no broth like Vietnamese/Lao IMHO. When you get take-out they give you the broth in one container, and all the meat and produce in another so you can make it fresh at home. I imagine they would be happy to present a pho with just meat and produce, and no noodles, and in fact, I'll try that next time - you inspired me - don't know why I didn't think of it before. I sipped that broth like water to a thirsty plant. Yum.

3 hours ago, hollysmokes said:

I felt like I was scrambling all week long.

It can be so hard to get caught up! I sympathize with you. It's no longer a matter of "if to" but "how to" get caught up, right? This morning I made a batch of mayo and put a big wild salmon filet in the oven for my breakfast and also for on a lunch salad later. I'm sick of eating out for a while, so I'll be scrambling for the rest of the week!

Happy work outs!

[hollysmokes]

I can't even make mayo right now. I'm out of eggs, of all things! Also out of almost everything else, too. Our cupboard is looking pretty bare right now. A few carrots and cauli florets are about it for produce so if I don't stop at the grocery on the way home, dinner is going to be pretty bleak. I was able to scrape up stuff for my lunches today and tomorrow- chili from the freezer, a piece of leftover sw potato and half of an avocado.

Well, Lisbette, I learned a couple of things yesterday. 1- apparently three hours on the business end of a shovel is great for sleep and, 2, a piece of steak and some asparagus is not enough food to refuel from said shoveling experience. I was really dragging this morning and thought it was just because we worked our butts off yesterday afternoon but I was also really hungry so I ate breakfast a little earlier than normal and feel so much better. I'm glad I have some starchy veg for lunch; I think that'll help, too.

We made it about halfway through that load of compost when our neighbor drove by and asked if we wanted him to bring his tractor down to spread the rest. Yeah! Heck yeah! Now we just have a little cleaning up left to do this afternoon so I actually have time to go grocery shopping.

The big question is: Can I do my workout this afternoon?! I'm tired and sore and ibuprofen is my friend right now but I'm going to give it a whirl. I'm hoping the hubs takes care of the garden and I can take care of the groceries and myself. I think that's a good division of labor, don't you?

[LadyLisbette]

Oh, I like your neighbor, and his tractor. And yes, I think the division of labor you have in mind is just what you need! He'll be a peach about his part, won't he? Come work-out time, you'll know if it's too much or not. If you're really tired, maybe something light, and stretching?  Stretching encourages the muscle development so nicely. And of course a lot happens with rest. (whispering) It's okay to take it easy today, Holly, if that's what you decide. = )

Funny how we have these parallel time frames...I've been limping along this week, and after a late morning meeting today will *have* to go grocery shopping as the produce bin in very low! And tarnation I had to throw some food away, which I so hate to do (hanging my head in shame). I was early to bed last night and early to rise, and dressed for my hike right now - so I'll hike, come home to exercise, and then color my hair, figure out what's next to cook and make my list...I think I'll be clinging to W30 like a life raft for the next couple of weeks! Message received: skipping the week's cook-up has big consequences. When is a girl to rest, that is the question? I think I need to slow down the pace, so I get rest here and there instead of hogging up a whole Sunday?

 

[hollysmokes]

Done! Workout, grocery, cooked dinner and hubby moved that last little bit of compost. I even slept pretty well so it's been a pretty good and very productive week. I found wild, line caught cod yesterday for a great price so I got a small pack to try out. There's not much cod in south LA and Nashville is landlocked so I've never cooked it before. I made fish cakes out of it and it was really good. I usually use a whole egg and a little mayo as the binder in my fishcakes but I was out of both so I had to wing it. Thankfully I had some egg whites in the freezer so I used that and a drizzle of olive oil for moisture. I ground up the fish in the food processor and added preserved lemon, horseradish and green onion. They were a little hard to flip but came out really good. Now I have to go back to the store to get more cod since I don't know how long they'll have it for such a great price. I wanted to make broccoli salad to go with the fish cakes (have to really work to use up a 3 lb bag of brocc florets for two people!) but all I had was a little blue cheese dressing that needed to get used up anyway. I know blue cheese is not the recommended flavor to go with fish but, too bad, it was what I had. It came out great with almost no effort and I got it used up before it went bad. I feel your pain for having to toss food. I get really annoyed with myself when I let it happen but sometimes it just happens. I quit buying spring mix because it goes bad so quickly.

I'm totally feeling the need for some rest this weekend. The weather is shaping up to be worse than predicted so I don't know if our trip to pick up compost in Red Boiling Springs is going to happen. Just being able to chill in the evening is usually good enough for me but every now and then taking a whole day to recharge is what it takes.

I definitely need a good cook-up this weekend. I agree that it's no longer "if" I have time but "how". Saturday morning tends to be farmer's market & grocery store (if needed) and Sunday morning is cook-up time. If I put it off until later in the day, my day goes sideways and it doesn't happen. I have some of nomnom's green chicken marinade https://nomnompaleo.com/post/7486821187/my-sisters-phenomenal-grilled-green-chicken in the freezer and my husband isn't crazy about it. I think it's just the green-ness of it because I think it's delicious so  I'm going to do a big batch of chicken for my lunches for next week. I've been really trying to use up the bits and pieces of things I have in the freezer. If it's something really good or special I tend to want to save it for a special occasion. Next thing I know it's been in there for a couple of years! Not sure what else I'm making but at least I have a starting point. Are you trying anything new this week or staying with tried and true?

