What's cookin', good lookin'?

[Endless_Night]

I have been considering kimchi as well, went so far as to buy the kimchi pepper powder... It's lovely! Very flavourful and not as hot as I would have expected. I have also been dabbling in kombucha. Not the best luck as of yet... Then there's kefir, though I'm nowhere near brave enough for that yet!

I've done kefir. It is incredibly easy. Just throw in the brains and let it sit the proper amount of time. The done-at-home-stuff tastes better than the store bought, IMO.

I've also done Kombucha. Gotta say, meh. Of course I should add that I'm not really a fan, and peeling off the baby Kombuchas (the actual name escapes me at the moment. . It's early. As in pre-coffee.) just kinda creeped me out.

Hmm, what about paraffin wax like you use it in old preserves?
Plate and rock is a possibility if you use bigger containers.

I used a bag filled with water, though plate and rock are certainly good options. I'm not sure about paraffin. Wouldn't that keep the oxygen from bubbling out? Or am I just confused?

 

[Endless_Night]

Sounds fun! Is the taste better, or is there something different from what you might purchase already made?

The Rubykraut is more nutritious, supposedly. And it's a little more difficult to find in stores. It also gives you the opportunity to experiment with flavors by differing the herbs and spices.

But mostly it's just fun.

 

[midwestyankee]

You really are prejudiced towards making sauerkraut. Where's your sense of adventure?

Well, fine. Be that way. Just toddle off to the store and buy ready made.

My sense of adventure is quite intact, thank you. My only experience with the art of making briny things dates back to my bucolic boyhood, when my mother attempted to make dill pickles. One would have thought that she would do a bang-up job, as her bread-and-butter pickles were and still are superb. One would have thought. My taste buds did not recover until 1997.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

I've done kefir. It is incredibly easy. Just throw in the brains and let it sit the proper amount of time. The done-at-home-stuff tastes better than the store bought, IMO.

I don't think we used the same recipe

 

[midwestyankee]

I don't think we used the same recipe

I didn't want to comment on that, but I did have a hard time squaring this instruction with the notion that kefir was largely a dairy-like substance.

 

[BiBunny]

My sense of adventure is quite intact, thank you. My only experience with the art of making briny things dates back to my bucolic boyhood, when my mother attempted to make dill pickles. One would have thought that she would do a bang-up job, as her bread-and-butter pickles were and still are superb. One would have thought. My taste buds did not recover until 1997.

Sweet pickles must be easier to make than dill pickles or something because I've seen this sort of thing happen more than once.

 

[Endless_Night]

I don't think we used the same recipe

Oh, come on! It adds...that special little something.

My sense of adventure is quite intact, thank you. My only experience with the art of making briny things dates back to my bucolic boyhood, when my mother attempted to make dill pickles. One would have thought that she would do a bang-up job, as her bread-and-butter pickles were and still are superb. One would have thought. My taste buds did not recover until 1997.

Hmmm. Excuse accepted.

 

[midwestyankee]

Sweet pickles must be easier to make than dill pickles or something because I've seen this sort of thing happen more than once.

I'm quite certain that the secret reason behind the Civil War was an overpowering need by southerners to learn how to make adequate dill pickles. Of course, it's only a theory.

 

[BiBunny]

I'm quite certain that the secret reason behind the Civil War was an overpowering need by southerners to learn how to make adequate dill pickles. Of course, it's only a theory.

I think you're probably right.

 

[SpunThings]

I didn't realize that delicatessens hadn't made it to Texas yet. When they do, you'll be thrilled to be able to buy cole slaw and other briny treats already made. Besides, I thought that Mason jars are for making moonshine or, these days, small portable salads. None of which constitute actual cooking.

Mason jars are for everything.

 

[SpunThings]

I been reading up on fermentation, as a furtherance to my sauerkraut exploits. A couple of sites recommended a layer of oil on top of your shredded cabbage, to make sure it stays submerged in the brine. I see the point, but couldn't get all that enthused, picturing oily residue in the final product.

Until...I stumble across the suggestion for using coconut oil. Once the kraut is ready you place it in the fridge. The coconut oil hardens, and voila! It pops right out!

Genius! Of course I haven't actually tried this yet, but it certainly sounds good.

If you cut your cabbage in big enough pieces, you can also fill a small half pint jar with water. Then just put that jar on top of your packed in cabbage making sure the water goes above the cabbage. The half pint jar sits quite comfortably in a wide mouth quart jar with a little bit of extra space.

 

[Endless_Night]

So. Having rather a lot on my mind, and being housebound by the rain really kicked up my boredom levels. Tonight I cooked.

