All Things Prepping, Simple Living, Back to the Basics [Survival Today, an on going thread]

CottonBall

[CottonBall]

This is an ongoing thread – meaning come back to chat, post information, or ask questions any time. Hopefully the thread won’t stagnate and I’ll do better at posting weekly (or bi-weekly) topics than I have in the past. (anyone willing to post a topic now and then we'll be highly praised and appreciated).

We are in for some bumpy rides, and prepping can only help. If for peace of mind, if nothing else. We have a wonderful gardening thread and a current-events survival/prepping thread, and hopefully this one can piggyback off of those, maybe having a longer discussion about certain topics or … whatever. It's your thread, do what you like with it! (civilly, of course)

Here are granny’s threads, if anyone wants to peruse them:

nw_arizona_granny’s Thread #1

nw_arizona_granny’s Thread #2

nw_arizona_granny’s Thread #3

[CottonBall]

Thank you for sharing that with us

[CottonBall]

that’s a keeper!

Especially since most store-bought cough syrup puts me to sleep.

[CottonBall]

“My health is very slowly and gradually improving. T”

I’m glad to hear that.

Doesn it have to do with the neuroplasticity you mentioned?

[CottonBall]

Thanks for the yogurt recipe and the tips.

I hadn’t thought of trying to find alternatives to yogurt starter. What made you decide to use the jalapeno stems? That wouldn’t be my first guess! lol

I’m looking into substitutes for yeast, like sourdough starter. Not everything will be available when we need it.

[little jeremiah]

I buy organic tea by the pound from Amazon, price hasn’t gone up, amazingly enough, about $20, lasts me 6 months usuall.

[metmom]

Not yet.

But there are people who claimed it helped them with food sensitivities.

Part of destressing is that the immune system starts functioning better and it reduces inflammation.

[metmom]

Here is a beef soup recipe by daughter swears by.

The site she found it on was bought out by another and the recipe no longer shows up, but fortunately her friend had the presence of mind to copy it.

SPICY BEEF NOODLE SOUP

Active: 35 min. Total: 1 hr. 40 min.

This sinus-clearing, immunity-boosting bowl of soup is inspired by Szechuan beef noodle soup
Because some of the ingredients to make the traditional version require a trip to an Asian market, we
approximated the flavors with easier-to-find items.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
2 b. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-in. pieces
1½ cups chopped white onion
⅓ cup minced garlic (15 cloves,
1 Tbsp. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 plum tomatoes, chopped ¼ cup sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
3 Tbsp. white miso
1½ tsp. ground coriander
1½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
8 cups unsalted beef stock
2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1½ Tbsp. light brown sugar
8 oz. pre-sliced vitamin D-enhanced mushrooms (such as Monterey Mushrooms)
1 (8-oz.) pkg. pad Thai brown rice noodles
4 (4-oz.) baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise ½ cup sliced green onions ¼ cup cilantro sprigs

Directions:

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add half of beef; cook, turning occasionally, until
browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer cooked beef to a plate. Repeat procedure with 1
teaspoon oil and remaining beef.

2. Heat remaining 4 teaspoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; cook,
stirring often, until onion is almost tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, sambal oelek. miso,
coriander, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, and
browned beef. Bring to a boil; partially cover, and reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cook
until beef is almost tender, about 45 minutes. Add mushrooms; cover and cook until beef is tender, about
30 minutes.

3. Cook noodles per package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well.

4. Add bok choy to soup; cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Arrange about ½ cup noodles
and 2 bok choy quarters in each of 8 bowls. Ladle about 1½ cups soup into each bowl; sprinkle each
serving with 1 tablespoon green onions. Top with cilantro sprigs.

*This soup freezes well, except for the noodles and bok choy (both get really soggy when frozen). I always freeze
before adding either, and then reheat on the stovetop so I can add the bok choy and let it cook.