Happy Friday!

[LadyLisbette]

The fishcakes sound delicious! I've been reading about S.M.A.S.H., and feel the need to get smashed, myself, LOL. Of course this is salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring. I've been missing eating salmon as I used to cook it at least once a week, and it's been a long time. So for the last two days I've eaten salmon filets that I marinate in avocado oil and fresh lemon juice, s/p and herbs, then bundle them up to steam in a hot oven for 20 min., this morning I used a generous amount of dried tarragon and dill. So satisfying with a heap of green veg beside it. I sometimes cook with anchovies (my beloved puttanesca) as a condiment, but I've never tried mackerel or herring, so yesterday I picked up a can of mackerel, and a couple different tins of kipper snacks, but haven't tried either yet. All the brain health material I'm reading recommends eating animal protein that is exclusively SMASH, organic chicken and occasional grass fed beef or bison. As a condiment. As for me, I don't think eating animal protein as a condiment will work for me, otherwise, I'm curious to try this, but am not willing to commit just yet, having made so very many eliminations already! Having said all of that, your fish cakes totally inspire me!

I have thawed out some ground chicken with a mind to make familiar and delicious hash, with shallot/diced mushrooms and red bell, kale, and apples, to get me back in a groove because it's so easy to heat up and eat in the morning, and tends to go well on salads for easy lunch. Also have some thin sliced ckn breasts thawing for stir fries. And there is plenty of fish in the freezer to experiment with! I've been eyeing a chicken tikka masala recipe made with ground chicken, so that will be coming up, too! I managed to make a tray of roast yams/sweet potatoes last night to have on hand and some to freeze so that is done, because I want to have an active week of hiking, starting tomorrow! I skipped today because I had an 8am commitment, but I don't have to be anywhere until 11 tomorrow, so there are no excuses, and I will have the carbs I need for dinner sides.

Congrats on an awesome recovery from that super active day and getting everything done! I should take your cue and dig through the freezer for specially saved sauces - at this point I probably won't remember what's in them until I thaw and taste test them! Labels, lisbette, that's what sharpie markers are for! I also better finish off the coconut creamed spinach soup I made last Sunday, or freeze it - it's yummy. I try not to watch when the hubs crushes handsful of saltines in the gorgeous soup. LOL. To each their own, right?

Gasp, the busy week is almost over...I'm taking a little break, but now it's back to work! Enjoy your day of rest - you earned it - now I need to take my own advice, while managing to get everything done, and, maybe hire someone to vacuum. ?

[hollysmokes]

This week is shaping up to be a busy one, too. I hardly had time to look up yesterday! I've never heard of S.M.A.S.H.; you're always turning me on to something new- thanks. I want to like sardines but I just don't. Costco has some really good ones so I thought that might sway me but it didn't. My Mom was thrilled, though, because she loves them and I gave them all to her. I was trying to find some mackerel or herring to try before my Big Bend trip. A friend had suggested it as a portable protein for me to take but I didn't find any. I think I need to look harder. I'm with you on puttanesca! I'm baking a chicken tonight and I have everything to make puttanesca so I might have it as a sauce for my chicken and my husband can make some pasta for his if he wants to. Your spinach soup sounds fabulous. Is it just aromatics, spinach, chicken stock and coconut milk?I have discovered that if I don't add something chewable to my soups it doesn't hold me as well. For me I think it's like the W30 position on smoothies; chewing sends signals to your body about satiety and such.  I love soup so I just make sure I have something solid to include with it- and I don't mean saltines either! We always ate buttered saltines with split pea soup and chili when I was a kid but I'm not a fan of soggy breadstuffs so croutons in salad and crackers in soup were always a turnoff but that's not an issue any more now is it?

I made a hash of sorts for my breakfasts this week, too. Ground beef, onions, red bells, brussels and the tops from some radishes and baby turnips topped with a couple of fried eggs. I was perusing a couple of fermenty web sites this weekend and found a new way to use kimchi. I chopped it up and added rice vinegar, sesame oil and coconut aminos (instead of soy sauce) then massaged some finely chopped collards with it. I just realized I forgot to add the sesame seeds- oh well it was still really good with my leftover fish cakes.

We have 4 (!!) freezers so blue tape and sharpies are my best friend; I keep a roll in the kitchen and one in the basement as well as another one in the garage. Every now and then I don't label something thinking I'll be able to recognize it-haha not so much! It only works if it's something I plan to eat really soon or I totally forget what I did. Yeah, the vacuum. It definitely need to get dragged around our house. It would be so lovely to have someone else do it! We actually discussed that recently so maybe we'll splurge a little and hire someone. It makes me feel like a slacker to pay someone else to clean MY house.

[LadyLisbette]

I so hope to like mackerel, too. I have a 15 oz can with a very charming vintage-feeling label design on my counter next to this recipe http://meljoulwan.com/2014/02/05/holy-mackeral-cakes/ that is just waiting for its moment. Mel wittily explains that mackerel needs a bit of working over, being meaty and oily, and that it's more high maintenance than all our favorite flaky fish that can take a wee spritz of lemon and zest. Hm. I want so much to like it that I'm feeling a bit neurotic and nervous, like a first date. I'm setting my expectations low about the herring so that I can be pleasantly surprised if I like it! It will be fun to compare notes. Like Mel, I also just like saying Holy Mackerel, and I've already named the recipe Holy Mackerel Cakes. LOL.

