Author: SupremeCmdr

Posted on

Broccoli Stalk (stem) Recipes

I’ve always called them stalks. Stems/stalks, same thing.

Don’t Throw Out Your Broccoli Stems, Make These 7 Tasty Recipes Instead – https://vegnews.com/broccoli-stem-tasty-recipes

Yup. Another electronic sticky note.

I might try the Stir-Fried Broccoli Stems recipe.

Posted on

Eat Less Processed Red Meat

Yikes

To examine the risk of dementia, researchers included a group of 133,771 people with an average age of 49 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. They were followed up to 43 years. Of this group, 11,173 people developed dementia. Participants completed a food diary every two to four years, listing what they ate and how often. Researchers defined processed red meat as bacon, hot dogs, sausages, salami, bologna and other processed meat products. They defined unprocessed red meat as beef, pork, lamb and hamburger. A serving of red meat is three ounces, about the size of a deck of cards. Researchers calculated how much red meat participants ate on average per day. For processed red meat, they divided participants into three groups. The low group ate an average of fewer than 0.10 servings per day; the medium group ate between 0.10 and 0.24 servings per day; and the high group, 0.25 or more servings per day. After adjusting for factors such as age, sex and other risk factors for cognitive decline, researchers found that participants in the high group had a 13% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those in the low group. Is Eating More Red Meat Bad for Your Brain? – https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/1082

This large study is a collaboration funded by the National Institutes of Health to NYU Langone Health and includes authors from Johns Hopkins University and other U.S. institutions. The new study relies on information gathered from the ongoing Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS), which since 1987 has closely tracked the vascular health and cognitive function of nearly 16,000 participants as they age. ARIC-NCS is also, the researchers say, the longest-followed cohort of African Americans for researching cognition and heart health. Published in the journal Nature Medicine online January 13, the study concludes that from 1987 until 2020, there were 3,252 study participants who were documented as having developed dementia. This translates to an overall lifetime risk for dementia among middle-aged Americans of 42 percent, which is an average of the 35 percent risk in men and the 48 percent risk in women. The excess risk in women was largely due to their lower death rates. United States Dementia Cases Estimated to Double by 2060 – https://nyulangone.org/news/united-states-dementia-cases-estimated-double-2060

Posted on

More Cheese Please

Relative risks (RR) for colorectal cancer were calculated for intakes of all 97 dietary factors, with significant associations found for 17 of them. Calcium intake showed the strongest protective effect, with each additional 300 mg per day – equivalent to a large glass of milk – associated with a 17% reduced RR. Six dairy-related factors associated with calcium – dairy milk, yogurt, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium intakes – also demonstrated inverse associations with colorectal cancer risk. Dr Sheena Meredith. Dietary Calcium Cuts Colorectal Cancer Risk by 17% – Medscape – 08 January 2025. https://www.medscape.co.uk/viewarticle/dietary-calcium-cuts-colorectal-cancer-risk-17-2025a10000e0?

Citation and links to the original study – Papier, K., Bradbury, K.E., Balkwill, A. et al. Diet-wide analyses for risk of colorectal cancer: prospective study of 12,251 incident cases among 542,778 women in the UK. Nat Commun 16, 375 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55219-5 – https://rdcu.be/d6G1Q

Posted on

Home Alone 2024 – Weekend Update

This post is a Weekend Update to Home Alone. Worriers worry about everything. So to ease worried minds here’s what I’ve done the past several days.

  • I’ve watched two OKC Thunder games and have another game to watch tonight. Just one championship before I die would be nice.
  • I went to the grocery store. Twice. Maybe three times if I go later today. How is it possible for a grocery store to be out of (or not stock) stewed tomatoes?
  • Solitude offers time and space to think deeply about things and learn more about yourself. I’ve learned I always forget at least one item when I go grocery shopping.
  • Home alone last Holiday season I didn’t feel like cooking. This year is different. I’ve been cooking every day.
  • I found a two pound bag of pre-cooked frozen meatballs. The price per pound was less than the cost of uncooked ground beef. I bought a bag.

I decided to make meatball soup. Yes, that’s a nonstick frying pan because I wanted more pan surface to brown the meatballs and veggies.

This is what the soup looked like before I added the broth.

