Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff

[Paris]

@arkandel said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

This stuff is really weird and interesting.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-weird-power-of-the-placebo-effect-explained

There was some in-depth study of this and they found that, on a genetic level, there are folks who respond to placebos who have one set of genetic coding, and those who do not have another. So testing for who has the genetic response to respond positively to placebo, or being able to trigger that response via some kind of medication, would be very helpful, especially in cases where pain is intractable despite drugs, or to avoid addiction to, say, opiates.

I respond really shittily to most classes of drugs, especially painkillers-- but I also respond like shit to placebo. I do respond interestingly to Oxy, so I'm on that, but that gives the DEA the vapors.

[Paris]

I love cooking, I really do.

Chop garlic! Sit down for 20 minutes to catch breath because too lightheaded to continue.
Chop shallots! Sit down for 20 minutes to catch breath...
Chop chicken! ...Maybe I better sit down for another 20 minutes before I start...

Having to stand up to cook is super hellish. I love my instant pot because it cuts down time, but food prep is still my nemesis. I need to get another liner because having to make the rice and then wait for it to cool before I can scoop it out and make the main dish is a pain in my ass.

I really want that homemade chicken tikka masala, though. Onwards!

[Auspice]

@paris said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

I love cooking, I really do.

Chop garlic! Sit down for 20 minutes to catch breath because too lightheaded to continue.
Chop shallots! Sit down for 20 minutes to catch breath...
Chop chicken! ...Maybe I better sit down for another 20 minutes before I start...

Having to stand up to cook is super hellish. I love my instant pot because it cuts down time, but food prep is still my nemesis. I need to get another liner because having to make the rice and then wait for it to cool before I can scoop it out and make the main dish is a pain in my ass.

I really want that homemade chicken tikka masala, though. Onwards!

This is why there's a few recipes I haven't made again. There'll be those '40 minute prep' times and I'll have to triple 'em. Standing upright for long periods of time is hard for me (as it is for you, too!). My lower back and hip start to hurt quite a bit. It's also why my house cleaning has to be spread out throughout the week.

I long for the day I can afford a roomba (or similar) to take care of the floors. Those are the worst part.

[Paris]

@auspice Yep, trying to do all the cleaning in one or two days just leaves me useless for weeks.

Unfortunately pre-chopped garlic tastes like shit and pre-chopped veggies are expensive. It's NBD in the middle of summer because tourist $$$ but it is absolutely a dealbreaker in january.

What I need to do is get a few tupperwares and do a veggie chopping day. But that still doesn't change that I need to prepare onions and garlic the day of cooking. @_@

I may try the tall stool I bought months ago again. Because it's a normal seat and not my wheelchair seat (which tips back, thus letting the custom back of my seat take my weight), I struggle to stay upright because my back is weak and my legs don't brace well when I'm sitting. (This is also why I don't like to transfer from my wheelchair to a bus seat or a restaurant seat, I end up focusing solely on trying to stay upright.)

Everything's in the thing now and smells amazing, though. Just took four hours to get it there. To be fair, today is a bad day after I was exposed to superstrong bleach fumes at the grocery store yesterday. Or maybe it was the day before. Instant mouth ulcers and lupus rage galore, sigh.

Edit: One of the appliances we plan on getting this summer is a stand-alone freezer, so we can a) take advantage of meat sales and b) I can batch cook a bunch of a dish we like, have dinner and freeze the rest in individual portions so we can have it anytime we like.

Editedit: Re: Roomba: I leave our service dog's pee pads by the door so she can go when we're unable to take her out. I have seen horror vids of the roomba getting stuck on a poop and trailing it all over the house, so no roomba for me. All our floors are laminate/tile which is lovely for wheelchairs, though the cleaning wipes me the fuck out for the day.

[Ganymede]

@paris said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

Having to stand up to cook is super hellish. I love my instant pot because it cuts down time, but food prep is still my nemesis.

I don't mean to be meanly critical, but have you considered chopping your food while sitting? I can assure you that this can be done safely.

[Auspice]

@paris

I prefer fresh garlic, but I gave up and just use the jar-in-the-fridge. It just adds too much time and I have such a small window at night to eat and do chores. I'm just glad I finally got the hang of chopping onions. What I need now is a sharpening stone since my knives are a bit dull!

I am def. not as bad off with standing, but once the pain sets in after standing for a bit, I know I'm shot for the day. And risk a flare up for the following day. But yeah, I just cannot afford pre-chopped veggies. Period.

Having cats means I just have litter and such tracked all over the apartment + wood floors (save the bedroom). And all the shed fur. So a roomba would be lovely for me. Esp. since they now have ones that handle it p well (they used to get clogged super easy, but they've finally improved to the point of being worthwhile!). They're just... still too pricey.

[Auspice]

@ganymede said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

@paris said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

Having to stand up to cook is super hellish. I love my instant pot because it cuts down time, but food prep is still my nemesis.

I don't mean to be meanly critical, but have you considered chopping your food while sitting? I can assure you that this can be done safely.

Double-post... I think based on @Paris 's second post that the sitting options they have, it's a matter of comfort/support.

[Doozer]

Cauliflower pizza is absolutely the shit.

[Wretched]

@Paris @Auspice So i messaged this to Paris privately but i'll just tell the world.

