Planning for and tracking my meals and food intake is made much easier using the online MyFitnessPal Food Diary. You can add individual items by meal: breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks. You can search for the items, many are already in the database, or you can add an item or create a recipe, by adding individual ingredients and then saving as a Recipe or Meal. Depending upon how you set these up, you can also remove an item or ingredient.
So I’ve just added a specific breakfast meal and labeled it as “BK – Egg Salad / Bacon / Avocado / Bread.” Now the bread might be toasted, and depending upon whether I’m using the Ezekiel 4.9, Aldi’s ‘Knock Your Sprouts Off’ or the Publix Sourdough bread, there may be slight variations in calorie count. My current favorite of these three is “Knock Your Sprouts Off” sprouted bread from Aldi’s.
The “BK – Egg Salad / Bacon / Avocado / Bread” breakfast, after removing the half avocado and adding hot tea.
I can add the above breakfast meal, and then take off the bacon or the avocado if I choose not to have that on the specific meal. I’ve also just added “BK – Coffee,” and “BK – Hot Tea” items with their additions: half-n-half and/or Agave Nectar, Coconut Palm Sugar. I normally also add Splenda and Stevia. Maybe it’s sweetness overkill, but no individual artificial sweetener seems to provide the deep sweet flavor profile of sugar. *I’ve just renamed (had to copy first, and then save under new name, and then delete old meal) the breakfast meals starting with “BK – “. This causes all the breakfast meals & items to group together.
I do like bacon with the egg salad, but I’ve also come to like just mashing up half an avocado and not having any bacon. I now have an easy way to toast my bread and most of the egg salad fits on the two half slices of bread. I might also add a few halved grape tomatoes (yellow or red).
I make my egg salad from two hard boiled eggs (9 minutes), and mash them up with a little Dukes Mayo and Kerry Gold Grass Fed Butter, celery seeds, garlic powder, Dulse, cayenne powder, salt & some ground Long Pepper. *I had this breakfast this morning, but switched out the grape tomatoes for bacon.
I’ve really enjoyed using the Recipe creator in MyFitnessPal because I can enter a list of ingredients and then change the amount of each ingredients used in the recipe. It will also allow you to determine serving size.
The Ezekiel 4:9 bread comes frozen and that may be one reason why I like it a little less. I actually think the Knock Your Sprouts Off bread has a better flavor. But, the fresh baked sourdough bread from Publix has it’s merits also.
Recall that I love bread, but I also have to limit the type and amount of bread that I eat because of my Type 2 diabetes. Sourdough and sprouted breads are supposed to be more “diabetic friendly.”
A few days ago, I took out half the frozen loaf of Ezekiel 4:9 bread and let it thaw. I then put it in the refrigerator. I’ve enjoyed eating it as toast with egg salad, with peanut butter & a little Agave Nectar, and even as a simple sandwich with Neuske’s Smoked Liver Pate.
[06/24/25];
I will now freeze some of my bread, and refrigerate some. This was something I didn’t like to do, but now am okay with it. I’m eating more bread lately after many months of eating only about 1 slice of sprouted grain bread (“Knock Your Sprouts Off” Aldi’s).
Before the sprouted grain bread, I was eating mostly Sourdough Bread from the Publix bakery. I haven’t bought the Publix bread in a while opting to buy the Aldi’s “Knock Your Sprouts Off.” But now I have about 2/3rds of a loaf of seeded rye bread that I bought so that I could have a couple of slices for my homemade Pastrami Reubens. And just recently I saw a loaf of Sourdough bread at Aldi’s which I bought and have eaten about half of it so far, instead of the sprouted grain bread. And surprisingly for me, my blood sugar hasn’t been affected negatively by switching to the Sourdough.
It’s been quite a few months since the motorcycle rider up in Lillington kicked my passenger side mirror and broke it. He shattered it into quite a few pieces, but none of them dropped out immediately. In fact, I determined that the motor for the mirror still worked fine, and I rode around with the broken mirror for months. Only a few weeks ago as I was heading to Goldsboro for lunch did part of the mirror drop out.
Actually one piece may have dropped out the day I had the car inspected at Hendricks and just after leaving the dealership, I heard a high pitched sound coming from the direction of the passenger side mirror, but I didn’t equate it with air passing through the broken pieces. It was only when I noticed one piece had dropped out that I put two and two together and put the sound with wind.
I got it this far.After Jeff Pressed the Replacement Mirror into Place.
On the trip to and from Goldsboro, much of the broken mirror dropped out, and I pulled a piece or two off when I was in the Longhorn Restaurant parking lot in front of the Mall. Only one corner of the broken mirror remained and this was when I ordered a replacement mirror. I’m pretty sure the $500+ quote that Hendricks gave me was to replace the whole mirror assembly, but I realized that I only needed the mirrored section. And, the unheated mirror section only cost $19 and now I see the price has gone down by a couple of dollars at Amazon.
I finally popped the black plastic piece of the old mirror off today. But when I went to put the replacement on, it fit, but it didn’t lock into place. I don’t know why, but will try online to see if it is a known issue and if there is a simple fix. I’ve put the old plastic back on and put some of the blue painter’s tape on to hold it in place.
I took the replacement mirror with me when I took my defunct Dell Inspiron laptop to Jeff this morning, hoping he might have a trick or some experience and sure enough, he was willing to press the new mirror with more force than I would have and it finally snapped into place without breaking. The passenger side mirror is now working fine. The mirror motor wasn’t damaged when the motorcycle rider kicked it and broke the mirror glass.
I don’t watch many horror movies but came across this one that appears to have been made outside of Hollywood and in the South. A beautiful girl was telling a scary story and at the end she said something like, “Boo” and everyone jumped and then laughed and this reminded me of something I did many, many years ago.
I had a couple of younger friends, Tracy and Jane, who were best friends. There must have been a concert in Charlotte, North Carolina and someone loaned me their station wagon so that we could all go. I was driving. This car had power windows and I had never had a car that had power windows.
We went and had a good time and then came the long drive back to Jacksonville, North Carolina from Charlotte. The drive took place at night. We made it back to Elizabethtown and then got on the road to Burgaw. This was ages ago and there were long stretches of that road that had no houses on it.
It did for many years have a very tall TV antenna. I think I read that this was used by a Wilmington TV (WECT 6 Raycom) station. And, I do recall seeing an online video several years ago when they demolished the tower. This was a tower so tall that if you were near it’s base, you would hurt your neck bending it back to look all the way up to the top. But on this night the tall TV tower wasn’t the main event.
