Dear readers, my mission to help people to save money continues. You may wonder when this journey started. The country had an economic downturn in 2008. At that time I was very active in my work life. My private practice was in an affluent area, still, many lost their jobs and were suffering. Since their compromised finances were impacting their mental health it became an important topic for psychotherapy. I was surprised how many didn’t know the most basic ways to live frugally. They were used to going out to restaurants, having a cleaning service, and paying others to care for their children. That is when I started my now dormant YouTube channel “Saving Savvy With Dr Mike,” with its first three installments on how to save money by packing a lunch.
I was raised in a family of seven with one income, and my parents were the product of the Great Depression. Frugal living was a normal part of life; it just made sense. However, what was easy for me seemed foreign to the former affluent. I have said many times that my jam is to learn, teach, and create. What better goal then to help someone feel a bit more economically secure while also teaching them a new skill.
With current governmental policies that promote inflation we are once again in difficult economic times, hence all of my emphasis on simple ways to save money.
My son moved out to his own apartment in the city a week ago. He proudly told me that he took the bus to go to Aldi, and even sent me a photo of his $33 haul. My one daughter sent me a photo of her batch cooking of breakfast burritos. She will freeze them and have quick and easy breakfasts for the next week. My other daughter visited yesterday. Recently, she picked up an Instant Pot on sale. She was staying for dinner, and I wanted to use my electric pressure cooker (an Instant Pot clone) to continue her familiarization with that device. My kids saw me using a pressure cooker a thousand times when they were living at home. However, it still can be intimidating when you have to use it on your own. I think that is the way with most cooking. I made the following dinner with her to continue her familiarization with this awesome appliance.
By the way, if it isn’t obvious, I really love my kids and I’m incredibly proud of them. They have turned out to be amazing and accomplished adults.
My son sent me this photo of his Aldi haul. He shops just like I do!Simple ingredients that can be transformed into many different meals.
Many of the things that an individual likes resonate from their early years. Music and foods come to mind. Since my mom was a great cook I love the dishes that were popular in the 1950s-1970s, including the iconic Stuffed Peppers.
Making Stuffed Peppers isn’t too difficult, but it does involve a bit of work. This soup is inspired by the classic dish, it is incredibly easy to make, and it only requires 10 minutes of pressure time (plus the pressure building and rest times). With an electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot) you press a button and the machine does the rest. This recipe is from the “Salty Marshmallow” website. There are many other recipes for Stuffed Pepper Soup; I’m choosing this one as it tastes good and it is simple to make. If you don’t have an Instant Pot like device, you could make it on the stovetop, but you would need to adjust cooking times. Let’s get started!
It is always a good idea to gather the items that you need before you start cooking. It makes the process faster and reduces errors. In this case I’m using some hot sauce instead of red pepper flakes. I’m also adding 1/2 of a small chopped onion to the recipe. The half-onion was lonely in my fridge, so I thought I would introduce it to the other ingredients. The hamburger was frozen in my freezer. It had been their for over a year, but it was perfectly good as I had vacuum sealed it. Beef is now very expensive; a vacuum sealer saves money two ways. It allows me to buy meat in bulk, and it prevents me from throwing it out due to freezer burn.
Here are the spices that I’m using. Nothing special, but they add interest and flavor. If I didn’t have Italian Seasoning I could have used some oregano. To be honest, I started to pre-measure spices mostly to have a photo for these posts. However, I have discovered that it is a good idea for cooking in general.
I washed, de-seeded, and chopped up my sweet peppers. You can use any color peppers that you like.Green peppers will be the least expensive, but somewhat stronger in flavor. I think it looks nice to have several colors of peppers, but that is mostly for aesthetic reasons.
I’m starting by placing my electric pressure cooker in saute mode and adding cooking oil. In goes my little onion to soften, and after a bit I’ll added the spices to bloom them. If I was following the recipe exactly I would just be using onion powder, so I would eliminate this step.If that was the case I would add the spices at the next step.
Now its time to add the hamburger and brown it. You can dump the excess fat or keep it. It is up to you.
In goes the beef broth. I’m using Better Than Bouillon, but you can use bouillon cubes, boxed broth, or homemade.
Instead of red pepper flakes I’m adding a few shots of hot sauce. It is OK to substitute ingredients as long they are not too far afield. I can’t tolerate super spicy foods, but a little heat adds interest. You can eliminate this ingredient if you choose.
Now I dump in a can of tomato sauce. I like to stockpile a few cans of tomato products as they are used in so many recipes.
Next goes in the sweet peppers.
Finally, the rice. I used whatever rice I had on hand.
Stir it all up. Cancel the saute function and put on the lid. Make sure that the lid is set to “sealing.”
Set your electric pressure cooker (AKA Instant Pot) for 10 minutes on high. It will take a bit to reach pressure. Once the cooking cycle is done wait an additional 5 minutes and then release the pressure. Make sure that the pressure indicator is down before attempting to open the pot. You don’t need to have the Instant Pot brand. There are many electric pressure cookers on the market and they all cook the same. Mine is a Mealthy brand that is now 8 years old.
Here is my Stuffed Pepper Soup plated up with some shredded cheese as a garnish. I’m serving it with some of my homemade bread. I have posted a lot about the benefits of making your own bread. It is very easy and automatic with a bread maker, and you can pick up a bread maker for pennies on the dollar at thrift stores. Homemade bread tastes better than the store stuff, it is very economical to make, and it is free of any additives.
There you have it, another simple recipe. This recipe said it feeds four, but that must be for bigger eaters. Three adults ate it, and there is plenty leftovers for possibly three more lunches. It was delicious and definitely has the vibe of stuffed peppers, but it was even easier to make than that classic dish. Cooking from scratch becomes almost effortless once you do it regularly.
Inflation continues, and it is unrelenting. We all have to eat, yet food costs continue to rise. There are many ways to economize on these expenses, one being to reduce our dependence on prepared foods.
Most of us eat sandwiches. They are easy to prepare, transport well, and can be delicious. Sandwiches are inexpensive, but all costs add up over time, and even humble lunch meat has become ever more pricey.
This Applegate oven roasted turkey breast costs over $18 a pound!
This house brand cold cut is on a special sale at $4.99 for 9 ounces, or almost $9 per pound. Many cold cuts are made from a meat slurry where odds and ends are ground with spices, placed into a form, and steam cooked into a loaf. There is nothing wrong with that, but the meat on your sandwich may not be what you think it is.
This is a real turkey breast, it is fully cooked, and cost $4.99 a pound. That’s less that $5 for a whole pound of real meat. But, how do you turn it into lunch meat?
What I am about to demonstrate is an advanced method to save money. The actual process is extremely simple, however it involves buying some equipment, so it should only be undertaken by those serious in their frugal habits. The pieces of equipment can be used for a variety of different tasks, and they will pay for themselves over time. However, if you are new to frugal living it is best to start your journey with options that use behavioral methods rather than equipment purchases.
This is what you will need:
A food scale. I found this one on Amazon for less than $6. I have used my current food scale for many years and I’m certain it cost less than $10. Food scales are useful for many tasks.
Alternatives: You can just eyeball quantities.
A vacuum sealer. This is the kind that I have, it is called a chamber vacuum sealer and it is fantastic. It is also very expensive. I have been a vacuum sealer user since the late 1980s and this habit has saved me many thousands of dollars. I can buy in bulk and divide up an item into smaller packages. I have used hamburger from my freezer that was over 2 years old, and it tasted as fresh as the day that I packed it. This type of sealer has many advantages, including the cost of the vacuum seal bags. The bags that I’ll be using in this post only cost around 4 cents each.
Alternatives:
A external sealer will also do the job. I found this one on Ali-Express for $10.38. The high quality Food Saver brand has models that sell in the $100 range, but there are many less expensive yet quality alternatives between this bargain and a FS machine. The bags used for external vacuum sealers have to be specially made, and they are more expensive than the simple bags used for a chamber sealer. If you buy a generic bag in bulk they will cost you around 9 cents/bag for the size needed for today’s example. Do you know that all of my kids have vacuum sealers? They saw how useful there were by my example and they use them for a variety of tasks, including breaking down bulk products into more manageable sizes.
