Cooking with Jennifer
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@Mossy, in fairness, I had a sick mum while growing up that I took care of, as well as my grandparents, and I worked in childcare for two decades so I have years of experience. I think you’re doing a great job.
Our dads sound similar. Mine tells me he doesn’t need a lot of options, but after several times of making meals he said he wanted in the rotation, some taking upwards of 2 hours to make a large batch of, and having them sit in the freezer untouched because he changed his mind, I had him give me a definitive list of meals, and I stick to it. I’m impressed you made quark. I used to make raw butter, mesophilic yogurt, kefir and curds, but never attempted quark.Regarding the fries—I was doing the same until I came across fries at Whole Foods that are cooked in tallow. Because I had so much on my plate after my mum died and a thyroid that was no longer responding to supplementation, I had to make compromises for my health, and this is one of them. They’re pricy, but frequently on sale so I stock up. My dad has a burger once a week with fries and gets roughly 3 servings per bag so even though I was making them fresh for less, the convenience has been priceless. They take 14 minutes in the air fryer to bake and my dad said that they’re not quite restaurant quality, but are much better than other frozen fries on the market that he’s had. In case this is helpful, these are the fries:
-https://www.jesseandbens.com/fries/p/tallow-sea-salt
It’s a nice location, for sure. I live in the most forested region of the country so nature is abundant here, but we got lucky with this property being only 5 minutes from a town with full amenities and 10 minutes from the city. We don’t have access to a guava orchard like you, though.
Sorry for my confusion regarding your compost heaps. Hügelkultur doesn’t require digging, but I wonder if a raised garden bed like the galvanized style (Birdies brand?) would deter the cats? I live on 5.5 heavily wooded acres where fencing proved useless so until I can build my dream greenhouse (one large enough for an orchard that’s heated using passive solar—visual-light-transmitting fiberglass tanks), I grow my plants in large garden boxes on my back deck.Ah…I see. Your dad is the foreman. My dad tried that with me and quickly regretted it. lol Unlike your dad, mine is still physically capable.
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@Jennifer Ok, so you're an expert at what you're doing; which probably makes it second nature, yet maybe a bit of a drudgery, with all that comes with a life time of that. Thanks for the encouragement. I do think I'm getting better at it, as compared to when I first started.
Now that would be a bit frustrating, after doing the cooking and then your dad changes his mind. I won't let me dad get away with that...haha. I think it's good you've given him a list of meals to stick with. I did consider making butter, after learning it was possible, but concluded I probably couldn't make it cheaper than buying it. I would prefer raw dairy, but it's way, way more expensive: up to six times. There was a time I was only buying raw, and I actually did make raw kefir, a little after the quark. But kefir was murder on my system. I just read a transcript from Peat on the potential trouble from Kefir for some. I did partly enjoy the old world process of making quark, and it did open my eyes to the potential of what could be done at home.
That is an excellent idea about the fries from Whole Foods. Just a day ago I was doing research for a good frozen French fry, to reduce my work load, but all used PUFA. I will see if I can find those you mention; and if I can get them on sale, I'll try them. You just touched upon what I'd like to get next — an air fryer. They seem to offer the best way to eat fried, crispy foods. Thanks for the link for the fries.
That guava orchard is on the outskirts of the town I live in; it's actually a different town, but adjacent, and more rural. I've only ever been to the area they sell the guavas, which is separate from the orchards, miles away. Though, the owner did offer for me to go to the orchards and pick straight from the trees. What may sound like a scenic and enchanting adventure through guava fairy land
, would be quite long and time consuming, for one item. At least currently. One of these times I will be able to do something low-key and escapist like that. Your property sounds great. A perfect set up: the best of all worlds at your reach. Enough land to get creative, too. Though, I realize creativity takes work; so sometimes smaller is best.Haha...funny. Good that you stand up to your dad.
"To desire action is to desire limitation" — G. K. Chesterton
"The true step of health and improvement is slow." — Novalis -
@heyman said in Cooking with Jennifer:
Potato is really underrated
Found this pro-potato, Peat transcript yesterday:
Caller: I'm wondering is this diet stuff you're talking about specifically for people with cancer or can regular people adjust their diet. I'm vegan and I'm looking for different sources of protein.
RP: Well potatoes are the best vegetable protein known. They're better than eggs in terms of quality.
Caller: What's the best protein?
Herb Doctor: Potatoes. Actually they have...
RP: 106% of the protein quality of egg yolk.
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@Mossy, it eventually felt like drudgery, yes. Family left me with sole responsibility of caring for my dad after my mum passed, and the pressure of doing so while trying to navigate grief and the residual trauma of her suffocating to death in my arms had taken its toll. Sadly, it took having to care for my dad, while I was sick for weeks with a high-grade fever, almost falling down a flight of stairs while passing out for the umpteenth time, losing complete sensation in my face and extremities, and spending the evening curled up on a bench alone in an ER waiting room for me to finally make myself a priority.
