Tag: food

MyFitnessPal – Food Diary

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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.

[end]

Bean Sprouting

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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.
  • True Leaf Market (Sprouting Seeds) [O]

Broccoli Sprouts

First Successful Sprouts

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.

Today I did something that I don’t think I’ve ever done…

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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.

I fixed some delicious Jalapeno Pork & Cabbage Slaw yesterday. Those flavors worked really well together. I fixed some more cabbage slaw today and had it with the Black Beans & Quinoa, Salsa and Guacamole, and although it was good, it wasn’t quite the best.

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.

First Time: Pickled Eggs

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I finally got up the courage or interest, to read about pickled eggs, and in reading about them, I suddenly had the idea and minor desire to try and make some pickled eggs at home.

I love eggs. I like the standard formats of scrambled and hard boiled, and over medium, and I’ve even made poached eggs and have microwaved them to my satisfaction. But the thought of “pickled eggs” has for many years, since my youth, has elicited an extreme aversion to trying to even taste one bite. Here is why.

As a boy growing up in Eastern North Carolina, I would travel about, tagging along with my mother, or favorite aunt (Aunt Sis) and going into stores as they either shopped, or window shopped, or even just stopped in to “touch base” with the store owner, or some long time friend, relative or acquaintance. There were several of these stores, perhaps even small enough to be called a shop, as this was before the Convenience Store became popular. These small stores might have all sorts of goods for sale, both food related, and household, or outdoor work related. And up near the checkout counter or cash register, there might be one or two large glass jars labeled, and two different food items would be floating, one type in one jar and the other type in the other jar. They weren’t mixed. And these items were floating in what I came to know as vinegar or brine. The items were “pickled pig’s feet,” and “pickled eggs.” For some reason I found the idea of fishing out either from their nasty looking jar, and eating them, was a repulsive thought.

I love pig’s feet, when I cook them at home. The process is simple, Get a large pot to place on the stove top, pour in enough water to cover all the meat, and add a little salt and pepper, and just a hint of Cider Vinegar to “sweeten their flavor” and after a very long cooking time, the scant meat and the vast amounts of cartilage break down, and release almost completely from the massive amounts of intertwined pig’s feet bones.

I will say that eating pig’s feet is an interesting process. Your fingers start to stick together. And now I think, this is probably why they can turn a horse into glue. But, I have almost completely stopped fixing pig’s feet because of the feeling I am left with after eating them. It may be the high fat content, or salt, but I feel awful, as if I have been drugged. Much like my body’s reaction to eating a doughnut. Just eating part of one, I almost immediately go into a sugar coma, which can last for several hours.

The other item that connoted gastric horrors were the pickled eggs. They were in a dark brine, or some in a brine colored by beet juice, giving the brine and the eggs a deep purplish color. But, it wasn’t the color of the eggs, it was the thought of all those people sticking their fingers and hands in this one jar to fish out an edible egg. And I know it was probably only the store owner that did the fishing, and he probably had a large spoon to complete the process. But I never had the desire.

I was watching a YouTube video about someone shopping at various grocery chains, and maybe it was Sam’s Club where as he was walking along he saw a case of these and just looked in wonder that these were for sale. And having tried them finally, I would wonder even more.

And now I have the first ever pickled hardboiled eggs sitting in a small glass jar in my kitchen, in a brine of Apple Cider Vinegar, water, beet juice with some mustard seeds, sweetener, a Bay leaf, one garlic clove and some peppercorns. According to one online suggestion, I should wait perhaps a week or more to let all the flavors meld before trying an egg. I have two eggs in the jar, so I may not wait a week to try the first. And, if I like the first pickled egg I try, I may not wait for a whole week.

Now, at 71 years old, never having ever tried a pickled egg, what if I find that like many other food items, I love the unique flavor of a hardboiled egg seasoned with a little vinegar and beet juice.

And, I like the flavor of beets. I got the beet juice for the pickled eggs from a jar of sliced beets. I poured out the rest of the beet juice, after adding some to the egg brine, and I dumped the sliced beets into a small Rubbermaid container. I then added a little Cider Vinegar, some Balsamic Vinegar and some sweetener, coconut sugar & Agave Nectar.