We started telling scary stories in the car. All the windows were up and as I said there were no houses, no lights along a long stretch of road. I’m not good at telling scary stories, and I was having to make one up on the fly but I had an idea for a surprise ending.
I told a story about a creature that lived along this stretch of road and it would abduct people driving along the road, snatching them from their vehicles never to be heard from again. So, I set this story up. Seems like there were 3 other people in the car. Tracy, Jane and I don’t recall the third girl.
Well, I get to the end of the story and it was dark in the car, but I had quietly moved my left hand over onto the 4 power window buttons, and at the finish of the story I pressed all four buttons and the windows came down and the air rushed into the car, and everyone let out a scream, and then laughed. What fun!
I’m looking at the credits for the horror movie, “Death Screams,” I was watching and it was a 1981 movie made in Shelby, North Carolina. That’s funny.
Susan Kiger (Playboy Playmate 1977) who did “hard core” porn before she became a playmate.
Andria Savio was married to Tony Curtis for several years.
2023
I just replayed the ending of this movie and I still don’t know who the killer was. I just didn’t pay enough attention to the movie other than making a comment to myself that there were a bunch of good looking women in it. I think I made a comment about Kiger having “Hallmark Channel Movie” beauty. And she did, but now that I know how rough she had been prior to making this film, I wouldn’t expect her to have ever done anything great in acting. *She stepped away from acting right after “Death Screams” and has been living in California ever since. She is just a couple of months older than me, and is a very attractive woman still.
NOT SO DEEP FAKES
A few days ago I came upon a YouTube video about how the actor, Denzel Washington, had argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court and impressed the court with his legal acumen. I listened to the end of the video and found it extremely inspiring. I was just re-watching the demolition video embedded above and for some reason was reminded of the Denzel Washington video and I thought to google to see if the video was actually real… and it wasn’t. The story was almost completely made up. Washington hadn’t earned a law degree from Howard University and he never argued any case before the Supreme Court. How disappointing that some mook, and I use the term “mook” in the least favorable way,… some mook wasted my time vie,wing his creation of fiction. I can only hope that he or she will at some point in the future have their time wasted in a similar fashion. But the video, if it had been true would have been extremely inspiring.
*Just a few days ago and weeks after I had viewed the above video, I came across a story, online about a young woman police officer who disappeared in the 1970s. They were showing a picture of an attractive woman officer in uniform, and beside that pic was a picture of a rusted hull of an automobile, at the rocky sea shore. The word “POLICE” prominently displayed on it’s passenger side door. I began to read the story but as I did “little things” began to register. Notably, they mentioned the make and model of the patrol car the woman officer had been driving the night she disappeared, and when I looked at the rusted hull, I didn’t think that matched the named type of vehicle. And then it came to me to look for the key phrase at the start of this article… and yep, there it was, something to the effect that “the following content is fiction.” Okay, it doesn’t say that explicitly, but that is what the phrase means. Believe me, the little fictional stories made up to pique people’s interest, and waste their time following the stories as if the fiction was real has gotten to be a slick delivery tool.
I’m not ready to write this yet, so this is going to just be a start.
The most enjoyable book I’ve read in the last few years was a bio written by Michelle Obama, “Becoming.”
We couldn’t have gone through more different paths growing up and she is much, much younger than myself, but there were certain rewarding commonalities. *Actually I just googled, and she is10 years minus a day (born January 17, 1964) younger than me.
I also went back to view President Barak Obama on YouTube. Obama and Trump. The difference between night and day. I was watching his interaction with the Republican Congressional leadership and my impression was that they were smiling, but they were going to do everything they could to make sure he failed… and that was even though it would have been beneficial to most Americans if his projects had succeeded.
Yesterday I was at the new Harnett County Library near Lillington and I bought one small book, “Bloom’s Bouquet of Imaginary Words” for $2..
I quickly (just made it to my car in the parking lot) realized that this was a book well worth the price. I have laughed and laughed at the witty, thoughtful definitions. I will paraphrase the two examples that come to mind. “Shelfish – A self involved crustacean” (the illustration is of a crab standing in front of a mirror looking at himself). “A Pollygraph – An instrument for determining if a parrot is lying.” How can you not laugh at those, and there are many, many more.
.
Oh, and I read a biography of Dick Van Dyke that was enjoyable. It wasn’t too many days after I finished his book that I saw him on TV. He had been endangered by the wild fires in California and someone had saved him. He had a wonderfully thankful attitude.
A good graphic artist brings together a mix of technical skill, creativity, and personal qualities that allow them to turn ideas into compelling visuals. Here are some key qualities:
🎨 Creative Vision
Strong imagination and the ability to think outside the box.
Can visualize concepts and communicate abstract ideas visually.
Knows how to evoke emotion or tell a story through design.
👁️ Attention to Detail
Notices alignment, spacing, color balance, and other small but important elements.
Precision matters—a clean, polished design makes a big difference.
🛠️ Technical Skills
Proficiency in design software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, or Figma.
Affordable, Christian-based school with a flexible schedule.
Focuses on technical and conceptual design skills.
Arizona State University (ASU Online)
Degree offered: Bachelor of Science in Graphic Information Technology.
Combines design with development and UX/UI concepts.
Good choice if you’re interested in both design and digital publishing/web.
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
Degree offered: BA in Graphic Design (with or without a concentration in Web Design).
Very accessible and affordable, especially for working adults.
SEE IF YOU CAN DETERMINE THE REQUIRED COURSES FOR A GRAPHIC ARTS DEGREE AND THEN LOOK THROUGH THE SYLLABI (the roadmap for a course, the books, resources and course requirements). This can give you a clearer idea of what kind of skills and info you need to learn while earning the degree and will give you a “jump start” of acquiring those skills ahead of others.
If you can’t find a current syllabus for a course, then search the web for a “syllabus for COURSEID at INSTITUTIONNAME” and put the course ID where the word “COURSEID” is located. Someone who has already taken the course may post the syllabus they used online and this can give you a better idea of what is required in the course.
Magazine Graphic Artist
A Magazine Graphic Artist creates the visual layouts and designs for a magazine’s content, including articles, advertisements, and overall branding. These designers use software or hand-drawn methods to develop visual concepts and layouts. To become a magazine designer, a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, marketing, journalism, or a related field is often required, and experience through internships can be beneficial.
