Why I Do What I Do

Sometimes when I get on roll, I wonder about myself.  Is it "normal" to celebrate when I find chicken for $1.50 a pound?  Who gets excited about deciding to buy pool salt (99.8% pure!) in 40 pound bags for less than $5....not for pool use but for barter if the SHTF?  Who else in my life wants to learn the skill of starting a fire using sticks and nylon string? 

Yet I DO get excited when I see bottles of canned bacon lined up on my shelf.  I AM waiting for shredded cheese to go on sale so I can try canning THAT!  I get a thrill when I stuff dehydrated fruit into used glass jars and pump the air out with this nifty little gadget I picked up at a local expo.  And the simple fact is, I've always been like this.

When I was 10, we moved to a house in Virginia Beach.  The housing development still had a lot of building going on and so a lot of empty lots surrounded our house for awhile.  I discovered wild onions and picked them....Mom dutifully cooked them up for dinner.  When Dad brought home a #10 can of dried apples, I claimed the empty can and made a stove with it.  I can still see the fried bologna I cooked on it in my mind's eye.  My first garden produced precious little but my 11 year old self tended it carefully.  My dad taught me how to fish including how to bait my own hook AND to scale and gut my catch. 

I like the feeling I get when I increase my self sufficiency.  Deep down I know that all I have and all I am comes from God.  But rather than spend my time hitting a little bitty white ball around a well groomed pasture or shopping for just the right pair of still another pair of shoes, I choose to persue another interest.  And that interest just happens to be prepping.  I'm not a doomsday person.  I truly hope none of my preparations ever become necessary to use.  Still, I sleep better knowing that I've given myself and my family a cushion.  Our food storage will give us a little time.  More importantly, I'm going to learn to forage, to snare, to trap and to hunt.  Because I AM normal....just a normal, run of the mill prepper!

Drying Apples for Delicious Yumminess

I had a period of grieving this fall.  No, no one died nor did we have to deal with serious illness in my family.  Instead, the apple crop suffered this year.  My beloved HoneyCrisps failed to grace us with their previous abundance.  Alas.  I accepted what I could not change and just grumbled a little every time I had to eat a Granny Smith with my peanut butter.

Then last week I walked in to Sam's Club looking for marked down meat and there they were.....HoneyCrisp apples in 4 pound bags, just begging to come home with me.  And they were only $1.50 a pound.  So I bought 6 bags....I had to make sure they weren't rotten.  Then I went back band bought 5 more bags.  And when I go out today, I will check again and buy whatever is left.  Because you see, I LOVE my HoneyCrisp apples.  I really like them fresh....I love them dried.  My dehydrator has been running for 5 days straight, sucking the moisture out of the slices and leaving little tart sweet morsels to savor throughout the rest of the year. 

I initially gave the peels and cores to the chickens but they didn't care for them much.  Not being one to throw pearls before swine, I wondered if I could get a cup of fresh juice from the leavings.  It would be a lot of work for the results I figured, but who knows?  What a surprise!  10 pounds of apples yielded not only 9 trays of slices but a full quart of sweet, fresh apple juice!!  And to top it off, the chickens love the ground up remains of the juicer. 

LOL....I guess all good things come to those who wait. ....and who keep a sharp eye out for whatever God puts in our path!

What Happens When You Find 22 Year Old Popcorn?

Twenty years ago, I felt the urge and call to start my food storage.  I dry packed wheat, rice, split peas, salt, sugar, hard candy, potato flakes, flour, powdered milk and popcorn.  As I've gone through my ancient stores I've discovered that some things stored well.  The split peas are still edible though there is a slight old flavor to it.  The flour and potato flakes were unusable and I dumped them into the compost pile.  The powdered milk could be used but I'd rather not.  I'll use that for calcium loving plants in my garden such as tomatoes and broccoli.  The hard candy still shakes freely.  The wheat will be good for a very long time.  And the popcorn still pops although the flavor is old and I don't choose to use it. 

Enter my Wonder Mill Junior.  Because I DO have chickens in my backyard and chickens like cracked corn, I figured I could crack that popcorn and my girls would have a treat.  Did you know that popcorn is the hardest grain you're likely to grind?  Well, I've been wanting an upper body workout.  I secured my mill, opened a single can and got to work.  My heart rate monitor says my heart got up to 135 bpm and by the time I'd finished cracking the popcorn, I'd burned 150 calories. I guess that's why our ancestors didn't need to "exercise." 