Kale chips (2 flavors), hummus, butternut squash and kumquats, raw overnight oatmeal (2 flavors), and prepped a leg of lamb (marinating in the fridge). The only reason I didn’t cook the latter is because it takes 2.5 hours (minimum) to cook and has to be shredded while it’s still warm. Seeing as how it’s a quarter to 11:00 it didn’t really seem practical to start the cooking process.

Hmmm. I guess I should have said, “Tonight I did food prep,” as the only actual cooking was the kale chips and the squash/kumquat dish.

I now have food for days….

Mason jars are for everything.

So true.

 

[Endless_Night]

If you cut your cabbage in big enough pieces, you can also fill a small half pint jar with water. Then just put that jar on top of your packed in cabbage making sure the water goes above the cabbage. The half pint jar sits quite comfortably in a wide mouth quart jar with a little bit of extra space.

Hmmm. I have heard this before, but the couple of half pint jars I have are wide mouthed which apparently changes the shape as they won't fit into the quart jars. But, if I don't like the results of the coconut oil I may go out and pick up one or two of the regular mouth jars as a back up plan.

 

[midwestyankee]

As a preemptive strike...if I were to modify my diet so as to reduce my blood sugar levels, what kinds of deprivation would I have to suffer? I will be seeing my GP today and one of the things we'll do is bloodwork to check for cholesterol and sugar levels. As my sugar levels have generally hovered just under the "almost diabetes" line, I'm concerned that they may have edged upward in the 18 months since I've been tested for this. If so, I know he's going to want to stuff me with a pill of some kind and I'm tired of taking pills.

So...I know I could find a thousand pages on Ye Olde Internet with diets for diabetics that would work. What I really want is some practical suggestions from anyone who has taken their sugar levels seriously.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

As a preemptive strike...if I were to modify my diet so as to reduce my blood sugar levels, what kinds of deprivation would I have to suffer? I will be seeing my GP today and one of the things we'll do is bloodwork to check for cholesterol and sugar levels. As my sugar levels have generally hovered just under the "almost diabetes" line, I'm concerned that they may have edged upward in the 18 months since I've been tested for this. If so, I know he's going to want to stuff me with a pill of some kind and I'm tired of taking pills.

So...I know I could find a thousand pages on Ye Olde Internet with diets for diabetics that would work. What I really want is some practical suggestions from anyone who has taken their sugar levels seriously.

Actually, one of the most sustaining glucose reduction methods is regular exercise. If you got a treadmill and walked even 15 minutes a day, that could do it. If you want to go the diet route, however, switch your carbs to complex carbs and increase your fiber intake. That means corneal instead of flour, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, no white rice, etc. A sort of side effect of Atkins is lower blood glucose levels, as well as weight loss, so you can follow that.
I am wondering though, if you are already taking a statin? Statins are known to push glucose levels up over time, and while it might seem backwards, backing off on your statins a little and letting your cholesterol rise a bit could reduce your blood sugar levels. This happened to a relative. She was borderline diabetic and had high cholesterol, dialled down the statins, reduced her fat intake and got everything under control.
Exercise is still the best way to go, in my opinion. It gets the best results, and doesn't have to be extreme, just sustained. I hesitate to say this, but as you are a responsible adult... If you walk 30 minutes before your apt tomorrow, you probably won't test with high blood sugar. You will need to keep it up, though, or you are simply masking the problem from your doctor and fooling yourself, which obviously wouldn't be good!
Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Elle makes a good point, and if you haven't tried artificial sweeteners you might do that as well. Frankly, they all scare me, but splenda tastes the most like sugar to me, if you use slightly less than you would is you were using sugar. The makers say use it measure for measure, but try using less, or it tends to have an aftertaste. And you can of course cut out sodas or fruit juices. Or.. alcohol Sorry, but that drives your blood sugar way up...

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[midwestyankee]

To follow up on Collar and Elle, but without quoting and all that:

I recently went back to exercising regularly after a long layoff. Three days each week I do a series of leg strengtheners and balance exercises, work out on both upper and lower body weight machines, and do some cardio. As soon as I get over my current cold, I plan to split out the cardio so that I can extend it for a longer time. That will mean going to the gym 3 days for weights and strength work and 3 days for cardio. I feel as if I have this part of the equation in place, though probably not so much that it will show in today's blood work.

As for diet: I eat a moderately clean diet. My lunch is a Sofritas veggie bowl from Chipotle, with brown rice, fresh and hot salsa, no cheese, guacamole, and lettuce. Dinner will be fish and vegetable kabobs with a mushroom risotto. I'll probably be tempted to share a brownie for dessert, though, and will have a glass of pinot noir with dinner. My downfalls are pastry and other baked goods and ice cream. I do enjoy snacking on fruit, and even fresh vegetables occasionally, but I usually just forget to snack.