  • Memo to Self – next time transfer the meatballs and veggies to a soup pot then add the broth.
  • I’m surprised at the quality of the frozen meatballs. Obviously not as good as homemade, but very convenient with flavor reminiscent of the best cafeteria food you ever had.
  • I did not go to downtown OKC and hang at the Asian superstore. The strange vegetable experiment didn’t happen.
  • I listened to more Reckless Kelly.
  • I downloaded a bunch of free books to my Kindle most of which I’ll likely never read. This activity satisfies my hoarding tendencies.
  • My usual house-cleaner was out of town. I cleaned the shower and all of the toilets.
  • I almost made one side of the bed this morning before I realized it was Sunday and Sundays are bed sheet days.
  • I bought Christmas cards for next year.
  • The meatball soup was good but not good enough to post a recipe. it’s not good enough to serve for company but also not bad enough to toss out.
  • Bourbon.
  • I went to the gym after a six week hiatus. My eyeball doctor told me to cut back on the exercise so I went into slug mode. Today everything hurts. Everything.
  • I’ve gotten a lot more reading done (when not watching basketball).
  • I learned about the connection between smartphones, ultra processed foods, diminished family bonds and mental wellness. See my other blog https://lifeunderwriter.net/2024/12/29/smartphones-ultra-processed-foods-diminished-family-bonds-and-mental-wellness/
  • I posted more to my blogs.

I trust this update helps the worriers in my family to worry less. It’s back to The Day Job tomorrow so everyone knows what I’ll be doing during the daylight hours.

But before I forget…Reckless Kelly featuring Kelly Willis

Posted on

2024 Badass Black Eyed Peas

Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com

Is there anyone else out there besides me waking up on a Saturday morning thinking about making black eyed peas for good luck?   I didn’t think so. When I searched my own blog I was a bit surprised on how many versions of Badass I have.

Badass Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas – Pandemic Version 2021

and Vegetarian Badass Black Eyed Peas – 2022

I decided to make a no bacon version. Ground chicken because I found a source for good ground chicken at a reasonable price (hint, Aldi).

The beans needs to simmer for several hours. Give the beans an overnight soak in filtered water and change the water several times. Drain. Everyone in the pool.  I don’t cook the beans separately for this dish.

1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each smoked paprika, chili powder
1 T Mexican oregano
1 T cumin
1 qt low sodium chicken broth
2 T tomato paste and one 15 ounce can stewed tomatoes
1/2 lb black eyed peas (dried, see soaking instructions)
1 lb ground chicken
Salt & pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

  1. Place the dried beans into a stock pot large enough to hold the beans when fully plumped up.  Rinse the beans with water several times.  Fill the pot with fresh water and soak overnight.
  2. In the morning drain then add fresh water to the beans. Change the soaking water at least twice. Drain the beans again and set aside. Take the pot to the stove.
  3. Olive oil medium heat. Saute the onion, celery, and green pepper until softened about five minutes.  Add the garlic and saute another minute.
  4. Add the chicken and brown, breaking up the clumps as you go.
  5. Toss everything else into the pool.  Spices, tomato paste, broth, and beans.
  6. The black eyed peas (drained) with all ingredients needs enough chicken broth to barely cover everything. You may need more or less broth than one quart.
  7. Bring to a boil then simmer for several hours with the pot partially covered.
  8. Check the pot and stir occasionally.  Add more broth as the peas cook and the dish thickens.
  9. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and your favorite hot sauce.
  10. Yum.  Makes about 6-8 servings.

Odd Notes

This dish will taste better on day two. The chicken broth is a substitution for beef broth and results in a lighter dish.

The quantity of dried beans is no longer one pound because someone in the family (not me) claimed I put too much beans in my chili. This version has a ratio of beans to meat that hopefully meats her approval. Get it? Meats.

Texas Corn Bread of course.

Happy New Year! I hope this dish brings you much good luck in 2025 (and some tasty leftovers.

Posted on

Home Alone

This year marks the third year in a row I’m home alone after Christmas (not counting, just stating facts). I know some family members worry about The Old Man Home Alone so I thought I would post my thoughts to let everyone know I’m doing OK. As an old man who could have retired years ago but didn’t my days are filled with work. Real day job work. It’s the nights alone in a quiet house that the worriers worry about. So to ease everyone’s minds here are my activities and what I do Home Alone.

  • Invited a friend out for his birthday last night. He bought. Win win.
  • Bourbon.
  • Is there an OKC Thunder game on? If yes, I’m watching the game. If no, see number 2.
  • I like to cook and try new recipes when The Boss is gone. Successes go into the rotation. Failures go into the trash.
  • When I have a recipe failure, see number 2.
  • Listen to more Reckless Kelly. (I can’t listen to music with words while working because I start singing along and I lose focus)
  • I hate to waste food so… I make stuff up.
  • 3 pounds of chicken thighs bone-in, about a dozen corn tortillas, half a can of chopped green chilies, some leftover homemade enchilada sauce in the freezer, and always plenty of cheese in the fridge.
  • I braised the thighs in white wine, garlic and onion powders ( I love powdered veggies).
  • Chicken Enchilada Casserole!

Saturday and Sunday will be challenging. I might head to downtown OKC and hang at the Asian superstore. Might even find some strange vegetables to experiment with.

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.