GORP.....(or more correctly, GORMP)

 

 

 

Ever since I've started my last round of prudent living, I've thought about our 72 hour kits.  Our extended family had a fun dinner the last night the Lutz's were here in October eating assorted "survival" foods.  The freeze dried entrees tasted the best but then you had to be able to boil water.  The MRE's were just ok but you could warm them up under your armpit if you had to.  I decided canned goods were good enough...until I packed them in our backpacks.  Oh no.....this was NOT going to work.

 

My husband happened to mention trail mix and the little light bulb went off!  Of course!  Good Old Raisins and Peanuts.  I have to add the M&M's though to make it really, really good.  There's a good amount of protein here from the peanuts, a couple servings of fruit with the raisins and a sugar rush from the chocolate.  By including 2 oz EACH, we have 875 calories in only 6 oz of weight.  Now that's MUCH more acceptable for 2 little ole people lugging survival gear around. 



Makin Bacon

This is my bacon canning saga. Sorry about the little bitty pictures but I haven't yet mastered the picture-on-the-phone-to-email-and-onto-the-blog sequence yet. Anyway, as you can see, the picture to the right shows frying bacon. Another way of precooking it would have been on pans in the oven but I didn't have enough pans. If you plan on refrying it to reheat, I would suggest you not fry it much....maybe just enough to render some of the fat without getting it too brown. This bacon has been cut in half to fit better in the wide mouth quart jars.

This next picture show the "jelly roll" configuration that I used to wrap the partially cooked bacon in. I just cut unbleached scrolled paper that I bought at IKEA in about 5 foot lengths and then cut THAT in half lengthwise. Place the bacon on the paper like little soldiers in a line. If you want, you can put a line of bacon horizontally as well. Be careful not to make the roll too fat or you won't be able to fit it in the jar. Though other sites suggest you fold over the paper, I found it worked fine to just start rolling.

These are the finished jars. As you can see, I processed one pint....I just ran out of bacon. And for some reason that jar didn't seal which worked out ok for me because I really wanted to test the product anyway and I have a problem opening perfectly good jars just to test it.

When I opened the pint jar, the paper roll dropped out pretty easily. Because it had been processed, it's perfectly ok to eat it cold, but the taste was much better after a few minutes in the frying pan. Yes, there is a lot of grease. In a survival situation, we'll want all the fat calories we can find!!

So, in a nutshell, here's the skinny.

You will need:

About a pound and a half of bacon per quart jar

Wide mouth quart jars (duh), fresh lids and good rings

Parchment paper or the rolled paper from IKEA

Pressure canner

A couple extra jars to catch the bacon grease

1. Cut the paper about 5 feet long and the width that will comfortably fit in your quarts. This worked to about half the width roll of the paper I used. You'll need one for each jar. I like not worrying about the paper so I think I wasted a bit. Oh well!!!

2. Wash the jars and lids. Keep the lids simmering in water to soften the rubber around the edges.

3. Cook the bacon!!! Because I chose to fry it, it took me hours to get it all done and prepared. Anyway.....after the bacon is at the desired state of "doneness," drain it a bit and don't forget to collect the grease in a jar as you'll need it later.

4. Start water heating in your canner.

5. Lay your paper out on a nice flat surface and line your bacon up. Start rolling and adding until your roll is just capable of fitting into the wide mouth jar. Stuff it in. Repeat the process until all your jars and/or bacon have been used up.

6. At this point, use a funnel to put a couple inches of bacon grease in each jar. I used a cloth lightly moistened in rubbing alcohol to cut and clean the grease from around the rims. Not enough to drip into the jars of course!!!

7. Put your lids on each jar and screw a ring on each jar.

8. Place jars in the simmering canner.

9. Process the jars for 90 minutes at 10 pounds (at sea level to 2000 feet). If you choose to process pints, you only have to process for 75 minutes.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

I've been doing some experimenting lately around self sufficiency.  I have to admit that the threat of the National Nanny State has made me hyper sensitive to being dependent on government assistance for rescue.  Now I know that one day I will need help; however, my goal is to go as long as possible without it.

