Small Talk: Only 2 Ounces Of Commenting Allowed

[Friday]

2 hours ago, Dot said:

Hey, folks! If you're one of the many who used to watch My Big Fat Fabulous Life & gave up on it becuz of narcissistic ol' Twitney, here's your chance to tell her what you think of her.

Twit is currently in  FIRST PLACE in the Primetimer Awards' category, "stick myself with a fork in my eye: worst person on reality TV." You can vote for her until June 21, so don't delay. Twit loves to win phoney awards trumped up by TLC. Let's give her one she actually deserves! 😊

Thanks for the heads-up Dot!  She got me vote.😀  No one is more deserving of this than Twit, IMO.

Edited June 18, 2019 by Friday

[SunnyBeBe]

I'm super excited that I found squash on sale today!!!!  It was 99 cents a pound! I bought about 11 pounds!  Hopefully, we'll have enough for a few days. 

[mmecorday]

CatherineM, thank you for sharing. Addiction is tough, especially food addiction. The human body doesn't need heroin or nicotine to live, but food is a basic necessity. 

[parrotfeathers]

18 hours ago, Friday said:

Thanks for the heads-up Dot!  She got me vote.😀  No one is more deserving of this than Twit, IMO.

I voted too.  Also, 600. pound life is in the lead for "show I hate but cannot tear myself away from it" or something like that.

[auntjess]

3 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

I voted too.  Also, 600. pound life is in the lead for "show I hate but cannot tear myself away from it" or something like that.

I just voted for Tiffany, can't remember the category, but she's ahead.
 

[DC Gal in VA]

On 6/11/2019 at 12:15 PM, Colleenna said:

I detest, and will not eat under ANY circumstances:

Avocado

Okra

Turnips

Rutabagas

I'm allergic to something in blueberries and that makes me very sad. 

Tee hee Colleena, I love everything on your list!☺

That is very sad about the blueberries; was just thinking about blueberry pie. BTW, I knew someone who said that she couldn't digest raw fruit and vegetables but she could eat cooked vegetables and, if the fruit was cooked like in a pie, she could eat that. Do you have a problem with just raw blueberries?

[parrotfeathers]

Rutabagas are wonderful if cooked correctly.  Not talking about the canned ones.

Peel rutabaga, cut in small cubes (about 1/2" to 3/4") cook in shallow water in skillet.  As water evaporates and they get soft drop in about a gallon of butter and let it caramelize a little.  Sometimes I sprinkle sugar on top sparingly.

Okra--I grow it,  Pick when less than 4".

[parrotfeathers]

Thanks for your post CatherineM.  I try to explain to my hubby just how troubled these people are on the show (not saying you were).  He just doesn't understand.

[CatherineM]

43 minutes ago, parrotfeathers said:

Thanks for your post CatherineM.  I try to explain to my hubby just how troubled these people are on the show (not saying you were).  He just doesn't understand.

Oh, I was as screwed up as possible. Lots of my 12 step friends were just as bad or worse. This is a disease, and it tried really hard to kill me. I’m in remission. If I don’t follow through with all my stuff, this disease will come back with a vengeance. 

[Hellga]

Rutabagas are very, very delicious and should really be picked when they comfortably fit in your hand (though they can grow as big as your head).  I personally like them raw, but roasting is great too.  We used to grow them (and just about every other cold climate vegetable) when I was little. 

I eat everything except: 

• fennel (anything anise or licorice flavored, really, with the exception of some mildly flavored baked goods though I do occasionally use anise if it is mixed in with umpteen other potent spices),
• cooked onions (I am perfectly OK with the raw ones) - I will use them when cooking dishes that don't taste right without them, but I will either cut them very, very, very small or throw in a half and pull it out before serving, or use onion powder.  I will not in any circumstances use sauteed onions as a topping for my meat, though.
• insects or worms or grubs or anything like that.   I did not grow up with that, and while I get that some cultures consider them delicacies, they may have my share and enjoy it without involving me!  I am adventurous enough with seafood and with vertebrates (I had frog and gator and I would try a snake should I see it on a menu and any exotic meats) but I draw the line at critters I wouldn't touch or even look at without shuddering.

I don't care much for squashes or eggplant, and rarely choose them, but I will eat them.  