If I like the pickled eggs, then finding a use for the beet juice I once threw out, but now can repurpose would be fantastic. And that I quite often boil a couple of eggs to make egg salad, would make it easy for me to boil two eggs for immediate consumption, and two eggs for a later pickled egg treat.

NOTE [03/31/25]: I think I’ve mentioned this elsewhere, but I didn’t like the pickled eggs. I wouldn’t make them or any variation of them again. They were pickled, but if I want something pickled, I’ll eat a pickle. Now, I do like the flavor of sweet bell peppers, sweet onion and tomatoes in a turmeric/vinegar brine. That would give the eggs a bright orange or yellow color, but I’m not sure I would like them with that flavor either. [end NOTE]

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

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Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing recipe with calorie estimates and approximate serving sizes:

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing (Approximately 1366 calories total, Makes about 1 1/4 cup dressing)

  • 1/3 cup olive oil (~636 calories)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice (negligible calories)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (~720 calories)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (negligible calories)1
  • 2 garlic cloves (negligible calories)
  • 1/2 a jalapeño, sliced (negligible calories)
  • 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar (~10 calories)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, packed (negligible calories)

Key points:

  • The majority of the calories come from the olive oil and mayonnaise.
  • Lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro and salt contain very few calories.
  • Agave Nectar and Honey contain about the same amount of calories.2
  • This calorie count reflects the total for the entire recipe. To calculate per-serving calories, divide the total by the number of servings.
  • By combining the listed measurements of the wet ingredients, it can be determined that the total volume of the dressing will be approximately 1 and 1/4 cup.

Alright, let’s rework that recipe with plain Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing (Greek Yogurt Version) (Approximately 746 calories total, Makes about 1 1/4 cup dressing)

  • 1/3 cup olive oil (~636 calories)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice (negligible calories)
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (~100 calories)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (negligible calories)
  • 2 garlic cloves (negligible calories)
  • 1/2 a jalapeño, sliced (negligible calories)
  • 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar (~10 calories)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, packed (negligible calories)

Key points:

  • The Greek yogurt significantly reduces the calorie content compared to mayonnaise.
  • The majority of the calories now come from the olive oil.
  • This calorie count is for the entire recipe. Divide by the number of servings for per-serving calories.
  • By combining the listed measurements of the wet ingredients, it can be determined that the total volume of the dressing will be approximately 1 and 1/4 cup.

Here are the calorie counts for various serving sizes:

  • 1 Tablespoon:
  • There are 16 tablespoons in 1 cup, so in 1 1/4 cups there are 20 tablespoons.
  • 746 calories / 20 tablespoons = 37.3 calories per tablespoon.
  • Approximately 37 calories.

  • 2 Tablespoons:
  • 37.3 calories/tablespoon * 2 tablespoons = 74.6 calories
  • Approximately 75 calories.

  • 3 Tablespoons:
  • 37.3 calories/tablespoon * 3 tablespoons = 111.9 calories.
  • Approximately 112 calories.

  • 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup):
  • 37.3 calories/tablespoon * 4 tablespoons = 149.2 calories.
  • Approximately 149 calories.

Therefore:

  • Side Salad (1 tablespoon): ~37 calories
  • Side Salad (2 tablespoons): ~75 calories
  • Main-Course Salad (3 Tablespoons) : ~112 calories.
  • Main-Course Salad (4 Tablespoons): ~149 calories.

[NOTE 03/16/25]: I used Gemini to generate this recipe with the calorie counts and calories per serving. The AI made it simple to get the calorie count for each ingredient, and then it added up to get the total carlorie, and divided the total calories by the number of Tablespoons possible from the whole. *And then I pasted the recipe into MyFitnessPal Recipe importer. The result was a special dressing recipe with calorie counts and the ability to select a portion size. [end NOTE]

Another pared down version of this dressing using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or light mayonnaise)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 a jalapeño, sliced
  • A few drops of a sugar-free liquid sweetener, or omit entirely
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, packed

Estimated calories per serving (2 tablespoons): 520(total calories)÷8(servings)≈65 calories per serving.

