Recent triggers have me afraid of starving.. feeling unsafe and afraid.

[Daph]

Goulash or Chili Anyone?

I just made goulash in my crockpot..... and because I don't like to co...

Okay totally off topic.
But how the hell do you get dried beans to hydrate?
I can with the lentils, but every time I try (different methods or what my Mom uses) with the other legumes...it never works! Lol When I lived in Mexico, it frustrated me with beans being a staple, also they did not offer canned like home. But eventually, I was ecstatic when they finally got hydrated beans in a bag at Sorianna's lol even though it was around the time I headed home.

 

[littleoc]

@Daph lots and lots of boiling! Hours of it! Lol :D otherwise I'm not sure.

 

[blackemerald1]

Dried beans...wash them under cold water first. - Soak them for about 4-6 hours in saucepan....or over-night if you feel like it. Whatever is more convenient. Then throw out the the water they have been soaking in.

Put them into some fresh cold water & slowly bring to boil...reduce heat and let them cook for a couple of hours. You can add a pinch of salt if you like. But not necessary if you are not into salt. Don't add if you are use them in another recipe with salt in it.

It's necessary to make sure you wash them properly & change the water after soaking. This helps them hydrate & makes them more digestible.

You can add some tomatoes/sauce once they are fully hydrated and still soft and whatever else you like to make a bean stew.

Very healthy and cheap. :)

 

[littleoc]

Dried beans...wash them under cold water first. - Soak them for about 4-6 hours in saucepan....or...

Oh, that's awesome! It's like magic!

I'll be trying that out. I learned to make fried rice, and that can be stored for a long time too. Soy sauce can be used in a lot of things. After what everyone has said lately, I've been exploring lots of pasta meals that are healthy, since pasta is cheap.

Same with rice. :)

 

[Daph]

Dried beans...

Okay I cannot wait to try! I hope success since I have already failed many times. May be may experiment next week as I want to try some of your recipes.

@littleoc
Has your appetite or eating been better? Although, I hope at least some of the stressors causing this have improved.

Pumpkin lentil Curry soup (freezes well and I usually make a bigger batch to do so)
2 tsp canola
1 cup chopped onion
1tsp minced garlic
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup lentils
1tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground/ red pepper flakes
1cup water
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1-2 tsp ground ginger
Can add 1 TBsp lemon juice

Sauté onions and garlic. Add broth, lentils, spices(I usually add more) and water. Simmer until lentils tender. Cool soup somewhat and blend up-take out middle of lid/ use a towel to let steam out if soup to warm. Return to pot and heat with pumpkin.
Add lemon juice if handy and cilantro is nice in top.

 

[littleoc]

Has your appetite or eating been better? Although, I hope at least some of the stressors causing this have improved.

Yes, it has improved. Keeping in mind what @Ronin said and what @Sweetleaf said too, as well as recipes and feeling like I have enough.

I also invested in a multivitamin, which I know I can't aborb vitamins without fats in my diet (to be simple, there's more), but it should help me feel that any meal is aiding in nutrition at the very least.

I also was told by a doctor that my TBI is healing remarkably well and she told me my diet likely helped with that (as well as other therapies). She warned me that if I quit eating, I might see it actually make my brain hurt again, because healing isn't quite one way with that. If I become anorexic for any reason, whether because I think I'm starving or because I think I should be, it could cause permanent damage I may never be able to fix, like what @Ronin said.

Unfortunately the triggering events aren't gone fully, but my mom got her missing paycheck and hasn't had any other problems besides spending so much that she ends up having to pinch the rest of it -- but that was during my birthday and then my little brother's, and my older sister's, so I guess she felt that was okay. She bought me a bunch of candy and stuffed animals today so I suppose she's feeling mostly secure, besides the lack of a new job coming and her company promising to let her go whether it works out or not. That part scares me, but at least I personally have a job lined up (I haven't signed an employee contract yet, though, but it seems likely that I got it) that will help me buy my first car. It will be cheap but I can learn how to care for a car with this one and then be prepared for a good car later.