The simplestoption is to use freezer bags. These bags are just a bit over 11 cents/bag. They will work for this task, but they are more prone to freezer burn over time. If use decide to use freezer bags try to force out as much air before sealing the bag and try to use your frozen lunch meat withing 4-6 months or less.
The first two item categories can be used in dozens of ways. The next item is more task specific, although it also has many uses. However, this is the one thing that you need to easily convert bulk meat into lunch meat.
This slicer costs $51 on Temu. You can buy a similar one on Amazon for around $60. These machines are built for consumer use. For a few hundred dollars you can buy a more robust slicer, but that is likely unnecessary. Slicers can be used for many slicing tasks: lunch meat, roasts, cheese, bread, vegetables. Anything where uniformed slices are needed.
Alternatives:
I came upon this slicer on Walmart.com. It has a folding design. I have no idea how well it works, so it may makes sense to pony up the additional $15 and to go with a known commodity.
OK, now that the logistics are out of the way, let’s get into it.
This is the slicer that I have had for years. There are many very similar units being sold and I suspect that they are all made in the same factory. This one has worked pretty well for the light duty work that I subject it to. As you can tell it is very similar to the Temu unit. I think I got mine on a Black Friday sale.
Since this turkey is already cooked all I had to do is remove it from its package and cut it into sizes that would fit on my slicer. Costco also had boneless ham that was very reasonably priced. You could turn any meat or cheese into a cold cut. Pick up a pork tenderloin on sale, bake it, chill it and slice it. Buy a block of cheese and slice it. Uncooked boneless turkey breasts often go on sale during the holidays. Buy several and freeze them. Defrost one, and toss it in a slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours for super simple preparation, then chill it, and slice it. You can rub any spice that you like on the turkey breast to add some variety to your lunch meat. Your options are only limited by your imagination.
We are ready to rock-an-roll! This is a top view of the slicer. Note the plate to catch the slices. The red arrow points to the thickness adjustment knob. You can have very thin slices or very thick slices. Thick slices can be cubed for salads or casseroles. The thicker option also works for slicing bread. This particular slicer came with both a smooth blade for cutting meat, and a serrated one for items like bread. Always use the guard when slicing anything. That rotating blade can’t distinguish between a turkey breast or a finger.Always unplug the unit when not in use, and unplug it when you are going to disassemble for cleaning.
Here are the slices coming off of the slicer. They are real meat, not some steamed slurry.The total time to cut 4 pounds of turkey breast was under 5 minutes.
Now it is time to package the lunch meat. I’m going to pack it in 8 oz amounts. I’ll vacuum seal 7 packages for the freezer, and place the 8th portion in a zip lock bag for the refrigerator. Always label your packages with the item and date. Trust me, you don’t want to play, “What’s in the package?” This meat will stay fresh for years in the freezer if it is vacuum packed. If using freezer bags expect about 4-6 months of freshness.
I’m using my kitchen scale to measure out 8 oz portions. This doesn’t have to be exact. You can eyeball a half pound too.
With the turkey portioned out it is now time to vacuum seal the individuals packages. I have this very fancy chamber vacuum sealer, but that is completely unnecessary. You can use an inexpensive external sealer, or even freezer bags.
All done. I’ll store the vacuum sealed packages together in a grocery store plastic bag. This makes it easy to know when I’m running low and need to make more lunch meat. The turkey in the sandwich bag will go into the fridge for immediate consumption.
This slicer breaks apart very easily. All washable parts go into some hot sudsy water. The machine itself is cleaned with a damp sponge. I’ll use a toothbrush to knock out any errant meat crumbs from the slicer. That blade is super sharp, so use common sense and caution when cleaning.Some use cut-resistant gloves, even when washing the blade. I don’t, but I’m very careful.
All clean and ready to reassemble.
Cleaned and assembled, and ready for its next job.
Cutting your own lunch meat can save you 50% or much more. The whole operation took me less than 40 minutes from start to finish. And, the quality is much better than most commercial deli meats.
Clearly, this is an advanced frugal technique as it requires some serious equipment in the form of the slicer. However, if your family eats a lot of sandwiches it may be worth the $50-$60 investment.
Happy slicing!
Mike
Images are used for educational and entertainment purposes only. They are my own or downloaded from commercial websites.
Behaviors repeat themselves. Sometimes the characters or the situation change, but the pattern of behavior remains the same. In my working life, I helped people correct dysfunctional repeating patterns, but functional patterns also occur. They allow us to navigate life without constantly processing the current situation. I know how to fry an egg because I have done it a thousand times, and I know how to act when I meet someone new for the same reason. I tend to shop at the same stores, take the same route when I go on my walks, and order the same food at McDonald’s. Utilizing patterns saves psychological energy. I’m not against new experiences; I enjoy them. But life would be exhausting if everything had to be new. There is comfort and ease in routine.
We are a science family. I have a graduate degree as well as a medical degree. My wife has PhDs in Clinical and Social Psychology. So it isn’t surprising that kids are comfortable in those areas. What is surprising is that they wound up geographically in places that held significance for us in the past. We live in a metro area of almost 10 million, a massive region filled with numerous suburbs and neighborhoods. We have never promoted one location or place to our kids. Yet, chance has led them to familiar places.
My oldest lives outside our metro area, but she did choose a career in psychology that mirrors both my wife’s and my own. My other three also chose science-related fields; additionally, they wound up at places from our pasts.
One is a math and science teacher at a Chicago magnet high school that happens to be in a neighborhood right next to the one where I grew up. Another is a healthcare provider working in the hospital where I did my residency. The last is in a PhD program at the same university where both my wife and I completed our graduate work. Our region has a multitude of high schools, hospitals, and universities; I have to think that this is more than coincidence.
My oldest never returned home after college, but the other three did due to COVID, and it took them years to move out. COVID drastically limited their social lives, and so we spent a lot of time cooking, watching shows, playing games, hiking, and doing other family activities together. I have awesome children, and I really enjoyed having them back home. It was wonderful, but I knew that this gift would only be temporary. I also knew that their moving on was exactly what they needed to do. The role of a parent is to raise functional adults. Functional adults have functional adult lives.
Over time, my next two moved out into their own apartments, but my son remained. His graduate program was in the city, and he talked about moving, but it never seemed to happen. I didn’t mind, as he is an easy-going and pleasant individual.
This summer, he once again talked about getting a place closer to his school, but it didn’t seem like he was doing much to move towards that goal. However, suddenly, in the course of less than three weeks, he toured several apartments and moved into one of them.
Yesterday, I visited him in his new home. Last night I sat with my wife at the kitchen table eating the other half of my lunch’s subway sandwich for dinner. We talked, but there was a stillness in the house. It felt like there was less energy, less excitement.
Years ago, my oldest was living in a different part of the state, the next one was in the Peace Corps, and the next one was in college. My son, the youngest, had just started his first year at university, and my wife and I felt a similar emptiness. I felt sadness for about two months, then it suddenly lifted, and I began to see the positive side of my situation. I know I’ll get through my current mood; I’ve done it before.
There is an excitement in experiencing and re-experiencing things through my children. I’ll see my oldest in a few days and catch up on her family’s life. I have been back to my old neighborhood a few times because of the proximity to my other daughter’s work. My next daughter now lives in Chicago, a half a block from where I lived when I was in med school. And now my son.
When I attended the same university, it was in a pretty rough part of town. I worked out of two labs, one at the medical campus and one at the university campus. I would walk from one to the other and try to look as tough and foreboding as I could. The university campus, during those days, was in a brutalist architectural style. Bulbous, ugly buildings with absolutely no green space. It was as if the architect’s former career involved designing warehouses and prisons. That was over 50 years ago.
I now get to experience a revitalized university and neighborhood. The campus has added new beautiful buildings as well as green spaces. The hideous raised walkways have been torn down. They were oppressive and dangerous. The neighborhood between the two campuses has gentrified. Buildings have been restored to their former grandeur; streets are free of debris; lawns are maintained; flowers are planted. The street that I used to walk down with fear is now awash with restaurants and other chic third spaces. The whole area is lovely. I am happy for my son.
Still, I know I will be sad for a bit. At the same time, I’m excited for my wife and me. I’m glad that my kids’ lives are moving on. I’m happy that they are happy.
This time is an adventure for me too. Not only do I get to experience their lives, but I also have a new freedom with mine. My wife and I are already planning a little getaway. I’m thinking of doing a new project or two. I’m trying to broaden my social circle. That later goal can be challenging for me as I’m a shy guy. However, I know that growth rarely feels comfortable.
