Household, personal, Repair

What I Learned from Replacing My Water Heater

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So, yesterday morning, I sent hubby off with a kiss. When I came back inside, I noticed a very small drop of something liquid on the floor. I thought that I might have dripped with emptying the coffee grounds, so I just wiped it up and went about my morning routine. Ten minutes later, there was more liquid, in the same spot. So, I moved the garbage can, opened the door to the hot water heater closet and there it was … water all over the floor. I threw down some towels, quickly checked the hoses, then went to You Tube. This was the first video I saw:

So, since I checked the hoses already (and the pressure relief pipe was sticking through a hole in the floor) I cut out a piece of cabinet wall and searched around to see if I could find where it was leaking from. I did … the water was coming through the control panel area. So, we needed a new water heater. O.k. What do I do now? First, I wanted to double check, so I called the former owner of the house. He couldn’t remember when he put it in but while we were chatting, he mentioned “we had one heck of a time getting it in there 20 years ago”. So, with that confirmed, back to You Tube. First, I found this one:

And finally this one:

So, since we don’t have cell phones and I figured it would take a while to drain the hot water heater, I waited and priced some. I decided to go with a Rheem that was 10 gallons larger than the one we were replacing. I measured, and it was about the same height. So, I measured the pipes (for those who don’t know, the width of the pipe itself is NOT the width of the threads. My pipes are just over an inch in diameter but are technically 3/4 in pipe), made the list of things we’d need, wrote down the Model number, and went to let hubby know (I REALLY didn’t want him to show up from work, thinking he was going to relax, and be hit with this).

We went down to Home Depot, bought everything thanks to OPCC (Other People’s Credit Card … we had the cash but that is for property taxes), came home, and began. Well, I may have taken into account the height of the water heater but did not take into account the width (or weight). I ended up having to cut out more of the cabinet and ALMOST had to make a run to Ace Hardware for gas piping (it was in the way but we managed to make it work) all due to the increased width. Another thing about the width is: when I removed the old one, I just gave it a bear hug and walked it out the back door. The new one? My fingers wouldn’t even touch. AND it was heavier. So, once again, our old, free-from-a-neighbor dolly saved our bacon (and backs). I can’t tell you how many times that dolly has come in handy over the years. If anything happened to it, I would immediately go out and buy another one.

It took us 5 hours from purchase to hot water (plus a few hours today to tear out the rest of the cabinet). I still don’t know if I’m going to put a door up in front of the hot water heater (the framing would bring it out about 4 inches from the rest of the cabinets) or just spackle, paint, and call it good. So, what are the lessons I took away from this experience?

  1. Always have at least $1,000 in cash or available on a credit card for emergencies such as this.
  2. Measure everything (especially if this is a replacement) and even if you don’t think you will need a part, buy it.
  3. Unless you always have a group of big strong men (or women) around you at all times, have a dolly.

Journal

Amazing Update – Our Bodies are Truly Amazing

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January of 2010, as I have noted before, I was rushed to the E.R. I had developed an allergy to scallops, which branched out to all fish/seafood, then to latex, then to certain chemicals, etc. Two months later, I was diagnosed with not only type-2 diabetes but my Vitamin D levels were in the single digits. I worked on the diabetes and started taking Vitamin D supplements but I read that many adult-onset allergies can be “outgrown”. I told hubby that I would test myself in 5 years.


Fast forward to Monday of last week. I was sitting here, thinking, and then a realization hit. I hadn’t had to wear a face mask in public in about 4 months. I also hadn’t had to wear one when working outside in the yard. So, I decided to test myself. See, in 2010, when we were scouring the house of all fish-related products, we tested Worcestershire sauce. I put a little on my finger, touched my tongue, and was immediately hit with an itching wave that shot down my tongue, into my throat. I performed this test on Monday of this past week and nothing happened. So, I decided to try some actual fish.