Education: A bachelor’s degree in graphic design, communications, or a related field is often a requirement, or employers may consider applicants with several years of relevant experience in graphic design or layout design.
Gain Experience: Internships, entry-level positions as an art assistant or junior designer, and freelance work are valuable for building experience and refining your skills.
Develop Design Skills: Familiarize yourself with core design principles, including color theory, typography, layout, and image editing.
Master Design Software: Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) is essential for creating magazine layouts.
Build a Portfolio: A well-curated portfolio is your strongest asset when applying for jobs. Showcase your best work, demonstrating your design skills and ability to create visually appealing and effective layouts.
Network and Connect: Attend industry events, connect with other designers online, and build relationships with professionals in the field.
Stay Updated: Graphic design is constantly evolving, so stay informed about the latest trends and technologies in the industry.
Apply for Jobs: Search for magazine designer positions online and tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant skills and experience.
Consider Further Education: A master’s degree can enhance your career prospects and potentially lead to higher earning potential.
Freelance Opportunities: Consider freelancing to build your portfolio and gain experience before seeking a full-time position.
A Cartoonist
If you have the talent, a cartoonist is a great way to speak truth to your audience. The above cartoon gives the reason why North Carolina is losing a lot of teachers. If out of 50 States, you are 43rd in paying your teachers, why shouldn’t they go somewhere else to teach?
Book Illustrator / Book Cover Creator
ASK ABOUT “STUDENT PRICING” ON ALL APPS THAT YOU ARE LOOKING TO BUY! OFTEN YOU MAY ONLY PAY 1/3 OF THE NORMAL PRICE BECAUSE YOU ARE A STUDENT. ALSO, SEE IF YOU CAN BUY THE “SUITE” OF APPLICATIONS, NOT JUST ONE AT A TIME.
A physical place to get ideas for a graphic artist. Colors, cloth design, related characters and ways to express themes.
Check out “Space Mug” for an idea of how an artist can change their focus, or if they marry a fellow artist, can be influenced by their spouse in their creative endeavors. I bought my mug about the time that the artist was changing her artistic focus, and now 8 years later, she recalls little about when she was making artistic mugs.
To make a living as a graphic artist, focused on a specific (niche) form of art, you probably will have to perform a more “mundane” daily work as a graphic artist. You do the boring stuff in order to be able to feed yourself, clothe yourself and house yourself, all the while honing the art that you really enjoy doing.
Something like a performance artist (TV or movie star) you work 15 years serving tables as a waiter or waitress to be “suddenly discovered” and become a star.
Bacon grease (use sparingly, or not at all – high fat)
Cumin powder
Fenugreek
Diced Green Peppers
S&P
I think I either added ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes also. *This dish needs a “little” heat, but don’t add too much jalapeno or other hot peppers.
I was in the mood for something like this so I stopped by IGA and bought a package of Jamestown Hot Pork Sausage. I knew I probably would use Cannellini beans, and then I also thought to add some shrimp (peeled, deveined, heads & tails off). This soup came together very well. I would hope to repeat this finished product because it was just very good soup. Relatively simple to make. Very simple to enjoy eating with some tortilla or wonton chips.
Estimated: Serves 2–3 people (~448 kcal per serving)
Ingredients
1 tbsp bacon grease
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 jalapeño, diced
1/2 cup diced green peppers
1/4 lb hot pork sausage (high fat content)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp fenugreek
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 to 1/3 lb shrimp (about 6–8 medium-sized), peeled and deveined
Salt & pepper to taste
Estimated Yield
About 4–5 cups of soup total
Serves 2 hearty bowls or 3 moderate bowls
Serving Suggestions:
Toasted Cornbread Wedges
Slightly sweet cornbread helps balance the heat. Toast slices in a skillet with a bit of bacon grease or butter for a crispy edge.
Grilled or Pan-Seared Polenta Rounds
Crisp outside, creamy inside—mild flavor that soaks up the broth well.
Simple Cucumber Salad
Thin-sliced cucumbers tossed with a splash of vinegar, olive oil, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Super refreshing next to the heat of the soup.
[04/23/25]: Making it again, and it’s good again. One of those things that comes together really well, and you just know it’s a keeper from the get go. It reminds me of how I have never made corn chowder that was this good, and I like a flavorful corn chowder. I could put this soup with my long time favorites of “Curried Apple” and “Tarragon Pea” soup. I haven’t made either of those in a long time, but I have made them many times in the past and know I really do like their flavors. Both of those soups are good either hot or cold. But this one is a warm soup, with earthy flavors. *Glad I looked at the images. I forgot to list “diced jalapenos” in this and they are that little extra kick. [end]
[Note]: Damn, I didn’t realize how high the calorie count, per serving was for this. It is delicious, but I can’t afford to eat this unless I use a lot less pork sausage, and no bacon grease. [end Note]
[ADDENDUM]: Here is a variation of the above soup and almost as good.
Hot Pork Sausage (probably not even a quarter of the whole package)
Olive Oil
Shrimp
Onion (chopped fine)
Black & Pinto Beans
Okra
Diced Orange Sweet Bell Pepper
Diced Green Chilis
Cumin Ground
Fenugreek Powder
Chicken Broth
S&P
NOTE: I added one small Campari tomato, sliced, to a version and it did not take away from the overall flavor of this soup. I did add some diced okra, sweet bell pepper & cannellini beans. [end NOTE]
I used far less pork sausage than the recipe above because of it’s high fat content. I used no bacon grease, and very little olive oil. I used no Cannellini beans, and combined the Black & Pinto beans because I had used them in another dish, a multi-bean salad (with a vinegar base). I came upon the raw okra, and have in the past found that adding these to various soups provide an earthy and unique flavor.
I have crumbled up blue corn tortilla chips into the soup, or added the wonton chips. Either provide a dry crunch to the soup.
I’m going through my “Fenugreek” phase, and don’t find the powder bitter although that is the recurring mention by various other cooks. Years ago I went through a “ginger” phase, and then added “marjoram” to most dishes. I still love ginger candy, and even grate fresh ginger into a stir fry.
I like the flavors of Salsa Ranchera and Patak’s Curry Paste added to the same chicken dish. One takes the flavors in a Hispanic direction and the other in an India Indian direction. You can dice the chicken, onion, carrots and bell pepper exactly the same for each dish, and just choose which flavor you want to go in. Oh, and I may squeeze some lime juice in either. I like Spicy Chili Crisp on many things: steamed cabbage or cauliflower, mashed cucumber, or in a stir fry with a little sweetness. I also may add Toasted Sesame Oil to any of the above. And I have a minor “Diced Green Chilis” hunger that works in various soups.