As a family, we continue to plan ways to get together. That is important to all of us. Life goes on; the circle of life continues.
Peace
Mike
My son’s new neighborhood has been gentrified since the times that I walked the same streets.
The streets are clean, the houses have been renovated, flowers are planted.
A shot from the back of my son’s new building. I find the stairs both interesting and beautiful.
The street that I used to walk down in fear is now awash with restaurants and other chic third spaces.
I went to make some toast this morning and discovered that we were out of bread. No problem, I’ll just make some. Now, you may be thinking that making bread from scratch would be an all morning operation, however, the whole process is only going to take me around five minutes actual work.
If you have seen some of my other posts you know that I’m a big fan of bread makers, and I have more than one. I usually find them at thrift shops and I have bought working bread makers for as little as $4.99.
Today, I’m going a bit upscale and using one of my Zojirushi bread makers. These are considered the best of the best, and they have a price tag to go along with their title. New versions of this bread maker sell for around $455, with the ceramic non-stick version commanding an eye watering $500! Used Zojirushi machines also are resold at a very high price, but I was fortunate to get a deal as my used machine has a dent. It doesn’t impact its performance, but it does impact its resale value. I paid $70 for this classic gadget.
If you want to enter the world of easy bread making you don’t have to spend that much. I have purchased a number of bread makers for less than $15 at thrift shops and they all make a nice loaf. Why do I have more than one bread maker? I’m just a chronic comparer who enjoys playing with different machines.
It takes me about 5 minutes to pull and measure the ingredients to make a loaf. I do check on the dough very early on in the mixing process too. However, everything else is automatic from mixing, to kneading, to baking. It is a super easy process.
Today’s recipe is from Betty Crocker. Naturally, I have modified it a bit, and you can see my changes in the photos below.
I have a couple bread maker cookbooks, but you can find hundreds of recipes for free just by searching the internet. The reason I like cookbooks by Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Gardens is they are well tested and it is likely that they will make a delicious loaf.
You may ask why I make my own bread? It is simple:
-What smells better than bread baking?
-I produce a premium loaf for next to nothing in cost.
-I can modify my loaf in many different ways.
-I can make other types of bread, like hamburger buns, hotdog buns, or pizza dough that are significantly better than the store-bought stuff.
-Beyond regular white bread I can easily make whole wheat, rye, cheese bread, Sally Lunn, herb bread, dill bread, raisin bread, and many many other types of bread.
Let’s take a look at the recipe:
Here is the simple recipe. On the left are the ingredients for a 1.5 pound loaf, and on the right are the ingredients for a 2 pound loaf. I’ll be making a 1.5 pound loaf today which resembles a typical loaf. The two pound loaf would be much taller. Excuse my sloppy numbers, they indicate the ingredients in grams. It is much easier and faster to weigh ingredients, and it is more accurate too. You can buy a food scale for less than $10 and it will useful for many other recipes and kitchen tasks.
Here is the baking pan minus the kneading paddles. I like to spray a little cooking spray on the shafts, as it can be hard to remove the paddles if you don’t do this. This particular machine has two paddles, but most others have just one and they work well too.
I added the softened butter and I’m starting to pour in the water. I’m doing this by weight, adding 236 grams of water. Our water is heavily chlorinated, which slows down the yeast, so I’m using the filtered water from the fridge which I then warm to a “baby bottle” temperature in the microwave. Too hot, and you will kill the yeast. Too cold, and the yeast wont grow fast enough.
You can see that I got the water measurement just right. However, when dealing with weights over 50 grams a few grams one way or the other won’t make much of a difference.
After I measure each ingredient I hit the “T” button which tares the scale back to zero making measuring the next ingredient easy.
Next, I add the flour. I need 360 grams. It looks like a half of a spoon more will do. I keep this spoon in my flour canister. By the way, I’m using bread flour which has a bit more gluten than standard AP flour. You can buy bread flour inexpensively at Costco, and also on Amazon. Naturally, most grocers also sell it, but it will cost you a bit more. A 5-pound sack has around 21 cups of flour. Since this recipe uses 3 cups of flour a sack could make up to 7 loaves.
This recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of powdered milk. I measured this by weight. Many products give a weight measurement on the Nutritional Facts panel. In this case 1/4 cup is 23 grams in weight. Three tablespoons is 3/4 of this amount, so 23 grams x 0.75 is between 17 and 18 grams. I’ll use 18 grams of powdered milk for this recipe. You can also find volume to weight conversions on the internet. They are usually in grams, making measuring even easier. Most food scales can be switched between Imperial units (pounds/ounces) and metric units (kilograms/grams). In goes the powdered milk.
When it comes to the salt and the yeast I use standard measuring spoons. They weigh very little and I don’t think my scale is super accurate with tiny amounts. Always level off your measuring spoons for the best results.
I buy yeast in a block as it is much less expensive than those little envelopes. I always keep my yeast in the freezer. Doing so it will stay active for a very long time. I started to use this batch of yeast almost a year ago and it is still good.
I’m going add some of my own extras to this recipe. I’m adding around 2 tablespoons (roughly) of ground flax seeds. The fax seeds add fiber, Omega 3 FAs, and antioxidants, plus they add a nice flavor and a homey look.
I’m also adding 1 tablespoon of instant potatoes (dry). The flakes hold onto water and will keep my bread fresher a bit longer. Remember, this bread has no preservatives. It will dry out much quicker than a commercial loaf. If you eat just a little at a time, freeze the remainder. I keep mine in a breadbox and it is good for up to three days, and toastable for a day or two after that. Note that I keep the salt and yeast in separate corners of the pan. Salt can kill yeast if too concentrated.
The pan goes into the machine, I press a button or two, and I’m almost done. Total time to measure the ingredients? Around five minutes.
There is one more important thing to do. I use a spatula to knock down any errant flour off the sides of the pan. After the dough has been mixing for a few minutes I check to see that it has formed a slightly sticky (to touch) ball. If it looks too dry and raggy I’ll add water one tablespoon at a time until it looks like the above. If it is too loose/wet and not forming a proper ball I’ll add flour one tablespoon at a time until it looks right. This is an important step. If you weigh your ingredients you will make no adjustment or only minor adjustments.
I walked away and did some other tasks. After a few hours I started to smell the delicious aroma of bread baking. A bit over 3 hours from the start and I had this wonderful loaf.Bread for pennies? Even more important now that inflation is out-of-control.
Making bread is a fun hobby, and I have been baking bread for at least 40 years. I have used a food processor, a mixer, and bread makers. All have their advantages and disadvantages. However, when it comes to simplicity and ease you can’t beat a bread maker. We will be enjoying this loaf for the next few days. When it is used up I’ll simply make another one. And, yes, it tastes so much better than that stuff that is wrapped in plastic at the grocery.
I went to a wedding last weekend. I had not been to a wedding in several years, so I really enjoyed the event. It was a typical wedding in every way, but it had some nice additions that made it extra special. I have been friends with the parents of the bride for many decades. The venue was trendy and cool. The bride was stunning, and the groom was handsome. There were flowers everywhere. The officiant knew the couple and had warm and touching things to say about both of them. The reception dinner was elegant, with tables loaded with candles and flowers. I would say that the food was definitely a notch above typical banquet fare, and the dessert table was yummy. Everyone was wearing their wedding finest, and it was clear that every single person that I observed was having a fabulous time. For me, it was nice to talk to new people, all of whom were friendly and engaging. In summary, the wedding was a blast.
So why am I writing this? I didn’t quite describe the entire event in the first paragraph. I’m a psychiatrist, a trained and expert observer. Let me tell you a bit more about the wedding. The bride’s parents are Lithuanian and Polish, respectively. They adopted their son and then their daughter (the bride) from Korea as infants. The groom was Mexican. The maid of honor was White; the best man was Mexican. The adorable ring bearer was Mexican; the three cute flower girls were Black, Mexican, and Korean/Caucasian. I’m guessing the officiant’s heritage was Asian Pacific. One “reader” was Black, and another was White.
There were over 100 guests, who were also quite diverse. I was part of the old codger group. The six of us have known each other for decades. The group consisted of a retired policeman, a retired hospital clerk, a retired elementary school teacher, a retired school psychologist, a retired psychiatrist (that would be me), and a clinical psychologist (my wife).
