September Chat - Page 2

[mtn.mama]

mamafish, we use ALOT of cast iron over here. Lodge is a good enough brand, but I've been REALLY happy with the Cabin brand. Do not buy an off or no name brand, and second hand stuff isn't safe. Too much of it has been made in Taiwan with pot metals, plus used cast iron can hold food contaminants since its porous.

[lil_miss_understood]

I'm honestly still not 100%... Still nauseated and having GI issues but I'm functional. It was the head and body aches which were killing me.
Finally getting to try my bean pie today. Hoping the pie crust I've devised turns out well.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by Wugmama

So I have a baggie holding my unopened bottle as well as my opened bottle of allergen free yogurt starter. The whole thing got left out all night on the counter. Should I bother to try making yogurt w/it just in case, or chuck it?

Thanks,
Tracy

I'd try it to see if it worked before throwing it out. That stuff is expensive!

[lil_miss_understood]

Okay, well the pie was a flop (imo). DS1 says it's good but.. :
My crust wasn't flaky at all and was hard. Tastes okay but not great.
The filling, I think, was too reliant on butter and eggs for flavour so making it free of both made it um.. gross? Yeah. Gross.
So much for that. Oh well.

[chlobo]

JR - sucks about the pie. Hope the pies & you get better soon.

So, do I order bulk grains or should I go grain free?

[kjbrown92]

I was hoping for a good crust recipe. I want to make key lime pie. I know, I tried it last year and it was disgusting, but that was before I found pork gelatin. So I'm trying to figure out a graham crackery type crust (maybe millet or sorghum mixed with ... something). What did you try so that maybe I can work off that?

Ever since being home I've been... blah. I took my last abx on Saturday night, and got a UTI on Monday morning. So I know I'm sick so I have a right to be blah. But I just don't want to get into the school mode. I have a list of making bread, yogurt, roasted chickpeas, etc. but I'm soooo unmotivated. DH wants to do things like weed the garden and organize the house, and I want to do... nothing. Just sit. It's pathetic. Somebody give me a kick.

[chlobo]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

I was hoping for a good crust recipe. I want to make key lime pie. I know, I tried it last year and it was disgusting, but that was before I found pork gelatin. So I'm trying to figure out a graham crackery type crust (maybe millet or sorghum mixed with ... something). What did you try so that maybe I can work off that?

Ever since being home I've been... blah. I took my last abx on Saturday night, and got a UTI on Monday morning. So I know I'm sick so I have a right to be blah. But I just don't want to get into the school mode. I have a list of making bread, yogurt, roasted chickpeas, etc. but I'm soooo unmotivated. DH wants to do things like weed the garden and organize the house, and I want to do... nothing. Just sit. It's pathetic. Somebody give me a kick.

Say, cut yourself some slack. You just spent the whole summer providing your kids with the ultimate summer experience. That was work! You deserve a few days of blah. And I hear you on the "things to do". I have no idea what Isabella will have for snack or lunch at school. She's in the allergy "aware" room so no nuts. Damn.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by chlobo

Say, cut yourself some slack. You just spent the whole summer providing your kids with the ultimate summer experience. That was work! You deserve a few days of blah. And I hear you on the "things to do". I have no idea what Isabella will have for snack or lunch at school. She's in the allergy "aware" room so no nuts. Damn.

My DS can't have nuts for snack because it's in the room (with a nut allergy kid) but he can have nuts at lunch (there's a peanut free table for those kids, and anyone who has peanuts has to wash their hands upon exiting the cafeteria). He's been doing good with the Thermos lunches. We had cauliflower with meatsauce 1 day, sweet potato-beef stew 1 day, and I obviously have a failing memory since it's only been three days and I can't remember what he had on Monday...

The lake isn't work. I mean, there's always work to do (gardening, painting, the usual cooking 18 meals a day) but the atmosphere is so wonderful. Neighbors that all just come over to visit. Friendly people. In this town, I've never even met the neighbors (who have lived there for about 8 years I think). I guess I'm just in a funk.

