Snap Pea Sheep

Green apple and blue cheese was the thought around today’s salad. The greens are romaine and endive. The additions are red onion, cucumber, watermelon radishes, pecans and avocado.

I was going to make ranch dressing but this salad was screaming for acid. At the very least, stop the apples from oxidizing.

So I took Dijon mustard, sweet rose wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and a little water to temper the pungency.

It was a delicious salad!

Mushroom and wild rice soup.

I had about 2 oz of chicken and a cup of wild rice left over from last night.

I wanted to make a creamy soup and add the chicken, rice, mushrooms and carrot. So I thinly chopped a potato, some onion, carrot, garlic, and mushroom stems and cooked it with bay leaves in mushroom broth until the vegetables were soft.

The bay leaves were plucked out. I added some half and half to cool it down then used my immersion blender, then blended smooth.

The chicken was finely diced then added to the soup along with the rice.
I also added about 1/4 cup masala cooking wine. 🍷

It took about 15 minutes to simmer and cook the added vegetables through.

This is generally a fall soup. I never see it on a menu.

This is long but worth the read if you have concerns about your health.

When I get on Facebook anymore, it’s nothing but ads, political bs, scam phishing pages and occasionally a post from a friend.

Some of these ads are amusing. I like reading the bs anamated stories for entertainment sometimes so I don’t mind too much.

Yesterday I read an ad and then watched a video about gaining strength. I took notes and researched each ingredient. The more I read, the more convinced I was that I found something good.

I vetted the company.

Too young for Trust Pilot but nothing alarming either.

So then I asked AI if these ingredients would be safe for a 73 year old woman on blood pressure meds.

Some risks. Could I provide the exact prescriptions? I did.

Extreme risk of stroke or heart attack.

I was a little shook.

I’m taking two supplements to compensate for having no gallbladder.
I added those ingredients to the conversation.

Extreme risk of death by stroke, heart attack or falling.

Holy sh !

So I added other supplements I’m taking. It flagged my D3-K2 as risky because of calcium build up. I asked what I should take for osteopenia with a calcium score of 0. Ok the D3-K2 was best with no concerns because of my calcium score.

I changed tactics. I continued asked what I should be using for my list of health concerns.

It churned out a comprehensive program of exactly what I should be taking and when. It included a list of questions for my doctor. I asked about a suitable exercise program and it recommended Tai Chi. Conventional exercise could actually harm me.

This entire down the rabbit hole experience took me about 5 hours.
The knowledge I gained was priceless.

It really shook me that the supplements I bought and have dutifully been taking were risking not only my health but my life!

So I’ve taken my prescriptions today and looking at the 15 pills, gel caps and capsules I’ve been choking down everyday. I’m reluctant to take any of them. I’m trying not to add up the cost for all of these! Sickening!

I’m glad I did this because I was concerned that I was waking up everyday feeling like I never slept. Unbelievable fatigue, aches and pains.
Lethargic. Feeble even!!! 73 and FEEBLE!!! I can’t even open a water bottle without a pair of pliers. Hence my intrigue for the strength building product.

I almost bought it! It’s probably fine for someone who is not taking prescription meds. It might actually help someone with slightly elevated blood pressure.
It just wasn’t right for me! BTW the product was Strongher by Wonderbody.

Before buying a supplement do what I did.

Describe yourself, age, s*x, health, weight, conditions, surgeries such as hysterectomy or cholecystectomy, post menopause, etc.

list all of your prescriptions.

Then ask if your supplements are safe.

Now some of these supplements might have 20 ingredients. List the ingredients that aren’t vitamins.

Next, ask for the proper dose of each vitamin separately and make sure you’re not overdosing. It’s easy to overdose on A and zinc, but D and C could be a problem for you.

I listed biotin, star anise and berberine and they were all risky for me. The first two could skew lab results, the latter could cause a sudden drop in my blood pressure.

Then ask for recommendations.

Some supplements are best in a particular form, be it powder, gel cap, liquid or even gummies.

Ask for a schedule! I found out I shouldn’t be taking some supplements at the same time. Some needed to be taken on an empty stomach. Some needed to be taken with food. Some required fat. My prescriptions and recommended supplements were spaced out. Frankly more manageable than what I was doing.

Be as detailed as you can. AI recommended psyllium seed in my protein shake but retracted it when I added my diverticulosis to the mix. It provided a different suggestion because seeds aren’t safe for me.

I was taking TUDCA for my lack of a gallbladder. TUDCA was not as good choice because of my meds. Instead it recommended a digestive enzyme and a nightly dose of magnesium citrate.