Ajicitos Dulces Peppers

After blended, this recipe fit easily in a 4 oz. Mason/Ball Jar. Not sure I need much heat in this to be pleasing. *I just read elsewhere that I used a Ajicitos Dulces pepper and that would add flavor with no heat. I think I may have used this on baked tilapia, but with the mayonnaise version. **And I found that I had used this dressing on a baked salmon filet. I seem to recall that the original dressing was high in calories and the next day, it did affect my weight negatively. I liked the flavor so, finally decided to make a healthier version with plain Greek yogurt.

I’ve just finished my latest Pastrami Reuben @ Home Event.

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Odd to even think about making a note of this, but there are certain things that delineate this “event” at home.

Making a Pastrami Reuben at home requires me to buy a loaf of Seeded Jewish Rye Bread. I like the flavor of the rye bread, but it is not a bread that I want to use for anything besides making a Reuben sandwich. I am planning on using the last few slices of this rye bread, toasted, and hit with a mound of egg salad. So tasty, and I am surprised at how well the egg salad stays on top of the toast, even when I have a high mound of it placed there.

I make the homemade Thousand Island Dressing to put on these sandwiches, and to mix with the sauerkraut as a side, but once done, I’m probably not going to make any more Thousand Island Dressing until the next round of Reubens.

And I’m probably not going to buy more sauerkraut until the next round also, although I do think this side of Kraut & TI Dressing would go well with a fried pork chop too.

And lastly, this time I used the Wegman’s White American Cheese instead of Swiss or Baby Swiss on my Reubens. If I had bought Swiss, it is something that I rarely use on any other sandwich, preferring the WAC flavor on various other things (Bill McMuffin, Hatfield Pre-Sliced Ham).

So, I guess my “Pastrami Reubens @ Home” might have similarities to special holidays, like Christmas or the 4th of July. They come, and because they are special, people go “out of their way” to make them special by buying things they might not buy the rest of the year, and preparing things they only do rarely, but enjoying the special event and thinking warmly upon it… and maybe even getting a little excited when they become aware of the next event, just before it arrives again.

I think there is a rush to begin & end this event by not wanting any of the Hillshire Farms Pastrami to go bad after I open the package, and this has happened in the past. So, when I make these sandwiches, I may pile on a little extra meat because I don’t want the bread to run out before the meat, or cheese.

Oh yeah, and why not have more Pastrami Reubens @ Home, or have them more often? Because they are fattening and they “throw off my Blood Sugar,” so they are special because they have to be filed under the category of “A Splurge,” or “Special Event.” Not something I can have every week, or even every month. Something like eating a large plate of spaghetti, or eating a whole half gallon of ice cream in a day, or two. A blip or spike on the Blood Sugar radar, but no more, by my choice. An event that satisfies my craving for that event, without becoming a habit that will kill me, or at least do me major harm.

The picture above is what I might consider, my “Perfect Pastrami Reuben” at home. But now, even this has to be “toned down a bit.” Instead of using two slices of rye bread, I only use one slice, cut in half, so the finished sandwich doesn’t look like the nicely, sliced in two, sandwich shown above. Still just as flavorful, but half the fat & calories. And, I don’t really miss the other half of a sandwich. I guess my age is helping me a bit here. When I was younger, I would have wanted that whole sandwich… maybe even needed it for the energy, but not now.

And that reminds me of how “falling off the wagon” with food can be so easy.

I really, really, really enjoyed the Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies from Aldi’s that I had for the first time, last Thanksgiving. I enjoyed them so much that when I returned home, a few days later I made a special trip to Aldi’s and bought a package of them. And “Yes,” they were just as good, each time that I bought them. They were so good that I included “one cookie a day” in my routine, and sometimes with a small glass of cold milk. Soft and sweet, just like I like my cookies.

But, after about my third package of these cookies, I noticed that my resting Blood Sugar Level was just a little higher “over time.” And, my weight was not trending down, not even slightly. Not necessarily going up, but just hanging… and at a level I wanted to eventually reduce. So, I forced myself to “not buy” another package of the Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies from Aldi’s when the last cookie was consumed. And it was a little like stopping a favorite drug, or stopping using white sugar. There was a slight tug on my will to stop.