As of this moment, July 25, 2014 at 3:40 pm, it has been an hour since I ate a grilled tuna steak and having NO REACTION WHATSOEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG! I just realized I can now start posting fish recipes! 🙂


Next test (next pay day) … shrimp. That’s what I miss the most. AND I may be able to handle it. My allergy to fish had gotten so bad that just walking near the aquariums in Bass Pro Shops made be unable to breathe last year and today I shoved my nose (not literally) into a bag of fresh mussels and had no reaction. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am! I’ll go measure myself and post my number on my stats page (I bought my first new pair of shorts and they are a comfortably loose 32 inch waist) and am 2 pounds down from last week (164 pounds).

Crafts

What is Art?

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I’ve been making an inner journey.  It’s a journey that I am willing to share the basics of, soon.  This journey has led me to let go of so many of my doubts when it comes to exploring my abilities.  That is now in the past.

Yesterday morning, I stumbled onto a set of You Tube videos.  These videos were, “How to Paint a Sunflower in Watercolor”.  Here’s the first video:

I sat there, watching, and thought, “I can do that.  No, I will!”  So, I grabbed my child’s art set, my sketch paper (you know, those large pads of paper that you can get in just about any store), and I started.  No, first, I snagged a photo from my prolific photo-taking friend, Melana Hiatt (she takes some of the best photos).  Then, I got started.

AND here’s my result.  My first painting:

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I love it!  I made mistakes but they are lessons for what to do next time.  I can’t wait to do another one (thinking maybe something about Montana).  I loved the freedom of watercolors.  You just put some paint on the brush and let the brush do its magic.  So, what do you want to do?  Don’t let anything stop you.  If you love it, it’s art!

Fitness, Journal

Sciatica – "Old People Issue"

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Yeah, that’s what I thought. Only old people get sciatica. Then, one day a few years ago, I got this shooting pain that started at my rear end and ran down my thigh. By the time it had gotten unbearable, I looked to Google. When I discovered what it was, I told my mom and she giggled, “You are getting old”. Well, I fought back. I found some stretches on my own that, a few weeks into them, relieved the pain. After about 6 weeks, the pain was gone completely and I never had an issue with it again. That is, until two weeks ago.


Just after I started exercising again, I noticed that if I sat too long, my lower legs would almost fall asleep (I didn’t realize that’s what it was … I was just not able to fully walk properly. Then, I felt my calf, and it was numb). I thought, maybe it’s just lack of circulation, so I started rotating my ankles, getting up more often, bouncing my legs up and down like I was nervous, hoping that keeping the blood flowing would rid me of this annoyance. Well, yesterday was a banner day. Instead of numbness, both legs were tingling, like they had been asleep but were waking back up.

So, back to Google.


It turns out THIS is sciatica, too! I had thought sciatica was just the pain but no. There’s a muscle in your rear end called a piriformis (to read more about this check out this article: http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/stretches-and-exercise-sciatic-pain-piriformis-syndrome). It runs from your tailbone across to your hip and if it gets tight, it can pinch the sciatic nerve and cause numbness. What the heck? So, I get to add another set of stretches to my ever-growing arsenal of stretches.


One that I used to do before … I don’t know if I came up with it on my own or saw it somewhere but I stand in front of a wall. I keep one leg straight, lift the other foot off the ground, then, using the wall, I turn my body, stretching my straight leg at the hip. Then I repeat for the other side.
The other one was standing with both feet on the ground, legs straight, then slowly push my hip out to the side just to the point where I feel tightness up the side of my hip, hold, then repeat on the other side.
All these stretches must be very gentle and you must ease yourself into them. So, my conclusion from all of this? I’m either really working my glutes deeply or I’m not positioning my feet correctly when performing my cable exercises. Either way, if I ever want to be able to sit for longer than 5 minutes stretches of time, I will be stretching every day. I need to finish reading the book, “Becoming A Supple Leopard“. My brain is so disjointed it’s like I don’t have enough time in the day for everything.

Dinner, Level 1, Levels 2 And Above, Recipe

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

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I’ve seen many variations of this recipe but the first time I saw this (and made it) I got it from “Cooking Light” magazine. Oh, boy, is it heavenly. If you have ever had roasted garlic, imagine that infused with chicken. Serve with toasted French bread for spreading the roasted garlic love.

