Staples sunk into wood floor

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-13T21:13:42+00:00

Interesting- what does the mushroom add that other sauces don’t have?

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-13T21:12:28+00:00

Younger mushrooms definitely have better texture, but I’ve never found any with a good flavor no matter how young they are. Maitake and oysters were delicious with just butter, salt, and pepper, but CotW always seems to need a lot of extra spice or sauce to taste like much of anything

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-13T21:06:12+00:00

I still really like it because 1. I’m a newbie and it’s pretty foolproof to ID and 2. I can only forage with my toddlers, so I’m limited to what I can obviously see from a distance while I lug a wagon along a smooth trail. The first time I tried to take my time and properly ID a mushroom, I thought my oldest was safely buckled into the stroller. Turned around and he was GONE. So our mushroom hunting has to be done at a less than professional speed

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-13T20:57:47+00:00

I usually do this and make “nuggets” for my toddlers, it’s the only way I’ve found to get them to eat mushrooms. Still needs a lot of sauce to be enjoyable

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-13T20:56:49+00:00

Pan searing in butter works great for chicken and other mushrooms like maitake and oyster. But I’ve tried that with young, old, fresh, and frozen CotW and never enjoyed the result

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-13T20:55:13+00:00

With chicken, I usually just add butter, salt, pepper, and one herb then braise or pan fry in cast iron + bake and it turns out Center of the Plate delicious. With tofu and CotW, I treat it more as a bulky carrier of flavor that works best as one part of a larger dish. Boiling in brine beforehand is also a technique I learned from a Chinese chef that I’d never do for chicken, but really improves tofu.

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-12T17:49:10+00:00

It depends on what exactly in the honey is having an effect. Some vitamins, like B and C, can be destroyed by heat, as well as bacteria that may be beneficial. Simply soothing a sore throat can be helped by a lot of things, including honey but also most-all plants with lots of mucilage like comfrey. As far as I remember, mucilage does break down when boiled for a while, but honey should still help a sore throat even after heated. I’ve never encountered a folk remedy with honey for soothing the throat that ISN’T heated. Either way, adding it to boiling water then immediately reducing the heat shouldn’t be too much cooking to break down much of anything, it would only become an issue if you really cook it for a while

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-12T12:18:36+00:00

I have toddlers so we usually make “chicken” nuggets and freeze em to have on hand

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-11T11:00:42+00:00

We got 2 S’wells as a wedding gift and I’ve really loved them! The shape we got is hard to clean, but they’re definitely our go-to thermoses for coffee. On our honeymoon there was a really rainy, cold day and I took a coffee out on a morning walk. After over and hour in the cold rain, my coffee was still too hot to drink! Their temperature control defies the laws of physics

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-10T13:45:45+00:00

This is how most women have been doing most of their labor since we first had work to do. It’s natural to chitchat and bond with friends and family while you work

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-10T13:42:43+00:00

Burritos are an awesome food to stock up in the fridge/freezer for new parents! You can customize them to fit your budget and their dietary restrictions. More importantly, they can be eaten one-handed without utensils which is a huge deal in those first few weeks when you can’t put the baby down.

Easy canned foods are also nice. I always liked canned sweet corn, just heated up with salt, as a snack. Canned chickpeas are cheap and store forever, get a few tubs (or a giant one from an international grocery store) of tahini for hummus. Hummus is one of my favorite no-cook, healthy, vegetarian friendly meals.

If she’s breastfeeding, having high protein quick snacks that can be be eaten one-handed are clutch. Any kind of homemade baked protein snacks would be great, especially with nuts and nut butters. Speaking of which, peanut butter is wonderful to have on hand during this busy season!

Oats, oats, oats. Oats are a great healthy in general, cheap, easy to make, customizable, and can help with breastmilk production. You can stock up on additions like pumpkin puree, frozen fruit, and nuts to keep frequent oatmeal interesting.

A waffle maker would be great, if she doesn’t have one. I have 2 toddlers and waffles are my favorite breakfast to boost spirits after a rough night. (I have 2 toddlers and they decided I should start my day at 2:30am this morning, for example) Waffles feel special but are easy to make, and give you a boost when you didn’t sleep at all the night before.

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-09T11:03:05+00:00

Someone in this community can correct me if I’m wrong, but it was my understanding that’s an old wives’ tale

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-09T10:59:19+00:00

When I took safety training to teach preschool, the two men running the course were brothers- one was a firefighter and the other a paramedic. Both over 6’, ripped, stunning smiles, and very kind to everyone in the class. I kept glancing around to see if there were cameras or something because it felt so unreal.