But, after a few days, the tug went away, and I did note that my resting BGL and weight did start to trend in the favored direction, and if I looked at it seriously, those damned oatmeal cookies were doing me wrong;-)

I didn’t know when I started to write, that this article would morph into an insight on “willpower,” but it did. Making the Pastrami Reubens an “event” was a nod to “willpower” and decision making. Making choices. Wahl, in German, which can mean “to choose,” “a survey,” “to vote,” to make a choice. In this case, to make a choice of what and when to eat, thereby affecting my health in the long run, even when that run is near the end of my life, even if my life goes on another eleven years.

I’ve not always made good choices, or not consistently. At one point in my life, I was just a few pounds shy of weighing 300 pounds. Around the 295 lbs. range. How did I get there? And after losing about 60 pounds over a three months period, twice, and about nine years apart, why did I let my weight go back up? Part of the good decision making has gotten me in the 245 lbs. range now. That’s good for me.

Following my weight and Blood Sugar Levels on the MyFitnessPal website, almost daily, has definitely made the task easier for both tracking my results, and the FOOD section, for recording what I’ve eaten, and even what I plan to eat. *I don’t always adhere to the total daily calorie intake, but I’m pretty good about the sugar/carbohydrate levels, usually.

So, I think you should be able to see that my focus on food and what I eat, isn’t completely an obsession. Okay, maybe it is.

[NOTE 03/07/25]: Just happened to see this on the Web and thought if I could get it cheap enough, and it worked, this would be one of my presents for next Christmas. I ordered this package of 3 from Amazon for under $7 and it is supposed to arrive tomorrow. The first price I saw was about $14 for just one of these. It is supposed to work on boiled eggs and raw eggs.

The advertising video they showed made it look so easy. They put three hard boiled eggs in one of these, one at a time, and it only took a second or so before they opened it back up and dumped the whole boiled egg out. I guess you just reach in to pull the two empty shell halves out. *I do not have a trick for peeling eggs successfully. Sometimes they peel easily and at other times the boiled egg white begins to peel off with the shell. Frustrating.

[end NOTE]

Bay Scallop Stir-Fry

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I found this recipe on a Martha Stewart site.

I think the Spicy Chili Crisp gave it better flavor. The original recipe, with slight mods, was pleasant, but not distinctive enough. I’m not sure what it could have used. It wasn’t unpleasant, but just didn’t “pop.”

I halved the finished product, and added some Spicy Chili Crisp to the second half. This reddens everything, so the scallops come out a darker brown color. I just went back to taste this version before storing it in the fridge, and you know what? I like it. This was just enough of a change to make it pop. Maybe this version, on some polenta, and with a simple salad with the Cilantro-Honey-Lime dressing. *Agave Nectar instead of honey.

If you’re paying attention to my current seasoning favorites, you know that I’ve used a lot of Toasted Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, ginger powder, bell pepper, carrot, and Red Wine Vinegar. So, this was just a very minor side step.

Ingredients

  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar (red wine vinegar)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower (Avocado)
  • 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
  • 2 bunches scallions, white and green parts separated, cut into 2-inch lengths (onion)
  • 2 carrots, halved lengthwise, or quartered if large, and cut into 1 ½-inch lengths
  • 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger (and ginger powder)
  • 1 pound bay scallops, patted dry
  • (garlic & garlic powder)
  • (Spicy Chili Crisp – on half)

In some ways, this meal reminds me of the Seared Scallops with Minted Smushed Peas. It looked great, but just didn’t deliver. If you recall I found this recipe from a page that was highlighting entrees that would go well with polenta, and my comment was that the photo on their page didn’t show any polenta.

But, what I produced, had polenta, and I also added a colorful red cabbage & yellow corn salad, which made the image pop even more… red, yellow, mint green, and the seared scallops. The colorful red & yellow grape tomatoes didn’t hurt the color palate either.

I wonder if going a slightly different direction and adding shrimp with the scallops, and then instead of Toasted Sesame Oil, forget the ginger, and using Oyster & Fish Sauces, and maybe serve over Polenta. And, maybe use tomato, instead of carrot. Not a lot of tomato, sort of like I use in my Kielbasa, Shrimp & Zucchini dish. Just a little tomato forms a slightly reddish sauce, without overpowering like a tomato sauce.

Then it came to me, “You know, some fried chicken livers would really set off the seared bay scallops.” Let’s try, bay scallops, chicken livers, and bacon, with maybe some stir-fried green beans. That’s probably what the scallops need to pop. Sort of like when you add sausage to shrimp in a Frogmore Stew.