[end]
Another thought came to me, that I could use Bay Scallops or perhaps Cod Fish instead of shrimp. I’ve enjoyed the fibrous nature of the Cod fish in my seafood chowder. I also need to see if I can get a better deal on frozen, peeled, heads & tails off, shrimp. I’ve bought them at Publix for several years, but I can never count on the local Publix to have them when I go looking. I checked yesterday and they had all the other types but none with all the above options. I even went to Cary or Mooresville once and found them there with no problem. It’s like Harris Teeter consistently not having the Greek Gods Plain Yogurt. *HT seems to have a better price for the shrimp, but their package is 12 oz. instead of 16 oz. **I bought a 12 oz. bag of the HT brand frozen shrimp, and will try it in the above recipe shortly. ***I didn’t like the flavor with the Bay Scallops (Faroe Island).
[06/02/25]: Am almost through making this soup again, and it is consistently a very good soup. I bought a bag of peeled, heads & tails off shrimp at HT and have been just as happy with them as with the Publix brand. I can make enough soup for two generous portions, and I use about a third of the Jamestown Hot Sausage. I’ve frozen two sandwich bags of the sausage for making this soup at other times. I made something similar using a hot Italian sausage, but it’s not as good as the ground sausage. And yes, the heat makes this soup delicious. [end]
There are two items on this wall of kitchen tools, that was in a Dollar Tree ($T)near me, that I found useful in my Bean Sprouting Project. First was the “splash guard” and the second, that I really didn’t think I needed, became absolutely necessary, the red pair of kitchen shears (scissors).
$1.25 @ $T$1.25 @ $T$.99 @ Sun Asian Market
I had looked online and found that all the sprouting jar lids (to be used on Ball or Mason Jars) were only for the “wide-mouth” jars. *Oh, you can buy glass jars, either the pint or quart size (not Ball/Mason) for $1.25 at $T. I wanted to use a regular mouth jar for my sprouting, and those wide-mouth specialty lids all cost about $4 or higher. As I was walking in “Ollie’s” I happened to see a grease splash guard but it cost about $4, but the thought came to me that I should be able to get one for $1.25 at Dollar Tree, and I did. I might be able to easily make 5 jar lid meshes out of one splash guard, but so far I’ve only made one and am reusing it for my second bean sprouting project. **I managed to cut out about 8 mesh strainers from the one splash guard, so that’s about 35 cents each, and I got the regular sized canning jars size instead of the wide-mouthed size.
There must have been some subconscious motivation for me to buy a pair of kitchen shears. I know I have one, somewhere, and I have several sewing scissors that I rarely use. One pair of these are a blackish metal with a sharp point. Mom used these for sewing her Butterick dresses. But buying these was prophetic.
I got the metal splash guard home and traced a black circle around a Mason jar cap with a permanent marker. How hard was that? But then the unexpected problem presented itself. I didn’t have any scissors or tin snips that would cut the metal of the splash guard. After being stymied, I thought I might have to buy some kind of screen door material that was made of a fine mesh plastic. But, before I went out looking for that, I happened to look down at the bag of things I had bought at Dollar Tree and realized I had a new pair of kitchen shears. I took them out. I think they were slightly serrated along the blades. And, to my surprise they worked. I now had a round metal mesh that fit perfectly in a regular Mason Jar lid. And although I didn’t glue this mesh into the jar lid, it remained stuck there for the entire remaining process. *I’ve cut my second mesh from the splash guard and trimming this one was much easier. It fits snuggly in the jar lid, and I’ve added a “second round” of mung beans. I also have some black eyed peas that haven’t sprouted yet. I’ve read that they have a unique flavor. And I have my sprouted lentils in the refrigerator.
I had seen dry mung beans in a bin at Sprouts (not prophetic) where I normally buy prunes, dry cranberries, and assorted nuts, but when I go looking for mung beans, they don’t have any. I next went to the Apple Crate Naturals (health foods store) and they didn’t have any mung beans either, but the clerk there suggested I go to Sun Asian Market. I already knew of Sun, and have shopped there several times for assorted items. I asked the clerk at Sun if they had mung beans and I was taken down several aisles and they had two different vendors selling packaged dry mung beans. I bought the one you see above for 99 cents.
You add the unsprouted beans (mung, lentils) in the jar and fill with a generous amount of water. Let this sit for 12 hours, or overnight, then drain. I don’t recall how many times you do this, and then drain, but eventually you just rinse the sprouting beans about twice a day and don’t let them sit in the water. I used one of my black soup bowls to put the jar in and lean it to it’s side slightly. It fit perfectly in the bowl for this purpose.
The AI suggested that I use a black sock, cutting the foot out and putting it over the jar. That worked perfectly. I probably should wash this sock after each use because it does get wet and remains wet for the duration of the process. But, the beans sprout, and then grow longer until they are ready to be used. Crunchy.
I used my Mung Bean sprouts both in a stir fry and in my Wakame Seaweed Salad and they worked fine. I think I only used 1/8 of a cup of beans, at least that is the amount of lentils I have started for my second bean sprouting project. I’m surprised at how quickly that I used the Mung Bean sprouts, and they did pretty much filled the jar. *If you have them, you will find a way to use them… I’ve put the sprouted Mung beans in my red cabbage slaw, in my homemade guacamole, in my wakame seaweed salad and I just thought, I might even try them mixed with my steamed cauliflower and Spicy Chili Crisp… that would be quite a juxtaposition of both flavors & textures.
I just refreshed my memory of the process. Cover the beans with a generous amount of water for 12 hours. Pour out and rinse, but pour out the water and invert the jar. Then add water and rinse twice a day. After several days the bean sprouts will grow. Eventually you take them out of the jar, dry them off and put them in a container and into the refrigerator.
I was very happy with my first bean sprouting project and hopefully will keep doing it. Better than buying a container at Whole Foods and then using it only once before they go bad.
SPROUTING BEAN SOURCES
Sun Asian Market [Fayetteville, NC]
I bought a bag of Mung beans for about a dollar. They had two companies. *When I returned to buy another bag, they had doubled in price to $2, but I still think of that as a good deal.