I am generally suuuper skeptical about kitchen gadgets... but the 'Slap Chop', or a cheap 8 dollar version on Amazon is amazing. For things like Garlic especially, I buy fresh peeled garlic, tho this thing will usually also help it peel. Instead of standing and chopping and risking cuts (because While i like to cook I am still me, who will even typo in the kitchen.) you just put your stuff under the thing, smack it a few times and VIOLA!

It seems silly but it changed my kitchen life.

[Wretched]

@doozer Yeah, I tried it for keto and it was great.

Also any of the Fathead recipies for rolls and pizza dough, hella dope and tasty..

[Auspice]

@wretched said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

@Paris @Auspice So i messaged this to Paris privately but i'll just tell the world.

I am generally suuuper skeptical about kitchen gadgets... but the 'Slap Chop', or a cheap 8 dollar version on Amazon is amazing. For things like Garlic especially, I buy fresh peeled garlic, tho this thing will usually also help it peel. Instead of standing and chopping and risking cuts (because While i like to cook I am still me, who will even typo in the kitchen.) you just put your stuff under the thing, smack it a few times and VIOLA!

It seems silly but it changed my kitchen life.

I've been wanting a full food processor since I'd like to be able to do more 'wet' items (like salsa!) and those 'slap chop' type deals aren't as good with them. And one of those will cost me a fair bit more. Just a matter of saving up for a bit.

Thankfully! I've paid off some debt (my parents surprised me at Christmas by helping me finish off the last chunk of a loan I took out a few years ago for a gap in student loans) and I changed car insurance (which dropped my rates by nearly $100 a month (!!!) for the same coverage) providers, so starting in Feb I should have a little more flexibility in funds.

[Misadventure]

I love my mandolin (the kitchen kind).

[Paris]

@ganymede I'm a paraplegic. I have to sit in custom seating or I tend to fall forward. I live in a small condo with no room for an extra table at which to work, in a kitchen with no room for my wheelchair, so I usually stand for a limited amount, braced against the counter.

@wretched I've been skeptical of cheapo gadgets like that, but if they're easy to clean I'll get one. Whapwhapwhap is easier than lean/chop, especially when my vision is shitty, too.

[Auspice]

@misadventure said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

I love my mandolin (the kitchen kind).

I've considered one of those, but I honestly am enjoying the process of improving my knife skills.

I just want a better knife! And rather than spend a ton of money on omgfancyknives, I think I'm gonna take my okay-ish ones and buy a really good sharpening stone and improve them while buying a good chef's knife.

Thank you Alex French Guy Cooking for teaching me about kitchen knives.

[JinShei]

I got the job I wanted. Payrise, away from the team that made my life hell, and something that I'm excited about. That hasn't happened for a long time...

[Lisse24]

I've been dismissed by doctors enough times in my life that I really should be used to it by now, but I'm not.

Mostly, I'm angry that I've wasted four months and hundreds of dollars on a guy who is objectively a bad doctor with no interest in listening to me or doing any sort of examination beyond blood work.

[Cupcake]

Have any other folks tried Dia & Co? They're offering to waive the styling fee in addition to free shipping for the first box with cancellation any time.

I want to try it, but I'm always a bit leery of tossing my money into the ether.

[Paris]

@lisse24 said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

I've been dismissed by doctors enough times in my life that I really should be used to it by now, but I'm not.

Mostly, I'm angry that I've wasted four months and hundreds of dollars on a guy who is objectively a bad doctor with no interest in listening to me or doing any sort of examination beyond blood work.

I am so sorry that this has happened to you. My experiences were similar in Southern California, but dramatically different in Nevada, so you may if necessary have to move or travel to get access to better doctors. :<

[Auspice]

@cupcake said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

Have any other folks tried Dia & Co? They're offering to waive the styling fee in addition to free shipping for the first box with cancellation any time.

I want to try it, but I'm always a bit leery of tossing my money into the ether.

I've wanted to try it, but my budget hasn't allowed for it. It LOOKS nice.

My coworker is really talking up StyleFix right now. I'm just so scared that even WITH the styling help and all, I'll STILL get shit that doesn't fit me or look good AT ALL.

[mietze]

@cupcake It's all right. I think it's better for casual/casual office stuff. It takes a little while of you sending back a lot of shit before they have enough on your likes/dislikes to click. If you try it def. be sure to not just send stuff back and rate it (IIRC with this and the one other subscription program that another good friend has tried, you MUST rate before they'll send you another box even after you return everything) but also to put in the comments any specifics other than what they ask about (was the fabric itchy/you don't like the cut because of how it looks x way, ect) The prices aren't terrible, but you could get things for a lot cheaper if you like to go shopping (which is the whole appeal of this thing that you don't have to). Returning stuff is super easy, you just put it back in the provided envelope (which will fit everything) and send put it in the mail. I tried it a long long time ago, though so it may be that prices have changed/procedures have changed. I did use it to build up more of a wardrobe than tshirts and jeans that I'd been wearing forever, when I was doing a lot of public speaking. It is not great for short people though. I could never buy any of their pants, even the ones that were super cute, because I knew I'd never bother to go get the altered. Someone less lazy (or taller ;>) than me wouldn't have that problem.

Def be prepared for the first couple of boxes to be an absolute bust. I have crazy weird sensitivities though and I had been used to wearing jeans and tees and leggings/yoga pants equivalent since the 90s, with occasional dressups, so some of that was just me getting used to wearing other things. It definitely helped me push the comfort zone because I tried on everything and made myself keep it on for like 15 minutes. I was surprised at a lot of the stuff I liked!