I was looking for the Sempio
Brown Rice ( 현미 ) Vinegar ( 식초 ) and went to three Korean Asian grocers in Fayetteville, and none had the Sempio Vinegar. But, while I was looking in the Sun Asian Super Market, I happened to see the “Spicy Chili Crisp” and the “Fried Chili in Oil” that I like (very much) and they have a good price on it, although Walmart has it listed online at $3.88 a jar.

I just noticed from the above photo the cardboard inserts separating some of the jars. The packaging adds to the confusion, and I’ve found little difference between the flavors of “Fried Chili in Oil,” “Hot Chili Sauce,” and “Spicy Chili Crisp.” I do see some jar size and label color variations that I hadn’t noted before. *I see both “Spicy Chili Crisp” and “Fried Chili in Oil” in Walmart. One of them has fried peanuts in it.

In one of my early stir-fries, using the Spicy Chili Crisp, I ended up with a finished product that had a few peanuts in it. I asked myself where those had come from and eventually I found that they were “hidden” in the Spicy Chili Crisp.” Welcome by me, but I’m sure someone with a peanut allergy might fall out dead from a little taste.

While in Pan’s Thai Market I bought two different things, “to try.” I bought a bottle of spicy pepper vinegar that had some whole veggies (looked like peppers and white garlic cloves) floating in it, and a small jar of “black pepper sauce.”

The pepper vinegar turned out to be nothing more than “pepper vinegar,” which I knew those flavors from my childhood. Like those small shaker bottles of “hot pepper vinegar” that we would have put on raw oysters. Nothing new, and nothing really special. I’ve made similar at home by putting the various colorful peppers I’ve bought “in season” at the Farmers’ Market in Raleigh.

A brief aside here. Specifically a comment on my age, and it’s effects. I’ve noticed that my typing, specifically, my spelling of words as I type has become more sporadic. I rarely had this trouble for most of my adult life. *Perhaps some of this “misspelling” can be attributed to the automatic “corrective word spell” software that tries to take over and correct me, on the fly, and many times missing entirely on my message, and choosing incorrect words, and spellings that I have to correct as I go back and reread what was written, not necessarily what I wrote, or intended to write. But I think at least some of my misspelling is due to my age, and my mind just not working as well as it did. This was a message from our sponsor, and now back to the show.

The other item, “black pepper sauce,” was more interesting. It had what I would call a “gelatinous” look, but the deep black pepper flavor was captivating. I liked the flavor, but my mind wasn’t quite sure, how I would use this sauce, or what I would put it on. I couldn’t quite imagine spreading it on bread for a ham sandwich… although I might at least give that a try. It’s consistency being odd, I couldn’t imagine mixing it with Dukes mayo, or French’s yellow mustard. No. But, I am looking for a place to put this, and if I find it, I think it will be a happy addition to all those “earthy” flavors that I enjoy. (Earthy flavors e.g. fried chicken livers, pig’s feet, Nueski’s smoked liver pate). And none of those items listed here, would be something that would benefit from this Black Pepper Sauce.

Ah, I just read a note on someone’s web site, that this sauce is “thickened with starch.” Yes, that might give it that gelatinous quality. And now AI puts in it’s two cents, “It is perfect for pairing with barbequed or grilled meat like steak, chicken, or shrimp.“

Chicken Livers (Stir Fried)

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I currently like the Sanderson Farms Chicken Livers (and Gizzards) sold at IGA, and specifically the IGA in Eutah Village Shopping Center in Fayetteville. Why? Because they keep the white plastic containers free from blood on the outside of the container. Hey, I know that livers are soaked in blood, but it is unsightly to not wipe off the outside of these packages before putting them on the counter for sale.

There are enough livers in each container for about 3 helpings, and I currently like to fry them up, with a little onion, in my electric wok. They cook quickly and I can cook more than just one meal’s worth, and store the rest in a Rubbermaid container in the fridge. They reheat well in the microwave.

I put some oil, Olive or Avocado, or even mixing one of those with some Toasted Sesame Oil in my wok. I add some garlic powder and S&P while frying them. I flip them over a couple of times, and cut them with the edge of the rubber spatula. I have two of these heat resistant spatulas, one with a blue blade and one with a red blade. Even though they are made of a flexible rubber, their edges are sharp and will cut chicken or a chicken liver if needed. *The chicken that I use when fixing a Chicken Stir Fry.