On a totally unrelated note, I just got an e-mail that a bear has been seen walking down my street (and it is a rather short street of about half a mile!) earlier this afternoon.  Wow.  I know I live in the woods, but these woods are only a tiny strip of greenery in the middle of suburbia!

Edited June 20, 2019 by Hellga

[sagittarius sue]

On 6/18/2019 at 1:24 PM, Dot said:

Hey, folks! If you're one of the many who used to watch My Big Fat Fabulous Life & gave up on it becuz of narcissistic ol' Twitney, here's your chance to tell her what you think of her.

Twit is currently in  FIRST PLACE in the Primetimer Awards' category, "stick myself with a fork in my eye: worst person on reality TV." You can vote for her until June 21, so don't delay. Twit loves to win phoney awards trumped up by TLC. Let's give her one she actually deserves! 😊

I want to vote!  Could someone tell me where to go to place my votes?

[ProTourist]

3 minutes ago, sagittarius sue said:

I want to vote!  Could someone tell me where to go to place my votes?

https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/3310-annual-awards-show-the-primetimers/

That forum contains separate topics for each award. Just click on the ones where you want to cast a vote.

[sagittarius sue]

3 minutes ago, ProTourist said:

https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/3310-annual-awards-show-the-primetimers/

That forum contains separate topics for each award. Just click on the ones where you want to cast a vote.

Thanks much!  I really want to put in a vote for Twit!

[AZChristian]

15 hours ago, Hellga said:

• fennel (anything anise or licorice flavored, really, with the exception of some mildly flavored baked goods though I do occasionally use anise if it is mixed in with umpteen other potent spices),

. . . I just got an e-mail that a bear has been seen walking down my street (and it is a rather short street of about half a mile!) earlier this afternoon.  Wow.  I know I live in the woods, but these woods are only a tiny strip of greenery in the middle of suburbia!

Favorite way to have anise . . . used raw, soaking as flavoring in a bottle of rum.  Mmmmmmm.

We once got an e-mail like that.  When I turned on the noon news to see if they were reporting it, I saw a video shot from a news helicopter that was covering the story.  And the camera showed MY HOUSE.  The game warden actually knocked on my door a little later, asking if they could go into my yard, as the bear had been seen there.  For obvious reasons, my Yorkie was kept inside that day.  After the bear was shot with a tranquilizer gun (about 100 feet from our back fence), I went outside and saw obvious footprints in our yard.

[Hannah94]

5 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Favorite way to have anise . . . used raw, soaking as flavoring in a bottle of rum.  Mmmmmmm.

We once got an e-mail like that.  When I turned on the noon news to see if they were reporting it, I saw a video shot from a news helicopter that was covering the story.  And the camera showed MY HOUSE.  The game warden actually knocked on my door a little later, asking if they could go into my yard, as the bear had been seen there.  For obvious reasons, my Yorkie was kept inside that day.  After the bear was shot with a tranquilizer gun (about 100 feet from our back fence), I went outside and saw obvious footprints in our yard.

I cannot help myself but I love bears. Like, if I met a bear in the woods and he was hungry, I might feed myself to him just to save him. That's how much I like bears. But I would not feed my puppy to a bear, just to be clear.

[Hellga]

I actually have met a bear in the woods - while hiking in the Shenandoah - and it crossed the path calmly about 15 feet in front of me and never even looked at me.  I have also met a bear in the woods in the White Mountains in Arizona (though that time I was inside a car).  It's one thing to see bears out in the wild, where they belong, it's another when a bear is in a suburban street where it definitely doesn't belong!  I like to put my trash out around 11pm-midnight the night before pickup, if bears stick around, I will have to rethink that strategy and drag myself out of bed half an hour early so I can put it out the morning of.

[Hannah94]

4 minutes ago, Hellga said:

I actually have met a bear in the woods - while hiking in the Shenandoah - and it crossed the path calmly about 15 feet in front of me and never even looked at me. 

What a chill bear! See, they can be cool and passive. Did he throw out the sideways peace sign and say "deuces"? I always wondered if bears do that. For real, I might shit in the woods - like a bear - if I met one, but I have adored them from afar since I was little. 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

I have seen a bear shit in the woods.  I was in Yosemite looking at one of the small waterfalls in a backwoods area.  A bear sidled up to the waterfall, about 25 feet above where I was standing, took a drink, then turned around and did what bears do in the woods.  Nature at it's finest!  

