The Truth Is In The Details

Note the details!

It is funny how things a person attaches importance to doesn't matter to others. An issue I think is very important, is something other people do not know about it. If they do, they do not even think about it. When I look at a person or group of people, I take in every detail about them. I will usually note the color of their hair, their clothing and even their shoes. I listen to what they say. I will even study their body language or attitude in that situation. Maybe it is not normal to do that. I always thought it was because I like to write. When I write stories I use some of those characteristics. Sometimes I write those thoughts down so I have them for the future. Honestly I feel the real situation is always in the details. The details that are overlooked by many. 

kat's Kitchen

There is no way I can sit in a meeting or with a group of people and not listen to what they are saying. If I cannot hear them I will move closer or listen more intently. Maybe that is why the media reporters present different stories on the same exact issues. Some hear it. Some don't. Some see it and notice the details. Others do not. Pictures do not always tell the true story either. I know that for fact. I can take pictures of a messy room and make it look beautiful by editing the photo. In some ways people do that in life. Some look beyond faults of others and see only the good. My mother was like that. She forgave easily and welcomed those that hurt her back into her life. 

Wind Max 400

The world has changed so much by becoming focused on technology more than anything else. I admit it that I like my computers and being online as much as anyone else. It is a strange thought I had but living here in a city I need it way more than I did living on my homestead. I could have adapted to our life being centered around our land, gardens, harvesting food, the forest and our critters. Instead we needed power to live with technology so we had to have solar and wind. When I first moved there I thought that our life was going to be about living without those conveniences. When technology became the goal we needed money to set it up and it was never ending. I left because I could not keep up with the money or the work. I often think maybe if we had just been content to live in the house with it set up to live without technology (and horses) I could have stuck it out. 

A picture I colored.

Now I can go for days without seeing or talking to anyone in person. I have my friends online who fill that need. Lately I have been cutting back on my time on "fakebook" (my name for that site). I have the feeling they do not want my interaction or content there anymore. I am limited on what I can like, post or comment. I can live without them though I do miss my friends there. A good share of my day is spent following a list I have written the night before of what I am going to do today. Or try to do. My days seem to race by because I am so busy. I am presently reading three different books on my Kindle Fire. I try to read whenever I get a break from whatever I am doing. I like to color in adult coloring books and find it to be my time to think, pray and plan. It relieves stress for me. I take it to the laundry room while I do my laundry and it makes the time there go by quickly. 

I replaced the power head on my NuWave oven!

No matter what is going on in my life I do my best to stay positive and present a cheerful presence to the world. I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. Trying to figure out things for myself (with the help of YouTube) is what I do. My biggest obstacles has been trying to fix things, like my computers, my mobility chair, the Nuwave oven and the printer to just name a few. The last two I did myself by replacing a part on the oven and the printer itself. The work I do here is basically just keeping my studio apartment and myself clean. Taking care of my bunny. Looking out for my son. Nothing earth shattering. Just life. 

 

Copyright © 2024 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2024  Kathleen G. Lupole

 

Change Is Always Taking Place In Our Lives

Change is always taking place. From the day you are born till the day you die. Fighting change is a waste of time. Accept it and move on. What if the change is a bad one? Make a list of what is bad about it and what is good about it. Then write a list of what you can do about it. I always do that. Sometimes it is as simple as do not do anything. Wait. Patience. More times than not, time will take care of that change for you. At times I have had to make changes myself to improve whatever situation I was in. The best way to do that is to start taking little steps toward that goal. You can get most anywhere one step at a time. The key is to not overwhelm yourself by trying to do it all in a short time. Sometimes it takes a long time but if you stick with it and do not give up you can do it. 

My Apartment Building

I am constantly trying to change my life here in my apartment. Trying to make it easier due to my bad knees and Lymphedema. Yet I refuse to give up and live with it the way it is right now. I keep watching YouTube videos showing me exercises to improve both of those conditions. For the longest time I could not get up out of my chair without a lot of pain. Since watching a video on how to do that with an easy technique I can now get up from the chair with no pain or problem. It is true if you don't use something you will probably lose the use of it. So I am not going to let that happen to me. One of my goals is to be able to navigate the many stairs in my building. 

Backyard

Change has come to me in other ways than just my health issues. Financial goals are something I work on constantly. I live on a very low income but feel I live very well. Being able to have a budget and stick to it has made me pretty independent. I started doing "no spend" months a couple of years ago. I enjoy doing them now! It is a challenge to be sure. Since I do most of my buying online anyway it is a challenge I can meet. Saving in advance to buy something I want is one change that I found to be the most important one. I ask myself if this is something I really need to spend money on? Or is there another way? An example is that I wanted to shred my papers before throwing them away. Our dumpster has homeless people going through it at night and ripping our garbage bags open. I was looking at paper shredders online and didn't really want to spend the money for one. I spoke to my manager about this and she told me I (or anyone living here) could bring my papers down to her office and shred them there. Now I do not have to spend the extra money for one! 