I find that after the chicken livers and onions are cooked, I can just slide them up and over the edge of the wok and onto a plate, or into a storage container.

There are two other sides that I like to eat with my stir fried chicken livers. One is Stir Fried Green Beans and the other is an Asian Cucumber Salad.

The Asian Cucumber Salad has Toasted Sesame Oil, Spicy Chili Crisp, Soy Sauce and a little sweetener. This salad with the sweet vinegar helps cut the heaviness of the green beans and chicken livers.

The Stir Fried Green Beans may have some onion, sesame seeds, garlic powder, S&P, powdered ginger and a little sweetener. I might even use Toasted Sesame Oil to fry these beans.

I fixed a chicken stir fry last night and this time I added some steamed green beans which added color to the red bell pepper & orange carrots.

Woolly Bugger my chicken!

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Wooly Bugger Fishing Fly

Years ago I heard a joke about a “Wooly Bugger.”

Seems that there was a young couple and the wife came to her husband and said, “I want to get a pet, to keep me company.” The young man replied to his wife, “Well, we can’t afford a pet at this time. We just don’t have the money.”

She said, “But, I’m so lonely while you’re at work each day.” Knowing she was lonely, but that they didn’t have any extra money to spend, to buy a pet, any pet, or take care of a pet, any pet, he suggested that she visit the local Pet Shop and see if the owner could suggest a cheap pet. Free would be nice, but he really didn’t expect her to find any suitable pet that they could afford. He kissed her goodbye and headed off to work.

The young wife got ready and then went to town to do her daily shopping. On her way back home, she saw the Pet Shop and decided to stop in to see what kind of pets were available.

The shop owner first showed her a dog, a Great Dane. She asked how much food it would eat each day and then how much the very large dog would cost. The Great Dane had beautiful eyes, she thought, but she knew that she and her husband wouldn’t be able to feed the dog every day, and the cost of buying it was what her husband made in a week. She had to say no, and then she mentioned to the shop owner that she needed an inexpensive pet to keep her company.

The shop owner next brought out a beautiful long haired white cat with a fluffy tail, that was swishing the air as if it was swatting flies. “Oh, what a beautiful cat,” the young woman said. How much is she? When the shop owner quoted the price, which he thought was especially low for such a beautiful animal, the young woman’s face turned somber. “Oh my, still too high,” she moaned. Don’t you have anything that almost costs nothing, to buy, and to feed each day?

The shop owner thought another moment, and then the young woman saw what she thought was a light turning on in the shop owner’s face. His eyes brightened and he said, “I have just the thing, and it only costs 50 cents to buy and is very easy to feed.” Let me go back and get it.

In a short while the shop owner returned carrying a furry brown ball. There were no eyes, or mouth, a nose, or even anything “unmentionable” on the other end, because from what the woman could tell this animal didn’t have a beginning nor an end.

The shop owner proudly placed the furry brown ball on a nearby stool, stepped back and with his hands presented the potential pet to the young woman. The woman moved closer to the stool, even squinting as she tried to get a closer look at the animal. She then asked the shop owner, “What kind of animal is it?” The shop owner proudly stated, “Why mam, this is a Wooly Bugger, and it only costs 50 cents to buy it, and it will eat almost anything.” The young woman thought, “Only 50 cents, that’s a really good deal, especially if it will eat almost anything.”

But then the woman asked, “But, I can’t tell where it’s mouth is located, how do I feed it.” The shop owner then bent over and fished an empty drink can out of a nearby trash can. He placed the can on a table next to the stool and then said, “Wooly Bugger. Can.” And in the blink of an eye, the brown furry animal became almost all teeth, and they were extremely sharp and long glistening teeth, and it was spinning around like a small tornado, and then it jumped on the can, and in a matter of moments, the can was not only shredded to pieces, but you could hear the tin rustling as the Wooly Bugger finished the last bite. Viola, no more can.

The young woman was amazed, but she asked, “Does the Wooly Bugger eat only cans?” The shop owner, said, “Oh no mam, it will eat almost anything. All you have to do is tell the Wooly Bugger what you want it to eat.” The young woman asked, “May I give it a try?” “Sure,” replied the shop keeper.