[Hellga]

When I was in the Shenandoah, it was late August or early September, and there were tons of blackberries all over the place - we ate them, and so did the bears, and bear poop was all over the trails!  But I think that's a big reason why it was not interested in us at all - who wants to eat a stupid human or human leftovers when there are plenty of delicious fresh blackberries all around?

My big animal-related dream is to pull a snow leopard's tail.  But I definitely don't want it to become the last thing I ever do! 😆

Edited June 21, 2019 by Hellga

[AZChristian]

29 minutes ago, Hellga said:

When I was in the Shenandoah, it was late August or early September, and there were tons of blackberries all over the place - we ate them, and so did the bears, and bear poop was all over the trails!  But I think that's a big reason why it was not interested in us at all - who wants to eat a stupid human or human leftovers when there are plenty of delicious fresh blackberries all around?

Reminds me of the joke that almost every Alaska tour guide tells groups of tourists.

[ProTourist]

4 hours ago, Hellga said:

I have also met a bear in the woods in the White Mountains in Arizona

Ay, I'm such an easterner. To me White Mountains = New Hampshire.  😍

[ProTourist]

1 hour ago, Hellga said:

My big animal-related dream is to pull a snow leopard's tail.  But I definitely don't want it to become the last thing I ever do! 😆

Is that because their tails are so long and fluffy?

Well, so long as you don't bite it:

[Hellga]

3 hours ago, ProTourist said:

Is that because their tails are so long and fluffy?

Yes!  I mean, I would so hug the whole entire leopard, but I would love to feel up the tail because it looks so amazingly thick fluffy (though I know even house cats usually aren't fond of people pawing at their tails).  I had petted a tiger and a lion cub, but never a snow leopard.  

I would love to pet a Pallas cat too.  They are super fluffy, Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn has two, but they are rarely making themselves visible, so half the times I visit all I can see is a little ball of grey fluff at the very far corner of the enclosure. 

[Hellga]

3 hours ago, ProTourist said:

Ay, I'm such an easterner. To me White Mountains = New Hampshire.  😍 

New Hampshire is a lovely state too!   It has something for everyone, with the mountains, lakes, historic towns, shore...  It packs a lot of variety for such a small state!  One of my favorite states, absolutely.  I would say New Hampshire, South Dakota, New York, Hawaii and Arizona are my favorite of the states I have visited so far (36 of them!).  Though I have enjoyed every state a lot except maybe Arkansas - but then it was 105 degrees and 100% humidity when I was there, and I spent my entire three days there in Little Rock...

[OoogleEyes]

On 6/20/2019 at 6:32 PM, Hellga said:

• fennel (anything anise or licorice flavored, really, with the exception of some mildly flavored baked goods though I do occasionally use anise if it is mixed in with umpteen other potent spices 

Hee! My mother used to make a raw fennel salad (oil, vinegar and caraway? Maybe? I forget) for the holidays. She loved it. I did not. She called it anise salad. The grandkids called it anus salad...

Cooked fennel isn't tooooo bad

Edited June 21, 2019 by OoogleEyes

[OoogleEyes]

I am "I love staying home Friday nights with my cat and catching up with my Pounder Pals" years old 

[nokat]

8 hours ago, Hannah94 said:

I cannot help myself but I love bears. Like, if I met a bear in the woods and he was hungry, I might feed myself to him just to save him. That's how much I like bears. But I would not feed my puppy to a bear, just to be clear.

That is dedication. I like bears too, but not enough to be bear poop.
 

[DC Gal in VA]

On 6/20/2019 at 6:32 PM, Hellga said:

Rutabagas are very, very delicious and should really be picked when they comfortably fit in your hand (though they can grow as big as your head).  I personally like them raw, but roasting is great too.  We used to grow them (and just about every other cold climate vegetable) when I was little. 

I eat everything except: 

• fennel (anything anise or licorice flavored, really, with the exception of some mildly flavored baked goods though I do occasionally use anise if it is mixed in with umpteen other potent spices),
• cooked onions (I am perfectly OK with the raw ones) - I will use them when cooking dishes that don't taste right without them, but I will either cut them very, very, very small or throw in a half and pull it out before serving, or use onion powder.  I will not in any circumstances use sauteed onions as a topping for my meat, though.
• insects or worms or grubs or anything like that.   I did not grow up with that, and while I get that some cultures consider them delicacies, they may have my share and enjoy it without involving me!  I am adventurous enough with seafood and with vertebrates (I had frog and gator and I would try a snake should I see it on a menu and any exotic meats) but I draw the line at critters I wouldn't touch or even look at without shuddering.

