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Second Attempt at Pickled Eggs

 

I've been regrouping after my first attempt at pickled eggs.  They were OK, I suppose, but had too much vinegar.  Rabbit Man had tried to steer me straight, but I still botched them up.  

Boiling the Eggs 

About two weeks ago I bought a box of 60 eggs for the purpose of making a lot of pickled eggs.  Suppose I ruined some of them?  Well, I had a lot more.   So today I decided to hard boil 30 of the eggs, thinking that would be enough for half a gallon,  probably with some to spare.  I had hard boiled eggs in the InstantPot at high pressure for four minutes, then at the "keep warm" setting another four minutes the last time I made them.  They were hard boiled eggs perfection, which was a first for me.   But, after listening to the "influencers" on Youtube, I saw over and over that five minutes was recommended, so five minutes it was.  However, they were not as perfect as the last time at four minutes.  This caused me to puzzle over the variety of advice I've heard on hard boiled eggs.  I think the location you are at makes a difference in how the eggs turn out.  Most people know that altitude makes a big difference.  Well, live and learn.   At five minutes I think they were slightly overcooked.   The riddle of hard boiled eggs has been solved.  

THE BRINE

The brine has been the part of the procedure that I struggled with.  Just as I was hard boiling the eggs,  Rabbit Man called.  "I fixed five dozen pickled eggs this morning!" he said.  "Oh really?"  He asked me where I was with making pickled eggs.  "I was just starting to make them when you called."  It was a strange coincidence, I thought.  He quizzed me about the brine recipe.  Did I still have it?  I did have it, and read it to him.  "OK, that sounds right."  "I'm going to put a can of beets and juice in them."  He had bought me several cans of beets about a year ago, but I misplaced them.  Now I've found them.  His recipe didn't contain sugar, which I didn't plan to use.  But I decided to put some erythritol in.   

I put a can of beets in my half gallon Mason jar.  I decided to cut up two jalapeños and put them in in layers of eggs.  I gathered my spices and salt.  I had decided to boil the brine, and put in two cups of vinegar, two tablespoons of salt, one tablespoon of red pepper flakes, one tablespoon of allspice,  one tablespoon of garlic powder, about one fourth cup of erythritol, and one tablespoon of my secret ingredient, pickling spice.  This I boiled for five minutes. 

Blast Off

I put sixteen eggs in my jar, interspersed with slices of jalapeños, and then poured the brine over the top.  Goodness it smelled wonderful.  This time I think I've got it right.   In about a week they should be ready. 

That was today in Paradise. 

Yippee!!!  

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My Friend Spot

 

This is my friend Spot.  Spot has his pluses and minuses.  

Pluses:  Spot likes people and guess what?  Someone trained him to sit, lie down,  and also to shake hands.   He is also good at chasing off stray cats.  Spot aims to please, and sometimes he does.   He needs some instruction I think.   Spot is a very large dog, bigger than a German Shepherd.  I'm pretty sure he weighs over 100 lbs.   Large size can be useful, especially in a friendly dog.  

Minuses:  Spot is so elated with the fact that he lives in my yard, and I have given him food, that he jumps on me.   Noooooooo!  I suppose he needs to see a groomer and take a bath and have his nails clipped.  He loves to put his paw up to shake hands, but he is likely to scratch accidentally.  I told him not to scratch me.  He leaned his head over and nibbled my wrist.  I said, "Don't nibble me either!"  For all the good it did.   He probably needs a rabies vaccination.   Oh, and he drools.  

So far, I haven't heard much of a bark from him.  Sometimes when he sees a stray cat coming into his yard, he bounds over and chases it, which is good.  He makes a woofing noise.  I don't know that it's enough to alert me that something's up.  

Spot showed up here about a week ago.  I think he may be a Saint Bernard.  

Oh, you may wonder if delivery people and the mail lady have a problem with the huge dog in the yard.  No,  he's friendly enough that no one has been afraid of him.   That's convenient, but I would like for bad guys to be afraid of him.   I have my doubts about that.   I think if they did some of the things that bad guys have done around here, like beat on the walls outside with a baseball bat at midnight, Spot would decide they are not welcome.   It probably wouldn't take much expression of displeasure from Spot to discourage anyone from doing that.  Why would someone beat on the walls of my house at night?   Probably drunk.  