The bride holds a PhD and is a university professor, the groom works in advertising. Several of the attendees looked as if they might have been her teachers and advisors from her PhD program. Racially, the group was as diverse as the wedding party. There were families, couples, singles, and single parents with their young children. Many of the younger guests were sporting tattoos. There were gay couples and straight couples, and one person who was possibly trans. One woman was wearing a hijab.
We attended the wedding ceremony at the reception venue, which was a great room divided by a gigantic curtain. As the newly married couple marched down the aisle the curtain was opened revealing an 8-piece Mariachi band playing hard and loud. The unexpected music actually gave me chills up my spine. The attendees followed into the front half of the room for post wedding cocktails, and socializing. Everyone was chatty and excited.
The curtain was reestablished blocking off the wedding portion of the room to allow the staff to break down the folding chairs used in the ceremony, and to set up elegant dining tables for the wedding dinner. When they completed their task we were shuffled to our tables for a gourmet meal. Then it was time for DJ music and dancing. The attendees exhibited great enthusiasm with their dancing. However, none will be receiving contracts from a Broadway producer based on their overall performance. It was an absolutely delightful evening, fully enjoyable.
I am writing this post to illustrate the group’s diversity. Multiple races, multiple religions, multiple ages, multiple types of families, multiple personal styles (conservative to tattooed), multiple sexual orientations, and possibly even a trans person, and it didn’t make a single difference. We were all much more similar than dissimilar. We were all doing our best to look good and to celebrate with the newly married couple. Everyone that I talked to was chatty, sociable, and interesting. We all (as far as I could tell) were having a great time. There was no drama, and why would there be? People connected with others based on their personal interactions rather than the color of their skin or their sexual orientation. No one tried to convert another person to their political beliefs, sexual orientation, or personal ideology. Do I even need to say that? I guess I do when our politicians claim that your kindergarten-aged kid will go to school as a boy and come back as a girl. Nothing like those who are supposed to protect us, who are instead trying to fill us with fear and hate of others.
Currently, our country is going through an identity crisis. We were once a nation that was proud to be a melting pot. Yes, there were always times of prejudice. The Irish, the Italians, the Jews, the Japanese, the Blacks, etc. But we got through those times, and it felt like we were finally moving towards a society that judged people on their merits, not on arbitrary identifiers. How shameful it is that we have regressed back to a time when it seems that the only acceptable person is white, protestant, and male. What a disservice to our country, and to our future generations. Diversity leads to greater strength. This wedding was a melting pot of individuals; a meeting place that required no other effort than acceptance and the realization that we are all much more alike than we are different. Our country needs to learn this lesson and move forward. Otherwise, we will become an also-ran nation, like other countries and empires that have come and gone before us.
Peace,
Mike
I’m including a few wedding shots, but for privacy reasons I’m not including any photos of the wedding party or guests.
This Rolls was waiting outside of the venue.
When the newly married couple walked down the aisle the great curtain was opened to reveal a Mariachi band playing hard and loud. It gave me chills up my spine.
The chairs from the wedding ceremony were removed and in their place were elegant dining tables.
Holy cow, it seems like grocery prices go up every single week. However, cooking from home still saves you money. Have you gone out to eat at a restaurant lately? You need a second mortgage to pay for dinner!
You may recall that when my wife returned to the paid workforce my kids were up in arms. They had been used to homemade meals and now they felt assaulted by having to eat fast food and frozen pizza. My work schedule had changed as I was on the forefront of using telemedicine and was home at dinner time a few days a week. They asked me to make dinners, but I refused! Well, actually I didn’t refuse, I said that I would start cooking, but they would need to become my assistants. I had the devious plan to teach them how to cook real food from scratch. I also wanted to educate them on my way of cooking. I shop frugally, plan carefully, and clean up as I go.
Despite my crafty subterfuge they seemed excited to join “Cooking with Dad, Thursdays.” In reality, we had a lot of fun as I taught them practical cooking skills. Over time, my cooking role increased to more days a week and each time I would post a gather time on our group chat, and they would show up. We talked, told jokes, and laughed as we cook and it was everyone’s responsibility to clean up after we ate. They all became competent cooks.
This weekend brought a special treat as two my my daughters were visiting, and my son was home. It was time for a special edition of “Cooking with Dad.”
I like to eat out of my pantry and so I gathered the ingredients that we needed to make a hearty chicken and dumpling soup (or stew if you make it a bit thicker). I always like to credit the originators of a recipe, but I can’t in this instance as I heavily modified it and I can’t remember the original source. Alas.
This is a very flexible recipe that uses simple ingredients and an electric pressure cooker. You could easily adjust the time and make this dish in a Dutch oven on the stove if that is what you have. The ingredients are very flexible, so I won’t list quantities, but I’ll be more specific in the photos.
Ingredients
Butter and oil
Carrots/Celery/Onions
Chicken/Chicken Broth
Seasoning
Dumplings
1 and 1/4 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1t salt
2T melted butter
1/2 C warmed milk
Place your electric pressure cooker on saute and add some cooking oil and butter.
Add cut up/chopped onions, carrots, and celery. The amount we used was 1 onion, 3 stalks celery, and a small bunch of carrots. You can vary your amounts based on what you have on hand. These amounts were what we had on hand. Soften the vegetables for a few minutes.
I added a big spoon of “jarlic,” but fresh garlic or ever garlic powder would work. Cook for another minute. If you are using powdered garlic, just add it and go to the next step.
I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper. I had eight chicken thighs, but you can use less, perhaps four if that is all you have. You can use any type of chicken: a cut up chicken, breast meat only, chicken strips, whatever you have on hand. I removed the skin and bones after the chicken was cooked.
The seasoning is simple. I added a heaping teaspoon of poultry seasoning. You could add a little more or a little less, and it would be fine. I added around 1/3 of a teaspoon of black pepper and about 1/2 of a teaspoon of salt. I also added a bay leaf. I went light on the salt as I would be adding bouillon, which is salty. I adjust the spices at the end of cooking. I mixed the spices in and cooked them for about 30 seconds before moving on to the next step.
My daughter mixed up 5 cups of water with some chicken-flavored, Better Than Bouillon. If you had homemade broth or boxed broth that would work too. If you use less chicken, go with 4 cups of liquid.
I added the chicken into the pressure cooker (Instant Pot) and pressure cooked for 13 minutes. These were large thighs, if I had smaller pieces I would have pressure cooked for around 10 minutes. I immediately released the pressure when cooking time was done.
This is what the dish looked like after pressure cooking.
My son removed the chicken and shredded the meat using two forks. He discarded the skin and bones.
I mixed up the dough ingredients. You don’t want to over mix; it will look a bit rough.
I took the dough out of the bowl and folded it over a few times to form a ball. Then I placed it on a floured surface and rolled it out to no more than 1/8″ thick. I have a rolling pin, but you could use anything heavy and round, including an old wine bottle. You can see that this isn’t a professional rolling job. It doesn’t matter. I cut the dough (very roughly) into 1″ x 2″ squares. A pizza cutter would be ideal, but I just used my knife.
The pressure cooker was placed again on saute until the contents were bubbling. Then my other daughter added the dumplings individually so they wouldn’t stick together. She pressed them down in the liquid with a spatula to gently submerge them. The dumplings were cooked for 10 minutes to fully cook them.
Towards the end of the dumpling cooking time I added around 2 tablespoons of corn starch mixed in a equal amount of cold water to the bubbling mixture. This will thicken the soup.
I put around 3/4 of a cup (you can vary this from 1/2 C to 1C) of sour cream in a bowl and added around 1/3 cup of the hot soup to temper the sour cream. This will prevent it from curdling when you add it to the soup. I added this to the soup for a creamy quality. If you don’t have sour cream you could use heavy cream, half and half, whole milk or even condensed milk. each would impart their own quality, but it would still be delicious.
Here it is ready to be served. Oops, I forgot to remove the bay leaf! I do that now.
All served up. My daughter made some cornbread. I like adding a slice to the soup and breaking it up. My wife contributed by making an excellent tomato, cucumber, and avocado salad. It was a delicious dinner. It fed 5 adults, and there are leftovers for around 3 lunches.
