October chitchat

[Virginia]

Flatcap, I haven't had chili in a very long time. I love it but don't want to make a pot of chili for just me and I don't know where I can get any around me. Sounds like you had a good meal.

[agate]

Virginia, I used to make a large recipe for chili (for about 8-10 servings) and eat one meal of it, then divide the rest up into individual servings in sealable plastic containers that I put in the freezer. They would keep for about 2 months, and it was like instant TV dinners any time I wanted chili. I did the same thing with spaghetti and quite a number of other recipes that made quite a few servings and I didn't want to do the arithmetic involved in reducing the recipe.

flatcap, I'd say you ate well--and yet sometimes it sounds as if you don't eat enough. Maybe you have good times and bad times when it comes to eating?

[flatcap]

Virginia, I feel for you. It's hard to make a good pot of chili only for yourself unless you want to freeze it, then have some for dinner every day for the next six months just to get rid of it. LOL

Agate, I only eat one meal a day, and I always go out for it. Not usually very fancy. I can only afford that once or twice a month. I don't keep food around unless you count the nutrition shakes my doctor recommended when I saw him three months ago. I am supposed to have one a day, but I sometimes have two. I occasionally bring a pint of ice cream home — my favorite is Häagen-Dazs butter pecan — but snacks like that never last more than a day. I'm doing well if there is any left by the time I find my car in the grocery store parking lot. LOL

I do have periods where I can hardly stand eating anything at all. Then, I definitely don't eat enough. I am lucky if I can get anything down sometimes. Everything will seem downright gross to me. I don't know why that happens. I do know it has caused me to lose a lot of weight, and now I am struggling just to maintain my weight, let alone gaining any back. The chili and cheeseburger meal yesterday was a great, if temporary relief. One reason I am thinking of going back for the same thing again tonight is, nothing else at all seems like it would be palatable for me today. I pretty much knew that would happen. I have been in one such phase since late September. About all I can take most of the time right now are veggies and fruits, and they have to be ice cold, or I can't stand those, either.

[agate]

It must be dreary to be "off your feed," flatcap. I guess if I were you I'd load up on the most appealing (and coldest) fruits and veggies I could find, as well as doing what you're already doing--eat hearty at times when food still appeals.

If I get too tired, or am feeling too pressured, I lose my appetite completely. Since I get pretty weak if I miss even one meal, I try really hard not to get into situations where that will happen.

It's not always possible.

[Virginia]

I can also tell if I miss a meal in my strength and the amount of fatigue I have.

This is aggravating - I typed the above sentence and it will not let me post it. I'll try with two sentences. It keeps telling me to upload at least one photo.

Well, I've got to.go to bed. This will not take my post.

[Virginia]

I wonder why it decided to let me post. Oh well

[flatcap]

So, three days in a row now I have been able to finish my daily meal. Yay!

It turned out that chili and a cheeseburger didn't sound so good after all tonight, so I went elsewhere and had fish and chips. I ordered an extra piece of fish, bringing the total up to four. The sides were fries and a cup of cole slaw. I finished everything but the fries, leaving most of them on my plate. Then, I had a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert. My beverage was 50/50 lemonade and iced tea, which I believe is called an "Arnold Palmer." (That's what the server said, anyway. I never heard it called that.)

I have a question about the fruit. Their fruit bowls consist of honey dew melon, cantaloupe, and red grapes. Except for taste, does it matter if the melon and cantaloupe are not quite ripe? I wouldn't think so, but you never know (or at least I don't). I am guessing it's actually better fiber-wise, but that's all it is: a guess. Same thing for the rind: a little of that might be a plus. (More vitamins?) Unfortunately, they always leave a bit of the inner part of the rind still attached on about half of the pieces you get. (I say "unfortunately" only because I have somewhat of a sweet tooth. I need to eat as much fruit as I possibly can.)

[agate]

flatcap, opinions differ about whether it's safe to eat unripe melon but because melon is one of those foods that are known to cause foodborne illness fairly often, I think I'd stay away from it. If the rind is still attached to a melon piece, I definitely wouldn't eat it because you may not know just how carefully that rind has been cleaned. The washing instructions for melons are pretty rigorous. My guess is that some food preparers wouldn't want to bother and would just rinse a melon off once lightly instead of going through the soap and scrub brush routine.

Virginia (and others), I have that problem with being unable to post because I'm being told to upload at least one photo (or sometimes it's something else I'm supposed to do, like provide a link). If you look at the bottom of the screen when this is happening, you'll probably see a little strip that is actually another window for posting an image or a link. If you check the "x" box in the top right corner of that little strip, you can get rid of the problem. BrainTalk is inviting you to post a photo or a link even though you haven't said anything about wanting to do that. I'm not sure why or when it happens but am very glad I finally was able to work around it. That method has worked many times for me and should work for you too, I hope.

[flatcap]

Thanks, agate. I think I'll take your advice on the melons and skip those fruit bowls in the future. I also appreciate your tip regarding the forum software.

Virginia, a decent place for chili is Wendy's. They make it fresh, and while it's far from the best, it really isn't bad at all. Like most corporate fast food places, they also get high marks for food safety, or at least the store here does. Their burgers aren't bad, either. Much better than the competition's in my opinion, almost in a different class altogether compared to McDonalds, Burger King, etc.

[agate]

It's good to get rankings of some fast-food places--for me, in particular, since I haven't been in one in many years. About 20 years ago a neighbor and I sometimes wandered around the neighborhood to a McDonald's, and I always got a nice green salad that came in a large cup with a plastic lid on it. Since I don't eat meat, there wasn't a lot of choice. Also around that era I stopped in now and then at a local Subway and got a salad to go that wasn't bad either. That is about the sum total of my fast-food experience.

Shortly after I moved here I got to taste a Burgerville veggie burger that was quite good.

flatcap, I've never bought a prepared fruit bowl but have seen some in supermarkets. I wouldn't have bought them because it's fairly easy just to make your own, or at least I would find it easy enough even now. That way you can be sure of what you're getting and how it's prepared.

[flatcap]

I hadn't heard of Burgerville, so I looked them up. Looks like a good place to go for a veggie burger.

We don't have a Burgerville store in our area, so I will have to try a veggie burger from somewhere else someday. No doubt better than beef for you in many ways, and I have seen they are becoming increasingly popular, so they must also be pretty good in terms of texture and taste. I have heard they are much improved compared to how they were a few years ago. Of course, that might vary with the brand. I will have to just try one and see if I like them.

[flatcap]

Happy Halloween!



Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers - Monster Mash

[agate]

Happy Halloween!

[Virginia]

Thanks Flatcap, I had forgotten about Wendy's. I use to get there chili and a baked potato occasionally. I will see if there is one close enough to do that now.

[Virginia]

I had chili tonight. It was pretty good. My SIL had made some and brought me some last night when some of the family got together. I enjoyed it and enjoyed not having to cook.