Oh, 4 freezers - can you see the shade of green on me from where you sit? = ) I'm glad it's not just me who glazes over in confusion at the sight of unlabeled frozen stuff! Oh! Blue tape sounds like a great idea! 

Your hash sounds yummy! We have parallel plates this week. My attempts at hash have yielded a new default favorite, and this week's is making me happy. I call it rainbow hash. To 2 lbs ground ckn spiced with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and s/p, I add a sauté of small diced onion, carrot, mushrooms, red bell pepper, apple, and Russian kale (looks like giant oak leaves, do you have this in TN?). The ratio looks like more veg than ckn, and I like to eat it with zoodles, and a sprinkle of walnut pieces. OMG it's a new week. Unfortunately it's also shaping up to be stressful and too busy. This morning with my 5:30 alarm I got texts from both staff (we have just 2, I'd like to hire a 3d) "heads up my kids are sick, I need to stay home" and "heads up I had to stay up all night to study, can I not come in today?" The second will come in to cover for the first, I will go in when I wasn't planning to (I had desk work, a volunteer meeting, and house work in mind, all cxl'd)...and the rest of the week was already scheduled as a marathon! But after this missive I will get my hike in anyway, and it will be a good day!

Ah yes, I totally get your point about soup and smoothies! I never would have believed I would give up my green smoothies, but for all the good W30 reasons you summarized, I have! As for the soup, I just enjoyed the smooth texture as a side....but meatballs would be good in there! Yes, I used one whole onion, several cloves of garlic, an unknown but gigantic amount of spinach (imagine a plastic grocery bag packed tight), s/p and a 1/4 tsp of cayenne, with a whole can of coconut milk. The cayenne gave it something special - it was better than I expected.

Deep breath, here goes the day, another hour of peace and personal care before the onslaught...cheers to you! 

[hollysmokes]

You have to let me know how your first date with Holy Mackerel Cakes goes! I like pickled stuff so much that I think I'd like pickled herring; I just have to find it. Do you have a Sprouts in your area? We got one not too long ago and, after hearing people in other parts of the country raving about how wonderful it was, I was pretty excited. Meh. Not that different from Whole Food but it's easier for me to get to and they have Usinger's brunschwager that has no sugar and no crap! I've been craving some so maybe I'll swing by and see if I can find mackerel and herring.

4 freezers is kinda nuts but it works for us especially when we make big volume stuff. When we remodeled our kitchen several years ago, we had to get a counter-depth fridge so the 20 year old one we brought with us from New Orleans went in the basement kitchen. It's a mother-in law apartment that is my husband's work-from-home office and my butler's pantry plus a futon and workout/yoga space. Then we needed a deep freeze so we stuck one in the garage. It stays pretty full and then I got a half of a pig but had no room to put it so we got a small chest freezer that has been dubbed the pig freezer.

Mmmmm I love Russian kale- both the red and the regular green variety. I love all kale. And collards and mustards and pretty much anything green and leafy. I stuck some big collard leaves in brine on Sunday to ferment for a few days to make wraps with. It's messy but delicious. I can't wait until they're ready. I'm cooking collards with a big chunk of country ham tonight. I got them all washed and trimmed up on Sunday so I just have to sauté some onion and throw them in the pot. I'm going to get a giant bag of spinach and make that soup. I'm thinking that some small shrimp might be pretty tasty in there

Sounds like you're in for quite a week. Isn't it great to have food prepped and ready to go in the fridge? It would be so much more stressful if you had to scramble to put together meals too.

Hang in there!

[LadyLisbette]

There's no Sprouts in our area...good that it's closer to your home than Whole Foods. Let me know what you find and how you like it! I found the mackerel and the herring at Smart & Final, do you have this store near you?

Yesterday for my pre-work out snack (usually two boiled eggs but I'm out) I scrambled eggs, then realized I should make this my actual breakfast since time was short and let's face it, no time to exercise...so I added a whole tin of smoked kippers. Worried it might make me gag, I added a spoonful of mayo and a few glugs of coconut aminos. It wasn't bad!! (The can of mackerel is gathering dust as I zoom through the kitchen.) Unfortunately it's the end of the mayo. I wish sometimes I had a long lizard-like tongue to lick down the sides of the jar. There were no veg for this meal, but with the help of coffee it held me until about 2:30, and lunch was a crunchy romaine salad with a big pile of rainbow hash, and simple (hurried) EVOO and balsamic, which cheered it all up. Tasty and a good security blanket W30 style.

The week is taming down, and I got through the worst of it. Having a good food week is helping so much, and sleep, with a small amount of exercise (no stretch yesterday, which is my bare minimum, waaaah!) to keep my attitude adjusted. The meeting I was worried about yesterday went swimmingly. After work I came home to make a Well Fed Weeknights inspired chicken/bok choy/red bell pepper/portabella stir fry and I didn't feel tired until after dinner, so I think I had Tiger Blood on my side = ) Next time, more ginger in the aromatics and the hoisin sauce. And even working together all day long, the hubs and I are getting along great, so I'm a happy camper. Having this thread sure keeps me going and supported, too, thank you!

