Second Wheat Penny Mystery

 

Two months ago, I was surprised to notice a wheat penny lying on the floor near the backdoor.   It wasn't one I put there, or dropped.  A wheat penny isn't extremely rare, but you're not likely to find one in your change.   So it was mysterious.  It was minted in 1946.  

How would someone even get in the house to put it on the floor?  The door is locked.   Oh, is it?  I sometimes leave it open when I go to the mailbox.   

Anyway, even stranger was today.  I noticed a coin on the floor near the backdoor.  It looked like a penny.  "This can't be another wheat penny," I thought.  Oh, get out!  It was another wheat penny.  This one was minted in 1918.  

Strange.  How? Why? When? Where? What?  

Thank you Mr. X for the wheat penny.  

ROGER WHITTAKER DURHAM TOWN THE LEAVIN'

Helene's Doppelgånger

 

Recently it snowed here.  This area shuts down when it snows.  The road is closed.  It's nice because suddenly you're on vacation.  

When I got up yesterday morning the Billingsley drama had begun.  Where was Mrs. Billingsley?  She was sitting on a chair in the kitchen and she was having trouble going back to her chair in the living room.  Well, she was going to have to figure that out because I couldn't call 911 since the road was closed.  Eventually she managed to go back to the living room, but I was annoyed because the chaos took about half an hour to sort out, all before coffee.   

"Why were you in the kitchen?" I asked.  "I was trying to get outside," she answered.  Outside is a  three inch sheet of ice and when she fell I would be the only one that could possibly rescue her, which I probably couldn't do.  "Haven't I asked you not to go outside?" I replied as sternly as I could.  "I thought you were outside," she said.  "What made you think I was outside?"  "I saw you outside through the window.  You were walking in the snow.  You were wearing your green and navy blue dress."  "OK. I don't have a green and blue dress.  Also, I haven't been outside."  "I saw you!  I saw you while I was looking out the window."  For some crazy reason, this alarmed me a little.  I have suspected I have an evil twin, but no one ever sees her.  

In my mind I was fastening child proof gates and taking doorknobs off doors.   Put rails on the bed? I wondered.   Nursing home?

Why was she seeing such things?  I knew of only one reason.  She was just plain eating too many carbs.   She doesn't operate well on straight glucose.  I would have to double down on the ketogenic diet.  I thought that her imaginary people only showed up at night or after eating a few pieces of pie.   Therefore it didn't seem necessary to go crazy with carb counting.  

I gave her some MCT oil.  A tablespoon of MCT oil does wonders for elevating ketones quickly.  So do exogenous ketones.  And so, Mrs. Billingsley is on a stricter diet and gathering her forces.  

Aunt Helene's Homemade Mayo

 

I had a video on this from Youtube, but after saying that it was the most important recipe you would ever learn to make, they took it down!   Well, now, given the urgency of the recipe, it's an emergency and I'll have to post what I can remember.  

1 1/4 C avocado oil

3/4 C MCT oil

2 T apple cider vinegar (see "final thoughts" below)

the juice of 1/2 lemon (optional) (see "final thoughts" below)

2 T hydrolyzed collagen (if feeling the need for insurance)

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

Use a large mouthed one quart Mason jar because this will require an immersion blender and the blender won't fit into a small mouthed jar. 

Pour the avocado oil and the MCT oil into the jar.  I like to use the Chosen Foods avocado oil because it has a mild taste.  The MCT oil should be "C8."  What does that mean?  I don't know.  Something about the medium chain triglycerides.   Or just use all avocado oil if you like.  I don't think it would be a good idea to use all MCT oil.  

Add the gelatin.   For this I use Great Lakes hydrolyzed collagen (it comes in a green container).  It contains a scoop inside that is one tablespoon.  So add two scoops of hydrolyzed collagen to the oil.  

Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.  For this I use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, with the mother.  Warning.  Whatever you do, don't put more than two tablespoons of vinegar into this recipe.  This will result in a mayo fail.   Why would anyone do this?  Well, some of us have a set of measuring spoons that includes a tablespoon and a half measuring spoon, which they may mistake for a tablespoon.   

Add one teaspoon salt.  

Add the juice of 1/2 lemon.  This is optional, but it gives it a great tanginess. 

Add two large eggs.  

Ready for blender magic!  Put the immersion blender down to the bottom of the jar and blend for a little while, until the mayo begins to emulsify.   Begin to move the blender up through the mayo and emulsify the rest.  

Mayo success!  Be sure to unplug the blender before attempting to take any remaining mayo off and clean.  The mayo should be good for about a week.  

Final thoughts after a number of tries on this recipe.  I've started using 1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar and the juice of one whole lemon.  I have even started putting lemon extract in, about a capful, which I guess is 1/4 tsp.   I've concluded that when the apple cider vinegar that I use, which is "with the mother," gets down below about one third of the bottle, it becomes more concentrated and apparently causes the mayo not to set properly.  (Who knows?  Maybe mother is doing something funny here.)  And this is the purpose of the collagen.  And extra layer of insurance against mayo fails.  I usually don't use the collagen.  I suppose one could fortify this with flavoring too, like rum or bourbon.  

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