This is a great recipe because it is so flexible, and it uses ingredients that most have around the house. If you have less chicken use a little less broth (4 cups instead of 5). Use whatever chicken you have, it is all good. Vary the vegetables quantity (within reason) as you wish. Use homemade both, boxed broth, or (as I often do) water plus bouillon or Better Than Bouillon. Don’t have sour cream? Try heavy cream, or even evaporated milk. I bet cream cheese would work.
Add a simple bread product (even crackers) and the meal is complete. My wife’s salad was a wonderful addition, but it is an extra and not required as the soup already has vegetables in it.
Don’t have an electric pressure cooker? You can certainly make this on the stove, it will just take longer to cook.
This seems like a winter soup, but we just had it on a hot August day. We enjoyed it just as much as if we made it in January.
Don’t be afraid to cook, you have to start somewhere. Give this soup a try.
Today’s post is a bit different from some of my recent ones, but its intent is similar. Today, I want to talk about financial literacy and the crisis that the next generation faces. This is not a doom-and-gloom post. Hopefully, it will offer some hope. What I am about to suggest is not a short-term strategy. Most get-rich-quick pitches are scams.
Like many, I’m plugged into social media, and it has been distressing to see how many people are suffering due to runaway inflation, a soft job market, and crippling debt. Apparently, we are getting new tariffs again, which will most certainly increase prices further. This impacts all of us, young and old.
There is a trend that I have noticed on social media among younger participants. It is a hopeless feeling, as if there are no reasonable paths for their futures. They were told to get any college degree, which gave them debt but no job. They feel that they will never be able to afford a home, get married, or have children. This has caused some to “doom spend” and use their charge cards for everything from exotic trips to daily Starbucks runs. It has caused them to buy cars with extraordinarily poor loan terms. It has caused them to eat out more than they can afford and then do DoorDash for the convenience of not having to travel to a drive-through. Their attitude is, “I’m going to spend money now; I could die tomorrow.” Such spending is promoted by advertisers who emphasize ridiculous statements such as, “You deserve it!” and by credit cards, Payday loans, Klarna, Afterpay, 30-day no-interest financing- and all of those tools that make it easy to have what you want, when you want it, even if you don’t have the cash. Credit makes you feel good now, but it enslaves you later.
I’m a retired guy, and at the moment, I’m reasonably set. I don’t worry if a car needs a repair or if the hot water tank springs a leak. It is a tremendous relief to not have constant money fears. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “You’re a doctor, of course you are set!” However, it was impossible for me to do many of the things that doctors do to build wealth. My life situation would not allow it. I did do some of those things, but I did other things, less glamorous things, on a daily basis that positively impacted me as much as any financial investment plan. Those things are rarely talked about on YouTube videos. However, they are critically important. My success in retirement started at a very early age and depended on decisions and habits I’d built since I was 18. At the time, I did not think that those things would financially impact me in my retirement, but they certainly did, and in a good way.
Before I get into those habits, let me first give you the advice that every financial adviser will tell you. Invest as much as you can from as early an age as you can, and you will reap the benefits in the future. Everyone knows that $10,000 invested at age 20 will have a much greater revenue-gaining effect than $10,000 invested at age 60. Both are good, but the compounding nature of the market makes early investment a no-brainer. Per the EveryDollar app, $10,000 invested at age 60 with an 11% return (the average stock market return) will grow to almost $30,000 at age 70. However, $10,000 invested at age 20 will yield over $1.3 million at age 70. I knew medical students from wealthy families who were investing in their 20’s, but most of us couldn’t. Why couldn’t I? I was broke.
However, I did have one secret weapon: the power of critical thinking. I have always been less bound by emotions when it comes to any financial decision. This has been my saving grace. Let me walk through some aspects of my life to illustrate this point.
When it came time for me to go to college, my father told me in no uncertain terms that my only option was to go to the local community college. My best friend, John, was going there, so the idea wasn’t repugnant. However, at the time, I did have some resentment about the lack of options. However, in retrospect, my dad was right. The community college was nearly free. I’m an excellent student and did very well there, and moved on. Let’s face it, English 101 is the same at a community college as it is at an Ivy League school.
I didn’t have anyone to guide me after I graduated with an Associate’s Degree, so when it came time to apply to a 4-year university, I only applied to one school. I chose a state university as it had very reasonable tuition. My dad agreed to fund me for two years there, which was a huge plus. Naturally, I made sure that I graduated with my bachelor’s in two years.
My dad used his Chicago political connections and got me a job as a school janitor during the summers, which started in my high school years. Here is the embarrassing part: I was assigned to the same high school I attended (my dad’s sense of humor?). My peers saw me cleaning toilets, chipping gum off the bottom of seats, and mopping floors. Alas. But heck, I was making money.
When I started working as a janitor, I was well below the required hiring age. When a union rep asked me my birthday, I panicked and gave him a date that placed me somewhere in my 30s; I was 16 at the time. He commented on how “young I look for my age,” and snickered. However, clout is clout, and there was no adverse consequence from my faux pas. I banked seasons of summer earnings, working during my high school years and through college; I was responsible for all my personal expenses the moment I started to work, from shampoo to socks. This made me very aware of the cost of things, a benefit for adult life. As an aside, I also learned how to mop a floor with the best of them!
I’m an academic type of guy, and I was clear that I wanted to go to graduate school with a goal to eventually become a university professor. When it came time to continue my education, I applied to more than one grad school, as I had learned a thing or two by then. I matriculated to the school that offered me two things: a 100% free ride with a stipend and a location close enough that I could live at home to save on housing costs. I had done so well academically that my parents were more than willing to let me live at home rent-free during my grad school days.
When I was an undergrad, I was able to use some of my janitorial savings to buy a new car. What was it? A Pinto, that is the car that exploded if it was rear-ended. It cost me $2,700 new. That was about as inexpensive as you could buy a new car in those days. Yes, it was a piece of junk, but it did allow me to commute to graduate school from my parents’ suburban home. I bought the Pinto for cash. A practice that I have repeated many times with future cars. Could I have bought a more expensive car if I had gotten a loan? Of course, but it wouldn’t have gotten me to school any faster. During grad school I married and moved out to my own place.
I finished my Master’s degree and was moving towards a PhD when I had an uncontrollable desire to quit graduate school and apply to medical school. Remember that I talked about critical thinking earlier in this post? Well, critical thinking told me to keep working toward a free PhD instead of applying and possibly not getting into medical school. It was a crazy battle in my head, but medical school won out. I left my graduate program with a Master’s degree, got a research job at the University of Chicago, and applied to med school. Amazingly, multiple schools accepted me. I wanted to go to Northwestern, but it was the most expensive school that I was accepted to, costing several thousand dollars more a year. I was in a quandary and asked my PI (the research project’s principal investigator), who simply said, “Go to Northwestern; it will work out.” This would be the first time I would have a tuition burden, but I took his advice because I felt I would have the earning potential to pay it back.
After med school, I did my residency also through Northwestern, but the pay was nothing to write home about. In fact, when I was named Chief Resident of Psychiatry, my salary was only boosted by $100 per month (before taxes). I was on my own, now separated and paying child support for my daughter. I was poor. My peers were living in nice apartments, driving expensive cars (one was driving a BMW), and going on exotic vacations. Most had other financial means. I was counting my pennies and living in a basement apartment. I did use a charge card, but I always paid off my balance at the end of the month. I drove an extremely basic car and furnished my apartment with cast-offs, including end tables that I found on trash day. I cooked my own meals and packed a lunch every day. I made my own coffee in the morning and then drank the free coffee (if you could call it coffee) that the hospital provided to staff on the medical floors. I had a budget of $20/week for food, and I stuck to it, often eating foods from the “shop generic” aisle. However, because I lived within my means, I was debt-free except for my student loans, which were deferred throughout my 4-year residency.
I actively networked with established doctors, so I had a job before I left my residency. It was very hard for me to cold call doctors and ask them for something, but I did it because it was necessary. This is another lesson: sometimes you need to do things even if they make you uncomfortable.