I do take a statin drug, and have for 12 years or so. I've looked at my exam reports going back a long ways and my blood sugar levels are not appreciably higher than they were when I started the statin drugs, so I don't see a relationship there.

Where I could definitely make a change is in the amount and type of breads and such that I eat. Generally I buy whole wheat bread for sandwiches, and we'll often get a baguette to accompany pasta, but I rarely eat more than a couple of sandwiches per week, and usually eat no more than 1 slice of bread with a meal. Oh, and pizza dough. It's a staple of life and I'm pretty sure my metabolism would shut down for good if it didn't get its regular dose of pizza dough.

I have tried Truvia but don't care for it. I almost never add sugar to anything. To sweeten my morning shredded wheat, I'll add a bit of granola. And you all wonder how I became such a curmudgeon.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[IrisAlthea]

To follow up on Collar and Elle, but without quoting and all that:

I recently went back to exercising regularly after a long layoff. Three days each week I do a series of leg strengtheners and balance exercises, work out on both upper and lower body weight machines, and do some cardio. As soon as I get over my current cold, I plan to split out the cardio so that I can extend it for a longer time. That will mean going to the gym 3 days for weights and strength work and 3 days for cardio. I feel as if I have this part of the equation in place, though probably not so much that it will show in today's blood work.

As for diet: I eat a moderately clean diet. My lunch is a Sofritas veggie bowl from Chipotle, with brown rice, fresh and hot salsa, no cheese, guacamole, and lettuce. Dinner will be fish and vegetable kabobs with a mushroom risotto. I'll probably be tempted to share a brownie for dessert, though, and will have a glass of pinot noir with dinner. My downfalls are pastry and other baked goods and ice cream. I do enjoy snacking on fruit, and even fresh vegetables occasionally, but I usually just forget to snack.

I do take a statin drug, and have for 12 years or so. I've looked at my exam reports going back a long ways and my blood sugar levels are not appreciably higher than they were when I started the statin drugs, so I don't see a relationship there.

Where I could definitely make a change is in the amount and type of breads and such that I eat. Generally I buy whole wheat bread for sandwiches, and we'll often get a baguette to accompany pasta, but I rarely eat more than a couple of sandwiches per week, and usually eat no more than 1 slice of bread with a meal. Oh, and pizza dough. It's a staple of life and I'm pretty sure my metabolism would shut down for good if it didn't get its regular dose of pizza dough.

I have tried Truvia but don't care for it. I almost never add sugar to anything. To sweeten my morning shredded wheat, I'll add a bit of granola. And you all wonder how I became such a curmudgeon.

Black beans instead of brown rice, roast vegetables or cole slaw instead of risotto, keep the wine but ditch the brownie and go for greek yoghurt instead of ice cream, would probably make a difference in blood sugar.
Go for berries and vegetables rather than fruit and oat instead of wheat in the morning, most of the time at least.

Bread and pasta are my downfall.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[midwestyankee]

I think you are quite sweet but You cannot reach me to hurt me with anything from a tool box .


Edit : they used to make plates half of which was vegetable, quarter each carb and protein. Its not so bad a way to look at a meal I think. A play deck of cards for size of meat portion/ carb portion, double at least for vegetables.



Also, do you know this tip for pasta? You can decrease bad impact on blood sugar by cooking, cooling and reheating. I know it sounds ghastly, but cook al dente and it works ok. It does mean some planning ahead to leave cold pasta in the fridge. Impacts are significant I understand. We also have up Italian proportion of sauce to pasta, or have salad or crudite with the meal.


Edit again : I did not put that cross face at the top on purpose. I don't know how to undo it.

I've never heard that reheating pasta would change its impact on blood sugar. I wonder how that works?

 

[midwestyankee]

Black beans instead of brown rice, roast vegetables or cole slaw instead of risotto, keep the wine but ditch the brownie and go for greek yoghurt instead of ice cream, would probably make a difference in blood sugar.
Go for berries and vegetables rather than fruit and oat instead of wheat in the morning, most of the time at least.

Bread and pasta are my downfall.

How about black beans AND brown rice? I really enjoy roasted vegetables, so that's not an uncommon thing here. I would rather give up sex than eat Greek yogurt. I make a fruit smoothie for breakfast one or two times per week. The base is plain kefir and even that has a tangy flavor that I don't really like, but it doesn't contain the artificial flavors of the fruity no-calorie yogurt that I used to use.

 

[midwestyankee]

I think bread will be hard here with the sourdough thing happening.

Here is something on the pasta thing that might be of interest

https://drwf.org.uk/news_uk/reheati...ld-improve-blood-sugar-levels-people-diabetes

Fascinating [/Spock voice]