If you know something, say it. It recommended AREDS2 for my onset macular degeneration. New studies show AREDS2 is for people with more advanced AMD. So instead I asked for a supplement that had the ingredients I knew to look for. It didn’t list AREDS2!

I realize AI is not a replacement for medical advise but now I have a comprehensive list to give my doctor.

A list that took me 5 hours to build with AI. My doctor can read this in five minutes and have a better understanding of my health concerns.

Note, if your doctor isn’t interested in reading your list of answering the questions- CHANGE DOCTORS! This is an entirely different subject but if I had not changed doctors in 2024, my husband would be dead now.

The really important message here is to not only vet the company and product. Use AI to determine if that product is good for you.

I’m going to write my details down so I can cut and paste them in if some other “wonder supplement” attracts my attention.

We are all in search of something that makes us stronger, healthier or pain free. The people that write these ads are pros!

Be safe out there!!!

This meal started with the delicata squash. It was simply deseeded, sliced, placed on a lightly oiled baking sheet (olive oil) and topped with pure maple syrup. It was the first thing that went in the oven.

I added vidalia onion slices to the baking sheet simply because my husband loves them. Olive oil, salt and pepper.

Although the menu was built around the squash, the wild rice took the longest to cook. 45 minutes on a good day.

The rice was cooked in mushroom broth seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper and sage. I added slivered almonds at the halfway mark. I had to add more broth at the halfway mark as well.

The broccoli was simply placed in a covered baking dish with a cup of water, drizzled with salt and pepper and baked.

The star of the show was the chicken!
I seared the chicken on both sides. I then added a mini bottle of Sutter white wine. If you have a gas stove, turn the fire off!!!

I added about three tablespoons of Dijon in the pan. Garlic, salt, pepper and thyme went on top. Then I used a whisk to incorporate it into the wine.

It went into the the over at 380•F for about 35 minutes. These were thick chicken breasts.

When I took the chicken out, I whisked in about a tablespoon of toasted flour to thicken the sauce. The recipe called for butter but I forgot it.

All of the flavors played together well.

Like a wedge salad with blue cheese and bacon? This is an amped up version of that.

First off, I seldom eat bacon. I might have bacon on my breakfast plate when I dine out for breakfast but I wrap it up and put it in the freezer.

Today I took out one piece and chopped it up for this salad.

Romaine is my go-to lettuce because it has more nutritional value than iceberg.
I like to add a bitter green to my salads. Today I chose radicchio.

I loaded up this salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, black and green olives, red onion and walnuts.

I make “ranch” dressing with sour cream and buttermilk and used that here with the blue cheese.

Today I gave Harry a choice of four soups and he chose this green garlic broth.

It’s actually a broth recipe but I expected to keep the vegetables and add potato and celery.

I put celery and carrots in my Japanese clear mushroom broth so why not.

This had a whole leek, garlic ramps for which I substituted 2 very large cloves of garlic (could have used 3), a bunch of green onions, 1/2 shallot sliced paper thin, 1 russet potato and two stalks of celery.

I cooked the green onions and leeks in the saucepan with no water because I wanted that blackened grill flavor. Then I added the broth, garlic and diced vegetables.

The recipe didn’t call for any seasoning. Not surprising because it’s a base broth. I added savory, salt and peppercorns.

I finished it off with parsley and green onion.

It was not overwhelmingly oniony or garlicky. Just flavorful. I use a lot of onions and garlic so I could be allium blind. A term I just made up that means I don’t taste it anymore. Ha ha.

It didn’t have the earthiness of a Japanese onion soup (like Benihana’s).

It didn’t taste anything like French onion soup. It was considerably lighter.

Harry loved it!

This might be considered an antipasto salad. It has no meat but it’s loaded with artichokes, tomatoes, olives and cucumbers on top a mixed lettuce blend. I like my onions slightly pickled with a kick of Chiltipin peppers broken over them.

A lovely Italian dressing of champagne vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper and Calabrian chili flakes makes this irresistible.

My husband thinly sliced some Parmesan. It’s difficult to do a medium grate on such a hard cheese.

I’ve never made clafoutis in my life. I was pretty proud of this peach clafoutis.

The batter became almost mousse like. Better yet an airy pancake. Not sure how to describe it but the texture was amazing.

It probably took me twenty minutes- most of the time peeling three peaches.

Fresh Peach Clafoutis Recipe
from theunlikelybaker.com

PREP TIME: 30 min
COOK TIME: 1 hr
SERVINGS: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 pcs eggs (room temperature and lightly beaten)
• 1 cup milk (room temperature)
• 1 cup heavy cream (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted + more for greasing the baking dish)
• 1.5 lbs ripe but firm peaches (about 3 medium peaches, peeled and sliced into wedges)

PREPARATION STEPS
1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 2L-capacity baking dish (see notes) with butter. Set aside.