The woman looked into the trash can and saw a small empty box. She took the box out and placed it on the table. And with the shop owner’s encouragement, she said, “Wooly Bugger, box!” And just like before the Wooly Bugger started to spin and there were all those glistening, shiny white teeth twirling as the Wooly Bugger pounced upon the box. It was gone is seconds also. You could hear the Wooly Bugger as it made it’s last gulp, and offered a burp as if it was extremely satisfied with this meal. This as there was a slight aura of saw dust swirling about the furry round ball.

The young woman said, “I’ll take it,” and then reaching into her purse pulled out two shiny quarters and handed them to the shop owner. She walked out the door carrying the Wooly Bugger in her purse, and with a satisfied smile on her face.

She got home, took the Wooly Bugger out of her purse and placed it on the dining room table and then went about putting up the other purchases she had made in town.

Not too much later, the young woman heard her husband’s car arrive and the car door slam. A few moments later she heard the front door open and close and she called to her husband. He walked in, looked over briefly at the furry brown ball sitting on the table, and then hugged his wife and planted a kiss on her cheek.

The young woman smiled, no she beamed, and proudly motioned toward the Wooly Bugger sitting on their dining room table. “I found the perfect pet at the Pet Store this afternoon, and it only cost 50 cents, and it will eat almost anything.” “What,” her husband replied quizzically? “This,” he said as he pointed to the brown furry ball? “You paid 50 cents for this?” The young wife said, “But it’s a Wooly Bugger, and it only cost 50 cents.”

Her husband frustrated said, “Wooly Bugger! My ass.”

And as we all know, it’s not smart to point a Wooly Bugger to a ready food source, even if we do it unintentionally. Maybe, especially if we do it unintentionally.

So, all that so that you might begin to understand the phrase, “Wooly Bugger my chicken!”

I bought a whole Rotisserie Chicken at Harris Teeter several days ago. Well enough days to have four meals over four days without having chicken two meals in a row, and also scavaging enough meat for a fifth meal of Avocado/Chipotle/Chicken Soup. And the coup de gras, I used the remaining chicken carcass and any skin, meat, gristle, bone and/or fat to make some homemade chicken stock. I added the frozen veggies I had been saving: onion tops & bottoms, carrot ends and skins, and the root end and tips of the celery I had purchased, added some seasoning S&P, garlic powder, thyme, and basil. In essence, once I was through with the Rotisserie Chicken from Harris Teeter, there was almost nothing left, and I didn’t even have to point my Wooly Bugger to the chicken.

By the way, as I googled for the name “Wooly Bugger” I first came across the name given to a specific fishing “fly,” the “Wooly Bugger.” I saw nothing about the joke I had heard long ago, and so I guess my retelling of the story here helps keep it alive, or not.

And today as I was going up to the Self Check-Out at the Walmart, I noticed the heat from a warming unit, and then saw several boxed rotisserie chickens. They looked & smelled delicious through the clear packaging, and I noted that the price for a whole chicken was under $7. I said, possibly out loud in a soft voice, “That’s a good deal.”

Sea Buckthorn Jelly

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I was walking along one of the isles at Golden Hex in Cary yesterday and happened to see a jar of some type of jelly. You’ve got to understand that Golden Hex is a European Market specializing in various foods from Europe. They have a deli meat & cheese section where I bought some Head Cheese and some Kabanosy Podsuszane (dry sausage – links).

Head Cheese

I had originally found Golden Hex online, a couple of years ago, because I was looking for a store that sold Blutwurst or Head Cheese. I couldn’t find anyone who did sell these, and even got a weird look from a deli worker in a restaurant near UNC-G when I asked if they sold Blutwurst. I think I first tried Blutwurst and/or Head Cheese when I was living and working down in Myrtle Beach shortly after I had graduated from UNC-W in 1976. There was a deli located next to the tennis shop I was managing, “Tennis With Love,” and I tried several of their “exotic” meats sandwiches.