Stay tuned.  

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Amerigas Customers Flee

 

Today my beautiful new 330 gallon propane tank arrived.   Two men came over in trucks, one carrying the tank with a winch to put it in place, and the other driving a propane truck.  One of them was the husband of the sheriff's deputy I spoke to,  in my attempt to unleash the law on Amerigas.   She had encouraged me to get service with my new propane supplier.  They arrived today with my new tank, and put the Amerigas tank out by the road.  Then they put 255 gallons of propane in my tank.  I actually purchased this tank rather than rent it.  

I took photos of the luny job Amerigas did connecting their monitor to the tank.  They actually fastened it in place with duck tape directly on the pressurized opening in the tank.  Not surprisingly, all my propane soon leaked out.  Amerigas tried to convince me that a "third party" contractor installed this ricky ticky thing.  I saw Amerigas do it with my own eyes!!  

One of the people getting the new propane service set up told me that Amerigas customers have been leaving Amerigas in droves.  The purpose of the "monitor" was to prevent other propane sellers from filling the tanks.  Today I paid $1.99 a gallon for propane, but Amerigas is charging $4 a gallon, and trying to force everyone to pay them that, just in time for winter.   

It was a godsend to have my new propane service set up so quickly.  The other company said they would do it in April.  We would have frozen by then.   The heat is on in a cheery way.  And the dryer works again too.  I can use the stove again.   Yay!

I don't know if Amerigas will be as negatively impacted by their terrible ploy as they should be.  I'm really glad to be rid of them in any case.  

Amerigas Loses War

My new 330 gallon propane tank is being delivered tomorrow by a new company, filled with propane.  

First thing this morning I went to the Sheriff 's Department and spoke to a deputy.  I tried to get the sheriff to arrest the Amerigas people.  No, this is a civil matter.  She steered me to a gas and propane company that she said would help me.  The problem is that I had already tried to find another company, but I would need another propane tank.  The company I called yesterday said they could do that, but not until April 2024.  The deputy said she would call the company she recommended, explain the situation to them and ask them to expedite new service.  

As soon as I got home, I called the new company, and they asked me if I wanted to buy a tank outright instead of renting.  Yes!  I know we've paid for the tank in the yard that was rented from Amerigas at least five times over.  They probably make more money from renting tanks than from selling gas and propane.  My choice - 250 gallon or 330 gallon.  The price difference was $100.  I wanted the 330 gallon tank.  They told me that due to the situation with my poor mother, they'll bring it over tomorrow.   Amerigas will have to come over and get their tank and the monitor they forced onto me.  We had adequate propane at the time the monitor was put on, and I suspect that the monitor caused the propane to leak out and empty the tank.  

Imagine, my very own 330 gallon propane tank full of propane for Christmas.  Yay!

 

War With Amerigas

Around ten days ago I was standing at the kitchen window when I saw a man in my yard.  He wore a white shirt and blue pants.  He was around 5' 10", and on the chubby side.  His hair was very short brown, but not balding.  No beard.  I would say he was between 45 and 55 years old. He was within a couple of feet of the "No Trespassing" sign.   He turned just then and walked up the driveway to a propane truck that said, "Amerigas."   I have a propane tank in my yard, but I had not called Amerigas to come by.  ??  That seemed strange.  Weird and surprising.  

The days passed, and yesterday when I decided to check the propane gauges I was startled to see that there had been tampering with the propane tank.  A rectangular plastic thing had been put into the line from the propane tank.  I lifted the lid that covered the gauge.  The gauge had been covered with duck tape.  With the modifications from tampering with the tank I was not able to read the gauge.

And so it was that this morning there was no heat because we had run out of propane.   At first I wasn't totally panicked.  I called the propane company that I usually call, since Amerigas isn't in this county.  After some explaining of not being able to read the gauge but knowing that I was out of propane, they told me that their company will not fill my tank with the gadget on the line.  So therefore I can't buy propane.  

I called Amerigas to find out what they had done to the propane tank.  Soon I was speaking to someone in India.  What did he say?  He didn't actually speak English.   He tried in vain to communicate, and seemed to understand that I was calling about the thing they had installed in the line of the propane tank.  I think he was trying to say that I had only myself to blame.  I heard the word "monitor." Also he sounded like he was saying that Amerigas was not the culprit.  It was a third party Amerigas had contracted to.  Oh really?  And did Amerigas give the third party an Amerigas truck?  

