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| locally made vinegar and bacon--three mile diet? |
Today is the first day of the Farmer's Market. It was wonderful to see the plants for sale, rosy strawberries, and fresh bread. I had little left in my monthly food budget. Here it is the middle of the month, and I splurged a bit. Maybe not. Maybe the farmer's market opened last Saturday?
Picture
I sat to talk with the hens and took this picture. Yes, it is summer because the yard has needed mowing for two weeks. I hate the neighbors block building!
Pecans for a snack
All winter I have bought shelled pecans from one couple--Lee and Marie. One quart of halves cost $7. One quart was my healthy snack for a month or more.
Blueberry vinegar
Today, they had blueberry vinegar. Since I have decided to cut back even more on processed food, I will try this and oil for salads. I really cannot eat much vinegar, so this is an iffy project for me.
12 ounces blueberry vinegar+ cute bottle=$6
I am going to ask them if they will sell me this in my own fruit jar. Of course, if it is too much trouble for them, they may refuse. We will see.
By the way, this tastes and smells just like a bit of blueberries that lingered too long at my house.
Bacon
My father died of pancreatic cancer after nineteen long months with no intervention. (his choice) His mother died of "stomach cancer." Since I was too young for the details, it may have been pancreatic cancer or started there.
I have read that processed foods and the nitrites are implicated in pancreatic cancer. I ate very little before he died and even less now of bacon, hot dogs, or bologna. Oh, deli turkey and such are favorites but not so much. All other processed/nitrite meat holds little allure for me.
Sliced Pork Belly--the facts
$2.39 for 0.96 pound=fourteen slices
14 slices=7 meals
2 slices=one meal=$0.38/meal
Not too bad?
MRI
I have never freaked out in one of those machines. Today, I did. It has been over an hour and my head is pounding. The adrenaline, increase in blood pressure, and increase in pulse have gotten me down. All I was saying was, "Let me out! Let me out!" I was not screaming or anything and did not move a muscle as she put me in. Yet, she said, "You are okay! You are OKAY! I don't want you kicking around with your feet!"
Pardon me? I thought I was being very orderly. I was lying motionless and was not screaming or getting hysterical. I just spoke in a panic. This would have been my sixth MRI and I have never yet felt this way. I think it is because with inactivity I have gained weight and I could feel the sides of the tube. I knew where the boundaries were and could not handle it. The panic was unavoidable.
This afternoon
I have blueberry vinegar, fresh pork belly aka bacon, and a headache.
Your turn
Is my sliced pork belly going to be bacon-like? I have the grease from the last bacon and could add a bit of that for flavor.
Any suggestions for the blueberry vinegar?
Did you ever feel the MRI machine was too much?
Hi Linda
ReplyDeleteSorry you had such a rough time in the MRI. I've never had an MRI but my husband won't go into a closed one at all! He isn't even claustraphobic, but tne thought of a closed MRI freaks him out!
The pork belly doesn't taste much like bacon as we know it. You can pour a bit of maple syrup into the pan when its done cooking to give it the flavor we are used to. Is it smoked? Anyhow, its still good but its not what we expected at first.
The blueberry vinegar can make a nice addition to savory sauces. Blueberries go great with meats such as pork and mix well with onion or garlic.
Have you ever made your own vinegar? Its easy!
Hi Linda!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for you bad MRI experience. I needed to be heavily sedated before I can go into one. I can not BREATH from the sheer panic!! MY chest is feeling tight just typing about it. I can not tolerate any kind of restrictions...not even tight clothing!!!
Blueberry vinegar sounds sounds delicious. I've been a vegetarian for about 15 years so I couldn't tell you what pork belly taste like, actually I don't think I've ever had it.
I hope you feel better soon...
LindaM, I had an easy time of it twice. Then, dreaded it so was given a 10 mg valium. I was out of it before I got there. Then, I asked the techs to strap my arms down so they would not fall from my stomach where I had them crossed so I would not touch the sides of the tube. The guy got someone else to come and talk with me, I guess to corroborate that he was not just strapping me down on his own. Another time, I went to sleep amid the noise.
ReplyDeleteThe sliced pork belly has no ingredients. Maybe a bit of the old bacon grease in the refrigerator and maple syrup will approximate the taste I want. Nope, not intentionally have I made my own vinegar! I will give this a try in a few things.
Patty, I had never had surgery or MRI, barely an xray (just mammograms) until I was 57. Then, I started tearing things apart, just never a broken bone. Nope, I cannot stand anything tight. Thankfully, I am not the first person to refuse to have the closed MRI. An appointment will be scheduled in Huntsville for me--50 miles! When I lose weight and cannot feel the sides of the tube, I will go in with no qualms. I will report on the pork belly.
Linda, just to confirm, I meant flavored vinegars, not making actual vinegar. I haven't done that and don't know if it would be easy or not. But flavored vinegars are great!
ReplyDeleteLindaM, I thought that you meant making vinegar from fruits. I was reading how to do that last year. I tasted this blueberry vinegar and immediately had an allergic reaction. So, now I wonder if this is white vinegar and flavored. White vinegar is distilled wheat. I am allergic to wheat. As soon as the blueberry vinegar touched my tongue, My eardrums were in excruciating pain--throat is starting to swell shut! Thanks, I will check with them on Saturday about their methods.
ReplyDelete