[chlobo]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

My DS can't have nuts for snack because it's in the room (with a nut allergy kid) but he can have nuts at lunch (there's a peanut free table for those kids, and anyone who has peanuts has to wash their hands upon exiting the cafeteria). He's been doing good with the Thermos lunches. We had cauliflower with meatsauce 1 day, sweet potato-beef stew 1 day, and I obviously have a failing memory since it's only been three days and I can't remember what he had on Monday...

The lake isn't work. I mean, there's always work to do (gardening, painting, the usual cooking 18 meals a day) but the atmosphere is so wonderful. Neighbors that all just come over to visit. Friendly people. In this town, I've never even met the neighbors (who have lived there for about 8 years I think). I guess I'm just in a funk.

Wish I lived in your neighborhood.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by chlobo

Wish I lived in your neighborhood.

The neighborhood at the lake where everyone is friendly (and one of the neighbors stocks rice milk so that DD2 has something to drink there if she gets thirsty) and people just drop by to visit, and we actually go around the neighborhood borrowing "a cup of sugar" or any other ingredient we need.

Or the neighborhood here where I haven't even met my neighbors? (We have met the two neighbors on the street with kids and we all wave at each other).

[mamafish9]

Originally Posted by chlobo

We have this brand and it has worked well for us. We purchased another brand before it & didn't like it so we bought the preseasoned stuff.

Just remember not to use soap when cleaning as it will break down the seasoning.

TY. I'm a poor user of soap to begin with, so not a problem, LOL. It sounds a lot like conditioning a wok, and I love my wok.

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

I know what we spend on food is nuts. It was $600 before food intolerances, and DH wants me to bring it back to that (if not reduce it further). For a family of 5, whose DS is a bottomless pit. And DH is 6'5", 200 lbs. It's not like he's a slouch in the eating dept. either. But I experiment all the time. That's probably the problem. I should do a meal plan like Jacqueline and see if I can do more stuff with the cheaper ingredients. I hate to resort to frozen veggies and all that though. Isn't fresh worth it?

We used to eat a lot of nuts too, so I don't think that's the increase. And we eat fresh when it's in season - I figure that since there is so much I can't eat, I want what I CAN eat to be darned good!

Originally Posted by mtn.mama

mamafish, we use ALOT of cast iron over here. Lodge is a good enough brand, but I've been REALLY happy with the Cabin brand. Do not buy an off or no name brand, and second hand stuff isn't safe. Too much of it has been made in Taiwan with pot metals, plus used cast iron can hold food contaminants since its porous.

Thanks! Could you do me a favor and look on your Cabin brand to see where they are made? I can't find any info. I covet a cast iron pizza pan, amongst other things - I think it would be great for making crepes and stuff too. But mostly I need to replace our everyday skillet and I'd like a dutch oven. Which cast iron stuff do you use most?

[mtn.mama]

mamafish, I looked but it doesn't say. Its called Cabin Kitchen. I have their bread loaf pan and their pie pan... let me go check my giant muffin pan... yep, its CK too. I use all of those, plus an old skillet that is about 13-14 inches across, and a chicken skillet that is about 10 inches across and 4.5 inches deep with a flat 10 inch skillet that serves as a griddle or lid, and a big square griddle that is about 15 inches wide... also two approx 11 inch x 5 inch dutch ovens. What do I use everyday? The 13 inch skillet and the 10 inch griddle. And often the chicken skillet.

[kjbrown92]

Oh, and I guess all those pine nuts/pine nut ricotta was good for something this summer. When I went to the doctor's office this morning, I found out I'd gained 5 pounds this summer!

[chlobo]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

The neighborhood at the lake where everyone is friendly (and one of the neighbors stocks rice milk so that DD2 has something to drink there if she gets thirsty) and people just drop by to visit, and we actually go around the neighborhood borrowing "a cup of sugar" or any other ingredient we need.