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Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 8

Description

I got it from “Cooking Light” magazine. Oh, boy, is it heavenly. If you have ever had roasted garlic, imagine that infused with chicken. Serve with toasted French bread for spreading the roasted garlic love.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

     

    Heat a deep sauté pan on medium heat and add the oil and butter.

     

    Dry the chicken pieces, season them with salt and pepper and brown in the oil/butter.

     

    Once the chicken pieces are all browned evenly, remove them from the pan and keep aside.

     

    Throw in the garlic cloves and let them barely brown. You do not want to burn them or they turn bitter and ruin the dish.

     

    Once the garlic cloves are browned, add the chicken back to the pan, add the thyme, chicken broth, and wine.

     

    Cover and place in the oven for about 40-45 minutes.

     

    Once the chicken is done, place the chicken and garlic onto your serving platter. Heat your pan on medium high and reduce the liquid to barely a cup. Add some parsley, a squeeze of lemon and serve.

Keywords: chicken, garlic, roast, fried,
Dinner, Recipe

Chile Colorado

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This was the best dinner I haven’t had to make in so long!

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Chili Colorado

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Beef Section

Sauce Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Pre-Cooking the Beef

    Combine all of the dry seasonings into a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

     

    Start by trimming off any excess fat and then dice into about 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes.

     

    Preheat a large stock pot to high heat. Add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil to your pot and wait until it just starts to smoke.

     

    Add 1/2 of the meat and 1/2 of the seasonings and sear on all sides. This will take about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the cooked beef to a large bowl and set aside for now.

     

    Repeat with the rest of the meat, seasonings and oil.

     

    Note: The reason for two batches is so that the meat will get a good sear. Adding all of the meat at once will “steam” it. In order to get a good sear there needs to be at least some space to stir and rotate to sear all sides.

     

    When the second batch has seared pour the first batch back in and add enough water to almost cover.

     

    Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat until you have a slow boil when covered.

     

    Keep it covered and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. You should have about the same amount of water at the end of this hour, if you notice the water evaporating just add a little more when needed.

     

    We’ll finish simmering the meat in this beautiful sauce. You should have enough time to make the sauce while the meat is cooking.

  1. Cooking the Sauce

    Stem and seed the dry chilis and add them to a large bowl. Cover with 3 1/2 cups hot water to reconstitute. Soak for about 20 minutes or until soft.

     

    Chop onions. Cut, seed and stem the fresh Anaheim chili, green pepper and jalapenos (seeds are optional) into large chunks for easy blending.

     

    Add the reconstituted chilis, fresh veggies and “chili water” to a blender and blend until smooth. (You may have to do this in batches)

     

    Pour the mixture into a medium to large sauce pan.

     

    Add the seasonings and place on a burner over high heat to bring it to a boil.

     

    Reduce the heat to about medium to medium low and simmer covered for about 30 to 40 minutes stirring occasionally.

     

    Your Colorado sauce is ready.

     

    Note: This is a “concentrate”, it makes about 1/2 gallon so you’ll have some left over. It freezes well for up to 3 months. Dilute with water or broth and it can be used as an enchilada sauce or for a Mexican style rice and even as a taco sauce. It can also be used to slow simmer chicken or pork.

  1. Completing the Dish

    Now that your beef has been simmering for an hour or so it should be getting soft and tender.

     

    Add 2 to 3 cups of your sauce and stir it in.

     

    Cover and simmer for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

     

    It’s now ready.

     

    Note: The longer you cook it the more tender it will get. 

Keywords: Mexican, chili, chile, Colorado, red, sauce, beef

Canning, Dinner, Food Storage, Low Carb, Lunch, Preserving, Pressure, Recipe, Supplies

Homemade Corned Beef

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I can’t believe I didn’t post about this!  I made homemade corned beef last year, leaving out the sugar and the pink salt, and it was fantastic!  I thought, well, I could make this, then can it so I know exactly where it came from and what was in it.  I haven’t gotten around to canning this because it usually doesn’t last that long!

Anyway, if you are interested (I wanted to see if I could and I did), here is how I did it:

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Homemade Corned Beef

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: ,
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 12

Description

It’s so much easier than I thought!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. To Cure:

    Mix all of the other ingredients, ensuring the salts dissolve.