I had never heard of Russian kale before - I love learning to love new food! And you are an amazing role model for me.  Your home sounds so functional - I love that you have a work out space of your own! We don't have room for a separate freezer, but the woman who used to live in our house told me that once she put a freezer in the carport, and (of course he did) a big bear came and knocked it over trying to get inside. Aren't bears amazing, that super sense of smell. So I will have to wait until we move, which hopefully won't be until we retire, and having extra space for storage and a deep freezer is very near the top of my list!!!

I've seen hearty green/W30 wraps on IG and always wondered if that was as delicious as it looks. Is it hard to eat/hold up well? Can you freeze them, too?

Exciting news: I'm going to WI to visit my bro and his young family in July! His wife is 13 yrs younger than he is, and they have two young kids, 4 and 6. I haven't even met they youngest one yet. My bro and I are super close, but we have *also* always fought hard, all our lives. When Mom got sick we were estranged for 3 years (this is common with dementia care - siblings often get in power tangles) but we made up 2 years ago and cautiously have been skyping, talking, etc and we both have come to feel we are/will be better than ever....anyway I have butterflies of excitement about it, and being an in-person auntie to these little bear cubs. Here's the catch. They are vegetarians leaning towards veganism and love to bake lots of treats including bread (they're REALLY into bread, and one piece would be such a treat for me), brew beer and etc etc etc...My bro used to be the egg-whisperer of our family! I know it won't be an issue or conflict, but I will have to make some decisions about how much off-roading I want to do. For now I'm telling myself I don't have to decide right now. My biggest hang up right now is if he and his wife (we are close, too) will be okay with me bringing meat/fish/eggs into their house, and their kids seeing same...so now I'm all riled up about it and will hike and let it go! Any advice?

[hollysmokes]

That's big news! I'm so glad for you. Wow, though- veg/vegan is going to be tough. Are you flying or driving? And how long are you staying? Maybe some cold options might work so you don't have to cook meat/fish. A big batch of chicken salad could get you through several meals. There's always Epic bars but those get old in a hurry. At least I was able to have a hot meal with real food for dinner when I was in BB so it made having bars for breakfast & lunch OK. A variety pack of salami/prosciutto was great also. I had cherry toms, olives and berries with it. That could work for breakfast, too. When I went on that week-long fermentation intensive I had the same dilemma. I knew most people would likely be veg and that meals would also likely be grain heavy. Thankfully, my group was pretty easy-going and not everyone was veg. I've heard of other groups that had militant veg people that wouldn't allow anyone to have meat. There wasn't a lot of meat but I tried to stay with mostly veggie options and away from the grains/beans. The homemade sourdough bread was a worth-it indulgence since I don't have adverse reactions to wheat. I made some "granola" bars and jerky for breakfast since I figured that would be hardest meal to avoid carbs and that worked well.

Yes, the collard wraps are delicious! I've had them raw, too but the fermented ones have more flavor. I've never tried to freeze them. I think it would work but it would also kill off all of the good little organisms that worked so hard to make it tasty. They hold up well but are messy to eat. If you weren't lazy like me, you could dry them off thoroughly so they'd be less drippy.

I have a couple of tiny (6-inch) silicon spatulas and they work almost as well as a lizard tongue for getting the last molecule of mayo out of the jar. I've had a 'possum eat a chocolate cake and a pack of raccoons had a cliff bar/peanut/granola feast in our van one year but NO bears raiding the fridge. I left the garage door open a couple of nights ago, too. Holy cow, I can't even imagine...

Much to my disappointment, today is NOT Saturday. I slept all night (yay!) and woke up around 5 but, thinking it was Saturday, I went back to bed. When my alarm went off, I thought I had just forgotten to turn it off for the weekend and went back to bed! My husband woke up and asked me if I was going to work or not so I politely informed him that it was Saturday so, no. LOL! I'm not sure why I wanted it to be Saturday so badly because it's going to be wildly crazy. It's going to rain all next week so we need to get plants in the ground Sunday, which is totally do-able except for everything that has to happen before >100 plants go in the ground. We have to make that drive to pick up the compost (and apply a shovel to it) but first the truck needs something manly done to the differential and we have to pick up the motorcycle from the shop and buy the actual plants and my Amish farmers are leaving the farmer's market so I have to run downtown to get chicken from them on their last day. Not sure when I'm going to cook-up but that has to happen, too. Waaah! I'll be looking forward to Monday so I can come back to work and get some rest!

Have a fabulous weekend!

[LadyLisbette]

Thanks for the great feedback about what you did in BB. Thinking about being in a vegetarian house is giving me a new perspective on how far I've come. Like a deepening of understanding that part of my attachment to W30 ways is absolutely how I feel in my body and how I function in the world - and when I imagine indulging in whatever they are eating, part of my brain (and easy going/self indulgent nature) is down with that, and another part knows what it will do to my gut and how it will make me feel, and that it may be hard to recover from logistically and physically. I mean, suppose I ate grains and beans and whatever else, but drew a line at sugar. I will be vulnerable, because I won't have that W30 belly-satisfied feeling. With all that in mind, I have a lot of interest in your suggestions, and feel more psyched now to *be prepared*. Also reading your words made me realize that the smell of meat/fish cooking in their home is really not okay! My brother is more flex than the Mrs. and also likes to fish/might have some in the freezer. The six year old girl is already saying things like "I don't eat things that were alive". The four year old boy fills the other niche sibling-style and taunts her with "fish are yummy!" LOL  So maybe father and son and I can share a compliant or near-compliant meal. Epic bars, berries, jerky, olives, cold meats... all capital ideas. Thank you!!