Calm down.  Calm down.  I've been without heat in the winter before.  How did I manage?  Well, I used to have a sheepskin coat and a very warm sweater.  I got dressed, put on my coat and a little beanie hat and stayed covered up in bed for two weeks.   So did Jim.  This was during an ice storm.  THIS is why I bought a beaver coat  and a sheepskin jacket.   So we won't freeze.   I do have two space heaters.  One I use in my room.  The other is now heating the living room where Mom lives, but it isn't enough heat for that.  I'll put plastic over the windows.   But things should be OK, maybe not cozy and warm.   Unless the electric goes out in a storm.  That's what I thought was a plus with using propane.  

These people came into my yard without my permission and never said a word to anyone about what they were doing or got permission for that.  The propane isn't even on my account.  My stepfather is still the account holder, even though he passed away a long time ago.  The fact that a man that is passed has an account with them doesn't give them the privilege of violating my property that is clearly posted no trespassing.  

Stay tuned.  

 

The Mayo Clinic

 

This mayo is going to make me famous.  I'm going to call it "Duchess Mayo."  Why?  Riding the coattails of Duke's Mayo I guess.  

It became urgent to make mayo yesterday.  I started putting in the ingredients until there were six, which is the right number:  1 1/4 C avocado oil, 3/4 C MCT oil, two eggs, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and the juice of half a lemon.  Would it emulsify?  

I prayed over it.  "Dear Lord please let this mayo emulsify, and I will praise You to the skies all over the internet."   So guess what?  The mayo emulsified.   And I am praising Jesus to the skies.  Thank You Jesus, and Merry Christmas.  

                        

                           O. J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies

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Shelf stable Pickled Eggs

Trying Out My Pickled Eggs

 

I ate a pickled egg in celebration of the fast ending.  Hmmm.  Now mind you, this is the first time I've made pickled eggs.  How were they?  Well, they tasted like they were in too much vinegar, which I'm pretty sure they were.   Mrs. Billingsley ate one too, because she's a good sport.  She said they're too vinegary.  And besides that, it tastes like there are no spices.  

Back to the drawing board.  Let me just say, before I attempted pickled eggs I must have watched a dozen videos on Youtube, and also heard Rabbit Man's instructions.  When the dust settled I was confused.  But now I've sorted it all out better, so maybe the next ones will be better. 

What if...what if I made a new brine for these funny eggs and switched that brine out for one that isn't so vinegary?  Are these eggs beyond redemption?  Who knows?   I guess they're edible as they are.  I'm thinking of making them into egg salad, which would probably disguise the vinegary taste.   But not today.  

Fast Ends Week One

 Wait.  Four day fast ends.  That wasn't four days.  I'm not sure.  Maybe I miscounted.   It was a long time.  

Warning.  It was a short fast, but there can be problems with refeeding, even after three or four days.  Right now I'm struggling a little.  After a long fast refeeding can actually be dangerous and should be undertaken slowly.  But I didn't undertake refeeding slowly.  

How was this four days?  In a perfect world, it wasn't four days.  In my world one counts the hours.  Therefore after four nights one can start calling it over.  Was it four nights?  I suppose so.  It's over, anyway.  

So maybe next time perfection will be achieved.  

Oh, I'd like to say that there has been a gratifying amount ot relief with the arthritis.  So I'm pretty happy.  

Pickling 350 Eggs | Preserving Food for Winter in Alaska

Fasting Day Three Week One

 

Today is my third day of fasting.  Other than fantasizing about food. the only big difference has been better sleep.  For the past two nights I fell asleep almost the second I laid down, and can't remember a thing.  Then I slept well and woke up feeling refreshed, but a little later than usual.   Well, one other thing, which is an important thing to me, is that I can feel inflammation is way down.   I wouldn't say that nothing hurts, but I would say the pain level is down by at least half.  And the energy level is actually up.  So this is the way to go, at least if you're me.   I feel so well, it occurred to me that maybe three or four days a week of fasting is the best plan for me forever.   Well, doubtful.  Two days a week?  That could be.   I don't think that would be detrimental.  Yeah, I'll fast for four days a week for 26 weeks, then two days a week after that, and then I'll write a book about it.  A bestseller.   How I got gorgeous.   