2. Sift ½ cup flour, ⅛ teaspoon salt and ½ cup sugar into a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

3. In another larger bowl, whisk 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 cup cream and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla until smooth and well incorporated.

4. Make a well in the centre of your flour mixture and add in the egg mixture a little at a time (I did ¼ cup at a time), stirring by hand and mixing well after each addition. Continue until you've poured all the egg mixture in. Add the 2 tablespoons melted butter and give the mixture a final stir.

5. Arrange your peach wedges on your baking dish forming a single layer then pour your batter over the peaches.

6. Bake for 60-75 minutes until the clafoutis is set - golden brown on top (see notes), firm but still a little wobbly, and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

NOTE
Peach clafoutis is crepe-like, golden brown on the outside and flan-like, creamy on the inside. Definitely a unique and delicious peach dessert.

Note, batter did not fit into my tart plan. Use 3 eggs, 1 3/4 half and half, 3/4 cup each flour and sugar.

NUTRITION
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 173 kcal
Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 36 mg
Sodium: 41 mg
Carbohydrates: 19 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugar: 14 g
Protein: 2 g

SOURCE URL
https://theunlikelybaker.com/fresh-peach-clafoutis/

These days when any one item in a grocery store is as much or more than ones hourly wage, you can’t afford to waste leftovers.

I’m not fond of leftovers but it’s ridiculous to go through all of that labor fixing something (or paying $$$ for takeout) then not eating it!

There’s only two of us and it’s nearly impossible to not have leftovers.

If I do something like lasagna, stuffed shells, or enchiladas, I freeze half for later.

A few nights ago, I made a dish of fresh peas with sautéed onions and escarole.

Today I turned it into pea salad with ranch dressing.

If I cook green beans, I steam some to pickle for a salad.

I cut the tough stems off broccoli. You know the ones that outweigh the florets 2:1? I use then for broccoli soup.

Leftover Italian pasta can become a delicious minestrone soup with the addition of some jarred tomatoes, beans and onion. I even made chicken and rice soup from leftover chicken piccata.

Leftover potatoes can be added to chicken broth for a great soup base. Add kale or spinach and maybe mushrooms for a delicious chowder.

Use leftover Mexican food to make MAGA’s or tortilla soup.

Leftover cabbage and onions? Make egg foo yung! I prefer it with bean sprouts but I can’t use up the huge bag they sell. Bean sprouts don’t freeze.

Peppers do though. Slice them, freeze them on a tray and bag them. I especially do this with Fresno, jalapeño, Serrano or bell peppers.

Sometimes the remake is better than the original.

About 40 years ago I commuted from Idabel Oklahoma to Paris Texas for college.

If any of you know Paris, you know the Campbells Soup company is based there.

Rural back roads and twenty somethings don’t mix. Speed at your own peril. I learned this after near collisions with cattle, tractors, critters and such. Speeding can land you in a ditch because those curved roads are not graded.

One day I found myself in said ditch.
Luckily two young boys stopped and offered to take me to their moms so they could get some equipment.

Turned out mom worked at Campbells. She was in a really high position but 40+ years has dimmed that detail.

I told her about some creamy chicken-mushroom soup served at a Chinese place in California. It was a favorite of mine. I crudely made it myself by mixing together cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup. I added a little soy sauce for that Asian vibe.

It wasn’t Bing’s but it was pretty good.

Well about 6-8 months later, Campbells had creamy of chicken and mushroom soup on the shelves. They also had creamy beef and mushroom but that didn’t seem to last.

After dining with the family, the boys took me back to my car that they pulled out of the ditch.

I passed that house three times a week for another two years.

Now you know the origin of cream of chicken and mushroom soup.

Well today, I made it from scratch. Well almost. I had some rotisserie chicken.

So I put dried mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, a peeled russet potato, chicken broth, 1/4 cup half & half, about a cup of diced chicken, Beau Monde, thyme, salt and pepper in my cooking blender and started it.

Then I diced another cup of chicken and 2 large mushrooms. I cooked them in some chicken broth and used Trader Joe’s mushroom unami, poultry seasons and salt to the mixture.

To serve, I spooned the chicken and mushrooms into bowls and poured the soup to cover.

It was simply garnished with parsley and croutons.

Omg, delicious!!! Much better than Campbells which I long ago stopped using. Too much salt and stuff I can’t pronounce.

Bing’s Chinese soup was a delicately flavorful sh*take mushroom soup.

This soup is creamy, flavor packed and comforting. The poultry seasoning gave it a Thanksgiving vibe.

So many ways to make mushroom soup, with or without chicken.