It will be a quick trip! I'm flying with a friend who is going to Minneapolis and she has her own reasons for a short/sweet family visit, so it's perfect! We'll arrive on a Tuesday, and I'll rent a car and drive four hours to their home, and spend two nights there. I'll be there for only about 48 hours. Our Friday return flight is so early we'll have to get a room near the airport the night before. This cuts the trip a little short, but that may be good, plus we'll get home at 9AM (time travel machine!) so there's plenty of recovery time before a busy work week. I'm thinking that for dinner the night of the hotel stay I'll be jonesing for a steak house LOL!

Tiny spatulas - must get one!

Speaking of time travel, you had a trippy morning! Oh, nothing like a good night's sleep. Wow, that is a big agenda for the weekend. Just the shoveling part alone sounds like a full day. I'm getting a vision of a pig freezer full of Amish chickens. Ooh, a motorcycle! Can picking up the bike wait? You and your mate sound like a solid gold team, with potentially extra helping hands in the neighborhood - can you enlist some help? Teenagers? Amish barn raiser types? Ah the things you can accomplish with tiger blood flowing. It all sounds like a big work out! Speaking of that, I'd better get my sweat on before cracking that can'o mackerel open. Oh that reminds me I was telling our W30-interested staffer about eating smoked herring. She said it gave her an idea for a perfect lunch, and she came back with a box of wheat thins, a package of herbed goat cheese, and a can of smoked herring. It smelled SO good. Wheat thins are crack. 

 

 

[LadyLisbette]

Hi Holly! Hope your weekend went swimmingly, or shovelingly, or otherwise lovely in spite of the herculean tasks you faced!

Update on first date with Holy Mackerel Cakes, love at first bite. Recommend definitely. Next time double batch.

Sweet day to you.

[hollysmokes]

Whew! Technical difficulties! I really lean on our thread here and look forward to your humor and inspiration. But then I wasn't getting email notifications and couldn't log in! Houston we have a problem!! I tried everything I could think of then finally managed to send W30 an email explaining my woes. I got an upgrade on my computer to Office 2016 and I guess it messed up...something. All of my other emails seem to come through with no problem but these notification didn't. Not sure if that part's fixed yet but Shannon fixed my log-in pronto. She said she recognized my username so I got priority!  OK, I feel better now.

Wheat thins ARE crack and so are Triscuits; I can't even have one or you'd find me with my face stuffed in the box. Back before I knew better and thought whole grains were the healthy way to go, I ate them a lot because they were salty, crunchy, delicious and healthy, right? Tell me about your mackerel cakes! Did you do anything special to them or pretty much made a standard fish cake? I'd love to have another healthy, delicious option for my lunches- thanks. Since you're flying, a short trip will be so much easier to manage. If you can offer to help with meals and maybe make an extra veg or two, maybe you could skimp on the amount of beans and save grains for that special loaf of bread if you decide it's worth it?

We did it all AND I did both of my workouts Saturday and Sunday morning! Three hours with a shovel and a bucket spreading some very precious compost on Saturday then about 2 1/2 hours of squats and bending over to plant a jillion pepper plants on Sunday. Planted about a half jillion tomatoes yesterday afternoon- sorry no workout.  My workout was tomato planting squats (51) and hauling 5-gallon buckets of water so I lifted heavy things, too. All of that in over 90 degree heat but the humidity wasn't terrible so it was tolerable as long as we had plenty of cold water to drink.

We let someone else feed us Saturday and Sunday but it was a place that we go to often and they are used to my bunless this and broccoli-instead-of-fries that so I was able to refuel well without having to cook. I did suck it up yesterday and fixed a little sirloin steak with a giant pan of roasted okra that we ate all of. Now if some elves would come do some dishes, laundry and, of course, vacuum, that would be amazing. I guess I shouldn't complain, though, some other elves put a new roof on our house! Wooohoo! Starting tomorrow, it's going to rain every day for a week so I guess we'll get to test it out. Just a few more plants to get in the ground and some mulch to put around the tomatoes before it goes to raining and we'll get a break. My cook-up was pretty skimpy but I got a little bit done. I figured if I could get enough things made to last until the rain starts, I'd be able to do a mini cook-up tomorrow to get through the rest of the week. Thank goodness I have falafels in the freezer for my lunch tomorrow. Strawberries are in season! Yuuuum!

Gotta fly! 9 cucumber plants, 2 tomatillos and 4 parsley plants are calling my name.

 

 

[LadyLisbette]

That's so weird. A ghost in the machine thing, eh? Yay, Shannon! I was imagining you recovering from the big weekend (I knew you'd pop in when you could!), and I see you totally rocked it! I think you live in Eden. How many acres is your place on? It sounds gorgeous!!!  What kind of cucumbers do you grow?  I grew up on standard cucumbers and never liked them. But I have learned to love english and persian cucs! A few days ago I was out of salad greens so for lunch I had several chopped persian cucumbers with rainbow hash stirred in to it, with some mayo. Yum,

Waaah! Elves!!!  LOL

How's your roof holding up? (fingers crossed!!)