I don't care much for squashes or eggplant, and rarely choose them, but I will eat them.  

On a totally unrelated note, I just got an e-mail that a bear has been seen walking down my street (and it is a rather short street of about half a mile!) earlier this afternoon.  Wow.  I know I live in the woods, but these woods are only a tiny strip of greenery in the middle of suburbia!

Hi Hellga. Was that your neighborhood I saw on the local news with a black bear wandering through it? It looked like a rather young bear, not a baby bear but a juvenile one.

Back to food: I can only eat fennel if it's cooked; raw is too licoricey--not a real word, I know😊. Same for any type of anise flavored liqeuer like Sambuca, yuck. Love onion raw or cooked as well as anything in the squash family--eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, etc. ITA about insects and I will definitely eat exotic meats. Love rutabagas and turnips in cooked greens, Southern style with ham hocks.

The one thing no one has yet mentioned is cilantro. I pretty much loathe it and these days chefs are putting it into EVERYTHING! The only way I can eat it is in certain Mexican dishes; heck I've even ticked off people from other cultures by saying that Mexican cooks and chefs are the only people who know how to cook with that otherwise noxious herb. As a matter of fact whenever I make salsa or pico de gallo, I always use cilantro. It seems that the onion, tomatoes, chilies and garlic, in the case of salsas, negate that nasty soapy taste.

And white grapefruit is the Devil, a nasty trick played by Mother Nature.😆

Edited June 24, 2019 by DC Gal in VA
Typo.

[ShoePrincess]

I love the flavor of cilantro, but I'm allergic to it. It makes my lips numb and tongue swell. I neve r get to have the salsa when we eat in a Mexican restaurant.

On Sunday, I'm heading to fat camp for a week of hiking, swimming, water aerobics weight training, and yoga and guided meditation classes. Those pounds that followed the trail of breadcrumbs to my thighs need to go away.

[DC Gal in VA]

7 minutes ago, ShoePrincess said:

I love the flavor of cilantro, but I'm allergic to it. It makes my lips numb and tongue swell. I neve r get to have the salsa when we eat in a Mexican restaurant.

On Sunday, I'm heading to fat camp for a week of hiking, swimming, water aerobics weight training, and yoga and guided meditation classes. Those pounds that followed the trail of breadcrumbs to my thighs need to go away.

Happy fat-camping ShoePrincess! That sounds like fun. For me, those pounds always find their way to my hips AND thighs!

Edited to add: if you care to, making homemade salsa is super easy and you can definitely leave out the cilantro. I use a mini food processor to make mine but just a good, old fashioned sharp knife and cutting board will work just fine.

Edited June 22, 2019 by DC Gal in VA
Additional comments.

[Tabbygirl521]

On 6/20/2019 at 3:32 PM, Hellga said:

Rutabagas are very, very delicious and should really be picked when they comfortably fit in your hand (though they can grow as big as your head).  I personally like them raw, but roasting is great too.  We used to grow them (and just about every other cold climate vegetable) when I was little. 

I eat everything except: 

• fennel (anything anise or licorice flavored, really, with the exception of some mildly flavored baked goods though I do occasionally use anise if it is mixed in with umpteen other potent spices),
• cooked onions (I am perfectly OK with the raw ones) - I will use them when cooking dishes that don't taste right without them, but I will either cut them very, very, very small or throw in a half and pull it out before serving, or use onion powder.  I will not in any circumstances use sauteed onions as a topping for my meat, though.
• insects or worms or grubs or anything like that.   I did not grow up with that, and while I get that some cultures consider them delicacies, they may have my share and enjoy it without involving me!  I am adventurous enough with seafood and with vertebrates (I had frog and gator and I would try a snake should I see it on a menu and any exotic meats) but I draw the line at critters I wouldn't touch or even look at without shuddering.

I don't care much for squashes or eggplant, and rarely choose them, but I will eat them.  

On a totally unrelated note, I just got an e-mail that a bear has been seen walking down my street (and it is a rather short street of about half a mile!) earlier this afternoon.  Wow.  I know I live in the woods, but these woods are only a tiny strip of greenery in the middle of suburbia!