    Remove as much fat as you want, leaving a minimum of roughly 1/4 to 1/8 inch.

    Place your meat and the brine in a container that will allow the meat to remain submerged. Submerging the meat is key to proper curing. Exposure to air introduces bacteria. I prefer plastic freezer bags. This allows me to actually remove all of the air and turn the meat with less mess.

    Place the container in the refrigerator for a minimum of 5 days, with 7 being preferred. Turn once per day. Now, it’s ready to cook or freeze.

     

  1. To Cook:

    Place the meat in a large pot along with enough hot water to cover it by at least 1″ and put the lid on. Turn the heat to medium, bring to a low simmer and keep it simmering for 30 minutes. If you boil it, it will get tough and shrink. Beware that the meat is cold, so when it warms the water will slowly move from simmer to boil. Keep an eye on it and try not to let it boil.

    After 30 minutes, dump out the water and cover 1″ over the meat with fresh hot water. Bring to a low simmer again, this time for 3 hours or until it is fork tender. Keep the meat submerged with a small plate.

    For Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner, remove the meat and let it rest. Now add sliced carrots, potatoes, and cabbage to the cooking liquid. Simmer until the carrots are tender.  

    Slice the meat across the grain and serve.

Keywords: corned, beef, brisket, pastrami, home, made

And here is how to can it (ever since I canned that chicken, I prefer raw canning meats):

http://canninggranny.blogspot.com/2011/05/canning-corned-beef-brisket.html

There you go!  Give it a shot (even if you only do one).  It really wasn’t as difficult as my brain said it would be!

Dinner, Levels 2 And Above, Recipe

How To Cook Greens

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I was given these instructions from my husband’s co-worker. Hubby said how much I disliked greens and he said it was because I wasn’t cooking them right. 🙂 On a personal note, I made this with beet greens and collard. It was fantastic! The beet greens added a sweetness that was wonderful. As a matter of fact, last year we only grew beets just for the greens. If you are lucky enough to live in a climate where dandelions actually die off during the winter (I’m in California, where the only plants that die off are the ones you don’t want to), you can throw some of the young spring leaves in here also. They taste really good. The older dandelion leaves are just way too bitter. AND nothing says yum like bacon! I don’t use any vegetable oil. I only use olive oil and animal based oils. So, I used bacon grease, with chopped, cooked bacon thrown over the top when serving. YUM! I also love kale and beet greens chopped up and thrown into soups.
So, word for word, here they are:

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How To Cook Greens

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: ,
Difficulty: Beginner

Description

From my husband’s co-worker

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. I was raised on Collard and Turnip Greens. Since becoming an adult and cooking on my own, I have always mixed two types of greens for a fantastic flavor.

    Collards/Mustards or Collards/Kale or Turnips/Kale. I don’t mix collard and turnip greens, just a personal preference.

    I use a bunch of greens per adult person. I use a one to on or two to one ratio at times. 1 bunch of Turnip Greens to 1 bunch of Mustard Greens or 2 bunches of Collard Greens to 1 bunch of Kale.


    I use vegetable oil instead of meat to grease my greens. A meat would be a cheap buy of beef stock.

    Pick your greens. I pull the leaf from the stem. I put great emphasis on cleaning my greens. I soak them before thoroughly rinsing. Nothing worse than biting down into a serving of greens and finding a rock or clump of dirt.

    I start with 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil and a quart of water. Water amount depends on total amount of greens to be cooked. Bring to a boil.

    Place the cleaned greens into the boiling water. Add seasoning: salt, pepper, etc. No salt if using meat instead of vegetable oil. Bring the greens to a boil, making sure that all greens are covered with water. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir occasionally and watch the water level. Do not allow the water to deplete. When adding water, adjust your seasoning.

    Cook on medium to low heat for 45 to 60 minutes. Greens will change color as they cook. Check for doneness by sticking with a fork. I cook my greens on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours.


