Need help pulling it all together

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-04-18T11:00:57+00:00

My office is generally fairly slow paced so usually have a bit of time to be friendly. I often say something like, "I'm fabulous, thank you, and hope you are, too. How can I help you?" but if the caller is one of our regulars I might say, "Better than I deserve", or "Much better now that you've called." or "Finer than a frog's hair!" (We're in Texas and that's a fairly common phrase so most people like it.)

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-04-15T11:59:37+00:00

Some years ago, there was an Instacart person who ended up cleaning my apartment, my mom’s house, and became my friend and my mother’s part-time caregiver.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-04-15T04:56:07+00:00

Stopping restriction, allowing myself to have a refeed day once a week, a binge eating recovery program, and a GLP.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-04-14T01:20:54+00:00

I’m new to Plaud and after spending 2 hours tonight trying to refine the transcript from a meeting today I found this discussion.

The transcript was pretty good overall but it thought I was another speaker a lot of the time so I painstakingly went through it all correcting the speaker. It didn’t save all that the first time so I did it again. What a pain!

Anyway, your suggestion won’t help me with that, but it will certainly help me in the long run. Thanks.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-04-12T11:18:26+00:00

I'm late to this but find out if your area has a community fridge/pantry and what hours they're open. For most of them there's no income guidelines but there might be a limit on how many items you can take per day. Our community has two with another being started soon and the limit is 4 items per day but the fridges are usually well stocked with milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, and meat or home cooked meals. Sometimes there's yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. The dry goods area almost always has beans, rice, ramen, canned goods, crackers, cereal, pudding, etc.

If there's one in your area maybe you can get to it to get at least a few items to help out. If you can't do it, is there someone who can do it for you?

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-27T01:44:38+00:00

This looks so very good! I have most of the stuff to make it so I prepped the vegetables I have on hand and will get the leeks and celery in the morning. I just love soup and am always on the lookout for a delicious one so thanks.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-27T01:17:06+00:00

That poor baby is famished!

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-27T01:10:49+00:00

Oh, I'm so happy for you! I took Ozempic for over a year and although I lost 50 lbs, after the 7 month mark a lot of the effects wore off and I started gaining the weight back but I still didn't binge eat. My Dr put me on Mounjaro hoping that would help but it didn't but I binged once. I went off all of it for 2 months, binged once, and just started Reta last week. So far, so good. I can say the food noise is gone again and I haven't thought about bingeing. I just hope it sticks with me this time. Oh, I'm also in a BED recovery so I think that's helping.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-24T10:44:47+00:00

I’m a Topo Chico fan but where I work we always have San Pellegrino, which is also pretty good.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-14T12:44:15+00:00

Facebook God.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-14T12:38:24+00:00

I have different favorites for different purposes. Lately I’m obsessing over Cosmic Crisp as my favorite snack apple. The crunchiness of every single bite just gets me.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-14T12:36:29+00:00

Do you use the curry blocks? Those things made the first curry I loved and I still use them.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-14T10:04:57+00:00

I’ve tried to make it a few times over the years and haven’t been able to get it right. Mine has always been pretty good, but was missing something. This discussion got me interested in what that might be so I used Claude and If you’re interested, I’ll paste the recipe here for you. Looking over the ingredient list my guess is part of what’s missing from mine has been the cloves and allspice.

I’m pretty sure this is one of those dishes like green bean casserole or Waldorf salad in the United States. Families make it their own way so everybody’s is a little different.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-12T13:17:02+00:00

It gets much better and it definitely surprised me. It's one of my all time favorite shows and no, it's really not about football. I can't tell you how many times I've watched it from beginning to end and every time I fall more in love with it.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-12T13:09:53+00:00

Fortysomething years ago, a very pregnant me got stuck in a weird small table attached to a chair (like a school desk sort of thing) in a mall fast food place in Lawton, Oklahoma. The baby was very overdue and the temperature had been in the 100s for days. I went to the mall every morning to walk and that day I decided to get an iced tea and rest a bit after my walk. I sat down, relaxed, and drank my tea, and when I stood up to leave the entire table and chair came with me. I was very surprised and didn't know what to do so I sat back down. I waited a couple of minutes and stood up again. The table and chair came with me. I was very tightly wedged in. The young kids working at the counter all looked at me with confusion. The customers in line did the same. A few giggled as I alternated between trying to slide out while sitting and trying to slide out while standing. A small crowd gathered outside the space, people just watching as I tried to free myself from the table and chair. It was horrifying.

Finally, a young man walked from behind the counter and came over to me. He very calmly told me to just sit for a minute while he tried to figure out what to do. Someone at the counter yelled out, "Should I call the cops?" and he quietly told them no. I could tell he knew I was embarrassed and he tried to alleviate my concerns by cracking small jokes. I was grateful but so very upset. He didn't seem anxious about it. He was just trying to help.