So that being said, last night I made split pea soup from storage foods and left over frozen ham.  The peas were rather old...20 years in a #10 can...and there IS a slight "old" smell, but they cooked down fine and had an acceptable taste.  To take it one step further, I dehydrated the leftover soup to see if it would rehydrate ok.  And it did!  I added 6 tablespoons of soup powder to 1/2 cup of boiling water and it tasted just fine.  So I'll packet it up in the Food Saver bags for a quickie lunch or emergency food.

Also, I purchased a Chili pouch at Aldis yesterday to try as a possibility for my 72 hour kit.  It calls for nearly 3 cups of water but I didn't realize that it also calls for tomato paste.  Okay.  So I made it for lunch today.  I like the flavor but it's definitely more a soup than an chili and not a good addition to my "Git Kit." 

The other thing that I've been concerned about is basic health care for WTSHTF.  I've been concerned that antibiotic ointment would lose potency and infection is a real threat when sanitation is compromised.  I've been introduced to Collodial Silver as an antibacterial agent and will be testing the ointment to see how it compares to my old standby.

I had the pleasure of going to a preparedness expo a few weeks ago and found some really good ideas to expand on.  I'm adding blood clotting compresses for dangerous bleeding as well as a tourniquet.  Let's face it, if you have profuse bleeding under your ear (think coratid artery), you are unlikely to want a tourniquet around your neck!!!  My daughter Penny gave me the idea to use contact lense saline solution for a wound wash, and she and my hubby  reminded me that superglue is very effective at joining human tissue (though I understand it burns really, really bad.)

I was going to buy a  commercial medical kit but an ailing air conditioner has mandated a different course of action for now.  So much to do!!!!

So What's Wrong With This Picture.......?????

I've been having knee issues since April.  No big deal really but a nuisance to be sure....until last month when I felt a pop in my knee.  The excruciating pain dropped me on the spot.  So began my forey into the American Medical Machine.

For a number of reasons, primarily financial, I have chosen to buy a high deductible policy.  Routine doctors' visits come out of my pocket but after I reach my deductible, all other covered charges are paid by my insurance.  For me it's worked well because it's tied to an HSA and because I own my own business, both premiums and HSA contributions are tax deductible.  I quickly realized, however,  that this relatively minor surgery that my knee requires will satisfy my financial obligations and then some.  After much thought and prayer, I've decided to postpone this surgery until I can more comfortably afford my portion and notified my doctor of same.

To my surprise, I got a call from the surgical center with a counter proposal.  They told me that if I choose to self pay, I could reduce my portion from $3985 to $1650.  So.....if I don't go through my insurance company, the medical center can reduce my fees 59%???????  And this explains to me why our medical system is out of control.  Apparently it isn't the cost of MEDICAL care that has hiked the prices.  If this model is accurate, 59% of my medical dollar goes to clerical workers.

HHHMMMMM.......

This is also interesting to me because I've recently become aware of the bargain prices in Costa Rica and other medical tourist destinations.  It makes me wonder if, for cases such as mine, if I could match those bargain prices right here in the States!

To Knee or Not to Knee......

In April I made my fourth trip up to Virginia to help my oldest daughter with the arrival of a new little soul, an excursion I enjoy.  Newborns are just special little critters.  No pretense, no drama.  They just be what they be!

Part of what I enjoy about Virginia are the lovely rolling hills just waiting to be walked.  And with my son in law starting his work out career with P90X I thought that this trip would be especially productive.  I would help with the kids, take care of kitchen duties AND get a little fitter in the process. 

It started out well.  I woke up early with Shaun and we pulled up, pushed up and kicked out our inertia.  Later on that day I went for a nice brisk walk.  The next day I limped around on a swollen knee.  Ok....that's happened before.  But it just never got a lot better.  A couple weeks ago (nearly 4 months later) I was hobbling around wondering what the heck was going on.  As I stepped backwards to pull a shopping cart out of line, I felt a POP and dropped to the ground, certain someone had shot me through the knee.  And MRI said I had a torn meniscus.  I am grateful it was not a torn ACL.  But still I wondered if I really needed the surgery. 

The answer is yes.  I'm not used to being limited.  I'm told that one day I will be, but 54 is too young to not be able to run through an airport to catch a plane.  It's too young to not be able to chase a grandchild or ride a horse or ride my bike.  So now I have my introduction into the American health care system.  Monday is telephone day.  It is the day that I call my orthopaedist, the surgical center and the aenesthesiologist to see what portion I get to pay.  Wish me luck!!