I think I tried to sprout broccoli seeds at home and wasn’t quite happy with the outcome, so I’ve been buying already sprouted broccoli seeds at the store. I’ve tried two different brands and am happy with the “Sunny Creek Farm” brand that I’ve bought at The Fresh Market. *There was a time when I would buy a package of sprouts, eat one helping and then let the rest rot in the fridge, but I’ve been good lately about buying, and using them all, mainly because I am adding some to my almost daily salads (IGA or HT), and I’ve also added them to a simple salad with sliced red radishes, and some ground mustard seeds. The mustard seed enzymes interact with the broccoli sprouts to enhance the sulforaphane production.
Mung Beans
35 cents for one regular Mason jar mesh strainer.The high sided bowl is just the right height to lean the glass jar perfectly.
I am completely happy with the Mung bean sprouts and have some well on their way again.
Lentils
The lentils sprouted but I the flavor wasn’t as good as the Mung beans in my seaweed salad. And, I tried at a later time to sprout some of the red lentils I had and they just didn’t sprout, so I threw them out.
Black Eyed Peas
Just a note here. I tried sprouting these and they did begin to sprout, but only a few days into the process I noted a slight sour smell. I tried several peas and they were easily chewable, but I decided to pour them out.
Amaranth
A very tiny seed, that apparently makes a very tiny sprout. It will be interesting if it has a unique flavor. *For my first try at sprouting Amaranth, I used 1/8 of a cup of the small seeds. They may not sprout well in a jar, as do Mung beans.
TYPE OF SEEDS TO SPROUT:
Moong dal seeds
Radish seeds
Broccoli seeds
Crimson clover
Mustard seeds
Mung bean sprouts are a powerhouse of nutrition—low in calories but rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Here’s a breakdown of their main benefits:
🥦 Nutritional Highlights (per 1 cup, ~104g, raw):
Calories: ~31
Protein: 3g
Carbohydrates: 6g
Fiber: 2g
Fat: 0.2g
🌱 Key Nutritional Benefits
1. High in Antioxidants
Contain compounds like vitamin C, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, which help fight oxidative stress and reduce inflammation.
2. Good Source of Plant-Based Protein
Offers a small but quality dose of protein, especially useful in vegetarian or plant-forward diets.
3. Digestive Health
The fiber in sprouts aids in digestion and helps maintain healthy bowel movements.
The hulls are a good source of insoluble fiber, which aids in digestion, promotes gut health, and can help regulate blood sugar levels.
Also easier to digest than unsprouted mung beans due to reduced anti-nutrients like phytic acid.
4. Supports Heart Health
Low in fat and cholesterol.
Contains potassium and magnesium, which support healthy blood pressure levels.
5. Rich in Folate (Vitamin B9)
Essential for DNA synthesis and particularly important during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects.
6. Boosts Immunity
Good amount of vitamin C, which enhances immune function and aids in collagen production.
7. Helps with Blood Sugar Control
The low glycemic index and fiber can help moderate blood sugar spikes.
8. Hydrating and Low-Calorie
High water content helps with hydration and can be a filling, low-calorie food for weight management.
🍽️ How to Use Them
Raw in salads or wraps
Stir-fried briefly with garlic and sesame oil
Added to soups, spring rolls, or Asian-style noodle dishes & my Wakame Seaweed Salad.
I like them in a red cabbage slaw, with Dukes Mayo, half-n-half and some sweet onion. They provide a pleasant crunch.
I’m going to list some ingredients for my guacamole and I know that they may not all be technically what goes into a guacamole recipe. This also gets blended and makes the guacamole very smooth. The yogurt and sour cream and even the tomatillo makes it so.
Avocado
Avocado oil
Tomatillo (I used a small one.)
Green Chilis (I forgot these, but it was still delicious.)
Sweet Onion
Cilantro
Mung beans (sprouted – optional, but delicious crunchy texture)
Sour Cream
Greek Yogurt plain
Lime juice (optional, but goes great with the cilantro.)
Cumin (ground)
Garlic (powder)
Salt
I am now creating this not as a stand-alone item to use with tortilla chips, but as part of a meal. The base being “Black Beans & Quinoa” which has some onion & corn also. This is a flavorful base for the meal. I didn’t intend it to be “vegetarian” but it is close. The guacamole is the cooling compliment to the salsa with a little heat. I also want to add cilantro, onion, & jalapeno (roasted) to the salsa.
Later in the summer, there is a vendor at the State Farmers’ Market in Raleigh that offers a great number of varied peppers, both mild and hot. I do not like the very hot peppers. I do like the peppers that have distinctive flavor. A jalapeno or poblano, both roasted, have just enough heat. I have mentioned elsewhere three other distinctive peppers but I can’t always get them. Actually, I tried all three a couple years ago, and was only able to get one of the three last year. I asked all season long, and they were never available for sale. Biquhino, Trinidad Perfume and Brazillian Starfish. I found another pepper, Ajicitos Dulces Peppers, at Compare, and have frozen some of them. I can take one out, cut it, and add it to whatever I’m cooking. I’m not sure it is that distinctive in flavor, and it doesn’t have any heat.
[04/12/25]: Well, I hope I remember what I was going to write about here. [end]
Creamy Small-Batch Guac with Lime, Tomatillo & Greek Yogurt
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and chunked
1 tsp lime juice
¼ red bell pepper, finely diced
¼ small sweet white onion, minced
1 small tomatillo, husked, rinsed, and finely chopped (raw or roasted)
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (for creaminess)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Total for the Whole Recipe:
Calories: 281 kcal
Carbohydrates: 19.7 g
Protein: 4.9 g
Fat: 22.7 g
This small-batch guacamole yields about 1 cup total (maybe a little more, depending on how chunky it is). That’s perfect for:
Day before yesterday I was suffering from mild diarrhea so I decided not to try and go to Wegman’s in Raleigh. Yesterday, I was feeling much better and headed up to Raleigh again. Not sure why, but this time I didn’t take my shortcut, bypassing Bunnlevel, but went through the small town. Not actually sure I would call it a town. It does have a Post Office, Fire Department, a Dollar General and a church, but not much else. 45 miles per hour, and zip you’re through it.
My crass joke is based upon the simple observation of “Why won’t they ever build a high school in Bunnlevel?” And the reply is, “Because they would have to call it Ass Hole High.” If you’re from Bunnlevel, I’m pretty sure that’s an offensive joke, but as far as humor goes, it’s “spot on.”
