I told my brother I was making bone broth in a crockpot. The recipe I follow takes 12 hours. He said it is much faster in an Instant Pot. When I told him I don’t have one he ordered one shipped to me. I am very thankful.
It is really simple. I used 3 can coconut milk 2 T gelatin and a vegan yogurt starter culture from Cultures for Health. It is single use. I mixed the gelatin in a small bowl with some coconut milk and let sit 3 min before adding to inner bowl with the rest of coconut milk. I added starter and whisked to blend then put on lid, chose yogurt setting, set timer for 24 hours. It started counting up from 0. I just let it go, I opened up early, after 20 hours. It was liquid so I transferred to little glass containers and mixed 1 T chia seeds to each. I placed in fridge and after several hours it thickened. It has a tart taste and is creamy. I don’t know if it really needs the chia seeds but I like them.
Image: 2 containers of coconut milk yogurt with chia seeds
Next I will make beef bone broth. That takes about 3 hours in Instant Pot. It is easy to clean, too. I wiped off inside of lid. My brother told me to wash the silicone ring and dry so I did that, the inner pot is dishwasher safe.
Image: mason jars with fermenting sauerkraut and pickles
My friend ferments pickles and sauerkraut. He gave me the directions so I set some up. It is pretty simple. Sauerkraut is cabbage and salt. I added some carrots and ginger for flavor. Pickles are salt water and some spices. I watched videos on YouTube and joined a Facebook group for beginning fermenters. There is some conflicting information, so I am going with the fermenting group for advice.
Fermented foods are great for your gut. I thought I would just do these 2 foods, but I have been reading more and interested in adding more. I am going to set up kimchi next. I have the spices just need produce. There is a Korean market near here. Then I might try Kombucha. That is a different type of ferment and for parts you are supposed to put in dark, I think I could cover with a cloth. I have cabinets but I worry about leaking or exploding jars.
I have not made coconut milk yogurt in a long time. Recipe here Coconut milk yogurt Chia pudding is so simple but does not have the probiotics. I am planning to get some going soon. I put away the yogurt maker so I will have to pull it out.
My husband does not understand this hobby. I have not spent too much on it. I have 3 2 qt mason jars. I just bought some lids that exchange gas. Right now I just unscrew a little each day, but they are not producing a lot of gas. Just some bubbles.
I tried a pickle today. It has only been 4 days. It was crunchy but pretty bland. I am not sure I bought the right cucumbers. You need pickling cucumbers, I bought a bag that just said small cucumbers. I am going to let them go for a couple of weeks. I tasted the sauerkraut at the beginning and it was really salty. I am not sure if I made a mistake or if it always starts that way. I am letting that go for 3 weeks.
I just realized I never gave an update on my Covid experience. After 19 days of isolating, I finally tested negative and was feeling better. I had given a month’s notice at work, but I was out for 3 weeks. I only worked 2 days/week, so I went back for my final 2 days. They quickly improvised and had people sign a card and ordered cupcakes. It was nice.
I am not sure what I want to do with my time, now. I have been going to an activity center that I used to work at, as a member now, and participate in a group. It is a course that ends in 2 weeks. I think I will continue going to one or two groups/week after it ends. I give talks for NAMI, National alliance on mental illness. I did one over zoom and they played it on the tv at the center.
I do want to do other volunteer work, but I don’t want to commute or commit too much time. I have some opportunities already. I stopped working mainly because I was having trouble hearing. I got hearing aids at the beginning of the year but it has been hard to adjust, I am having another hearing test and they will clean the hearing aids in November. I want to get to where I can hear well, before I commit to any type of peer support.
I like playing little computer games. I finally tried wordle and I think it is fun. I usually can get the word but it takes a number of guesses. I find it relaxing.
About a month after I got over Covid my husband and daughter caught it. My husband travels and I think he must have caught it at a conference. My daughter is super careful, but she still caught it. She felt pretty lousy, lost taste and smell. She isolated for 10 days. My husband did pretty well, he took Paxlovid with no rebound. He was better in 5 days.
I have given up on making the coconut milk yogurt for now. I am making chia pudding with coconut milk instead. It tastes pretty good. I add fruit and granola.it is really easy to make. I have a recipe for a small volume but I make more. If anyone is interested I will post the recipe. You can use other types of milk.
I saw a video on internal family systems therapy. It looked interesting. I don’t know if I would be able to connect with other parts of myself. I searched for a therapist and found one but she does not work at the company anymore. They recommended a few other therapists. I don’t think the woman on the phone understood what I was asking for. I have a zoom appointment with a therapist on Saturday. She is on my insurance plan. I like the therapist I had/have?, but he only wants to see me as needed and I think I would feel more comfortable seeing someone on a regular basis. I can’t find much on the new therapist through google. Just on the company’s website.
I had an issue finding a psychiatrist my insurance would cover. I saw one who I liked, but I they first denied the claim and eventually changed to covering. I saw a different psychiatrist in the same office. I had a bad experience the first appointment. The next appointment was better. But, I found the other psychiatrist is in network now, so I switched back. I go in November. He does therapy, too, so that could be an option and I always have the one, as needed. I think he will retire soon, also,
Image: dinosandcomics cartoon I hate leaving the house, why are you here then, well…, I have to have something to talk to my therapist about
I started seeing a new therapist when my insurance changed in January. He started spacing our sessions further apart because I am doing well and run out of things to say. Last month he told me he thinks I just need to see him, as needed, and to contact him if I need an appointment.
