Hanging in there.

[rjbj]

Yup. I continue to lose weight, pound by pound. My clothes make me look like I am an understuffed scarecrow. Overall, still feeling good. Am experimenting with new foods, but also in lockdown again, which makes it harder to shop. It's probably for the best, since I just get appalled by, from a medical perspective, that nearly nobody is wearing a mask there. Some people just can't be helped, and it turns out it's basically everyone. Sigh.

 

[KarenWV]

Thanks for the update on your progress. I'm really happy that you are continually feeling successful. That probably is the number 1 motivator. What kinds of new foods are you exploring?

I feel for you with the maskless issue. I still wear mine anywhere indoors, but probably 95+% of people here do not. I even hear conversations around me as I pass by maskless people. I guess almost everyone is comfortable with the feeling of invulnerability, that the pandemic is over. I'm just not so sure about that, and I don't want to find out the hard way.

 

[rjbj]

I finally reached total dehydration of bell peppers. They are much more acceptable as chip substitutes than almost completely dehydrated bell peppers, as long as you remember to salt them before drying them out. I am experimenting with fruits (keeping an eye on the carbs), just to make sure that the sugar would not make me crash/dump.

Yeah, I think that you are doing the right thing, Karen. I mean, the lockdown and all that we went through was to give us a chance to readjust to the new normal (not that anyone here would know anything about that!). I thought that new normal would include masks in indoor public spaces, vaccines for everyone, and so on. But people want to go back to a normal that's gone forever. I was very young when HIV emerged, maybe 5 or 6 years old. And in the years since the discovery, we learned how to live with the disease that is out there, and people changed behaviors. Why would we not do the same now, especially when COVID has killed something like 7x as many people globally as AIDS did in the last year. It just baffles me.

 

[Kcuster83]

I finally reached total dehydration of bell peppers. They are much more acceptable as chip substitutes than almost completely dehydrated bell peppers, as long as you remember to salt them before drying them out. I am experimenting with fruits (keeping an eye on the carbs), just to make sure that the sugar would not make me crash/dump.

Yeah, I think that you are doing the right thing, Karen. I mean, the lockdown and all that we went through was to give us a chance to readjust to the new normal (not that anyone here would know anything about that!). I thought that new normal would include masks in indoor public spaces, vaccines for everyone, and so on. But people want to go back to a normal that's gone forever. I was very young when HIV emerged, maybe 5 or 6 years old. And in the years since the discovery, we learned how to live with the disease that is out there, and people changed behaviors. Why would we not do the same now, especially when COVID has killed something like 7x as many people globally as AIDS did in the last year. It just baffles me.

How long did you have to dehydrate?

 

[rjbj]

I think it was pepper halves at 150 degrees for 7 hours. Dry as a mummy fart.

 

[missyinacage]

I am wondering why a slice of bell pepper wouldn't make a good chip as it is? lol 7 hours seems like a lot of effort for something that is crunchy (ish) anyway lol

Currently using carrot chips as my go to. I don't love them with guac but they are GREAT with hummus, homemade garlic dip and lite Caesar dressing. They give me an easy way to "bulk up" a snack in a healthy way.

 

[Roni]

I would rather wear a mask than deal with being sick. My opinion. If people talk/gossip/whatever it is their problem. On snacks mine is primarily protein bars. Just not in mood to cook or make things.

 

[rjbj]

I teach critical thinking on the east coast. I approach it from the perspective of evidence--how to find it, how to evaluate it, how to cite it. Great for first year college students. Anyway, I had a student whose cousin is big in the antivaccine movement and she said, oh, your O2 saturation drops when you wear a mask (masks are required in my classes). So, the next class, I asked her to wear an oximeter for the whole class period, and guess whose O2 didn't drop? I try to teach my students that there are answers, you just have to look for them, and that you are allowed to suspend judgment until you get good, relevant evidence in. Or until your critical thinking instructor tells you to put on your mask.

 

[KarenWV]

I am wondering why a slice of bell pepper wouldn't make a good chip as it is? lol 7 hours seems like a lot of effort for something that is crunchy (ish) anyway lol

Currently using carrot chips as my go to. I don't love them with guac but they are GREAT with hummus, homemade garlic dip and lite Caesar dressing. They give me an easy way to "bulk up" a snack in a healthy way.

What do you do to make carrot chips? I just use baby carrots, but chips sound fun! Also, how do you make homemade garlic dip? I love onions, garlic, ramps, etc. Well, ramp season is over now, but I had me some ramps and white beans, and ramps with fried taters, plus ramps with ramps!!!