I got to Lillington and decided to drive by the junk store. It was open and I went to a small parking lot nearby and walked back to it. I like many of the things they have. Unlike some junk stores, I find interesting things there, and I’ve bought items in the past. I bought a set of Lennox glasses once and there must have been at least 10 in the set because I think I kept four of them and gave six away. I ended up buying an “Azalea Coast” cook book for $4 plus tax. This cookbook didn’t fit my standard. No colorful pictures, but there were recipes from Wilmington, North Carolina and the nearby region of Pender, Hanover, and Brunswick Counties.
After Lillington I headed up and dropped off a couple of books at a Little Lending Library that I’ve visited before. This is the one where I once left a book that had some personal items in it. The book had an old driver’s license, a photo of a relative’s child, and maybe a Christmas card. The owner of the LLL returned these items to me via the U.S. Postal Service. But what do you expect from someone that leaves those types of personal items in a book? I didn’t open the letter that the person sent immediately. In fact, I think it may have been about 3 months before I opened it and read the note. And even worse, I didn’t send a thank you note anytime soon.
But yesterday I was in Fuquay Varina and stopped at their Walmart for the second time, maybe ever. A few weeks ago I had actually stopped there and bought a small hand vacuum cleaner. That broke the ice, and yesterday I stopped in and bought two things: a box of boxed matches and finally I bought a Walmart Gift Card. The store clerk was very helpful and even pointed me to the matches on H11.
I walked out to my car and as I was starting it up, I looked and saw the tire warning light on my dash. I checked and it said that my rear driver’s side tire only had 28 pounds of pressure. The rest of the tires had around 36/37 pounds. I had to decide what to do. I even asked Gemini what I should do. A tire store, or service station were a few of the suggestions. I asked if there was a Black’s Tire Service in the area. There was one in Apex, about 10 miles away. I thought through the process and decided I didn’t want to continue on to Wegman’s in Raleigh, buy some White American Cheese & the Bigelow Raspberry Royale tea (before Trump Tariffs stop things from being imported, or drive up prices so high). Yeah, I didn’t want to be sitting in my car in the Wegman’s parking lot, with cheese that needs refrigeration.
So, I started back home, and kept watch on the tire pressure. I might have gone twenty mile before the tire pressure dropped from 28 to 27. Once it did that, I knew I had made the right decision. And now the process began to gel in my mind. I had a box of trash in the trunk, but I wanted to get the tire from my apartment before I went to Black’s Tires. I think the rear tire pressure did drop to 26 as I neared home. I decided to put the trash in my back seat, and got the old tire and put it in the trunk. This was just the tire and not on a rim.
I made it to Black’s Tire Service on Ramsey Street, next to Methodist University without further problems. I told the young woman clerk that I had a tire leak and that I had a spare that could be put on a rim if necessary. Sure enough this was about the third tire, with a nail or wire, in a location that meant it couldn’t be repaired. And the clerk forgot about the spare that I had brought and quoted me a price of about $242 for the one new tire. I walked and sat back down in the waiting area, but my mind was processing the situation. Had she said that my tire couldn’t be repaired? I got back up and asked her. Sure enough she said it couldn’t be repaired and I asked why they couldn’t put the spare I had brought. She rushed out to tell the tech to put my spare on, which he did and my total bill ended up being only about $42. So having kept that old tire, even if it didn’t have a lot of tire tread, did finally pay off.
I now had good tires all around, but I wasn’t going to go back to Raleigh, but I now wanted to go to the La-Z-Boy in Fayetteville to give a saleswoman a copy of “Becoming” a bio by Michelle Obama. I had stopped in the store on Sunday looking to see what easy chairs they had. I think the first one I sat in was about $3K, and the rest appeared to be in that price range. So needless to say, I wouldn’t be buying from La-Z-Boy again.
Like, but not.
I had bought a sofa & love seat and my bent wood “Easy” chair there back in 2011 when I first moved to Long Hill Apartments. Eventually I gave the sofa & love seat to Jeff and Robin, and I’m guessing they have just moved that furniture with them to their new home. I haven’t gone to their new home yet, but have a bunch of “art” books for Ashlyn when I do.
I didn’t recall the name of the La-Z-Boy saleswoman, but we had a long conversation and I recalled that we had talked about her using an AI to organize a book she was writing. She was working and once I got close enough, I asked, “Did we have a conversation about how you were using AI to organize a book you were writing,” to which she replied, “Yes.” I told her I had a book for her. She thanked me and hugged me. I left. I hope she enjoys the book. It was a very enjoyable book and inspiring.
Oddly enough, I bought the book in Dunn at “Cat’s Corner.” I paid a little more than I had wanted, but I did want to give this book as a gift. But the “oddly” was that after I bought the book I saw Michelle Obama on TV talking about “doing stuff for herself.” I don’t think she actually said she wasn’t planning to not divorce Barak Obama, and he seemed to be apologetic in having “run up a tab” with his wife that he was trying to pay. I like them both, even if they do divorce. She hasn’t attended at least two events that you would normally think she would have. The funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, and the Inauguration of Donald Trump.
I definitely could see not attending anything for Trump. That was something that Hillary and Bill Clinton should have skipped. As I’ve said elsewhere, “If someone had called my wife ‘That lying Hillary’ over and over again during the Campaign, I sure wouldn’t have attended any event for them. And Trump actually thanked them both for their long civic service and had everyone stand and clap. How two-faced can you get? I think I know.
So, with her showing up on TV after a long time of not being on TV seemed almost prophetic. I figure the book will be enjoyed. I hope.
I’m now living under a Hex to not be able to get to Wegman’s and get the Raspberry Royale.
I’m supposed to get my new waffle iron today. A Cuisinart WMR-CAP2 Round Classic Waffle Maker, Brushed Stainless,Silver from Amazon. *Messaged that it was delivered, to a parcel locker, but no key in the mailbox. I left a note the next morning, and when I got back home the key was in the box. I got the new waffle iron. Hope it’s in working condition. Unboxed, looks a little flimsy.
Purchase Date: 04/08/2025 Date of Delivery: 04/12/2025 Purchased From: AMAZON.COM Price: $24.95
I plan to give my old one to the Northwoods Thrift Store. It’s been a long while since I had a waffle for breakfast. But, I haven’t had liver mush (liver pudding) either, nor polenta. **Gave the old one to the thrift store yesterday. ***Key not left in box the first day, but I left a note to the Postman next morning, and when I got back and checked the key was in the mailbox.