I live a bit north of Seattle in the burbs and we have had bear sightings too. I can’t wrap my head around it. One was spotted behind the local Whole Foods, which cracks me up for some reason. 

It could have gone across the street to the Spaghetti Factory, but no. 

Edited June 22, 2019 by Tabbygirl521

[ShoePrincess]

10 minutes ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Happy fat-camping ShoePrincess! That sounds like fun. For me, those pounds always find their way to my hips AND thighs!

Edited to add: if you care to, making homemade salsa is super easy and you can definitely leave out the cilantro. I use a mini food processor to make mine but just a good, old fashioned sharp knife and cutting board will work just fine.

Thanks D.C. Gal.

It's just the fresh cilantro that causes the problem, probably the oils in the leaves. When I make salsa at home, I use chopped fresh parsley and a pinch of dried cilantro. I can eat that. But it's not much fun to watch your spouse and/or friends chow down on the chips and salsa or guacamole while you stare longingly as they take each bite.

[nokat]

28 minutes ago, ShoePrincess said:

watch your spouse and/or friends chow down on the chips and salsa or guacamole while you stare longingly as they take each bite.

It helps if you picture them choking on it. ;) 
 

Fennel, bleh, I use the little bit that is in my curry powder. That anise flavour is something I don't need.
 

[auntjess]

I just saw this on Facebook, and had to share it with you all.

[AZChristian]

7 hours ago, auntjess said:

I just saw this on Facebook, and had to share it with you all.

Dr. Now got a wig?????

[Hellga]

10 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Hi Hellga. Was that your neighborhood I saw on the local news with a black bear wandering through it? It looked like a rather young bear, not a baby bear but a juvenile one.

There was a young bear in another neighborhood about two miles away and across a highway - I have seen that video - maybe that's the one that was shown.  I don't think anyone recorded our bear and whether it's been the same one (it may have been, as the sighting there was in the morning and ours was in the afternoon).

10 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

The one thing no one has yet mentioned is cilantro.

I used to hate it as a child - and I distinctly remember how my jacket stunk after I helped my aunt get rid of her cilantro at the end of the growing season - but as an adult I like it in Mexican dishes.  I do not like dill, though, and my Mom LOVES dill and puts it into everything.  I mean, I am OK with a sprig or two in my salad, but adding a big bunch to a soup (thankfully, before serving, so fresh one wasn't an issue, dried one put in while cooking was) - really???

10 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

And white grapefruit is the Devil, a nasty trick played by Mother Nature.

No you don't!  They are delicious (as are red grapefruit, I don't like the yellow ones as much but I eat them too).  And their juice makes great marinade for pork!

8 hours ago, auntjess said:

I just saw this on Facebook, and had to share it with you all.
 

Teehee.  That reminds me of another old favorite - 

- Honey, does this dress make me look fat?

- No, dear, fat makes you look fat.

[sagittarius sue]

4 hours ago, Hellga said:

Honey, does this dress make me look fat?

- No, dear, fat makes you look fat.

Hey, we all know mattresses make you look fat!

It's interesting how genetics can affect one's taste buds.  There's a genetic reason for cilantro tasting like soap for some just as broccoli is extremely bitter.  I usually like cilantro, but I can recall at least once thinking it tasted soapy.

[nokat]

5 hours ago, sagittarius sue said:

Hey, we all know mattresses make you look fat!

It's interesting how genetics can affect one's taste buds.  There's a genetic reason for cilantro tasting like soap for some just as broccoli is extremely bitter.  I usually like cilantro, but I can recall at least once thinking it tasted soapy.

I'm not a fan of cilantro, but love broccoli, as in steamed, no butter or seasoning, it tastes wonderful to me. When I see the poundicipants boiling veggies, I think, no wonder you don't like them, no one wants to eat gray cauliflower.

I think genetics plays a big part in how we gain and hold onto weight. It's hard for me to know for sure, as the families I know who were overweight in general ate a lot more food than my family did. We did the usual picnics, burgers and hot dogs, but only occasionally.  I'd go to dinner at a friend's house, and get a plate of food that I in no way could finish, but would feel bad if I left any uneaten.

Menopause has definitely made me change the way I eat.  I can't even look at an orange. ;)
 

[nokat]

You all talk about Pepperidge Farm cakes and cookies in here too often. Has fishie parmesan crackers calling my name. 
 

