Cooking with Jennifer

[Jennifer]

@Mossy, no worries. I don’t feel burdened by the thread. You just seem more skilled than I am.

I can see the efficiency of being precise, for sure. I’m a recovering perfectionist and highly analytical so I understand that, as well. At its worst, I suffered from analysis paralysis so I took a much needed information vacation to reconnect to my instincts and intuition. I suspect men are naturally more instinctual than analytical, but Western culture creates self-doubt by valuing external authority over instinct.

Thank you. Yes, absolutely, supporting the matter can help the mind. Maybe not the most popular opinion, but I think mind over matter can be dangerous. I don’t think we should give all our power away to our biology, but I do think we should give ourselves grace. Even though we’re capable beings, sometimes we need more than willpower and positive thinking to overcome our challenges. There’s no shame in receiving help.

That’s a reasonable reaction. There’s nothing like the wrong colored cup to ruin a drink. I like that—“touch water.” Not sure if you’ve heard of it before, but there’s actually such a thing as float therapy. It’s sensory deprivation and involves floating in a tank filled with salt water. It’s like the Dead Sea encapsulated. I could never do it as I’m claustrophobic but aside from the enclosed tank, it seems very relaxing.

Having premade ingredients is smart. I have a few sides and meats I keep in the fridge to mix and match throughout the week like roasted honey butter carrots, mashed and scalloped potatoes, marinated pork tenderloin and herbed turkey tenderloin, and then some buns I keep in the freezer that take only 25 seconds in the microwave to heat up.

My dad’s appetite is so low that no food appeals to him. It’s a side-effect of his cancer treatments that was made worse by the flu and his stubbornness. Despite my warnings, he didn’t get the gravity of the treatments and kept up his normal routine. He’s a musician and continued playing gigs through the worst of his symptoms, caught colds, shared them with me, and we were at the tail end of one when we got the flu at Christmas. A month in and we still felt off, but he played another gig, said he felt so bad that he had to lean against the wall while playing, is now feeling so lousy he can’t walk more than a yard without asking to be put down, while I fantasize about living like a homeless person on the beach, floating around all day on a surfboard and eating Cantonese takeout because anything more than that seems exhausting.

Haha! Thankfully, my useless knowledge is not limited to health so I’m ready for any gameshow. But you’re right, Wonka anything is better because it’s mixed with love, sprinkled with dew, covered in chocolate and a miracle or two. Lord knows I could use a miracle or two, and a maid, and a cook, and something for the delirium that’s clearly setting in. Help me!

[Jennifer]

Milk powder buns recipe:

Youtube Video

4 ingredient ravioli lasagna recipe:

Youtube Video

[Mossy]

@Jennifer Analysis paralysis is a good description.  Ok, interesting, where I said men were more analytical, you think they're more instinctual.  Maybe the instinct comes first, then the analytical, for men, and for women the intuition, then the analytical.  I'm talking purely off the top of my head (dare I say, instinctually), so you're welcome to call out me out if you think this is flawed.  Or not, for as you say, maybe you need a vacation from being overly analytical about yet another thing.  I think the internet and the information age adds to being analytical and turned inwards, as we sit at our keyboards and absorb, absorb, absorb, to a large degree. It's one sided before it attempts to dialog, and the dialog is like a letter, not live, without the immediate give and take.  I will have to ponder your external authority over instinct comment.  I've never thought about it, but maybe you're correct.

Yes, I do like the virtue of grace, very much.  I think as we transform more and more into a digital world, which creates a disconnect from a living exchange, things can become technical and transactional (without getting too political, I believe it's purposely being done), neglecting the human nature and needs of others.

I have heard of floating as part of sensory deprivation. I am claustrophobic as well, and what other phobias that might be included in sensory deprivation.  Really, it's the loss of control I believe which is where my fears lie.  Which I think is human nature, let alone what we've heard as being consistent with men's preferences, to be in control of a situation.  BTW, I'm not purposely referencing and contrasting the differences of the sexes on purpose.  I mean nothing political about it, it's just kind of where some of my thoughts end up based on the topics.