SERVES 8 (serving size: about 2 cups)

Calories 459; Fat 20g (sat 7g, unsat 11g);
Protein 31q: Carb 39g; Fiber 5g; Sugars 8g (added sugars 3g): Sodium 736mg; Calc 4% DV: Potassium 10% DV

[CottonBall]

Sounds delicious, even better than chicken noodle soup.

Well I love my All American canner, as much as I can so far. The pressure gauge didn’t work. All American will send out a new one. But I had bought about 25 lb of chicken to can and it was going to expire so I had to freeze it.

[CottonBall]

Another great thing in the recipe, coriander! I love coriander and cardamom and I can’t find too many recipes using them.

[metmom]

Much of what’s in that recipe has anti-inflammatory properties.

I found this fascinating article about natural anti-inflammatories.

Frontiers In

This one:
Calming the Storm: Natural Immunosuppressants as Adjuvants to Target the Cytokine Storm in COVID-19
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.583777/full

And an other one:

Immune-Boosting, Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Food Supplements Targeting Pathogenesis of COVID-19
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.570122/full

[CottonBall]

I was just on Facebook posting about anti-inflammatory diets. There’s a cornea neuropathy group there, it’s a very rare disease and is related to inflammation. Getting it down in any way helps. I’ll pass this on.

[metmom]

I hope it can help someone.

There’s a fascinating book I’ve been reading called *The Brain’s Way of Healing* by Norman Doidge. It’s about a concept of neuroplasticity and how different areas of the brain can be used to help areas that are compromised. There’s a chapter in there about a guy who had a condition like that and how he was virtually blind and regained his eyesight.

We checked the book out of the library before taking the plunge to buy it, so it’s available there.

It’s not something embraced by most of mainstream medical community but is gaining acceptance and seems to be very effective based on the case studies he presents in the book.

[Marmolade]

The chicken I canned didn’t shred with use. I boiled the breasts partially, then cubed it. I remember someone (maybe DelaWhere) mentioning it came out better cubed.

I found a few jars that we hadn’t used, that I opened and dumped today. Canned in 2012. A few jars looked nasty inside, but several jars still looked and smelled fine. Still in the little cubes. I just didn’t want to attempt to use them after this long or put out with scraps. Went into the trashcan.

[Marmolade]

I never liked brussel sprouts up until a couple years ago. My DIL made some and they were good. She took a few of the outer leaves off before cooking. Then I found a recipe that has you blanch them for 10 min in boiling water. Next you cut and put in greased casserole dish. Add some bacon bits, shredded swiss cheese, and top with a bit of heavy cream. Put in oven for about 25 min. They are one of my favorites now. I’ll even eat them cold the next day.

I tried growing them in my garden this year. That didn’t go very well. I might try again next year.

[Spunky]

That recipe sounds real good. I will have to try it sometime.

[Mears]

He should try Harvard Beets………delicious.

..

……l

[Marmolade]

I think blanching the brussel sprouts before eating, takes away the bitterness. That’s why I never liked them. These have a milder flavor. The ones my DIL removed the outer leaves on, also were not bitter.

[CottonBall]

“The chicken I canned didn’t shred with use. I boiled the breasts partially, then cubed it. I remember someone (maybe DelaWhere) mentioning it came out better cubed.”

I need to try that! I don’t remember DW is saying that. Is he still on here, somewhere? I guess I can look for his old posts.

I use my jars long past the recommended 1 year. Usually up to about 5 years. I guess 11 years is too long! Five is almost too long for my beets, they were sort of brown.

[CottonBall]

I have “The Hidden Psychology of Pain”. But I haven’t read it. About the time I ordered it my cornea neuropathy pain went away. So I was less motivated. I still plan on reading it, along with quite a few others. Eventually

[metmom]

I grew Brussel sprouts last year and had a fair crop. I didn’t plant a lot.

I planted more this year and they all bombed. Maybe it was just too wet, as we had a VERY wet year. My onions did not do well, and some of my garlic rotted, but the peas, the rest of the garlic, and the potatoes did GREAT. So did the earthworm crop.