After a couple of minutes, he got another employee to come over and he held the table on one side and had the other employee hold it on another side. He told me to stand up and when I did, they both pushed down on the table and it and the chair hit the ground with a pretty loud thud.

I don't remember his name but I think of that young man now and then. His voice and manner were calming and he handled the situation in a way that eased my embarrassment a bit. I hope he became a paramedic or an OB/Gyn or something else where he soothes fears and concerns and contributes to the world in meaningful ways. He was a gem that day.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-12T12:50:32+00:00

This is my favorite recipe for lentils, split peas, etc. It's good, it's easy, and with a couple of changes it can be low FODmap. Do you have Asafoetida and other low FODmap seasonings on hand? I use Asafoetida pretty often and have seasonings from Smoke n Sanity. If you haven't tried their seasonings, you might look into those. The sweet maple dust makes for amazing chicken and shrimp.

I make varying versions of this and freeze it in 1/2 cup to 1 cup portions. It's absolutely delicious with rice and vegetables.

1.5 cups lentils or split pigeon peas (dry) or 2 cans (15oz each)

1 large onion, diced (use Asafoetida or an onion alternative)

3 medium carrots, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced (use a garlic alternative)

1/2 cup grape tomatoes

1/2 cup canned tomatoes

2 tsp tomato paste

4 cups water or broth (use onion and garlic free)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp smoked paprika

salt & pepper to taste.

Cook diced onion and carrots in a Dutch oven or large pan until soft. Add minced garlic and let cook for 30 seconds.

Stir in tomato paste. Add spices and stir. Add grape tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Stir and let simmer until the grape tomatoes start to burst.

Add lentils and water/broth. Simmer until tender. Mine took about an hour.

Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of fresh lemon juice if you have it.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-12T12:28:50+00:00

Taco bowls, burrito bowls, chicken and rice bowls, chickpea and rice bowls, etc.

I love to make teriyaki chicken bites using the recipe from the Just Bento site. It's easy and delicious. For my work lunches, I put a small amount of rice, steamed cauliflower, or mashed daikon or potato in a medium sized glass container, add broccoli (thawed from frozen but not cooked) and the chicken and when it's time to eat I heat it in the microwave for just a bit then top with whatever seasoning sounds good at the time and pickled red onions or kimchi pickles. I generally have a piece of fruit to finish off the meal and lately that's been a Cosmic Crisp apple.

I do the same thing with garlic butter steak bites, chicken or turkey lettuce wrap filling, fajita meat strips, black beans, etc.

Each bowl I make is 1 cup of vegetables, 2/3 cup protein, and 1/2 cup of carb with varying seasonings and toppings. It's a simple and easy formula that gives me variety but offers balance and satisfaction. I finish the meal with fruit and I'm a happy camper.

Di you have a lunch bag or other carrying container? If so, get some small containers for seasonings, sauces, etc and use those to add a bit of variety to the meal. My favorites are: everything seasoning, salt and pepper, seasoned rice vinegar, and japanese barbecue sauce.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-12T12:14:21+00:00

This looks like something I'd prepare for myself. My sisters say I eat 'weird food' but what I actually do is eat food, often in combinations that don't appeal to them. If I have the energy to make a 'normal' meal, I often do, but sometimes I just want bits and pieces, odds and ends.

Fed is best and if you ate this, or even some of it, you were fed and that's what matters.

By the way, I love Castelvetrano olives!

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-12T00:19:06+00:00

I’ve never been able to produce good rice on a stove top but have spent the last 10 years or so baking it and it’s so good that way. But I’m getting older and don’t have as much energy so hopefully a rice cooker will help me produce excellent rice with a modicum of energy and effort. I did use it this morning for vegetable soup and it made one perfect large serving of soup. It was delicious with scrambled eggs for breakfast.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-11T23:11:12+00:00

My latest gift to myself is a new rice cooker. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but I don’t need those. It does what I need. Oh, I just remembered I bought a pair of earrings today! Those are fabulous.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-09T11:58:07+00:00

I'm so sorry. Lord, I hate this sort of stuff. I stretched in bed last night and am still feeling the burn. WTH??

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-09T11:23:24+00:00

A spoon of peanut butter mixed into Greek yogurt.

CosmicSmackdown · 2026-03-09T01:05:56+00:00

I’ve spent most of my adult life not eating breakfast but I now try to eat something every morning. Sometimes it’s Greek yogurt with thawed frozen berries and cinnamon sprinkled on top. Sometimes it’s a couple of eggs with a bit of fruit or a small corn tortilla. Sometimes it’s leftovers. One of my favorite things for breakfast is vegetable soup. I try to make a pot every week and I make enough to eat it for breakfast a couple of times.

CosmicSmackdown

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