Neighbors

Another change that happens often living in an apartment building concerns your neighbors who live in the other apartments. Some are great and get along with everyone. Some are not so. I stay away from the negative ones the best I can. Always complaining about something or someone. Being that negative will take a toll on their health eventually. As soon as I see them coming I head the other way. Wonder if they will even notice that? Probably not since that person is only focused on what they want to complain about. To anyone. For myself, I try to present a cheery presence at all times. Even if I am hurting or sad. If something is bothering me I stay to myself in my apartment. Listening to music always lifts my mood. 

My Family

My mother used to say I was more like my father than her. I looked like her (I guess, because that is what everyone always said) but my personality and nature was more like my Daddy. My brother was more like my Mom than me. My father had a pleasant cheery nature. In the morning, preparing breakfast he would be whistling. I would jump out of bed to go be with him before he left for work. I want to be that type of person even though I had many bad times to go through in my own lifetime. I have made it to the other side now!

Copyright © 2024 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2024  Kathleen G. Lupole

 

How I Use My Old Canning Jars Now

Using Canning Jars for Storage!

When changing my life from living on my Peaceful Forest homestead to living downtown in a small apartment I had to make many life adjustments. No garden. No more preserving food. I came here with many canning jars. I don't know, call me sentimental but I did not have the courage to get rid of them. They were a part of my life for so long. From the first time my Daddy taught me how to make grape jam from his grape vines. To the last jars of winter squash I canned at my old house. It was a lot of work but work I looked forward to. I canned all summer and fall. In winter I canned meat, soups and stews. For a long time after I moved here the jars sat downstairs in my storage locker. One day I decided I was going to start using some of the canning jars for storing leftovers. I had some large canning jars and started using them for making ice tea. 

Beverages stay colder in glass containers

One thing I learned when I lived for six years without any refrigeration was that glass will keep things cold longer. It will also be colder than plastic in a short while. At that time I used an ice chest with cold water fresh from my well. If you have ever used a well with a pitcher pump then you know how cold that water is. Even in summer. Several times through out the day I would change that water in the ice chest. To keep it cold. In winter I kept the ice chest in my pantry and used snow and ice to keep it cold. There was no shortage of that! I was happy when we finally got our refrigerator that ran on the solar panels. It did not have a freezer so I did not have a freezer back then. I learned to live without one and didn't really think about it. 

Tops with a spout!

Now living in my apartment for a number of years, I use canning jars for many things. It is no secret that the jars are great for storing your dry goods as well. I keep beef gelatin, collagen, cocoa, etc. in some of them. I purchased plastic tops for them so I don't have to use the two piece lids and rims. The plastic tops will not rust if in the refrigerator. Some of the plastic tops have spouts so I can pour from them without removing the top. The tops I bought do not leak at all. That makes a difference so when buying them remember the cheapest ones are not always the best. Especially if they leak when you are pouring from them!

Water storage on the counter

I will cook up a few meals in advance which is usually just meat. Then store them in the canning jars in the refrigerator. You can freeze the canning jars. Or even vacuum pack them. Though I have never tried either method. I make up Keto Chow meal replacement shakes and store it in the jars in the refrigerator. Later on I pour it into the ice cream containers to freeze. Also I make bone broth and keep it in the canning jars. In the past I used to can a lot of soups. Sometimes I would have to work so fast to get foods canned in fall that I didn't have time to make soups, stews or sauces. So I would do that during the winter when I wasn't canning so many other foods.

Tops for canning jars!

Copyright © 2024 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2024  Kathleen G. Lupole

Grocery Delivery Made My Life Easier

One of the things I have done to make my life easier is using grocery delivery from Walmart and Instacart. I do not own a car. It was my choice not to have one when I moved here six years ago. It was an adjustment on my part because I have been driving since I was fourteen. They are just too expensive to own if you live on a tight budget with a low income. The first few years my boyfriend drove me anywhere I needed to go. About the last four years our relationship changed and I don't see him as often. I hated to ask him to drive here, about 25 miles one way. With the price of gas I felt like I was a burden to him. I did not want to feel like that again to anyone. When grocery delivery became a popular option I subscribed to Instacart as soon as I could.

I learned how to shop with grocery delivery using Instacart first. My Chase credit card offered me a free trial for it. So I was able to start using it. I knew after the second delivery that I would subscribe to it. I think it was around $99. a year plus tax. At that time Walmart grocery delivery was not available in my area. So I mainly shopped at Price Chopper, Aldi and Tops (at that time, now it has been replaced with Grand Union). All three stores are very close to my home in downtown Norwich, NY. As soon as I knew Walmart delivery was available to me though I signed up for it. 