I took a job, got a slightly better apartment, and (crazy me) bought a brand new V8, 5-speed Mustang Convertible. That was the only time I took out a car loan, but I paid it off sooner than the 3 years allowed. I also started to aggressively pay off my medical school loans. By then, I was divorced (it took years) and was paying my ex-wife a large percentage of my salary in alimony. Naturally, I was poor with all of this cash outlay despite being a practicing doctor. However, my frugal habits once again helped me. I cooked at home, packed a lunch, kept my entertainment simple, and even managed to creatively date. I can honestly say that through all of these adventures, I never felt sorry for myself or even deprived. I had everything that I needed, and I was doing what I wanted to do. I knew that my plans were good ones, and eventually these times would ease.
I switched jobs, saved money, and bought a house that was bigger than what I needed for myself and my daughter. I felt it was a reasonable investment as it was in an up-and-coming suburb and would certainly appreciate in value. I did have a mortgage on the house, but once again I paid it off aggressively, years before its 15-year term. Here again, I practiced all of the things that I had learned through life. I cooked at home, packed a lunch, found less expensive entertainment, and vacationed in simpler ways, like camping. I felt extremely privileged. It would have been easy to use credit for the finer things, but what would that give me? I lived in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. I drove a safe car. I did fun things. Going into debt would be a stress, not a plus.
I remarried, and my wife was happy to move into my existing house, where we still live over 30 years later and where we raised 4 kids (my daughter from my first marriage came to live with us, and we had three kids of our own). When my wife was pregnant with her second child, our accountant asked her, “How important is it for you to work?” She was only working part-time, and the income that she brought home would almost be completely absorbed by the cost of having two babies in childcare. We mutually decided that she would take a hiatus from work, and that hiatus lasted 12 years. When she finally returned to work part-time, we funneled all of her earnings into college funds, and we did that for several years. It was my sole responsibility to support myself, my wife, and four children. What to do? I had a successful private practice, but I always had a second job working for the underserved, as I felt it was important to provide services for the less fortunate. These secondary jobs never paid as well as my private practice, which presented a problem, but it was worth it as I felt that I was doing the right thing. Despite all of this, we were able to not only get by but to live well. The community that I chose years before had excellent schools and activities for the kids. The house was paid off, and it was increasing in value year after year. We had everything that we needed and more.
All of my doctor friends have larger homes than I do; many went on fancier trips, drove luxury cars, and had expensive clothes. I had a perfectly nice house, drove a regular car, went on camping adventures with my family, ate at home, and I continued to pack a lunch. I had no debt. I felt secure.
What about investments? I did have a financial advisor, and he was sometimes frustrated with me, as during parts of my life I couldn’t contribute, or I could only contribute less than what he wanted me to contribute to my investments. However, over time I was able to meet his wishes. I was in my 40’s before I could invest in a meaningful way, and being debt-free allowed me to do so with vigor in my 50s.
And there, dear reader, I have given you my secret to a secure retirement. I can summarize it in a couple of sentences. I always lived somewhat below my means; I kept debt to a minimum and got rid of it as fast as I could. I did without. I lived by my own standard: “Comparison is the thief of joy”. I invested in appreciating assets and, with the exception of the Mustang, carefully purchased depreciating assets. I never allowed myself to get into high-interest debt, such as credit card debt. I critically looked at every major thing that I did in life, making an effort to maximize value and minimize cost. In my case, I felt it was best to invest in myself rather than the market. When I established myself, I did invest. Would I have been a richer man if my wife continued to work, if we had fewer kids, if I somehow invested more earlier on? Most certainly, but I’m fine with my current level of security. Could I have extended myself and gotten a bigger house, a fancier car, gone on more luxurious vacations? Sure. Do I feel deprived in any way? Absolutely not. I am extremely happy and grateful for my life. Happiness and stuff are not mutually inclusive. Did I do everything to build wealth at all costs? No. I did do some things that were the opposite of that. I bought the Mustang; it was a foolish car, but it was a lot of fun. I worked in service jobs that paid less than my private practice. However, not only did I feel the need to do that, but it also gave me great satisfaction. Securing your retirement future is not about doing everything right; it is about doing many things right and fewer things wrong. Debt via easy credit is a millstone around your neck, and the sooner you start debt, the more the stone weighs. I’m no financial guru; I’m just a guy who followed common sense rules.
If you feel that you need to go into debt now to have stuff, I am asking you to do anything possible to avoid that. Companies that extend credit do it to transfer your money into their pocket. Spend money with intention, invest as much as you reasonably can, as soon as you can. Find the balance that works for you. I felt that my education was an appreciating asset for me. I felt that my wife staying home with the kids for 12 years was an appreciating asset in my children. I felt that having a nice house in a good neighborhood with no debt was more important than having a giant house with a big mortgage in a gated community. I felt that spending time with my family as we discovered the world in our camper was every bit as good as flying off on an expensive holiday. What good would it be to be fabulously wealthy if my kids just saw me as an ATM? At the same time, what good would it be if I pinched every penny to the point where we lived miserable lives? If you can use your money to meet basic needs, you can find a multitude of economical ways to enrich your lives. My willingness to eat generic bologna sandwiches in medical school gave me the freedom to upgrade my apartment to somewhat better accommodations, and that conservative apartment allowed me to buy a house, and so forth. Now, when my wife wants to go on a nice trip or out to dinner, I say, “Sure.” She also spent conservatively during the early years. Yet, I guarantee that my kids never felt deprived, and they all have great memories of the car trips and camping trips that we took. I cooked many meals with them, and my kids became competent cooks. I fixed things with them, and all are willing to tackle a simple repair project. All of them have traveled abroad now that they are adults, but at the same time, they are also sensible with their spending.
Despite what advertisements and influencers say, you can’t have it all. Why would you want that anyway? However, you can have some. Stop doom spending. Find purpose in your life; it is there. You may have to dig for it, but it is there. Celebrate every day. Write a gratitude list and read it daily. Stop believing the BS that you see on social media and don’t buy a crappy, useless get-rich-quick course that some yahoo wants to sell you. Building security is a slow process; that’s OK. Even during my poorest times, I found ways to be happy and to have fun. I wish you the same.
Peace
Mike
Me from a couple year ago on a camping adventure out west. I traveled in my homemade adventure van. A fabulous trip with fabulous memories!
With the astounding inflation that we are experiencing, one pot meals offer both convenience and value. When I was at the market yesterday, I spied a two-for-one sale on chicken breasts. Perfect! I thought. I had just watched a video where the presenter made a complete pasta and chicken dish in their Instant Pot. Simple, filling, and delicious. I already had most of the ingredients, and I could fudge the ones I was lacking. Dinner was about to be served!
When I use the term “Instant Pot” I’m actually referring to any electric pressure cooker. They all work very similarly.
Here are the ingredients as well as the name of the YouTube channel that originally published the recipe:
The ingredient list may look long, but the recipe is really very simple. Putting the dinner together took me about 10 minutes.
Here we are, ready to go. Cooking is easier if you gather all of your ingredients beforehand. I had everything needed except the chicken, which I picked up on a 2 for 1 sale.
The only real work for this dinner was cutting up the chicken and chopping up an onion. Let’s face it, that isn’t too much to do.
I had a two-pound box of macaroni, and the recipe called for 1 pound. I could have eyeballed it, but I have a kitchen scale, which is useful for so many things. Kitchen scales are very inexpensive. I think this one was around $10 (I have had it for a long time and don’t remember the exact cost).
Place the Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker) on sauté and soften the onion for a few minutes in some olive oil. You can use any cooking oil that you have on hand, but olive oil is nice.
Add the spices and cook them for about 30 seconds. This will bring out their flavor, but don’t let them burn.
Add the garlic. Fresh garlic is nice, but I’m using “jarlic” (garlic in a jar). In a pinch, you could use granulated garlic. Cook this mixture for around a minute. If using granulated garlic, just mix it in and move on to the next step.
Add the chicken and sauté it for a few minutes. Naturally, stir it around.
Add the spaghetti sauce and the water/broth and mix. In this situation, my sauce was a smaller bottle than what the recipe called for, so I added some tomato sauce to bring the total up to 40 oz. I added the 2 cups of hot water with the amount of chicken bouillon enough for one cup. I wanted the richness of a broth but I didn’t want the pasta to be too salty. Remember, you can always add salt when the dish is complete. I also added about one teaspoon of oregano to the tomato sauce to simulate a pasta sauce. I think I could have used the spaghetti sauce that I had and just added water to make up the 40 ounces too. The dish would have had a little less tomato flavor, but it would still be delicious. Remember, this is family cooking. It just has to taste good.