Getting Out of My Comfort Zone

I have been bored.  I'm tired of this.  I'm tired of eating the same things, of cooking the same things, of buying the same food.  This end, my horizons have shifted.  I am learning to cook things I've never cooked before, to use seasonings I don't normally use. 

For instance, I have discovered the joys and flavors of something unceremoniously called "fish sauce".   If you like the salty quality of soy sauce but not the heaviness of its taste, try fish sauce.  Don't be put off by the initial odor.  It really IS fish extract.  Aaahhh, but the flavor it adds to a basic stir fry is amazing.  I found it tastes best when coupled with shrimp, acceptable with chicken but not so good with beef (though my husband likes it even then). 

Tonight's experiment started with a quick trip to our local meat market where I picked up a pack of boneless skinless chicken breast (no stretch here), a small 7 boned steak (yawn) and a pound of goat.  Yes, GOAT.  My beloved hubby will grill a couple pieces of it tonight along with the chicken and steak, but tomorrow I'm going to braise and curry the rest of it. 

My research says that goat meat, or chevon as us cultured folk call it, is a healthier option than beef.  It's leaner and as goats usually live on grass, hay and roughage rather than so much grain, the fats that are in the meat are better for you. 

I'll keep you posted on the results!

Coming Into the 21st Century

I just spent the last 15 learning, one more time, how to save a picture to a printable file.  The fact that I even know what a printable file is surprises me as I write this.  Still, I'm very grateful to Penny for her patience and humor in teaching her mama this very essential skill. 

The contrast in life skills has shown up in an unexpected junxtiposition.  I sponsor a little girl overseas.  I don't know if she's ever even seen a computer.  But in an effort to connect, I'm printing pictures of my own grandkids to send to her.  Computer skills are expected here.  Knowledge of dirt and weather are essential there.  I used my computer to type the letter, to access the picture files and to print the photos.  And I'm sending them to a place that has no access to any of this.

A (New) Adventure

A few years back I had the opportunity to go to Ireland and mark off something from my Bucket List. After taking a class for massage therapy, I went on a week long horseback tour of the Wicklow Mountains in southeast Ireland. I rode a cob horse most of the time. Very broad across the back and sensible between the ears. I marvelled at how considerate the Irish drivers were when they came across the line of us on their oh so very narrow country roads. It was not uncommon for them to have to wait 100 yards or so before we could exit and allow them to pass. Not once did I hear a horn blow or cursing because of the delay. Most of them smiled and waved and went on their way. And I can't credit it to a laid back driving style either. I rode in from the airport with a driver from a B & B and held my breath more than once as we barreled around a blind curve.

Well, I have the opportunity to do some trail riding here in Florida now. I've leased a horse in Apopka and have almost direct access to some country trails. I wouldn't dream of testing drivers in the States. I have too much experience on the rode with my bike to imagine that my countrymen would think about horses any differently. But I am so looking forward to some nice relaxing rides in the woods and maybe down the West Orange Trail. I'll post pictures soon!

Nothing Exciting But Life is Good!

So as the title says, nothing real exciting has been going on the last month or so but life is WONDERFUL. As you would expect to see in my blog, my garden is doing great. I'm picking a couple pounds of vegetables every day now...cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, chard, kale and the occasional carrot and onion. I'm learning, finally, to stay on top of problems. When I noticed spider mites on my tomatoes, I sprayed them with horticultural oil immediately. Bt works for the worms. Oh, and I've learned that when I pick the secondary florets off the broccoli plants, I break the stalk off where it meets the main plant. I'm getting a much longer harvest that way.

Our baby chickies aren't so small anymore and their voices are starting the crack. Believe me, it's as funny listening to adolescent chickens as teenage boys! I have a suspicion that one of our hens is going to crow in spite of our daily warnings to the girls that "if you crow, you go!" Time will tell on that one.

I had a single car fender bender yesterday at the Sam's parking lot. Just a moment of distraction and, cha ching, the body shop is $3888 richer. Still, no one was hurt, the insurance is covering my rental car and I thank God I hit a post and not a person! I'll take that lesson and be happy for it!

That's been the last month or so.

Next WEEK, life gets exciting as well as wonderful. My baby girl, Carley, is graduating from COLLEGE. I mean, when did THAT happen??? I'm so proud of the progress she's made in dealing with a "challenging" internship. Her maturity and willingness makes me so happy and hopeful for her future. And to celebrate that little walk across the stage, the whole family will be here. That's 4 children, 1 son in law and 5 grandkids in my little bitty house. But seasoned with a lot of courtesy and sprinkles with tolerance, we are going to have a blast!