I don’t know what to think. I am happy I am doing well but did not know I could finish, with a chronic mental health condition. I do like checking in with someone but I have a psychiatrist and support group and people around me.
When I ask people about it they think I am unhappy and tell me to speak up, but that is not the issue. I am unsure how I feel. I am getting used to the idea now.
I also changed psychiatrist with the insurance change. But, I am having more insurance issues. He is part of a medical group that is covered but they are not recognizing him in their system. They covered the first appointment but denied the second. I filed a grievance and the psychiatrist office says it will be taken care of. It still makes me nervous.
Work is going fine. I work 2 days and they hired someone to work the other 3. I was wondering what he was doing. Work would be piled up for me when I came in. I just found out he has not been working there for over a month I feel silly for not knowing, but no one told me.
Weight watchers is going fine. I had a birthday and celebrated with some desserts. My weight has been going up and down but at least it I have not be gained. I am getting back at it. I got a recipe book when I signed up and have made a few recipes. I made slow cooked oats with fruit and a hash brown and egg meal. I have coconut milk yogurt cooking overnight. I plugged in a blueberry muffin recipe and it is 6 pts which is okay for a treat but I have to limit to one.
Image container of coconut milk yogurt with spoon sticking straight up
I have been attempting to make coconut milk yogurt, but it split into layers and was liquid. I tried different brands of coconut milk and nothing was working. So, I altered the recipe by doubling the gelatin and adding chia seeds. It is a bit of a combo of yogurt and chia pudding. I find it a little bland and am trying to figure out what I can add. Let me know if you have any ideas.
If anyone wants my recipe
3 cans light coconut milk shaken 2 Tb gelatin I Tb sugar Probiotics (you can use a store bought yogurt to start. I used 2 lactobacillus sp. Probiotic tablets for this batch . I will use this yogurt for starting the next) 1tsp inulin 8 Tb chia seeds
Mix gelatin with some of the coconut milk and set aside for 3 minutes Pour the rest of the coconut milk in a pot. Heat over medium heat. Add gelatin mixture and sugar. Whisk while heating. Do not boil. (I am sorry, I don’t know the temperature) Reserve ¼ c and pour the rest into yogurt maker containers. I use 8 6oz containers Let cool to about 105 F or less. Add probiotics and inulin to reserved fluid and mix well Stir one spoonful of probiotic mixture into each container. Heat in yogurt maker at 105F for 24 hrs When done remove from maker. Add 1 Tb chia seeds to each container Refrigerate until firm.
If it is still liquid add another Tb chia seeds to each and chill.
Weight watchers discourages saturated fats, but I find fat filling. I may change my mind, but for now I am eating many of the same foods, but smaller portions. I was at a conference today and used all my daily points by noon, but I can have eggs and veggies for dinner which is not many points.
I recently discovered I am lactose intolerant. I just bought a yogurt maker and was making yogurt with half and half, which was a simple recipe, but now I am trying to switch to coconut milk. So far, I have had little success. I have made gelatin, which tasted okay but was definitely not yogurt. I had a batch that did not set and one that turned out sour. I used them in smoothies. They are fine to eat, but not what I am looking for.
I probably would give up and just buy non dairy yogurt, but I want to use the maker. I don’t know what else it could be used for.
I have been making green smoothies, too. I drink them most mornings now. Our blender died after 20 years so we got one that makes smoothies and is durable. I put in ice, soy or coconut milk, spinach, cucumber, coconut milk yogurt, ginger, chia seeds, plant protein powder and blend. It is pretty filling.
Image coffee mug with coffee and coconut milk, green smoothie
My weight has been stalled since I had a medication change in June, but my glucose is good and I am in ketosis (on ketogenic diet). I had been logging my food on Cronometer but I think it was overestimating my energy expenditure so I switched to myfitnesspal. You enter your foods and it calculates the calories, carbs, fats, protein etc. I am not perfect at logging but it gives me an idea of where I am at. I have it linked to my Fitbit and scale.
I am still doing 14 hour fasts. It is not too difficult for me. I have not noticed any changes with fasting. I do feel a lot better now that I am not having much dairy.
Image bottle of milk and glass with red circle and slash
I am in a weight loss program with Digbi Health. I found it looking through programs offered through my insurance. Unfortunately, they do not cover me because I have type 2 diabetes and they refer me to other programs. I called to find out why it is not covered and the sales rep explained that to me and gave me a discount that expired that evening. I thought about it and maybe impulsively signed up.
I am still doing keto. Digbi recommends a lot of veggies with meals and I am having trouble staying in ketosis but my glucose is okay. I want to find a way to work the Digbi program and Virta keto together. I tried asking both how I can blend them but I guess I was not clear because I have not got much of an answer from either program.
With Digbi they do a dna and gut biome analysis. I got the dna results. Some things I found out are that I am lactose intolerant and my blood pressure changes with sodium intake. I have been making yogurt with half and half and have had some digestive issues but I had not put the 2 together. I tried making yogurt with coconut milk and it became gelatin. Not sure if that was the recipe, the coconut milk brand or me. I am going to try a different recipe next time.
I don’t know if i have to avoid all dairy or if things like heavy cream and cheese are okay. I found a sub on Reddit. They were helpful, but they told me it is an individual thing. I got some lactaid tablets, too.
Some other things I found out were vitamin and mineral requirements, like I need more vitamin A and Copper. They don’t test levels, it is how you metabolize. I also have a lot of weight gain tendencies which just means I have to be diligent. Apparently, I have high heart capacity, poor flexibility. I found it interesting. I am going over the results with my coach this week.
Stronger Than You Think 