When I was doing the shopping on Sunday, the hubs enjoyed a tin of smoked herring on crackers...I'd better keep us stocked up! Oh yeah, as for the mackerel cakes, since I'd never made any fishcakes before, and knowing that mackerel are kinda special in an oily, meaty way, I followed Mel J's recipe to a TEE, and can't wait to do so again. here's the link: http://meljoulwan.com/2014/02/05/holy-mackeral-cakes/  The crispy bits on the pan where the fish stuck? Ooh, not so good. Did part of my brain think these were chocolate chip cookies??l!!! Otherwise divine, yeah, mermaid food. Now I'm wanting to branch out to other kinds of fishcakes, too, so if you have a recipe you recommend, I'm all gills. 

Learning to count better, I realize I'll be at my bro's for 72 hours, not 48 whoops! I like your suggestion, and a life raft of greens and vegetables sounds very sensible!

Today is mostly a personal day (obligations from 3:30-6:00). I want to rest and take it easy, but I know if I tidy the place up and clear the decks (and attack the loose ends on my to-do list) it will give me a real boost. So much to do. Hey, have you made any of iHeartUmami's recipes? I think I'll try my hand at her Lion's Head Meatballs. Bok choy and savoy cabbage, and all the Asian aromatics are waiting for me. What else are you cooking up during the rains?

[hollysmokes]

Haha! I'm TRYING to learn to count better; I failed at garden math. We usually plant 3 rows of tomatoes and 3 rows of pepper, about 50 plants each but when I got home I realized I had gone nuts with the pepper plants so we have 4 rows this year (68 plants!!) and that's without the shishito peppers that I love. We have a total of 11 rows so I usually have one left over for miscellaneous stuff like okra, chard and whatever else tickles my fancy but not this year.  Maybe simplifying is better this year: peppers, cukes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, herbs and flowers. I like cucumbers but they definitely don't like me unless I pickle them or make tzatziki. The yogurt in the tzatziki must help me digest them. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for rain today; so far the forecast has been WRONG!! The new roof is still a rain virgin but, unfortunately, it rained inside. One of our A/C units is in the attic over our bedroom and I noticed a big wet spot on the ceiling- never good. Always something, huh?!

We're in a hollow and have a little over three acres but it's a hundred feet (or so) swath straight up a hill with the house built into the side of the hill. It's a giant money pit but it IS pretty up there and we have a nice deck that has a hole cut in it for a big maple tree to grow through. My husband cleared a trail going up the hill behind the house but it's gotten overgrown after he battled tendonitis in his elbow and had surgery on his neck. I think he's ready to get to work on it again, though, so that'll be a nice way to incorporate more movement into my day. Walking the driveway is pretty strenuous but it's boring. With the trail cleared out, I can walk to the bottom of the driveway and back, up the stairs and around the house then up to the top of the ridge and back down again.

I'm pretty sure I won't have to worry about my husband breaking into a tin of kippers unexpectedly. I found some yesterday at a little neighborhood-type store. They had a really nice selection of various canned, smoked seafoods. I haven't tried them out yet and think I might save them for a breakfast this weekend. I'm not sure the people I share my lab space with would appreciate the aroma! Those fishcakes sound great. My husband would be thrilled if I made him some potatoes so I think I'll grab some on my next grocery run and make sure he leaves me some for Holy Mackerel Cakes. I have a couple of different fish cake recipes depending on whether the fish is pre-cooked/canned or raw but both are easy and good. I'll send them your way and you can let me know what you think. I haven't made any of iHeartUmami's recipes yet but saw some that looked good. I subscribed to her blog but just unsubscribed because she was blowing up my in-box. Her Kung Pao Chicken looked good, too and I think I have all of the ingredients. Cool, now I have two new things to add to my cook-up this weekend.

Have you tried shakshuka? I found a jar of shakshuka sauce at that same little grocery yesterday and needed something quick and easy for breakfast today and tomorrow. I rarely buy pre-prepared sauces but all of the ingredients were compliant and I figured I had earned a little cheat. Holy cow that was delicious! And different. I'm going to make this one this weekend: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/09/shakshuka-north-african-shirred-eggs-tomato-pepper-recipe.html. I've read different people raving over it but I've always had a weird relationship with eggs and wasn't as moved by the idea as other people. If you told me even 10 years ago that I'd be eating eggs in some form or another for breakfast almost every day, I would have seriously doubted your sanity. The whites kinda gross me out; that's why I don't do hard boiled eggs and if I put them in chicken or tuna salad they get mushed up within an inch of their slimy little lives. My brother blames my Mom on my egg aversion. She likes her scrambled eggs "soft" (that's not how I describe them!) and that's the way she fixed them for us when we were kids-bleh.

Come on rain! I start a new work-out sequence today and I think I'll sub a rain dance in for one of the aerobic pieces.

 

 

[LadyLisbette]

Sorry for the delay, it's been an odyssey lately! My sister once lived in Greece in a house, 1,000 years old if that is possible, that was built into the side of a hill, and she said it was beautifully cool in summer and warm in winter - fascinating! It sounds lovely, like the setting of a novel.