I can't ask for better!

No Sleep Again

When my babies were little, I remembering wishing they would just sleep through the night and looked forward to the time when 2,4 and 6 am feedings were just a (sweet) memory. Then I got old. Now, there are nights I simply do not sleep. No real reason. My eyes just slam open when I lay my head on the pillow. So I get up, read a boring book, look at Craigslist, (write in my blog) or find a movie that I might be able to fall asleep to. The point is, there IS not point in getting upset about it. Will I be tired in the morning? Yes. Will I function at my best? No. But will worrying about it change a thing? Absolutely not. In fact, worrying about insomnia is, get ready for it.....a CAUSE of insomnia!!! So I keep a supply of 5 Hour Energy drinks in the cupboard for the days I have to go to work. I do the best I can to forget I didn't sleep and I look forward to a GREAT night's sleep at that day's end! Oh, by the way, being the only one awake in the house has it's perks. No one fights you for the computer or the TV controller. And, if you get real quiet and just BE, the early morning hours are the best times for feeling and hearing God!

Florida Winters....No Snow but There ARE Some Avantages!

This is just a small sample of my sugar snap pea crop. It's a shame none of them make it into the house. I figure, if I make the effort to pick, I have the right to EAT!!!!

I spent a few minutes today harvesting my "chicken compost" this morning too. Every spring I fill my chicken run with leaves my neighbors through away. For the next 12 months, my girls scratch, peck, poop and otherwise break down those leaves into a beautiful dark leaf mold that my garden loves. You just can't get better than that!

Recovery: Day Two!

I've made the decision not to go back to Bootcamp until next Monday. That being said, I did manage to do 2 massages, go grocery shopping and cut weeds for my chickies to munch on without falling over. My house is still out of control....and will just have to stay that way until I address the loudest squeaky wheel, one day at a time. I've pretty much put my food program on the back burner until I "feel better" and I have to acknowledge that that time as arrived. I ate chips and queso for dinner tonight. (Heavy sigh). I must take responsibility tomorrow.

My college girl, Sheri, called me this evening on her way home all atwitter about a super cool tour of the rare books department of her college, Kennesaw State in Atlanta. I love to hear andectotes about where phrases come from (ask her where "warts and all" came from !). More, I love hearing the excitment in her voice about learning. Yes, the grades are important but when someone learns just to learn, you just can't get better than that!

Finally Feeling Human

It'll be week Thursday that I got home from Virginia. I've spent every day since then on the couch coughing, hacking, wheezing and watching movies. I felt well enough yesterday to work on cross stitch. And today I'm thinking there MIGHT be a life for out there after all! I walked around my garden this morning for about 15 minutes which called for an hour on the couch to recover. Still, I'm feeling much stronger now.

I DID learn a few things and lest I forget the next time this hits....

1. USE EXPECTORANT, NOT A DECONGESTANT!!!! There is nothing worse than a dry cough. I think it helped my ears some but they even seem to be draining better now than before.

2. REST. I hardly ever feel bad enough to be content sitting on the sofa all day. I know I'm sick when I can't even hear the dishes calling....or the ice cream!

3. SLEEP ON THE COUCH. Much better back support for those all-encompassing hack-up-glop coughing fits that make me feel like there's a lung coming up. Also, how can I expect my hubby to take care of me if I keep him up all night?

4. FLUIDS. Drink as much as you can get down. Yes, there will be more bathroom trips but you need to get up a little anyway. Also, more water means the mucus thins and is easier to cough up. See #1

5. DO AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. Now's the time eat Chinese take out, use paper plates and delegate chores to the rest of the family!

So, I'm not the mend. Wash you hands everyone! YOU DO NOT WANT THIS!

Tubing and Skiing At Liberty Mountain

Mike and I finally got our chance to play in the snow! Because we had to get up super early two days in a row, we decided we'd be better off tubing the first day to give us a chance to rest. The carpet lift took all the work out of tubing and left us all the fun of speeding down the hill! This is a camera video of me and Mike, side by side. I had no control and just spun around the full length of the run.