Sign up for Instacart using your phone or computer. Make an account using your email address, your Facebook or Google account. Or download the app on your phone. If you are a senior citizen Instacart has a specialized support line for you and they will help you learn how to use their service to shop with. The number is 1- (844) - 981-3433. Once your account is set up choose the store within your delivery area and start shopping. Then pick your products and be sure to put the amount of each item you want in your shopping cart. It will ask if you want to have a different item substituted if the one you order is not available. Schedule your delivery for the time you want your order delivered. It can be as fast as an hour or later in the day. Whichever suits you. Be sure to give clear directions to your door. When I first started I had one delivery taken back to the store because the driver said I was not home. Yet they never came to my home! I was waiting outside! I got my money back on the groceries but not the tip. So be careful on that. You can pay with your debit, credit or ebt card. If you are paying with an ebt card the tip will come from your debit or credit card. 

My favorite store to shop at has always been Walmart. So I signed up for their grocery delivery service happily. They are not as quick as Instacart. For a faster delivery you have to pay $5-$10. I don't ever do that option. I will order early enough that I can schedule it about the time I want it. When they send me a message, email or text that it is on the way I go downstairs to the front door of my apartment building to wait for it. It usually comes pretty fast once they say it is on the way. I always choose the delivery option that says "sign for the order" instead of the "leave at the door" option. My first order had a driver leave it outside the doors to my building where anyone could have walked off with my groceries. 

Both sites will show you the items you have purchased in the past. That is quicker if you buy the same items over and over. I have heard some people complain about substitutions when they are out of something. Never had a problem with that. I try to do a substitution for each item and when you reorder the same products over and over the substitution stays with it. Some items you can say no substitutions and they will refund that money back to you. 

The main reason I choose to shop this way is that it is easier for me. Yes, I like to grocery shop and pick out my own foods. Sometimes though it is tough to do. I do not use a scooter in the store. I can't reach anything on the shelves when I am on one of those. I normally use my walker so I can sit down every now and then because my knees and legs are sometimes very painful. When placing my orders I try to keep it under a certain amount so when it is delivered it will all fit on the seat of my walker. If you are paying with an ebt card it will take you to the screen to sign in with your number. Shopping like this usually means I stick to my list and don't add any extras which saves me money. Try it and see what you think! 

Copyright © 2024 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2024  Kathleen G. Lupole

 

My New Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

Cooking over a fire with 2 cast iron skillets

I moved from my homestead six years ago. When I came here I brought my collection of cast iron cookware. They became too heavy for me to handle. So I ended up selling them. Over those six years I tried many different types of pots, pans and skillets. I missed my cast iron skillet most of all. In the mean time my strength has increased or is back to normal again. Probably due to keto. So I purchased a new Lodge cast iron skillet. The hard part for me is seasoning it on top of an induction cook top instead of in an oven. I did it though and am using it now. I need to keep working on the seasoning process. It has to be really seasoned well before I will attempt to fry an egg in it. When that day comes I will let you know. Lodge now sells them pre-seasoned but I am not sure how seasoned that is. As I use it the seasoning process is constantly taking place.

A few of the pieces of cast iron cookware I brought with me

Over the years, I perfected my ability to cook with cast iron and I loved it. I was sad that I felt like I had to sell them. One of the mistakes I made when moving here was getting rid of everything that reminded me of my past life. There are things you can do living in an apartment in a city. Sometimes we are given no choice but due to financial or health reasons have to leave our homesteading life behind. Cooking with cast iron was one of those things. So was my canning jars. I now use the jars constantly in my kitchen. I bought plastic lids for them and some that had spouts. Glass keeps things colder than plastic. I learned that during my time of living without a refrigerator. Canning was not really an option for me. I don't need to do that much work and have little space to store jars of canned food. Also I do not eat fruits or vegetables anymore so would only be canning meat. Canning meat could be an option but not for me. I don't want to do that much work now. The jars are great for cold beverages, leftovers and pantry items. 

Bone broth in canning jars with plastic tops for the refrigerator

It is a good thing I know how to cook and like doing it. I enjoy creating new recipes with the foods I eat so they don't get boring. I have a number of keto/carnivore cookbooks now and study them for ideas. I do not like recipes that are time consuming or use a lot of ingredients. Simple is what I like. If a recipe I like is not easy enough I like to make it that way by experimenting and testing it. Always write down the way you make it or you will forget the next time! I know, I have done that myself. I do not like to make recipes that include almond flour or coconut flour so will try to change that about the recipe. Many times I use pork rind crumbs and that adds taste to it as well. 

My new Lodge cast iron skillet!