After three days of fasting, I feel a tingle that feels like it's coming from my bone marrow.  I've noticed this before.  What is causing that?  It's a nice feeling, I would say a little relaxing.  I've heard that one begins to increase growth hormone levels during a fast.  Maybe that's what it is.   In the past, on the fifth day, there is a change in the skin on my face for the better.  I would say it looks slightly rosier.  I doubt if anyone else could see it.   Yes, aging in reverse!   But this time the plan is to only fast four days.  As far as weight loss, I'm not sure, because I didn't weigh on the first day.  I really don't think there will be much weight loss.   

So that's life in Paradise today.  

PS.  Fasting glucose first thing this morning 93.  

 

A Spooky Experience

 

More than 10 years ago, I bought quinine sulfate from the Canadian Pharmacy for muscle cramps.   I did have a prescription.  Since that time I've gotten regular calls from people claiming to be calling for the Canadian Pharmacy about a refill on my prescription.  No, not needed.  Please put me on your do not call list.  I continued to receive calls, always with US numbers, not Canadian.   Today they did something they've never done before, and offered to sell me Valium.  They said I bought it before.  No I didn't.   

Lately I've heard horror stories about people who buy Valium or Percocet from black market sources.  The scary thing is around 70% of these drugs are fentanyl made by labs in Mexico to look like the real thing.  However, last year over 80,000 died of fentanyl poisoning.    The weird thing about this call is that they knew my number and said they were from the Canadian Pharmacy.  I didn't have this number when I ordered from the Canadian Pharmacy.  Also, if I had decided to buy the Valium,  I probably would have believed that a pharmacy sold it to me.   It's the first time someone has  called to try and sell me narcotics.   I suppose the eerie thing is the level that the drug cartels are at here.   Now they're cold calling.  

I mentioned it today at the beauty shop.   My stylist has been telling me about fentanyl deaths of acquaintances.  She said that there are a lot of murders locally related to it that are made to look like suicides.   

I mentioned to my brother that the fentanyl problem has exploded in the last five years.  Over 110,000 people died of overdoses last year.  He said, "Well, the opioid problem isn't limited to the United States.  It's all over the world."  80% of the opioids are sold in the US.   So I don't think he's correct about that.   A lot of people have taken what they were told was Valium or Percocet and died within a few minutes of fentanyl poisoning, since the pill is often 100% fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin.   A dose the size of two grains of salt can be fatal.  It is more likely than not that there will be a fatal dose of fentanyl in a Valium or a Percocet in drugs bought from illegal sources.  I just can't wrap my head around this.  I think people should be warned.  

More Fun Times

 

I once read a study about mice, which some call a "murine" study.  But if you do call it that you may lose your reader.   It was a fascinating study.  Healthy mice, about 16 weeks old, were given a chemical that damaged their pancreases.  At that point, their fasting glucose levels were 400.  If people have fasting glucose levels of 400 they will most likely be recommended for a pancreas transplant.  The mice weren't eligible for transplants, but at this point their life expectancy was less than 16 weeks.  The mice were placed on a four day a week fast for 26 weeks.   At the end of 26 weeks, the mice had completely regrown their pancreases and had normal fasting blood glucose levels again.  This was amazing to me, so  I decided to try it.  

My problem wasn't high fasting blood glucose, but rheumatoid arthritis.  I had kept this at bay by avoiding foods that seemed to provoke it, until one day there was a relapse anyway.  In less than a month I had lost my right knee and injured a few other joints.  My doctor recommended a thirty day fast, and I did fast for 21 days, when I went into remission.  Well, this was no ordinary doctor.  I did have a total knee replacement with nearly perfect results, but still had other damage.  Maybe fasting four days a week for 26 weeks would regrow these injured areas.  

This fast lasted for 12+ weeks, when I ended it because of electrolyte imbalance problems, and insomnia.   But, even then there was massive improvement in the joint injuries and I was walking out into fields and places that I hadn't been able to go to.   Also, my fasting glucose had begun going up to 120 on a fast.  What?  Why?  I did find out later that the liver will sometimes go into overdrive when blood glucose levels are going lower than it likes, and soon return to normal when the hard times are over.   