The next day, we strapped on our skis and hit the slopes.....kind of. First order of business was to take a lesson. Then we rode the ski lift high up into the mountain.....well, the bunny slope anyway. Mike was a natural and was anxious to go on the more difficult hills. Well, that will have to wait for another trip.

Day 5 and Still Truckin'

So far so good on the change of lifestyle I've made a decision to address (notice I DIDN'T say that word, DIET....sshhhh). I spent most of my day yesterday with a good friend who really likes to eat out. It's been a problem for me because I've allowed her decisions to control MY decisions. I mean, who wants a salad when there's all kinds of fatty, savory deliciousness pictured on the menu.....never mind the smells seducing my taste buds!

But yesterday went ok. I ate out. I made decisions. My smart phone made it easy because I could pull up the nutrition stats on the restaurants. I still wanted the "yummy" stuff but felt good all day because I chose differently. And this morning I feel better physically than I would have felt had I done the same old thing. At this moment I don't miss the lo mein i didn't eat last night.

The important thing though, is to LIVE. I wish I could say my new found willingness has created an immaculate house, the bathtub replaced, my paperwork complete. It hasn't. But it IS creating some interesting possibilities!

Happy New Year!

Ok, so I went back on my word last year. I STILL can't remember how to put pictures on this damn machine so I'm just going to BLOG!!!

Like many thousands (millions?) of Americans, the New Year is a time for reflection, for taking stock and for MAKING RESOLUTIONS! I admit, I'm running right there with the herd on this one. New Year's Eve day was spent in reflection, in taking a personal inventory......AND in eating everything I could get my hands on before the clock struck twelve. Because I KNEW that the sound of my ship's clock and the boom of neighborhood fireworks would also herald in the most common of the "New Year's Resolutions." This year I'm really gonna do it. This year I'm going to lose weight.

My trainer has implemented a "50 pounds in 50 weeks" goal for all that are interested in our boot camp. I will be thrilled with 35 pounds thank you very much although the stupid insurance guidelines say I should really lose about 60. Not gonna happen, that. Still, she pointed out that all I have to do is eat 500 fewer calories and/or burn off 500 additional calories with exercise. Actually, it will be a combination of both.

I don't eat out too frequently anymore but an occasional fast food stop in this day and age is almost impossible (for me) so I've started checking out a few common foods. Did you know that a McD's hamburger is 250 calories???? That's a plain burger. The one that's gone in 3 good bites! My favorite breakfast, a bacon egg and cheese biscuit is between 420 and 480 calories! I'm going to be eating the egg McMuffin from now on. But what really bowled me over was the calorie count for the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes.....1090 calories!!!! That's nearly my allotment for the entire day! Thank God for Taco Bell (taco, 150 calories) and Subway (some 6 inch sandwiches right around 300 calories!) I should buy stock in both!

So I've already worked out today which is good because I'm going to be busier than a one armed paper hanger. Breakfast will be an egg sandwich at home and a couple tangerines that are fresh and delicious! I'm feeling healthier already!

Hungover and Feeling Really Rotten

I had my mid Six Week Challenge measurements taken yesterday and I've lost a total of 8 inches around my tummy, hips and waist! I can feel the difference in how my pants fit but more especially how my shirts don't gap at the breast line anymore! I can't wait until I can fit in a regular size large!

Part of the program I'm using includes a "cheat meal" once a week. The idea is to kick start our metabolism...to make it believe that there is still plenty of food around so our bodies will continue to lose weight. Well, typically, I eat a little heavier for dinner on Sunday night and then finish it up with a BIG bowl of chocolate ice cream. I followed my pattern last night. I ate a nice serving of shrimp lo mein followed by my ice cream.

I woke up this morning sick. First, I didn't really sleep really well. When I did wake up, I had a headache and was nauseous. From what I hear, pretty normal symptoms of a hangover.

I love my family of origin. They were a wacky bunch with a lot of good qualities. And many of them were alcoholics. In my studies, I've learned that food addictions, especially around sugar, are VERY closely related to alcohol addiction. In fact, alcohol sugars metabolize even faster than glucose. So I'm not surprised that I feel like crap. Though I didn't check my blood sugar this morning, I wouldn't be surprised if it was up from my meal last night.

The whole point to this is that I have done the same of thing and expected different results for long enough. Though I need the extra calories occasionally to keep the metabolism revving, it would be wiser to eat an extra egg sandwich or a couple apples. After 52 years, maybe I've learned my lesson!