I coated the waffle iron surface with olive oil, top & bottom. Turned it on, and shortly the green light came on to add the batter. I had added some Greek Yogurt and sour cream to the Bisquick recipe for more moisture, and the waffle came out perfectly, and very quickly also. Added a little grass fed butter, some Agave Nectar and Cary’s Sugar Free Syrup. **Another reminder, but I’ve put this maple flavored no-sugar syrup on carrots with a little butter, on the stove top and the syrup gets thinner and not thicker as sugar might. You end up with a maple flavored glazed carrot.
*Oh, and I had a large glass jar which held the whole box of Bisquick. Some time ago, I had mealy bugs get in my opened box of Bisquick and ruin it, and some dry beans also. So, I bought a large glass jar (gallon or half-gallon) with a tight fitting lid for the Bisquick. No bugs this morning and it’s been well more than a month since. I’ve also put all my dry beans in small glass or plastic containers. Most containers are Ball/Mason/Dukes Mayo jars, some with canning jar lids and some with the yellow plastic Dukes Mayo lids.
I do want to mention how I am using AI to enhance my food experience. I can take a photo of a recipe in a cookbook and then have the AI interpret it.
.
.
This was Gemini’s response:
The attached file contains a recipe for “SMOKED OYSTER DIP”. The recipe lists the following ingredients:
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
1 (3½-ounce) can smoked oysters, drained and chopped
½ cup ripe olives, minced
1 teaspoon onion, grated
The instructions are to thoroughly blend the cream cheese, sour cream, oysters, olives, and onion. The recipe suggests serving the dip with chips or crackers and states that it makes 1 cup. The recipe is attributed to Mrs. Landon B. Anderson (Connie).
I am impressed by how well the AI reads the text from a photo. And, if I wanted to add that recipe to a web page, or a Word document, the AI has done all the hard work for me. *It’s not always perfect, but when it is, it saves a lot of time. And then I can start exploring the recipe even further. Asking the calorie count, the suggested serving size and even reducing the ingredient amounts.
Gemini providing further exploration of the above recipe:
Okay, let’s calculate the approximate calories per serving based on our estimated serving size of 2 tablespoons (1/8 of the total recipe).
Here are the approximate total calories for the entire recipe:
Cream cheese: ~300 calories
Sour cream: ~180 calories (using an average)
Smoked oysters: ~160 calories
Ripe olives: ~110 calories (using an average)
Onion: ~1 calorie
Total estimated calories for the entire recipe: 300 + 180 + 160 + 110 + 1 = 751 calories
Now, to find the calories per serving (assuming 8 servings of 2 tablespoons each):
Calories per serving ≈ Total calories / Number of servingsCalories per serving ≈ 751 calories / 8 servingsCalories per serving ≈ 93.88 calories
Therefore, each serving of approximately 2 tablespoons of this Smoked Oyster Dip would contain roughly 94 calories.
Important Note: This is an estimated calorie count. The actual calories per serving can vary depending on the specific brands and types of ingredients used. For more precise nutritional information, it’s always best to check the nutrition labels of your ingredients.
And I can also ask the AI to make a recipe “more diabetic friendly,” and it will make suggestions like, “substitute Greek Yogurt for sour cream.”
I’m also using an online tool, “My Fitness Pal” to keep track of the foods I eat, or plan to eat. I also track my weight and resting blood glucose level.
I can add recipes to this, so I can take a picture of a recipe from some source, an old cookbook for instance, and have the AI generate the text from the photo. I then paste the recipe ingredients text into the recipe creation tool at My Fitness Pal. It then searches for these ingredients and pretty soon, I have a new recipe, with the almost exact calorie counts. I did this for the “Black Beans and Quinoa” recipe that I had found online. I didn’t have to rely on someone else having already posted this recipe to the site. I did it.
And while I’m still think of it, I am going to try to use those empty glass vials that I bought to use as chess pieces for my new pill organizer. I hope I kept some and didn’t donate them all to the thrift store. I looked at the pill organizers that $T has, and none worked. Too small, odd shaped, all one unit and not daily.
I found a few of the tall glass vials and tried my morning tablets in it. They fit easily and the smaller, half sized glass vial might fit all the morning, or all the evening tablets also. I’m pretty sure I donated them, but if not I will have enough for my tablets and they will also be easily fillable for both morning & evening. True that the mouth of the vials is small, but they came in a box where the vials can line up nicely side by side. But, the small mouth means I can just turn the vial up and swallow.
I found the box of glass vials (3 different sizes) that I used to make a chess set. I don’t have enough of the 2/3rd size to have matching vials for 7 days, but I do have enough of the tall vials for 7 days, two vials per day. *While in Target today I happened to see a black silicone ice tray. It had 7 slots on each side (7 days, morning & evening). I thought the slots were about the right size, but once I got home, they were a little short, and the diameter of each vial was a little large for the slot, but the slots a flexible and that creates a snug fit for each vial. I think this might work.
**This worked fine. I’ve used two sizes of glass vials. The shorter vials are for my nighttime pills, and the taller for the morning pills. I’ve attached color coded labels and a 3 letter day code: SUN, MON, TUE, WED, THU, FRI, SAT for each day. I fill up each vial (did this morning for the first time) and screw the aluminum cap on each. They fit snuggly into the ice tray. After I use a vial, I leave the cap off but stuff the cap into the empty tray and turn the empty glass vial upside down and stuff it in the other section of that tray section. That way, moisture doesn’t get into the empty vial. I now keep the whole week’s worth of vials and the rubber tray on the shelf next to the bathroom sink.
And before I forget it, I saw a package of shower curtain hooks (the old style that act like carabiners) and I realized that they could be used to hook my large (non-electric) wok to my mobile kitchen stand. The little S hook that I had wouldn’t fit on one side of the cart, but did on the side… that I didn’t need it on. *I did buy some of these and have put about 5 or 6 pots & pans on the end of the mobile kitchen cart, that used to sit on the stove top.
**This works great. I’ve added about 5 pots & pans from my smallest Revere Ware pot, to the largest (non-electric wok). I can walk in and out of my kitchen and don’t brush against these dangling beside the mobile cart.
I went shopping at Walmart in an attempt to minimize the effects of Trump Tariffs. I bought the non-perishable items that I buy repeatedly. Things like toilet paper, paper towels, drain cleaner, dishwasher detergent, dish soap, bug spray, washing machine detergent, plastic sandwich bags, garbage bags, and toilet bowl cleaner. This wasn’t all, but I bought double of each item. And, the total came to about $342 or there abouts. I don’t think I’ve every spent that much at one time at Walmart. Maybe if I bought a TV, Chromebook or Laptop, but not for the day to day items. *And later in the day I went back to a different Walmart and bought about $62 more, so the total for the day was a little over $400. *A few days later I spent another $100, bringing the ticket against Trumpflation to $500.