I had thought that I would regroup and try this fast again later, but didn't do it.  

Now I am thinking of trying the four day a week fast again.  I did consider a longer fast, because this worked so well a few years ago.   But I just don't want to fast that long, so the four day a week idea was revisited.   What if I did this for 26 weeks?  Would I see an end to rheumatoid arthritis?  Maybe.   Can I make it that long?  Probably not.  We'll see.  

Another strange thing about the first fast is that I really didn't lose any weight.   Go figure.  So that's what's happening in Paradise today.  I suppose it would be a good idea to add prayer to the fast.  Once the disciples had tried to throw a demon out of a child with seizures, but were unsuccessful.  Jesus was able to cast out the demon, and then the disciples asked him why they hadn't been able to.  He said, "This kind goeth not out but by fasting and prayer."  I didn't do that the first time.  I think I'll try it this time.   Hey, I know.  I'll start keeping a journal about it.   This should be interesting.  To me anyway.  

Samo - Adoro

I Burned the Boxes

 

I let the box situation get out of hand, I guess.  Janet had offered sometime before Thanksgiving to help me burn the boxes.  We had settled on a day about three weeks ago because there was supposed to be rain.  But a lot of times rain is accompanied by strong winds around here.  So the wind cancels the benefit of burning boxes when it rains.  It was kinder than kind of Janet to offer, but still, I was relieved that it never happened.  

However, the time had come that I really had to burn boxes.  Rabbit Man had tried to help by giving me a gadget to cut up the boxes instead of burning them.  He was very put out that I was afraid of the gadget.  Why?  Well, it had a sharp, scary blade that whirled at high speed.  No way.  I knew I would cut off one hand and put out an eye and plus injure others.  But Rabbit Man doesn't understand that I know me.  He operates on knowing Rabbit Man.   So the Rabbit Man solution had been sniffed at, and I had only myself to blame.  

Well, I could hire Tuna's husband.  This thought was enough to propel me into action.   I think I can.  I think I can.  I started taking boxes out to the special little burning place.  It took me an hour and a half to transport the boxes.  Cheesh.  Why had I let it get so out of hand?  Well, I procrastinated and then after Thanksgiving I sprained my ankle.  So things happened.  Finally my ankle healed, and the coast was clear.  

I burned the boxes in stages.  About three stages.  I put around 50 boxes into a pile and set them on fire.  Then another 50.  Finally the stragglers.   That took around 45 minutes.  So the whole project took about three hours.  I feel like a good person for doing a big chore.   Now I'll celebrate.   How?  Jalapeño poppers, I guess.  Yay!

Mark Dinning - Teen angel (1960)

Award Winning Pickled Eggs - Kansas 2 time winner

Today In Paradise

 

Today I decided to hard boil two dozen eggs.  I have been trying to use the InstantPot for this, but there were some difficulties.  I have a wire basket for the InstantPot, and put a cup on water in the pot.  Then I thought I set the timer to four minutes.   I thought I would leave the eggs in another four minutes after they finished the pressure cycle.  It's a good thing I came back in eight minutes, because I had set the timer for four hours.  So those eggs were done.  Then I started a second dozen.  

One of the eggs was cracked, and I peeled it.  It didn't look right, so I tossed it out.  I peeled a second one.  Perfect.  And the timer was correctly set now.  

So that great adventure went OK.   Now I guess I'll make pickled eggs, which I've never done before.  So, we'll see. 

I used a half gallon Mason jar, and filled it halfway with vinegar, then put in the spices that I had mixed up in a bowl a few days ago.  What spices?   That's what I'm wondering.   I thought at first it was 4 tablespoons salt, two tablespoons allspice, and two tablespoons garlic.   But wait.  That was the amount for a full gallon.  This brine looked weird.  No no no.  I never saw pickled egg brine like that before.  So I poured half of it out, and then refilled the jar halfway with vinegar.  I put in ten shelled hard boiled eggs.  This can't be right.  Then I double checked my recipe.  Oh, one half quart of vinegar, not a full quart.  Cheesh.  I thought I might pour it all out and start over.  Well, maybe tomorrow.  I don't know what I did, and I'm afraid I'll have a second fiasco if I keep going.  So ten pathetic pickled eggs.  If they turn out OK, I won't even know how I did it.