Did the rain dance give you a reward? Did you try the kippers? Yeah, your lab mates may object, LOL I can see iHeartUmami driving you crazy, she sure is a marketing whiz, or something...I finally tried the lion's head meatballs, and was a tad disappointed (oh high expectations), but it may be first-timer fumbling on my part. Hubs liked it, I liked it too, it was just a lot of messy work. The meat dough was so wet I had to add a lot more arrowroot and it was still gloopy, so I I coated the globby balls with a ton of arrowroot just to have a form solid enough to place in the pan. Overall I liked learning to braise/steam the balls (something I've never played with) and really liked using a sliced/chopped up whole small head of savoy, and at the end, an entire large sliced up bok choy. I would make more braising liquid next time....essentially I will probably do it again, with balls I know I can count on (gosh that sounds so dorky). (Now I'm cracking myself up, what's in the coffee?) 

I've been looking at shakshuka in Mel's WF Weeknights! That looks delicious, I can't wait to try it! I'm with your bro on why you have resisted eggs, makes so much sense. I have a hard time with tomatoes b/c a step parent used to put yucky unripe tomatoes on a sandwich and got mad if I didn't eat it! And same with eggplant -similar story. I have learned to like delicious ripe tomatoes, but neither one is my thing. 

We had planned to go on a two-nighter with the backpacks this weekend, departing on Friday. I gave the hubs my blessing to go without me and insisted that I needed a long weekend (we normally only take one day off) to get caught up (my office! My to-do list! the yard! the laundry! groceries! groan!) and to rest. In the morning he sweetly said he would rather hang out with me, and so we had a cozy, if not productive on my part, staycation. Aaah. I'm kind of glad he didn't go alone - he's fit as a fiddle, but I worry about his clumsiness and impatience on those crossings. We took a day hike up the local trail on Friday and he wiped out in an 8-inch deep creek!! He wanted to submerge his new water proof boots, and though he knows that rocks can be slippery, he didn't think about it, just barreled right in. I was in front of him, and when I heard that sound of him dumping, well, you can imagine that car crash in my head of judgment and worry! *&$^#$!)?+

I didn't buy a back-up of collagen peptides in time, and now I'm out until the new one arrives. I'm not sure how well it's "working" as it's only been a month, and I've usually only used it once per day instead of the recommended twice. And I started using it at the same time as other joint supplements...But I am vowing to set that right and get 2x/day. But I miss it! Today I'm all caught up for the most part so it's time to cook. I'm going to make a double batch of holy mackerel cakes (the taters are already mashed), shrimp cakes for bahh mi-ish salads this week, and next up will be Mel J's fried chicken meatballs, and maybe also a batch of chili. The fridge is stocked, and the house is clean, and the most urgent things I've been putting off are DONE. So there's no excuse not to have a good week.

How'd the new work out sequence go?

 

[hollysmokes]

Yeah, gotta have balls you can count on! The new workout sequence is good but needs a couple of tweaks and the rain dance worked!

Thanks to you, I've had a pleasantly fishy weekend. Saturday I sautéed the kippers in a little brown butter ghee then scrambled some eggs to go with them. I was very surprised that they weren't salted but the were pretty good. Costco had smoked salmon on sale so I got some even though it has a little added sugar. I love smoked salmon and it makes a nice change of pace for breakfast but it's almost impossible to find any without sugar. I had some this morning with eggs scrambled with arugula and onions. I made Holy Mackerel Cakes yesterday but haven't tasted them yet. They smelled great and looked gorgeous when I pulled them out of the oven. I'm having them for lunch with left over grilled veggies. Can't wait! My husband was thrilled that I made a big bowl of potato salad for him when I cooked the potatoes for the cakes. It's funny but I was totally not expecting whole pieces of fish to come out of the can, though. I'm OK with it but it was surprising. Love the $2 price tag on the mackerel. I also found a can of smoked sardines but haven't tried them yet.

I don't have any of Mel's cookbooks; I just use what she posts on the blog. My sauce came out really good but I messed up the eggs. Instead of leaving the sauce in the skillet, I put it in individual baking dishes, put the eggs on top and baked them. The eggs are hard as a rock now. I was worried about them being undercooked and I turned them into concrete  Hopefully they'll still taste good because I'm not throwing them away. I didn't get the kung pao chicken made and went off on a different tangent. iHeart had a recipe for a quick gochuchang (Korean chile paste) and kimchi fried cauli rice to use it on. I've been wanting to make real gochuchang but it has a lot of rice flour in it so I decided to give hers a whirl. I was a little disappointed in the way it came out. She called for 6 dates and I decreased it to 5 but still found the predominant flavor to be sweet. I added a little more vinegar and chile flakes to it and I'm hoping that it mellows out a bit. Real gochuchang is fermented so I left it out last night but by this morning I got nervous about it and stuck it in the fridge. We'll see! By the time I did the fish cakes, 'tater salad, shakshuka and gochuchang plus laundry and miscellaneous house work I was too tired to start the kimchi "rice". Tomorrow is a workout rest day so I think I'll make it then and also make a batch of cauli tortillas since I'll be running cauli through the food processor anyway. Tacos on the menu this week. Now I just need to think of something for dinner tonight- maybe Mel's Cuban meatballs.

It sounds like you had a good and productive weekend. Glad your hubbie made it out of the creek without injury. Mine tends to barrel off at times without thinking as well. I can't say my house is clean but it's on it's way. The last couple of weekends spent in the garden racing incoming weather was no bueno for housekeeping but the kitchen is clean, laundry done and the basement got vacuumed. It's such a relief to see the to-do list get shorter and have a good cook-up for the upcoming week.