Add the dry pasta. Don’t mix it in, instead gently submerge it in the sauce. I used macaroni, but any small pasta would do. If you mix the pasta in some of the pasta could burn to the bottom of the pot.
The original recipe advised cooking under pressure for 5 minutes and then releasing the pressure. I like less al dente pasta, so I cooked it for 6 minutes. However, I felt it was still too hard. No problem, I just turned on the sauté function for a few minutes (with the lid off) until the pasta was the perfect texture. Many times it is possible to save a recipe with just a little problem-solving. After the pasta was completely cooked, I canceled the sauté function. Different shapes of pasta cook at different times, so you may need to adjust your pressure cook time a minute or two one way or the other once you have the recipe down. Additionally, you can always go with 5 minutes and use sauté to complete the process if necessary. Remember, you can always add time, but you can’t subtract it.
Here I’m using my scale again, this time to measure out 8 ounces of Mozzarella Cheese. I wouldn’t add more than this. If you don’t have 8 ounces, a few ounces less would also work.
I added both the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses to the pot and covered it for a few minutes to let the residual heat melt them. Once melted, stir the mixture. It will thicken as you stir it.
Here you can see the finished pasta. Very rich and creamy.
Earlier in the day, I threw together the ingredients for my flax seed bread in a bread maker. Measuring the ingredients took around 5 minutes. I then pressed a button and walked away. Three and a half hours later, I had a fresh loaf of homemade bread. It was still warm by dinner time.
Here is the cheesy chicken pasta, plated with some of my homemade bread. It was delicious, but the recipe made an absolutely massive amount of food. My wife and I both had it for dinner, but we barely put a dent in it. We will eat some of the leftovers over the next two days, but we can only eat so much. I hate to waste food, and I’m unsure how well this dish would freeze. Next time I will half the recipe.
Parenting is such a strange business. It is probably the most important thing most humans do, yet it receives the least amount of training.
When I was younger, I never wanted to have children, as I had been told that kids were a burden, an expense, a disappointment, and they caused problems in marriages. To be honest, I was a great disappointment as a child, and I can’t blame my father for my genuine shortcomings.
I was a “surprise” seven years after he already had his perfect family of four. I didn’t give him much to brag about. I was a huge kid, perfect for football. However, I was clumsy, horribly coordinated, and blind in one eye, making it impossible for me to even catch a ball. He told me he loved me, but his actions demonstrated a different reality. I’m not here to crap on my father. He provided me with food and shelter. He did the best he could; he was just done parenting by the time that I came along.
My head was always in the clouds, always thinking, always solving problems, always exploring scenarios. Mr. Wizard on TV became my virtual dad and hero, and teachers became my cheerleaders. However, the overall message was clear to me. Kids are problems; don’t have them.
I have always wondered how things work, why things work, and how I could modify things to do other things. A weird kid, I know.
That all changed with the birth of my first daughter, Anne. How could anyone not love that beautiful baby? I realized that my fear of having children was based more on my fear of being a father. I was a poor-quality son, and somehow that meant that I would be a poor-quality parent. I was terrified that I didn’t have the skills to do the job. I was afraid that I would be an inadequate dad. How could I teach my child sports when I was so awful at them myself? Isn’t that strange? I focused on the one thing I was terrible at and framed it as the sole necessary ingredient for fatherhood.
Sometimes marriages are mismatches, and that was the case with my first marriage. We divorced, but I made a commitment to do the best that I could to be a good dad to my daughter. I assumed that she would be my only child. Note to self: never make assumptions.
I dated a number of wonderful women during the years that I was single. I genuinely liked them, but I can’t say that I loved them. I committed to myself that I would not marry again unless I was sure. This eventually led to the certainty that I would live a single life. Over time, I stopped dating altogether; then I didn’t.
I met my wife by chance, and we hit it off. At the time, she was in the process of earning her PhD, and I was already a medical doctor. We married, but held off having children until she was near the end of her schooling. She was healthy, and I already had a child, so we were certain that getting pregnant would be a walk in the park. It wasn’t. Pills, shots, procedures- we did it all. Finally, a procedure called IUI was advised. It worked, and we had our first child together, a daughter. A few years later, we followed the same protocol and had our second daughter together. I was certain that we were done, but we were surprised by a bonus baby, a son whom we named William.
By then, I knew I couldn’t be a perfect parent, since no perfect parent existed. All I could be was me. However, I could be an intentional parent. But what was my goal? My objective in parenting? It was simple. It was my responsibility to raise my children to be successful adults. That was it, one goal, one mission. You may have your own idea of what successful means. Perhaps it involves a title, a job description, or a salary. In other words, something tangible. That was not my definition. For me, it meant they would be able to support themselves financially. That they had the tools and education to accomplish what they wanted to do. That they were critical thinkers and not sheep. That they had healthy self-esteem and faith in themselves, but not the false self-esteem created by the idea that everyone gets a participation award. That they had the life skills to function as an adult, and that they were kind and compassionate human beings who realized how fortunate they were and how some others were not. It was their responsibility to use their gifts and abilities to move the world in a positive direction, even if that movement would be minuscule.
Of all, being kind was the most important. When I was young, adults would remark how kind I was. I was never a tough kid the way a boy “should” be. I worried about others, I could sense their distress, I wanted to help them. I saw my kindness as a great weakness, a flaw. Another imperfection that made me different. However, I came to realize that it was one of my great strengths. Treating others with respect opens the world, and the act itself makes the planet a better place for all.
How did I accomplish my parenting goal? I tried to be a good parent. I tried to be reliable. I admitted to them when I didn’t know something. I taught them what I knew. How to cook, how to fix things, how to camp, how to see the wonderment that is all around us, how to be grateful. How to be creative, how to critically examine information, how to be kind, how to give back, how to love, how to respect, how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and so on.
I let them know how much they were loved, but I also had expectations for them. Those were not expectations to make me look good, they were expectations to use the gifts that they were given to their fullest. This is what I could do for them; it would have to be enough.
I have a deep, never-ending love for all four of my children and savor the times when we can all be together. Those events bring me joy. However, I also love those rarer situations when I can spend time with just one of them. Each child is a bit different, yet amazing in their own regard.
My son is the only child still at home. He is constantly busy with his social life and pursuit of a PhD. My wife works some evenings, and these are often times when William and I spend some time together. We will make dinner together and sit down and talk. The worm has turned, and he is more up to date on scientific theory and procedure than I am, but I’m still capable of contributing to the conversation. At other times, we may talk about world events, my life, his life, or even his friends. I’m interested in their lives, too, as they move into adulthood and follow so many different paths.
My son is smart, actually very smart, and approaches complex topics with a relaxed ease. He is a social creature who easily makes friends, so he always has a story to tell of an adventure or to relate. Most importantly, he is kind. I can’t think of a time when he was deliberately mean to another person. He treats people with respect, and he treats me with respect. I do the same to him, as he is no longer the kid I taught to fix an outside faucet or cook a steak over an open campfire.
A few months ago, he wanted me to watch one of his favorite movies, “Dune.” We did this to our mutual enjoyment, and at the end we decided to continue the franchise by watching “Dune Part 2.” Life got in the way, and that never happened. The other day, at dinner, William said, “Dad, if we don’t schedule “Dune 2,” we will never watch it. I agreed and pulled out my calendar. We would do it the following Tuesday, as Julie would be working that evening and we could have a boys’ night. Naturally, it would involve food, a menu suitable for such an occasion.
On Monday I went to Aldi and picked up some brats, buns, potato salad, a can of pork and beans, and some chips. I couldn’t find sauerkraut for the brats, but Julie kindly stopped by the little store around the corner from her office to pick some up for the event. We were all set.
Aldi only had this enormous box of brats. If I made six, we would have enough for dinner, Julie, and even the next day’s lunch. What to do with the other six?
Yep, I had to make a plug for using a vacuum sealer. The other six are safe and sound in the freezer for another day.
The day before, William suggested that I crack open the bottle of Angel’s Envy bourbon that he gave me for Father’s Day. Dear reader, I’m not much of a drinker. In fact, I’m a lightweight when it comes to any alcohol. However, I do like a rare shot of bourbon on occasion. A few years back, Julie and I were trying to salvage a vacation and spontaneously decided to travel Kentucky’s bourbon trail. It was there that I discovered Angel’s Envy and its silky smooth delivery. Julie bought a bottle, but I never remembered to replace it when it finally emptied. Ever listening, William remembered this and thought it would be a nice Father’s Day gift. Sort of an adult son to his “old man” Father’s Day present.