For sure, buns and bread in the freezer, I do as well.  That has been a life saver in terms of making use of all of the homemade bread products I make, and not having to worry about any going bad.

I'm sorry about your dad's cancer.  I get how much of a burden that is, so I understand your desire for some degree of nothingness.  I am there as well, though not at the level you are.  My father's appetite has been less as well.  I suspect he has some kind of illness or ailment as well, or it may just be old age, but he refuses to go to a doctor.  If you don't mind yet another reference, but that tends to be a male thing, not going to a doctor.  I've become the same way myself, but after being let down by so many doctors.  Do you think it helps your dad to continue playing music or is he neglecting doing the right thing?

Haha, delirium sometimes seems to be an escape. Our letting go.  It's kind of like our body's de-stressing mechanism, I could guess.  At least to some degree.  Of course, we can't stay there in any real sense, but I think we do have to learn to let go of some things out of our control.  I speak for myself as well, within my circumstances and challenges.  If I remember correctly, like me, your relatives are conveniently missing.  I hope your brother, or someone, is able to help.

[Mossy]

@Jennifer That is an interesting carnivore buns recipe. I will pass that along to my brother. He is die-hard crazy these days about no carbs, so don't know if he'll be willing. Coincidentally, I have been making the full-fledged milk buns, for hot dogs and hamburgers. They're really good, and it's satisfying to know that they can be made at home, to replace the usually lesser quality store buns.

P.S. That ravioli lasagna looks interesting as well. I think my dad would like that.

[Jennifer]

@Mossy, yep, I think that men (and women) are naturally more instinctual, but the many forms of oppression throughout history, including the insidious such as stereotypes, the current information (overload) age, the perpetuation of non-reality that is social media and so many other factors have led to self-doubt and overriding our instincts. I suppose I see instinct as foresight and analysis hindsight (so similar to what you said?), both having merit, but instinct seems less likely than analysis to be contaminated by social conditioning and thus a more reliable yet underutilized resource. I could be wrong, though. All I know for certain is I have benefitted greatly from exercising my once atrophied, instinctual and intuitive muscles.

I completely agree that the digital world has led to the neglect of our nature and needs. I take no offense to you referencing differences between the sexes, but I can’t be certain which qualities beyond physiology are innate to men for reasons mentioned above so I don’t have more to add to the conversation that isn’t based solely on my pool of reference—being the last surviving woman in my family I see more than once a year and hiking with all men, I’m in the company of men more than women.

Thank you. ️ I’m sorry you’re in a similar situation and your dad’s appetite is less. Having been let down by most doctors myself, I can understand your position. Playing music is good for my dad, just not the 5 hour long gigs he normally plays, while his immune system is weak from the treatments. He has a music studio he’s in most days and I suggested to him during the worst of his symptoms that instead of playing gigs, he gets together with the band just to jam but…

Sadly, able to help, but not willing to. But yes, I can see the delirium and our letting go as a de-stressing mechanism, however, a simple life—a tiny house near the coast and a lot of time spent active outdoors—has been my dream since I was a little girl so even though my desire to do nothing but float on water and eat takeout currently is the exhaustion speaking, it’s not far off from my end-goal and I feel no shame in that.

Oh, wonderful! Do you find the milk buns easier to digest than wheat buns, and is their texture lighter? If you do make the ravioli lasagna, fingers crossed your dad likes it.

[Jennifer]

I almost forgot…

I made this meatloaf recipe the other day using a cup of potato flakes (Bob’s Red Mill brand) instead of the half a cup of breadcrumbs and half a cup of potato flakes the recipe calls for, and for the beef I used wagyu, and my dad said it’s a keeper:

https://savoryreviews.com/potato-meatloaf//