I watched a number of videos on YouTube on cooking with cast iron skillets or how to season them. I was not impressed by what I saw. Modern people nowadays seem to wash them with soap and water. I will not do that. I wipe the grease out and remove all food that is stuck on it (if that happened). Then I put some water in it and heat it on the stove to boiling. Then I make sure it is smooth and clean before wiping it out. I used to use bacon grease for seasoning but I have been using organic beef tallow now. Wipe a thin layer on the skillet including the sides and top rim. Heat on the stove. Now this is where I used to always use hot temperatures. Now I do not. I don't want to cause my smoke alarm to go off in my apartment. After that has become hot I apply a bit more of the tallow (or whatever you use.......but please don't use vegetable oils or shortening.......so bad for you!) and wait for it to settle into the surface. Now it is done until next time.

Frying eggs in a well seasoned skillet on an induction stove top

After doing that over and over many times for a period of a few months your cast iron skillet should be seasoned enough to fry your egg. That is my true test of a good seasoning. I do not have a regular oven but if I did, I would put it in the oven to season. At the highest temperature for at least 30 minutes. I used to season my collection of cookware in my wood cook stove for a couple of hours. You have to work with what you have and here I have to season it on an induction cook top. It will work. It helps too that Lodge preseasons them already. The only problem with that is I don't know what they preseason it with! What kind of oil did they use? I suspect it is vegetable oil. My reasoning for doing my own seasoning.  

Copyright © 2024 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2024  Kathleen G. Lupole

My Own Ketovore Lifestyle

 

Over the years, too many to be exact, I have started and restarted my ketogenic lifestyle. Now I know I was addicted to carbs. Mainly ice cream and the bagged popcorn. I have written about that on this blog before. Many times. Once I was living here in my apartment I had the means to buy as much as I wanted whenever I wanted. Finally I had enough. It was not worth it to never make any progress on my health journey. I knew I badly needed to or I would regret it. In the past, I saw my mother and my mother-in-law suffer horribly. I had to overcome my need for these foods. You would think reading the ingredient labels on the ice cream would be enough. It wasn't. I would spend a day of eating only ice cream and popcorn and nothing else. 

Ice Cream is my downfall!

Sometimes I would see that I wasn't making any progress or that I had gained weight instead of losing it. So I would say, "what the heck? I may as well eat what I want." Finally, Dr. Berry got through to me. I watched all his videos over and over. Did I think the keto food plan would heal my bad knees? Or my Lymphedema? No, I didn't think that at all. I wanted to lose pounds and inches. Somewhere along the way this year, I leaned more toward "ketovore". Mainly being meat, dairy, seasonings and some low carb condiments. I had to overcome the ice cream addiction first. I did so using Keto Chow, a keto meal replacement shake. I made it into ice cream and had it every day as my 2nd meal of the day. Right after I cleaned my bunny's cage. 

Keto Chow Replacement Meal as raspberry cheesecake Ice cream!

I am doing intermittent fasting by eating only between the hours of 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM again. I had stopped doing it awhile ago but have gone back to it. I do not like to eat early in the morning. Three meals but the middle one is Keto Chow ice cream. So it is healthy and keto and good for me. It was strange for me to be told that I was not eating enough food! How could that be? I increased my two eggs in the morning to four. And yes, I could eat four! I was always a small eater until I started eating more ice cream when I lived without a freezer. We had to finish the whole container or it wouldn't last. Though the foods I filled up on back then were mostly high carbs. 

Restaurants and stores are within walking distance

Moving here six years ago I could walk to the restaurants if I wanted to. I would get Chinese take out often. As much as I loved it, I knew I had to stop indulging in it. May 31st of this year is the last time I had it. About three months ago. Since then I have eliminated all fruit and most vegetables. Even most dairy right now with the exception of butter and cream. If you do not see results then you have to tweak your food intake. It helps that when I did eat those foods I would feel horrible afterwards. I don't want to feel like that anymore. 

Cooking burgers

So after all the years of trying to stay on the keto food plan I am finally seeing some changes. Small ones but changes are happening. That is what keeps me motivated to stick with it no matter what. Everyone wants instant results and that is what keeps them from eating low carbs. Then they are on several prescriptions and going to the doctors more often. Giving up foods I loved for my health is worth it. Nothing will take the memory of my mother-in-law suffering from diabetes and kidney failure from me. She ate all those foods, the breads, the desserts, starchy vegetables, high carbs. Where did they lead her? To a life of misery and pain. To losing both of her legs, having a pacemaker, giving herself shots of insulin daily, etc. In the end, kidney dialysis which actually is what took her life. She got a disease from the dialysis which resulted in her flesh rotting away. It was heartbreaking. She stopped the dialysis herself and died in three days. No, I will never forget her or what she went through. It is what keeps me on the ketovore lifestyle. 

Copyright © 2024 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2024  Kathleen G. Lupole