Recipes in My Kitchen
Life is hard; food doesn't have to be #122 [vol4, 3.1]
The stovetop was installed Monday. We’re hosting guests tonight. Life is good.
My husband is really good at details. He noticed something askew with the stovetop fit. The warranty was extended YEARS if we paid a professional installer so we asked them to come back and look at it. Sure enough, the stainless steel pan is not square. Note in above pic how the corner is slightly off the quartz. It is flush in the center. A new pan is ordered and will be here next week. I can still cook on it.
After the technician left, my husband asked if I’d noticed the imperfection in the farmhouse sink. I hadn’t. It’s like a grain of sand/rice is stuck in the otherwise smooth finish. We are waiting to hear back from the installer if this will make a difference in years. I hope we don’t have to have it replaced.
What Am I Cooking?
This weekend is Disciple NOW weekend at our church. It’s a longstanding tradition for youth (they are at church most of the time but stay in host homes) goes without saying it is so fun! John and I were leaders of small groups at this same church when we were dating in college. *all the feels* I’m making the Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls and asked others to make this easy breakfast casserole.
Tonight we’re having a variation on Asian bowls. Cooking/shredding chicken thighs in Instantpot with Asian marinade of OJ, soy sauce, ginger, garlic then riffing on this miso sweet potato and broccoli bowl (that sauce looks soooo yum!) It’s probably too much but I love leftovers and will also make One-Pot Curried Chickpeas | Alexandra's Kitchen.
My foodie friend Laura texted this Absurdly Addictive Asparagus then talked about it on Marco Polo until I could taste it. Asparagus is in season. Make it with me?
Blood Work
Yesterday I went for routine blood work. I’m 46 and experiencing peri-menopause symptoms. My expectation was to tell the physician my symptoms and for her to say, “This is EXACTLY what you need to do…” but I went to an integrative practice and that’s not how it works.
She listened well. Didn’t rush me. Asked lots of clarifying questions. I had lots of questions for her: what causes elevated cholesterol? what are your thoughts on intermittent fasting? why am I gaining weight?! Hormone replacement therapy? Herbs? Let’s talk about insulin resistance…She recommended we start with blood work.
Somewhere in the middle, I asked her age. She’s 42; also has night sweats. What is she doing for her hormones? She told me she actually is on a medication for breast cancer and has other issues currently swirling.
This was my first interaction with this woman. When she told me she had cancer, I felt in my body the proverbial record scratch moment. Like time stood still and my heart ached for her. I couldn’t believe she shared this intimate thing with me.
The first thing out of my mouth was, “Are you a perfectionist?” I don’t know why. I am impulsive in conversations sometimes. Yes, yes, she struggled with wanting to do it right. I asked, “Are the voices in your head loud?”
I told her about the blog post my husband wrote about his experience of When the Body Says No. In the book of the same title, the author shares (from the kindle edition of the book. Location numbers appear at the end of each quote.)
In one study, psychologists interviewed patients admitted to [the] hospital for breast biopsy, without knowing the pathology results. Researchers were able to predict the presence of cancer in up to 94 per cent of cases judging by psychological factors alone. (1184)
“Extreme suppression of anger” was the most commonly identified characteristic of breast cancer patients in a 1974 British study. (1229)
The risk of lung cancer… was five times higher in men who lacked the ability to express emotion effectively. (1593)
There is a connection between the mind - body - and spirit. We can’t simply eat good food and work out but also we need to pay attention to our inner man. The thoughts and emotions we carry (or try to ignore) can help or hurt.
Related: I talked with a friend this week who had breast implants removed. Her words, “Before the surgery I thought I was dying. Everything in my body was shutting down.” A few weeks post-surgery she already feels markedly better. She showed pictures of the implants post-surgery. One was starkly different in color.
I don’t have a fancy bow to tie up the conversations. I share these to underscore that our health is complicated. There’s no one-sized solution.
Kitchen Tip
Ever tried to make scrambled eggs in stainless steel and been super frustrated by all that stuck to the bottom?
Here’s what to try: heat up the dry pan a few minutes before adding anything to it. Wave your hand over to see if you can feel the heat. If you think it’s hot then splash a bit of water. If it sizzles and evaporates immediately it is too hot. Aim for a small bead of water to roll around the pan. Then add oil or butter then your egg mixture.
Books I’m Reading
Arkansans and those who’ve watched the Duggars on TLC (19 Kids and Counting…) probably know that child #6, Jinger Duggar Vuolo released Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear. I love memoirs and enjoyed reading that she didn’t walk away from faith all together. She doesn’t hate on her parents. However, she does criticize Bill Gothard quite strongly (for good reason). It is her hope (and mine!) that people who were hurt by that fundamentalist movement would read her story and find encouragement.
Along the lines of striving to grow emotionally, I’m continuing to sip on Emotionally Healthy Discipleship by Pete Scazzaro. About ten years ago a trusted and beloved mentor introduced me to Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. I’ve also read his wife’s Emotionally Healthy Woman: Eight Things You Have to Quit to Change Your Life. All very good.
In the chapter on grief and loss in Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, he mentions a nun that reached out to a man on death row. She begins to write him and eventually accompanies him when he draws his last breath. Sister Helen Prejean writes about this relationship in the book Dead Man Walking (also a movie but the movie takes several liberties, as they do…) I made the mistake of starting it before bed. It sucked me in, I couldn’t stop reading then slept fitfully all night. This one needs to be read in day time (at least for me.) See also Just Mercy a book about the injustice of men on death row.
On my nightstand with just a few chapters remaining is A Place on Earth by Wendell Berry. I waited too long to become a Berry fan. But maybe it was just the right time. Maybe I wouldn’t have appreciated his themes of community until I longed for it as I do now. My fav Berry book so far is Hannah Coulter followed quickly thereafter by Jayber Crow. All can be found at the library.
The Great Good Thing: A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ by Andrew Klavan. My husband brought home this book (we get so many from the library). I’d never heard of the author but apparently he is a NYT best seller for fiction. His story is so interesting and of course well written.
I love when you share what you’re making or reading.
Life is hard, food doesn’t have to be,
Julie
PS - A few real life friends have made pledges to support my work on this Substack platform. While I am greatly honored, I have not turned on that function (it’s something that Substack suggests and I haven’t taken the time to figure out if I can turn it off). For now I want to keep this email free.
If you want to support my work AND do something for your health, consider trying Beautycounter. This Saturday is their 10th anniversary and they have a huge gift with purchase promotion.