Stocking Up, Convection Ovens, and Stuff

Hi,

I went shopping today at Sam's Club with a friend. I decided to go there so I could stock up on meat and salad veggies. I brought the large packages of pork chops and hamburger patties home and talked with my friend as I separated everything into individual zipper lock bags and placed them in the freezer. It only took about 30 minutes to get it all in the freezer. Of course, now I need to stock up on the zipper lock bags that I like to buy from Aldi's because they are cheaper there.

I will still need to go to Kroger for the cage free eggs and smaller packages of bleach, etc., but the main protein and veggies are bought.

I'm thinking about getting a new table top convection oven. I have a Nuwave Oven which I've been using for a couple of years and I'd like to get a new one. The design of the NWO could be improved upon. For one, I would like to be able to choose the temperature I am using to cook my food. It has a "high, med, low" but I'd like to be more precise. I also no longer like the plastic dome because it has become cracked (not yet broken) and discolored -- even a part of the edge at the bottom has "bubbled." The bubbles are extremely small but I don't like them and no matter how long I let the plastic dome soak in the dish water it just does not come out clean looking. My sink is very small so I can only let it stand in the water and turn it after a while to soak it, but It still works so I am using it until I decide which new one to get.

I like the ones that are a glass bowl because they appear to be easier to clean. You just fill the bowl with soapy water and turn the cooker on -- at least that is what is advertized online. Although I read one review that said the glass bowl is very heavy and awkward to handle in the sink which is a consideration for me, but if I use the aforementioned method, perhaps I won't run into too much of that.

I can see only one disadvantage to the deep bowl: you have to reach down into a hot bowl to remove the hot food. I suppose tongs will work fine for that, and some of them come with a pair of tongs, but the NO design is easier to retrieve your food. The only thing that is a small problem is that the cooking rack has four standing metal loops that protrude above the grill and I sometimes brush my hands against them when I'm slicing meat on the grill while checking for done-ness. They are, of course, very hot at that point in time and they burn. I guess you just have to adjust to the design you've purchased.

I have not decided whether I want to go with the 10.4 quart or the 12 quart in some other model. I usually cook for only one so don't really need the 12-qt for everyday cooking... but what if I want to make a nice meal for someone? I suppose I could use the big oven for that, so perhaps I should just go for the smaller one for everyday practicality. 

I also like the counter-top height of the appliance. No more bending over a huge hot oven to check, baste, or remove hot dishes. Being able to manage the cooking from the same height I do everything else in the kitchen is very convenient and easier on the back. Since I don't eat starchy vegetables like potatoes and such, the only thing I actually cook is meat. I've been seasoning nearly everything with lots of garlic and curry powder and loving the robust flavors. I really like the curry powder on hamburger patties -- it gives them a flavor punch.

I've also been using reduced sugar ketchup (which I learned about at Thrive) along with spicy brown mustard which I've always used. I may not purchase the ketchup again, because it has sucralose in it, even though a reduced calorie amount. I just don't think I need to get used to using ketchup. So, for now, I'll use it, but when it is gone, I'll not replace it.

About the coconut oil experiment: It has been a little difficult to remember to down the two tablespoons of CO thirty minutes before each one of my meals. It is simply a rather odd thing to do. I can't imagine my great grandmother doing such a thing, except for her health. I know that our ancestors used to take cod liver oil by the spoonful, so maybe it is not as odd as I was thinking. They used to take castor oil, too.

My mother had some ancient bottles of both of these under the sink when I was growing up. I remember being very curious about them. I had never seen her open or use them so I asked Mom what they were for. I don't recall her precise wording but I remember her telling me they were supposed to be good for you but they did not taste very good. I had to, of course, try them. I only tried them once. Whew-eeee! I never did that again. Now that I think about it, they were probably rancid. The bottles were very old even when I was a child.

I have tried a simple dry (unsweetened) coconut recipe that is interesting. I take about a tablespoon of desicated coconut and mix it with a pinch of xylitol, a shake of salt and a teaspoon of baking cocoa along with the tablespoon of coconut oil. It becomes a little like fudge and is pretty tasty, but I cannot eat more than that small batch. It is very filling.

The coconut oil also seems to do something to my throat which makes me cough. It somehow seems to coat the top of the throat and then melt, leaking down the wrong pipe. It is somewhat uncomfortable. It seems to be worse when made into the "fudge" than simply taking it straight. (I'm not sure why.) I think I also prefer to mix the CO into something or cook with it rather than to take it "straight.".

I will have to continue the experiment now that I have the proper foods to eat. I was not actually eating "improper" foods, I just had run out of raw veggies and was eating simple meals of protein only. My body gets out of balance when I do that and I have to start taking antacids, but now that I have the right supplies I shall continue the CO experiment and see if I lose weight doing it properly.

I've got some water seepage in my back bathroom and have asked a local handy man to come and look at it. He will be here at ten in the morning. My idea of the solution to the problem is threefold: 1 Apply a fresh coat of roof seal on the entire roof, 2. Clean the gutters, and 3. fill any gaps in the metal siding with "Great Stuff." I will have to wait and see if he thinks that is the proper route, and if he will do it, and for how much. I will be glad when the job is done and there is no more seepage.  I had to apply many sprayings of Febreze to get rid of the smell of mildew last week and this weekend it rained pretty long and hard so the carpet was wet again. There is still a faint oder of mildew which might be coming from the walls. Don't know what can be done about that, except for more Febreze. (Here's a link to some Febreze coupons if you need them: http://www.febreze.com/SpecialOffers.aspx .)

That's all for now,

Be back soon,

Marcia