William worked from home on Tuesday as he was learning a piece of software that analyzes gene sequences. By 5 PM, he was done for the day, and the two of us set about the task of making dinner. Into a pot went the brats. Out from the fridge came the potato salad; into another pot went the pork and beans, which I added some mustard, catsup, maple syrup, and bacon bits. The table was set with paper plates, and dinner was served. Conversation followed as we talked about our day.
I like to par-cook the brats before putting them on the grill. This pot has a can of beer, water, and some onion flakes. Real onion would work too. The trick is to only simmer the brats (do not boil) for around 20 minutes. At that point, they will be fully cooked and ready to crisp on the grill.
On the grill, they went to brown up.
My mom always “doctored up” canned pork and beans. I do the same with a little mustard, catsup, maple syrup (or brown sugar), and bacon. Yum!
A perfect guy’s dinner. Brats with mustard and sauerkraut. Beans, potato salad, and chips. Of course, we served it on a paper plate. Who wants to wash more dishes than they have to?
We worked together to clean up and then had a short break before we started the movie. I poured a couple of shots of Angel’s Envy for the big event. It felt strange pouring a drink for my son, but he is 25 and no longer a kid. To be clear, we had one drink each. It felt more ceremonial rather than anything else.
We each had one shot of Angle’s Envy. It was more ceremonial than anything else.
It had been months since we had seen “Dune 1” so William filled me in on the story as I already had forgotten large portions of it. “Dune 2” is a long movie, at times slow moving, yet engaging. Since it was only the two of us we were free to banter as he reminded me of the various roles and motives of the characters. For sure, it was an enjoyable evening.
In this commercialized world we are told that the best parents offload parenting by sending their kids to classes and summer camps. Every child must go to Disneyland, fly in a plane, have catered birthday parties, wear designer clothing. Honestly, I think that all of that is BS. A child should spend time with their parents. Parents should teach their children how to act, how to critically think, how to celebrate life. Time with you kids doesn’t have to involve the use of a platinum credit card. Playing a game, going on a hike or bike ride, critically examining a news story. For me, those activities are more valuable.
As a child I learned that children were a burden. As an adult, I discovered that they were a joy. Kids are not a bonus designed to make parents look good. They do require quite a bit of time, effort, and money. Isn’t that the case with many things that we deem valuable?
My evening with William may seem ordinary to you, but for me it was priceless. As he ages there will be less of these special times, but it is my hope that there will be some.
Peace
Mike
A photo of William and me from a father/son camping trip that we took a year or two ago.
Inflation continues, and many are struggling. This is another post in my series to help people get through these difficult times by using common-sense principles.
By now you know that I’m a fan of soups and one-pot meals. I have made a number of bean and lentil soups, and they are all similar, yet a bit different. Bean soups are extremely flexible and forgiving. Ingredients can be added or removed, and you can still get an excellent, delicious end product. Bean soups can also be extremely economical. A 20-ounce, 12-16-bean variety sack costs only a few dollars; the vegetable ingredients are cheap, and the meat can be anything from an Easter hambone to cut-up hot dogs.
This recipe made over 5 liters of soup, plenty to feed a large family. Only two of us were home when I made this, so we had quite a bit left over. The good news is that this soup freezes well!
Recipe adapted from the website, “Valerie’s Kitchen”
Cut up the vegetables. Exact amounts are not important.
Prepare your spices. Don’t add salt until you can taste-test at the end. The ham is already salty, as is the broth.
Here is the meat that I used. The ham bone was a gift from my sister, who had it left over from Easter. I froze it and used it all of these months later. I also had a couple of strips of bacon in the fridge. I used these for their grease and for their bacon flavor. If I didn’t have the bacon, I would have used vegetable oil. The meat that you use can vary. Try sausage, other smoked meats, or even sliced hot dogs. You can also omit the meat for a vegetarian dish. However, the meat adds a lot.
You will need around 6 cups of liquid for the recipe. That can be 4 cups from a box of stock plus two cups of water, 6 cups of broth, or, in my case, 6 cups of water with some chicken bouillon granules. I only used about a tablespoon of the granules, as they are pretty salty.
Here are the beans that I used. They are the Aldi brand and were of very good quality. I believe they were a couple of dollars. You should dump the beans and sort for broken/moldy ones as well as small rocks. This bag was very clean, and I only had about 5 beans to discard.
To soak or not to soak? That is the question. With a pressure cooker, you can use unsoaked beans by extending the cook time. I tend to soak when possible, as I believe that it makes the beans more digestible and less… hmm. Well, you know what beans can do. Pro Tip: I added a pinch of baking soda to the soak. This helps old beans hydrate better. I soaked the beans in plenty of water, overnight in a covered bowl.
Here are the beans after a night of soaking. I drained off the old water and rinsed them before adding them to the soup.
The recipe calls for 8 ounces of crushed tomatoes, but I used a whole can. If I didn’t have these, I would have used any tomato product or even condensed tomato soup. Remember, you are cooking for a family and not following some sort of heirloom recipe.
I also used my usual jar garlic. Would fresh be better? Likely, but this works too. If I didn’t have this, I would have used powdered garlic granules.
Let’s go! I rendered the bacon for its fat using the sauté setting on my electric pressure cooker (think Instant Pot). Don’t worry about the crispy stuff on the bottom of the pot; I will take care of that in a bit.
After the bacon rendered, I added the onions and cooked them for a few minutes to soften them. The onions released a lot of liquid, which made it easy to remove the fond (the flavorful, burnt-on crust) with a wooden spoon.
In went the carrots and celery, as well as the garlic. I continued to cook this mixture for a couple of minutes.
Then my spices. If you cook the spices for a bit, their flavor is intensified. However, be cautious, as you don’t want to burn them.
Now the soaked beans. Remember, you can use dried beans too, you would just need to cook them longer.
Now the chicken broth and the can of tomatoes.
Lastly, the ham bone. My electric pressure cooker is pretty full. Perhaps a bit more than it should be. However, we are going for it. A pressure cooker should be no more than 2/3 full. Probably less if I were just making the beans alone.
All of this is very simple. Now it is time to place the cover and pressurize. Since these beans were soaked, I cooked them for 25 minutes. When the cooking was done, I let them sit for at least 15 more minutes before releasing the steam. If the beans were not soaked, I would pressure-cook them for about 45 minutes and also let them rest for 15 minutes.
As an aside, I looked up this pressure cooker, and I have been using it for over 8 years. I can’t say enough about how useful pressure cookers are. Stove-top units last forever, but you have to watch them. These electric ones are also very robust. It seems that the Instant Pot craze is waning, and you can buy a new 6-quart electric pressure cooker for well under $100. I checked Facebook Marketplace and saw several used 6-quart models (a good size) selling for between $20 and $50. The Instant Pot brand is good, but so are many other brands. My unit is not an Instant Pot, but it works great.
After cooking, I took out the hambone and removed any meat, which I added back to the soup.
I tasted for seasoning, and no salt was needed. I did add a few shots of hot sauce (optional). I used a stick blender to blend some of the beans to thicken the soup. You could also mash the beans using a wooden spoon, or just leave the soup as is.
Here is the soup, plated and served with some of my homemade whole-wheat bread. The bread was made with a thrift-store bread maker that cost me $6.99. Why an avocado garnish? It was going ripe, and I needed to use it up. Necessity is the mother of invention! I also added a little grated Parmesan cheese. The soup was extremely filling and really delicious. There will be leftovers for several lunches and for freezing for a future meal.
Making food from scratch is much more economical than eating ultra-processed foods. Additionally, the food tastes so much better. I put together the bread’s ingredients in less than 5 minutes, pressed a button, and had a fresh loaf 3.5 hours later. The soup took less than 10 minutes to prepare, and then the pressure cooker took over automatically. Easy peasy.
Times are tough, but cooking from scratch and shopping at Aldi can save you both money and frustration. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can make this soup on the stovetop; it would just take longer (4 hours?). I’m pretty sure you could also make this soup in a slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours. If you go with either of these two methods, you will need to soak your beans overnight.