Your sister's house in Greece sounds divine. Greece is the only country in Europe I've visited and it was amazing. It was a million years ago but the food was terrific, the people were kind and generous and it was so beautiful. My Mom's coming for a visit next month and I want to make moussaka while she's here. Now that white potatoes are acceptable, I'll make the béchamel with arrowroot instead of flour and will just plan for a bit of off-roading so I can have some dairy that day. I'm really surprised how much I've decreased my dairy consumption and I really don't miss it. Yaaay!

 

[LadyLisbette]

Oh, I had the same response to opening and discovering the mackerel the first time. I'm guessing it is pressure cooking that makes the bones even the spine kind of soft, you think? I can't wait to hear how you like the Holy M Cakes! I made that double batch yesterday and the only thing I did differently was accidentally doubling the black pepper. I didn't eat any yet, so we'll see. And I used the parchment she recommends instead of foil, so there was no sticking. I then went straight to Mel's shrimp patties and we had those for dinner so of course they are gone. I served them with romaine, radishes, carrots, cukes, and plenty of cilantro, basil and mint. I didn't make time to pickle the crunchies but they were still tasty. The sauce was good mixed into some mayo, and for the hubs I made cibatta sandwiches with all the above, pretty yum, will definitely put this in the rotation. The bread filled him up so much that I had the last of the patties for myself LOL If you're interested I will find a link for you! So we both had fishy weekends!

I ran out of steam, but I plan to spiralize some zuccs, and serve them sauteed with thin sliced ckn breasts, pistachios, basil and mint. 

Well there's no issue of too-soft cooked eggs this time! I wonder if sitting in the liquid will soften them up a little around the edges? Whenever I botch something in the kitchen my mate reminds me that nothing is gained except by trying new things. I know you know that. It raises a question for me: just how hard can eggs get, anyway? Do report on toothiness = )

Gochuchang, fun to say out loud. Wow, I am so impressed by your venturing. For some reason the pickling and fermenting seems like an advanced course that is beyond me, and I admire from afar. I do want to add gochuchang to my vocabulary, though. Speaking of dates, and dates being so sweet. You are reminding me of Cleopatra. I'm reading a great work of historical fiction about her. It's a tome, I've been at it for a while! https://margaretgeorge.com/books/the-memoirs-of-cleopatra/description/ and last just last night (reading break between fish cakes and shrimp patties!) something re food jumped out at me with NEON lights. Someone serves her dates, and she notes that they are too sweet, almost "artificially" sweet. Hey, what could that have meant in the 1st century B.C., right? Artificial strikes me as a a post-industrial revolution thing. Chemicals and all....any ideas? This author is no dummy, so I give her lots of benefit of doubt, but I am puzzled.

I've been taking too many work out rest days, so I'd better get out for a hike before it's too "late".

Cheers!

[hollysmokes]

Argh! I'm still having email issues. I didn't get the notification of your last post until this morning and, even then, it had been flagged as spam. I adjusted a couple of things so hopefully it won't happen again. SPAM isn't compliant!

Holy Mackerel Cakes are a winner! I had them with some leftover grilled veggies and half of an avocado. I finally just smashed the avocado on top and ate them like a tostada. I just sent the link to my Mom so she can try them out, too. I stuck to Mel's recipe but I didn't have Old Bay so I added a little diced celery and used creole seasoning as a sub for the OB, paprika and black pepper. I will definitely keep those in my regular rotation. I'm definitely interested in those shrimp cakes. I have cilantro and mint in the garden so I'd just have to get some basil. It sounds so deliciously summery and fresh!

I haven't run across her Cleopatra book but several years ago I read Mary Queen of Scotland And the Isles and enjoyed it. It, too, was a tome. The concept of artificial doesn't seem like it would have existed in Cleopatra's lifetime so maybe some artistic license was utilized? Late 1400's is what I ran across but its use as "anything made in imitation of or as a substitute for" wasn't in use until 1600's. Our etymology trivia of the day!

Simple ferments are super easy but there are a couple of things that make them almost mindlessly easy: fermentation weights and an airlock and both are inexpensive. Other than that, all you need is a mason jar, veg & salt. To make sauerkraut you just thinly slice your cabbage and start massaging salt into it to let it start releasing water so it creates it's own brine. Add salt and keep massaging and tasting it until it is pleasantly salty. Unless it as an old, storage cabbage it should make enough brine so the cabbage is completely submerged when you pack it into the jar. Tuck a big piece of a cabbage leaf on top to hold all of the little bits down then put your weight on top to make sure it doesn't float up. Some people use a zip bag filled with brine (not water in case of leakage) as a weight. Let it ferment for 2-6 weeks or more depending on your taste preference. The longer it ferment, the softer and sourer it gets. I usually let my kraut go 2-3 months.

I have a workout rest day today and am not sure I want to rest. Maybe I'll do some yoga and stretching. I rowed 3 miles in 30 minutes yesterday and was doing fine until the last 5 minutes when I started really feeling it. The last 2 minutes almost killed me but I did it.  I was afraid to walk up or down the stairs for a little while because my legs felt so rubbery but I recovered pretty quickly and made Cuban meatballs, the kimchi cauli fried rice and cauli tortillas. I was pretty much done after that!

Happy hiking!