    Greens taste best with good old fashioned corn bread. If you leave some stem on the greens, you will need to cut them prior to eating. If you cooked only the leaf, get a plate full and enjoy.

Level 1, Levels 2 And Above

Water

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Usually, when I say the word water, I make a face and say the word like a little kid agreeing to do something they don’t want to do.  I am not naturally a water drinker.  As a matter of fact, I typically have to force myself to drink any.


Well, I wanted to tell you how I force (yes, force, especially now that the weather has cooled) myself to get in any water during the day.


First: There has to be ice in the water.  No matter how cold it is coming out of the tap, it just doesn’t taste right.


Second: In the beginning, I added a little salt and the squeeze of about 1/8 lime. It was still quite warm when I came back full bore and this was very refreshing. That is, until my teeth started hurting. It seems they couldn’t handle the added acid.


Third: I drink my water with a straw. When we had that awful day driving to Fry’s electronics with nothing to drink, on the way home we picked up some 44 ounce sodas (mmmmm …. diet Mountain Dew). I liked the cups, so that’s what I started using for my water. I managed to drink three of those every day without thinking about it too much. Well, even though I was hand washing, the Styrofoam didn’t hold up so I went back to my 32-ounce thermos mug. I could barely finish 2 of those. Then, I came across a posting on Reddit where many said they drank more with a straw. So, in that little hole on the top went a straw and I was up to 3 of those a day (I need a bigger mug … I actually get lazy when I’m in the middle of doing something and don’t want to get up just to fill up my water).


Fourth: I bribe myself. No matter what else I’m drinking, I have my mug-o-water next to it. If I want another swig of coffee,tea or soda, I need to drink some water first.


That’s it.  Now, to practice what I preach and fill up my water mug.  Happy Drinking!

Dinner, Level 1, Levels 2 And Above, Lunch, Recipe

Favorite Chili Recipe Ever

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I have always loved chili (Hormel’s No Bean chili).  About a month into my low carb journey, I had chili dogs (2 hot dogs, in a bowl, with chili, cheese, sour cream and a little onion).  Now, granted, I had about 1/2 cup of chili poured over these hot dogs but I was shocked at my blood sugar response!  That morning was 104 and after my meal it was 137!  That was when I read the label.  That chili not only contains corn flour (which was a huge “Duh!” but also, oatmeal).  I have since been on a mission to find a substitute.  I have yet to find one but this … this looks promising!  Just do away with the corn meal and I’ll be good to go!  I’ll scrounge through the freezer and hopefully be able to try this recipe out tonight!

You NEED to click on the link below. This is, really, the best chili recipe.


Let Me Teach You How To Make Texas Red Chili



UPDATE:  Well, I didn’t have any bulk meat so I threw in what I could and ended up with chili soup.  That being said, the flavor is spot on!  I love it!

  • 1/4 lb Fat [I use clarified bacon fat but beef suet would be more traditional]
  • 5 lbs Beef Tips [Chuck Roast cut into cubes is best but you may use the product labeled beef tips in the market]
  • 1/2 Cup Chili Powder [Gebhardt is king in Texas but if you can’t find it use common sense and buy a good brand. Preferably from a market that sells a fair amount of it so it’s fresh. If you have access to a genuine Mexican market then you can find the really good stuff and get a pure chile powder like Guajillo]
  • 2 T. Cumin [I like to buy the seeds, toast them on a comal, then grind them in a spice grinder but powdered cumin will work just fine
  • 2 T. Ground Oregano aka Mexican Oregano [Not the Italian kind, this Oregano is sold as a powder and is essential in this dish]
  • 1 T. Salt or to taste
  • 1 T. Cayenne [obviously if you’d like to ratchet up the heat just add more]
  • 1 bulb Garlic [Freshly minced garlic,not the stuff that sits in a jar of oil in your fridge]
  • 2 quarts Stock [I use chicken which is not traditional, beef is recommended here for purists. If you don’t have time to make stock the brand Better Than Bouillon is surprisingly good]
  • 1/2 Cup Masa Harina [If you can’t find masa mix in your part of the country, corn meal will do just fine-the finer grind the better]
  • 1/2 Cup Water
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