Also the recipes are helping, and I have been freezing things! My mom and I and my twin brother are enjoying that, because it means we can relax a bit. Beans are cheap and good in anything, same for rice!

Thank you :) I'll be trying that pumpkin lentil curry soup soon I hope! It looks great

 

[blackemerald1]

@littleoc - just read your last responses. Very pleased you are doing better. :)

If you have access to the internet there are loads of pasta, rice & bean recipes. I am not preaching bc like I said, I have my own issues with food. Most recipes are really fast and really simple. Have fun & make up your own recipes once you have an idea what you and the rest of the family like.

Just about cooked rice. Don't want to scare you so don't be - be careful with cooked rice & storage.

Just to give you a heads up..once rice is cooked it should be cooled very quickly & stored in containers in refrigeration below 5 C. (Sorry don't know what it is in Fahrenheit.)

Store cooked rice in small containers not larger than 10 cm in height and don't store it container upon container (stacked).

It is important to cool it down & refrigerate it quickly.

Rice is very healthy and good for you.

However:-

All rice has a bacteria in it called Bacillus Cereus. It is not killed completely with cooking. So if cooked rice is left out btwn 5C - 60C after taken off the heat, this bacteria can multiply again.

It can cause food poisoning. Usually mild but since you have medical problems there is no need to add to them :eek: :sick:

Your government food storage health site should have good directions. If you follow them all will be well.

Often people blame a bad take away Curry for feeling ill. But it is just as likely to be the rice. Restaurants may not be as careful as you are about storage when they make up a big batch of rice for the night. They are supposed to be...but who knows?

The main thing is don't leave rice out. I try not to make more than I can eat...not always possible or practical though. So look up how to cool it down quickly and safely store it.

As a general rule 1 cup of dry rice will make 3 cups of cooked rice. Does for me anyway.. :happy:

 

[littleoc]

@littleoc - just read your last responses. Very pleased you are doing better. :...

Thank you :)

And thank you! Maybe I have been making myself sick? When I make fried rice, I like to make the rice the day before so it can dry up a bit. How interesting! Maybe I should just throw it out and make new rice with less water, and cool it quickly before I make the fried part?

Thanks again!

 

[blackemerald1]

Hey @littleoc so if you want to make fried rice. Drain the rice really well and if you are wanting to do the rice bit well before the frying part. Just wait for it to stop steaming in the saucepan and throw it into a plastic container, cover it and put it into the refrigerator. That will keep it safe.

Then when you need it for the frying bit, drain any liquid off if there still is a bit. Give it a really good shake inside the container to loosen it up so it's ready for frying and when you are ready throw it in the frypan and make up your fried rice as normal.

So long as you cook it, cool it quickly and re-cook quickly it - with no long periods of time sitting out where it just slowly either cools or heats it will be fine. I would not recommend re-heating fried rice once it's been cooked, cooled, re-heated once around.

Better to use spare rice to make a egg & rice pudding. Really yummy and good for you!

 

[Gs172003]

Beans and rice is very cheap. Eggs potatoes and veggies are too .Healthy and cheap.

 

[littleoc]

Beans and rice is very cheap. Eggs potatoes and veggies are too .Healthy and cheap.

That's true. And a sprinkle of salt and pepper makes anything taste gourmet... lol

egg & rice pudding.

Ooh, that sounds interesting.

I have a lazy recipe I got from a college roommates in 2015 who was from China. She would take warm, cooked rice and add milk, a bit of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of black pepper. It sounds weird but it's good. A bit sweet though. I've eaten on days when I struggled to eat. Sort of like eating cereal? Just, it can't get soggy?

 

[Gs172003]

I'll post some links for you too. And....ramen noodles with some veggies and chicken added isn't a bad meal either. Just don't add the packet. Use your own seasonings.