[DC Gal in VA]

OMG HELP! I'm watching ITKWD--In the Kitchen with David--on QVC and they have a Jeffrey Zakarian Safe Slice 6-in-1 Upright Mandolin and I think I may "need" it!😊  And of course it's only three easy payments of $9.99.

Please stop me before I buy again! Calling all "Q" folks; that includes YOU @aliya!😆

Edited June 23, 2019 by DC Gal in VA
Typo.

[Twopper]

1 hour ago, DC Gal in VA said:

OMG HELP! I'm watching ITKWD--In the Kitchen with David--on QVC and they have a Jeffrey Zakarian Safe Slice 6-in-1 Upright Mandolin and I think I may "need" it!😊  And of course it's only three easy payments of $9.99.

Please stop me before I buy again! Calling all "Q" folks; that includes YOU @aliya!😆

Before you buy, make sure you have watched season 4 episode 2 of Mama's Family. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0640624/

[DC Gal in VA]

17 minutes ago, Twopper said:

Before you buy, make sure you have watched season 4 episode 2 of Mama's Family. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0640624/

Hey Twopper! That is too funny. Alas, you are too late, I went ahead and got it. 😯

Seriously though, I have a lot of pain when standing too long while prepping food so that's why I bought it. One of the things they demonstrated was prepping mirepoix and garlic as well as produce like cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes, yellow squash, etc. which I do all the time. If it can cut my having to stand while prepping by half or a third of the time, it will be worth it.

Edited to add: I did manage to resist chef Zakarian's 3 pounds of large day boat scallops at the amazing deal price of "only" $139.95!😮 Ummmmm thanks but no thanks on that one. ☺

Edited June 23, 2019 by DC Gal in VA
Additional comments.

[Carboncat]

On ‎6‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 3:13 PM, Hellga said:

Yes!  I mean, I would so hug the whole entire leopard, but I would love to feel up the tail because it looks so amazingly thick fluffy (though I know even house cats usually aren't fond of people pawing at their tails).  I had petted a tiger and a lion cub, but never a snow leopard.  

I would love to pet a Pallas cat too.  They are super fluffy, Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn has two, but they are rarely making themselves visible, so half the times I visit all I can see is a little ball of grey fluff at the very far corner of the enclosure. 

Wow!  The Pallas cat strikes me as a "Neanderthal Persian".  Would love to pet,  but sounds very skittish of people.

[Carboncat]

On ‎6‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 10:41 AM, sagittarius sue said:

Hey, we all know mattresses make you look fat!

It's interesting how genetics can affect one's taste buds.  There's a genetic reason for cilantro tasting like soap for some just as broccoli is extremely bitter.  I usually like cilantro, but I can recall at least once thinking it tasted soapy.

Yes, it's interesting about individual tastes....  My  millennial son hates coffee, and I HATE bananas,  anything banana-related:  banana bread, smoothies etc.  Yes, I know they're a "great source of potassium".  I do love limburger cheese with the dirty sweat socks smell.

[Caoimhe]

2 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

OMG HELP! I'm watching ITKWD--In the Kitchen with David--on QVC and they have a Jeffrey Zakarian Safe Slice 6-in-1 Upright Mandolin and I think I may "need" it!😊  And of course it's only three easy payments of $9.99.

Please stop me before I buy again! Calling all "Q" folks; that includes YOU @aliya!😆

Now I want one too.

[Carboncat]

On ‎6‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 8:29 PM, Tabbygirl521 said:

I live a bit north of Seattle in the burbs and we have had bear sightings too. I can’t wrap my head around it. One was spotted behind the local Whole Foods, which cracks me up for some reason. 

It could have gone across the street to the Spaghetti Factory, but no. 

Miss the Old Spaghetti Factory, it closed years ago here.

[DC Gal in VA]

23 minutes ago, ThereButFor said:

Now I want one too.

Uh oh ThereButFor they're all gone except for "Zakarian Blue" on waitlist only! But those $139.95 scallops are still available. 😆

Edited June 23, 2019 by DC Gal in VA
Additional comments.

[Carboncat]

On ‎6‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 3:29 PM, parrotfeathers said:

Rutabagas are wonderful if cooked correctly.  Not talking about the canned ones.

Peel rutabaga, cut in small cubes (about 1/2" to 3/4") cook in shallow water in skillet.  As water evaporates and they get soft drop in about a gallon of butter and let it caramelize a little.  Sometimes I sprinkle sugar on top sparingly.