I’m glad to hear you don’t let your dad get away with that.
I only made butter the first year after my spine collapsed because my doctor had me on an ancestral diet inspired by WAPF who favor raw dairy. Raw milk ruined pasteurized milk for me tastewise, but that’s the only dairy product I care if it’s raw now. However, I haven’t had milk in quite some time. I know what you mean about kefir. My system didn’t like it either, and neither did my taste buds 
, but I did feel bad dumping the kefir grains down the drain after months of feeding them, as if they were little people. lolYou’re welcome for the link.
I hope you’re able to find the fries and lighten your cooking load. And the air fryer—I love it! Foods crisp up well and meats come out juicy.Gotcha. Guava fairy land (hehe) sounds like an enchanting place to escape to, but also long and time consuming, sure. Does the orchard have other varieties of tropical fruit? Our property is great, but I have my heart set on living in one of the beach towns about 40 minutes away so I have mountains, lakes and the ocean close by.
I have stood on a mountain of no’s for one yes. ~ B. Smith
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Ray also said this about potatoes:
“Two pounds of well-cooked mashed potato has the protein value similar to a liter of milk, about 33 grams of protein.”
In case anyone is interested, below are some potato recipes I make. For the first recipe I use a jumbo 6 cup muffin pan and with the second recipe, I also use the crust for tourtière (meat pie) and quiche.
I have stood on a mountain of no’s for one yes. ~ B. Smith
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@Alice-J, I’m currently doing a local food challenge, with my diet varying slightly from week to week due to food availability, but below is a standard day of eating for me:
Breakfast: Skyr with wild blueberry & strawberry compôte, two soft-boiled eggs and black raspberry tea sweetened with boreal honey
Snack: Peppermint tea sweetened with wild raspberry honey
Lunch: Seared sea scallops, half a kilo of Yukon creamer potatoes roasted in clarified butter, wildflower honey and salt, and spiced apple cider
Snack: Skyr with prairie blossom honey
Dinner: Sweet corn & roasted delicata squash chowder, a soft-boiled egg, half a kilo of roasted Yukon creamer potatoes, and spiced apple cider
Before bed: Chamomile tea sweetened with mountain honey
I hope this helps!
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J Jennifer referenced this topic
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Dear Jennifer,
I was so pleased to hear from you. Thank you for moving me from the other thread to here. I am not very clued up about posting and am sorry if I almost derailed sunsunsun's thread!
You have the wonderful gift of going to heart of the matter and I felt sure you would know. Thank you for knowing. I have read your messages many times but feel lost for words as to how to respond. You know, when someone reaches out....., it almost hurts! Thank you.
There is more I should like to say and perhaps ask about your diet but, having sat here for quite some time typing and deleting, typing and deleting (that other problem of 'wanting to get it right'), I am going to walk away for a time and perhaps you will not mind if I come back a bit later. I just did not want you to think that I had not appreciated this connection. I so deeply sense your hard-won freedom. I remember so well one of your previous avatars - the one with you sitting on the top of your mountain looking out into so much space (representing freedom, I assume). My greatest motivation for recovery is to be able to go hiking again. I too need that for my sanity. That was where I felt alive, me and well - decades ago now. Hiking and ballet; I was a dancer too. I was just spared a spinal fracture, but I developed severe osteoporosis in my early 20s. I had to come home about five years ago to live with my elderly Mum. I need to listen and eat more. More enough to repair, not just more enough to get through each day.
I so hope that I am derailing the thread again. Next time, I will keep on the topic of cooking.
Thank you.
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@Alice-J, no apologies necessary. You asked me a question that was on topic, but I think our conversation is an important one that needs expanding on so I thought it best to move it here.
Sadly, the majority of people I know and have communicated with on health forums have experienced some level of anxiety, guilt and/or shame surrounding as vital a thing as food. I remember reading in the Minnesota Starvation Experiment about participants developing eating disorders during the experiment and it had me wondering what lasting effect the many wars and famines throughout history may have had on subsequent generations’ constitutions and attitudes toward food. And though I generally believe knowledge is power, I think we’re at a point in history where many are suffering greatly from information overload.No worries about taking time to respond. I understand. I remember your concerns regarding your osteoporosis—I’m so glad you were spared a spinal fracture. I don’t wish that on anyone. Osteoporosis, ballet, hiking…we seem to have quite a bit in common. About that pic of me on the mountain…
While sitting up there on the edge with 360° of uninterrupted views, I closed my eyes and when I opened them, all I saw was sky and for a moment, it felt like I was flying. I thought that was the freest I would ever feel without sprouting wings, but I had yet to experience what true freedom on this plane of existence feels like. Back then, I had a restlessness that I would only later come to recognize as anxiety so just imagine my shock when years after my spine collapsed and I was unable to climb, I found myself sitting in an empty room not wanting to be anywhere but there in that moment, so overcome with joy just for being alive. For once, I felt grounded, yet freer than ever. I grew roots and wings.