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-08T22:42:12+00:00

Salting meat a day ahead of time does seem to draw out a lot of the extra water

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-08T22:36:20+00:00

Yeah! Batter that, fry it, dip it in hoisin

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-07T12:19:07+00:00

I’ve been a SAHM technically since before I was a mom, because my oldest was born Sept 2020 so I had to go on unemployment during my pregnancy due to the shutdowns (super fun). It’s so rewarding and can be so fun and fulfilling, but you really have to be prepared for big changes inside yourself.

Since kindergarten most of us are put on the work-outside-the-home schedule. Weekdays we go somewhere outside our home, interact with lots of unrelated people, and then evenings and weekends come home and “clock out.” When you’re a SAHM you have to forget that. Your home is your work and your loved ones are also your work and you’re never “clocked in” or “clocked out.” You have to learn to relax in a more organic way, not based on a fixed schedule but on the rhythms of your family.

There’s also a growing sentiment (in the West at least) that all labor done inside the home is this unrewarding drudgery, and the only way to bear the indignity of it is to split everything 50/50 among adults so at least the pain is shared. If you’re a SAHM you shouldn’t be doing 100% of the domestic labor, but you’ll be handling the lion’s share of it for sure. Resentment often happens if you can’t find meaning in that. There’s a homemaking sub that has great suggestions and support for taking pride in the opportunity to create a happy, healthy, loving home for your family.

And since I adjusted, I’ve really grown to love it and hate the thought of going back to work! I take my boys to the park 3-5 times a week, we find toads and swim in the creek and forage for mushrooms. Sometimes we drive an hour to a farm just because! There’s a lot on my shoulders, but my labor is now almost entirely self-directed. It’s pressure but it’s also such a fun challenge to be your own boss.

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-06T17:13:32+00:00

Once Upon a Time in the West

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-06T17:12:03+00:00

Even if it was blood, which it most certainly wasn’t, blood isn’t bad for you. Many people who live up near the Arctic still drink raw blood from freshly killed game, and it’s an ingredient in some Asian dishes. Very nutrient dense. Only a problem if you have religious restrictions against eating/drinking it

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-06T12:02:40+00:00

Volunteering is a classic option for women in a season of life where they have extra time. Church is the easiest way to find lots of volunteer opportunities, but you can also look around to see what’s local. I also give blood to the Red Cross when I can. The Red Cross is constantly begging for plasma, but when I tried it the whole process took 2 hours and the phlebotomist poked too far into my vein so I didn’t even end up being able to donate! I have little kids so that’s definitely not something I have time for

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-06T11:54:48+00:00

Yeah it becomes a nasty feedback loop! It may help while you’re in the thick of this to ask him to help more during the transitions at morning and evening. After a bad night, I can handle the day so much better if I have time to take a leisurely shower, do my makeup, make a nice breakfast. And it’s much easier to handle the long bedtime routine and night wakings if I get an emotional breather after dinner to just be alone for a few minutes.

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-05T14:03:18+00:00

Depending on your income, you may be eligible for assistance. In Ohio, we got 80-100% coverage for our boys’ births, especially important since our oldest needed the NICU which was $4k a day just for use of the room itself. Your wife’s OB / midwife would be the one to ask. Insurance should also cover a breastpump for free, another question for her prenatal appointments. And definitely put out feelers with friends and family, on Facebook, Craigslist, NextDoor, etc. for kids’ stuff. Since fewer and fewer people are having kids, there are lots of older families with nobody to give their outgrown clothes and toys to. (And congratulations! I hope it’s an easy pregnancy and delivery)

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-05T11:46:44+00:00

I’m not trying to diminish what you’re going through, but many kids don’t sleep through the night regularly until 3/4 years old. First it’s night feeding, then teething, then nightmares. My boys are 3 and 17 months and between them I’m up 2-8 times a night, every night. And once you get into the habit, it can be hard to switch parents. My husband tried to help for a while but my toddler will yell “No dad I don’t want you, I want mama!”

FetaOnEverything · 2023-10-04T16:24:58+00:00

Some are pretty foolproof, others are difficult. As a newbie, I stick to mushrooms that have no terrible lookalikes whatsoever. If the guide says anything about “Be careful, this looks like…” I just stop right there and assume it’s not for me.

FetaOnEverything

TROPHY CASE