I’ve got a $300+ Shark standup, cordless vacuum on the way. And I just ordered a replacement passenger side mirror for my Camry.
A strange thing happened earlier in the week when I went to get my car inspected. Just after leaving Hendrick’s, I was speeding up on a nearby on ramp for MLK and I started to hear a high pitched sound. It sounded like metal on metal, and it was coming from toward the passenger side rear view mirror. Couldn’t figure it out, and took it back to Hendrick’s immediately and they couldn’t figure it out. But the noise was gone.
I’ve since paid my property taxes online and renewed my car registration for the year. I login to the NCDMV site with my Google account and have to have the following to complete the process: Completed State Inspection, Insurance ID, last numbers on my car title. I always freak because I can never remember when this is supposed to be paid. And I now think, for me, it is by the end of May each year.
So maybe day before yesterday, I looked over at the rear view mirror and realized that a large chunk of it had dropped off. And then it came to me that the high pitched sound had probably been caused by a piece of the mirror either dropping off or wind getting behind it, and making the noise. Well, I noticed a little more had gone when I was on my way to eat at Longhorn in Goldsboro. And, I kept hearing pieces of the mirror as they dropped off and hit the side of the car before bouncing off onto the road somewhere.
*Before I got back home there was only a small piece of mirror left and that appeared to be stuck pretty firmly. But I just ordered a replacement mirror for about $20. I hope I can just glue it onto the existing backing, instead of having to take the inside panel of the door off to loosen the rear view mirror assembly. *Which I won’t do. Now, $20 is a far cry from the $500 price tag that the dealer quoted me some time ago.
The meal was “perfect.” I think I equated the better flavor because the chef had added a bunch of salt. The only thing that ended up not being perfect was the cheeseburger sauce that I had to ask for. I finally thought to have the waitress tell the chef I didn’t want the bun for the cheeseburger.
I wanted all the other fixin’s, and a little more onion, and the only thing that didn’t arrive was the sauce. The sauce ended up being too salty, by a little, but that focused my attention on why the burger was “so tasty.” The appetizer bread was delicious as usual, with the butter, oh my.
The Shrimp & Lobster Chowder was good again. I even enjoyed the dill pickle slices. It’s not that I don’t like dill pickles, but I like a sweet, Bread & Butter type of pickle with that burger. I also normally bring along a little sweet onion from home, but didn’t yesterday.
I have a simple routine that goes with eating at the Longhorn. Afterwards, I drive over to a location near the SJAB air field, where I can see any airplanes taking off or landing. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. I have seen the fighter jets & the fueling tankers in motion. There is a road that dead ends just before the fence that protects the runway. The road divides two large fields, and during the summer the crops sometimes block the view, but most of the year there is a clear view up & down the runway, and the control tower, and the fighter jets & the tankers.
After I view the jets I sometimes head back into town and visit the Wayne County Library. I know where the bathroom is, and it’s a comfortable rest stop. I then might look for a magazine to peruse: “Our State” or maybe “Gun & Garden.” “Gun & Garden” how Republican. like “Yellowstone.” I’ll usually sleep a little, but am usually aware if a library staffer is coming near to see if I am dead.
postandbeambarns.com
I’ve stopped to look at a large touch screen TV that is set up to project a web browser. I’ve seen a map and some info that proved to be part of a web page. I’m not sure if an onscreen keyboard pops up, but it would have to in order to enter a URL. *In looking for some pictures to illustrate what I’m talking about, I came upon one picture that I had taken of the back of the video display, and there was a keyboard, that appears to have a cable, and a mouse.
Oh, a couple of days ago I bought a small toaster oven, which I haven’t even taken out of the box. I hope the box is under the dining room table, because if it isn’t, I don’t know what I did with it. I also don’t know where I’m going to put it because I really don’t have room for it.
I bought a Shark handheld vacuum the same day I bought the toaster oven. And now I am wondering why. I did use it to vacuum some of the edges of the room and some of the gunk that had accumulated under my easy chair. *Which definitely needs to be replaced.
I drove from Goldsboro, to Smithfield on Hwy. 70. I stopped at J.R.s which is now a mere ghost of what it used to be. It is only a cigar shop now, but they also have a food mall next door and I think a “robot” project of some type. They didn’t have the cheap Avanti Estilo Cafe Mocha cigars that I like the smell & flavor of. I looked for something else, but didn’t find anything I wanted to buy. They did have “Ram Rod” cigars. The cigars are much like the “hard liquor” that I have in my closet. Something that I don’t use addictively, but occasionally and “to set the mood.” I used to say that I would smoke a cigar if I was reading a book like “1984.” Or maybe a detective novel.
Next, I stopped at Lee’s Fresh Market near Benson and bought some boneless pork chops. And then on down the road and I stopped at the “Rooms to Go” on I95 and walked about trying the various easy chairs. There was one, the first one I tried, that was comfortable and had electric controls for the foot rest. There was also a glass top dining table that I’ve noticed before. It’s round and I can buy chairs in different colors.
And the thought came to me about how to store and display the various types of nuts I like to eat regularly. At times I will have the following: almonds, cashews, pistachios, roasted pumpkin seeds, walnuts. And I will sometimes transfer these nuts from their clear plastic containers to Ball/Mason jars. And on the top rack I could add prunes, dates, raisins, Turkish apricots and/or dried cranberries.
The idea hasn’t fleshed out completely, but I also eat plain Greek Yogurt and various pureed or whole berries like raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries every day, as a dessert or mid-meal snack. The nuts I eat throughout the day, or sometimes mixed just before bed.
I like the Greek Gods Plain yogurt, but also like the single serving, cheapo, store brands of Plain Greek Yogurt from Aldi’s SUD and LIDLs. I just gave away a four jar holder for jam, that was made of metal with a wooden handle. I only had one jar of preserves that I think Robin & Jeff had given me several years ago. I hadn’t eaten it because of the high sugar content, but was clearing things out recently and that went.
Bean Sprouting
Using Ball/Mason jars with a mesh lid. Process: soak, drain, tilt, reap. And Gemini suggested “putting a sock on it.” A cheap way to offer the seeds their privacy. *I’ve not found any sprouting jar filters or lids that are for regular sized Ball/Mason jars. They are all wide mouthed jar fittings.
Bill Gibson, II 