*I don’t recall whether I viewed a YouTube video, or if I found a web site regarding the following: There was a young, inexperienced, sausage maker (butcher?) who was going through a book about how to make various sausages. One of the types of sausage he made was “Kabanosy Podsuszane.” It must have been a video I was watching because I recall that his finished product looked “too fat” to be like the Kabanosy Podsuszane I had tried earlier from Golden Hex, and there must have been a comment section because some other viewer made the comment that the result wasn’t a true Kabanosy Podsuszane because it appeared to have too much moisture (not dry enough) as this commenter had experienced growing up (in Poland, I think). The commenter suggested that you can’t learn everything from a book, but you need to find an experienced sausage maker, who can teach you how to make the various sausages. I thought this was a very wise suggestion, although I read and interpret well, I know that words and their interpretation have limits, and just because someone explains in great detail “how to do something” doesn’t mean anyone can pick up a recipe, read it, follow the “step by step” instructions and come out with a successful finished product. It can happen, and sometimes, it can’t.

I like that Golden Hex has labeled their products along their shelves including a colorful national flag of where the item comes from. I would think that they might create a special monthly display where they congregate all of a country’s items, in one location. One month a special display of all items they sell from “Germany,” next, “Poland,” “the Ukraine,” “Israel,” etc., one each month.

The one item that I had on my list to buy at Golden Hex was an item they currently had out of stock. I talked with one of the owners and he said he knew the “Zip” (company name) product and would re-order it. I did buy a different brand of seaweed to see if that would work as well.

Dried Golden Berries

I saw from the label on the shelf that this was Sea Buckthorn Jelly (from the Ukraine), and I had never heard of Sea Buckthorn. My thought was that it might taste a little like Golden Berries which are slightly tart in flavor.

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At home later, I tried the Sea Buckthorn Jelly and liked the flavor. I tried it by itself from the jar, and then on a Black Sesame Rice Cracker, and a slice of Sourdough Bread, with a little grass fed butter. Oh yeah, and with a little peanut butter and with some Greek Gods “Plain” Yogurt.

Late in the afternoon, about 4 pm, I drove over to Publix to pick up the Seeded Rye Bread that I had ordered last Monday. I only wanted half a loaf, and it sliced. I made the initial order on Monday, but later that day I heard on TV that there was a winter storm coming and Thursday, the day after the storm, I probably wouldn’t be able to drive over to Publix, so the next day, I went back in to Publix, with my pink order form and asked that they change the pick-up day to Saturday, the 22nd. A woman took my pink sheet, went around the corner, out of sight, and after a short while came back to me, handed me the pick slip, and said that the pick-up date had been changed to Saturday.

— Sounds good, until I show up on Saturday about 4 pm and find that they have no bread for me. They look at my pink slip that shows the original pick-up date of 02/20/25. But I tell the man that I had come back in and the date was supposed to be changed. *I do see the number “22” but it’s in the price section, and the original date isn’t crossed out. But, I’m thinking that the woman entered the new date in “the computer.” The only logic I can think of is that the baker, instead of looking to the computer for the scheduled orders, may have looked at the original order form and thought that date had already passed for pickup.

It’s not my job, but my curiosity will try to make sense of why my order was dropped even after I physically came back to the store and supposedly had the date changes.

I’m glad that they didn’t have my Seeded Rye Bread because I bought some Head Cheese at Golden Hex and want to finish that off before I make my Pastrami Reuben. I haven’t opened my Hillshire Farms Pastrami yet, so hopefully it won’t go bad before I use it next week, or whosever Seeded Rye Bread I buy.

As I walked back to my car I was thinking about going over to the new Sheetz store that has just been opened in the last day or so. Coming into Publix, I had seen that gas was listed on the sign for $2.35 a gallon. $2.35 a gallon is a great price currently since I’ve been paying around $2.79 a gallon.

I did go over and get “cheap” gas. *But oddly, next day, this morning I passed two different convenience stores that were showing gas for $2.59 a gallon, so the price of gas must be starting on a downward trend.

[NOTE 03/19/25]: I finished off the Sea Buckthorn Preserves this afternoon. I added some of them to Plain Greek Yogurt. It has a citrusy flavor, that is unique. Probably you could say that peach preserves have a distinctive flavor, or orange marmalade.

Hopefully the Ukraine won’t be “sold out” and their democracy will flourish, instead of being incorporated back into Russia. Oh, yeah, in case you didn’t make note of it, these preserves were from the Ukraine. [end NOTE]