Okra--I grow it,  Pick when less than 4".

Tried this, is delicious!  Always used rutabagas as turnips or parsnips in crock-pot beef stew.  It's weird; they are available in California with no real context as to how to use them.  God forbid the produce code isn't on them!  Clerks are like "WTF?"  Are a good substitute for potatoes.  Thanks!

[DC Gal in VA]

1 hour ago, Carboncat said:

Yes, it's interesting about individual tastes....  My  millennial son hates coffee, and I HATE bananas,  anything banana-related:  banana bread, smoothies etc.  Yes, I know they're a "great source of potassium".  I do love limburger cheese with the dirty sweat socks smell.

Hey there Carboncat. Individual taste buds are indeed very interesting. For instance, I am a total chile head as in bring on the spice but I knew a woman who could barely tolerate black pepper.

Never tried Limburger cheese but would love to since I love all cheeses including the funky ones!😊

Edited June 23, 2019 by DC Gal in VA
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[Carboncat]

On ‎6‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 3:13 PM, CatherineM said:

I’m probably the only person on here who’s been over 600 lbs. so I thought I might talk about what some of these skin issues feel like. I had a small lymphedema on my right side about the size of a golf ball on the inside of my leg just above my ankle. A bit bigger one on my left side in the same place. Maybe tennis ball size. I don’t really remember when it started. My legs were so large that it didn’t really affect me much. It felt a bit like a rock just under the skin. They’re softer now, but still there. Maybe a bit smaller. Kind of floating in the loose skin there. I think it’s bigger on the left because my circulation is worse on that side due to a couple of knee surgeries.

The sores that get in the skin folds are painful. I remember a pain scale where 10 was heart attack or labor pains, 9 was kidney/gall stones or a blown out knee. I’ve had angina, gall stones and a blown out knee. These sores are 7-8. They’d get worse when I was on antibiotics. They would kill off the good bacteria on my skin that kept the bad ones in check. Some were bacterial and some were fungal. Moving would pull and hurt like crazy. Kind of like a heat rash on steroids. Definitely don’t miss that. 

I had one of those Angie groin infections. I think it started in a spot that just didn’t get enough air. It was a 9 on the pain scale. I had to be put under anesthetic to drain it, and it had to be packed by a visiting nurse every other day. Took 6 weeks to heal. It came back twice. Once it broke on its own during a long car ride before I got home to the doctor. I’ve never smelt anything that bad and I worked in a morgue in high school. The last time they put me under again to drain it but it wasn’t as bad, so didn’t need to be packed. 

I’ve wondered how people like Penny and James are still alive. I was never bed bound. I think it has to do with access to medical care. I think they both are very willing to call an ambulance for every little issue. Quick care and lots of meds probably make the difference, at least in the short run. Since losing weight I’ve been able to go off blood pressure meds, angina meds, and pain meds. I never got diabetic. 

It did take accepting that I was a food addict, and getting rid of the enabling/sabotaging roommate who was also a food addict. She was on meds for blood sugar and kidney issues. It also took accepting responsibility for my actions. She died a couple years after I left. 

Thank you so much for your perspective, Catherine M.  What initially drew me to the show in my bale-eyed "I'm on the couch everybody is asleep I have the tv to myself" mode was the idea of struggle and redemption.  Same thing with "Hoarders".  Many of us struggle with "small" issues.  We want to lose 10 or 15 lbs.  We can't stop smoking.  We drink too much. (Of course I'm speaking for myself here.)

There is a morbid fascination about what if this is taken to the n'th degree?  How can a human body weigh 600 lbs?,  and what is it like to live in that body?  I've always been 102 lbs.  I'm now 112lbs because I gained weight after spinal fusion surgery.  Big deal;  gotta lose 10 lbs....

What is it like to live in a frame supporting 6 of me in one skeleton?  What's it like to wake up in the morning and decide to do something about it when the goal seems so insurmountable?What's the reality of living at 600 lbs when you don't fit anywhere, and you can't really dress and keep yourself clean?  How do you even start?  If I lost 50 lbs I'd be dead,  a poundticipant who loses that, well,  I can't really tell.

Your sharing about the reality of your skin issues really struck me.  How awful to have to surrender dignity to your condition, and bravo to you for being candid and getting healthier.  Much success to you

Edited June 29, 2019 by Carboncat
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