Or the neighborhood here where I haven't even met my neighbors? (We have met the two neighbors on the street with kids and we all wave at each other).

Well I meant the second one so I could keep you company.

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by chlobo

Well I meant the second one so I could keep you company.

I was wondering if your current neighbors are even worse! (than Kathy's school-year neighbors)

[lil_miss_understood]

I've been feeling the same way, Kathy, and I don't even have the excuse of coming off of vacation blahs, just not feeling up to par blahs. Not that that's kept me from actually doing necessities, but I am getting behind on my weekly chores.
I forgot to say, Carren, your kids are exceptionally cute!
Deb, I hate my wok. I can't get it to season properly. I've tried I don't know how many times now, but it just sort of peels off. *sigh* I think it's jinxed.

[chlobo]

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez

I was wondering if your current neighbors are even worse! (than Kathy's school-year neighbors)

My current neighbors are actually quite nice. The neighbor on the left has a neighborhood pool party every year. The new neighbors on the right have two 8th grade girls. We also know various other neighbors. However, the town has 2 acre zoning so houses are pretty spaced out and people generally keep to themselves. There are no kids in the neighborhood DDs age and if there were its not the kind of place where you could send your kid to the neighbor (or vice versa) to play. It's nice enough but not like Kathy's lake neighborhood. It's actually kind of an odd town. I'm having some trouble connecting with folks who have kids the same age. Or perhaps I'm the odd one. lol.

Also, I'm sure anyone would look at me cross-eyed if they heard me talk about the food stuff.

ETA: I just would like to be in Kathy's neighborhood to keep her company. And who wouldn't want to sample her recipes?

Thanks JR. I thought DS was exceptional cute in that video. Sometimes he so sweet.

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by chlobo

Also, I'm sure anyone would look at me cross-eyed if they heard me talk about the food stuff.

No joke!

ETA: I just would like to be in Kathy's neighborhood to keep her company. And who wouldn't want to sample her recipes?

Who wouldn't? If I weren't halfway across the country...

Thanks JR. I thought DS was exceptional cute in that video. Sometimes he so sweet.

Oh, funny thing. So, the ENT appt for DS is coming up in a couple weeks, and I wanted to check out a new CST DO that I found, hopefully a bit cheaper, definitely easier to drive to her office (I don't like driving into Houston even though the highway system is pretty efficient and non-rush hour is not bad).

I asked questions on the phone, got reasonable answers and made an appointment, then got the child patient information forms. Um, seriously, has anyone had medical history forms to fill out that _include_ the word chelation??? or detoxification? I thought this lady was a DO who did CST, and that's pretty much it. Might be an interesting appointment.

[lil_miss_understood]

Note to self: go back and try to give OceansEve some snack ideas.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by chlobo

ETA: I just would like to be in Kathy's neighborhood to keep her company. And who wouldn't want to sample her recipes?

Yeah, keep me company. There is a family down the street (kids, so we say hi to them)... the mom is celiac and the two kids are gluten-intolerant, so I ask them to taste test for me sometimes. But I want some cool people in my neighborhood. A house is going up for sale soon (old house -- early 1800s I think). Someone come live by me!

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez

Oh, funny thing. So, the ENT appt for DS is coming up in a couple weeks, and I wanted to check out a new CST DO that I found, hopefully a bit cheaper, definitely easier to drive to her office (I don't like driving into Houston even though the highway system is pretty efficient and non-rush hour is not bad).

I asked questions on the phone, got reasonable answers and made an appointment, then got the child patient information forms. Um, seriously, has anyone had medical history forms to fill out that _include_ the word chelation??? or detoxification? I thought this lady was a DO who did CST, and that's pretty much it. Might be an interesting appointment.

That doctor sounds very promising.

Okay, I'm finally going to do it. Starting tomorrow morning, I'm starting a food diary for myself. This is the second wicked headache in a week and it's starting to annoy me enough to see if it's food related (though it's combined with neck pain so who knows).