I believe you too will one day feel freer than you can possibly imagine in this moment. Just keep eating out of a love for yourself and your life, not out of fear, okay?Hugs
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I think one key to health is eating food you make at home. It is almost impossible to eat well if you eat out often. But I’m not like RP…he mentioned once he hadn’t eaten out since 1986 or something like that, lol.
At home I have found the best meals for me at this time are things like cooked fish (we have amazing fish here, very freshly caught), a bit of lamb, or beef, or sometimes chicken breast.
Then some carbs like white rice or potatoes, and a well cooked veggie.
I will often have a few glasses of milk too.
This is very traditional but it seems to work. I aim for 30g or 40g of protein, and 60g of carbs, or more. I’m not measuring portions though.
I also am experimenting with making my own paneer and using that instead of milk.
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@Jennifer I've not had to endure all that you have. Though, some of which you speak has affected my life, in varying degrees. So, I do get the drudgery, but even more so, the challenges of the mind, beyond the simple day to day, repetitive tasks. I find the work easy as compared to those other challenges, and I see the work as helping with occupying my mind, directing me into usefulness and a needed distraction, outside of the chronic rumination of thoughts: those things of our life we don't understand, or can't understand, yet. The best remedies and answers to life seem to come when we're not looking and searching for them, hence, the value of distraction. I hope you find your distractions and solutions.
Interesting about not drinking milk. What made you stop that? My brother is trying to sell the carnivore diet to me, on which he lost just under 100lbs, and I'm trying to convince him with all that phosphorous he needs to add calcium to his diet (from my limited understanding). I'm a Ray Peat evangelist, it seems. I don't need to lose 100lbs, but just the fact that he did lose that much, and is keeping it off, makes it hard to completely discount it. It does seem imbalanced to me, and from a Peat perspective it does lack calcium, not to mention carbs. I'm not tempted by the carnivore diet, but it does have me wondering if I could quit milk after starting it 9 years ago, when first starting Peating. Now the milk only diet I can do without
. Haha...those poor kefir grains. I still have mine in the freezer, after about 7 years. I can guess they're no good.I didn't find those fries at the local, big grocery stores. I'll have to look at Sprouts. I currently don't have a Whole Foods by me. I'm still researching air fryers. They're starting to introduce all glass containers with many of the makers, which seems like a good evolution of that appliance.
I think the orchard does have other fruit. I need to find my email from them, and look them up again.
Nice — adding a beach to all those options will have all the terrains covered (except for the desert
— which you probably don't want anyway). Just add time and money, and you'll be set.I've been going pretty big with making bread from scratch. It's really a challenge, with the various types of breads and flours. I remember Travis saying if there was a single food item he'd eliminate from his diet, it would be wheat. Well, my dad isn't going to give that up — and I wouldn't mind keeping some if I can; though, I went years without it, and could do it again — so I thought I'd see how healthy I could make bread. Now there is another expensive, specialty item — flour.
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@Jennifer Thanks for these potato recipes, Jennifer. As time and energy permit, I'll see if I can venture out of my set recipes.
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@Mossy it's hard to argue with 100 pounds of weight loss, but I will try. I think losing that much weight is very dangerous unless done over several years.
Just for anyone -- I'm not talking about your family members of course.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12916-024-03665-9
During a median follow-up of 2.2 years (2,330,180 person-years), there were 10,197 deaths. A notable interaction emerged between weight change and age. For participants ≥ 65 years, compared with stable BMI, more than a 10% decrease in BMI was associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.54–1.86), non-communicable disease mortality (HR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.52–1.84), CVD mortality (HR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.34–1.80), and cancer mortality (HR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.33–1.92). Similar patterns of results for 5% to 10% decrease in BMI were observed. More than a 10% increase in BMI was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04–1.24), non-communicable disease mortality (HR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04–1.25), and CVD mortality (HR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.12–1.44). For participants < 65 years, only more than a 10% decrease in BMI was associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.12–1.77), non-communicable disease mortality (HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.13–1.81), and cancer mortality (HR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.29–2.47). -
@Ecstatic_Hamster Appreciate the input, Hamster. Yes, I think you are correct, about losing weight that fast. I have no arguments there. But, in my brother's case, he would've lost his life anyway, had he not made any changes. He had to have emergency medical intervention to save his life. That was a turning point for him. He went hard in one direction, and just hung on to life, and now is going hard in what he sees as the best direction, based on the results. I sense after the shock of an emergency situation, and now the weight correction, he may come back to the middle.
Those stats you provide are interesting. Am I missing the obvious, or is it being claimed that as little as a 10.5% decrease in BMI, over a 2.2 year span, caused an increased risk of all-cause morality? I'm not saying it's not true, I'm just surprised by those numbers. Arguably, an over weight person could have other troubles by not reducing at least 10.5% BMI, it would seem.
