Rice And Natto Run

 

Song:  Freebird

Group:   Lynyrd Skynyrd

I decided to go to the Asian Market in Colorado Springs this early afternoon

to pick up as much rice and Natto as my shopping cart would hold.

As it was in the high 50s...

I had a good time all the way there and back with the windows open 

and my hair flying free.

I was driven by two things...

stocking up on my favorite foods...

and looking forward to eating at McDonald's on the way back.

I had awakened with this mad craving for McDonald's cheese burgers specifically.

They may not be the best burgers...

but they are the simplest.

There is just something about that simple taste that I sometimes madly crave.

I used to love them as a child...

and for whatever reason...

I just wanted to eat some again.

I was just a little ways down my mountain ridge line here.

I was in Woodland Park heading to Colorado Springs.

You can just see the restaurant...

Peak View...

in the bottom center front of this photo.

(It is in the Safeway complex parking lot).

I arrived at the Asian Market...

one of my favorite places to food shop.

Pikes Peak from the Asian Market parking lot...

just before going inside.

The market is huge...

and so many different Asian races' foods are represented here.

At the end...

and to the left is their large veggie and rice area.

They...

literally...

have tons of rice in 50 pound sacks there.

I had at first talked with a stock person about getting many shipping boxes of Natto...

but they only had a few boxes in the stockroom...

but he had given me one...

and so...

I just about emptied out what they had in stock in the freezer.

I left one row of Natto...

only because I felt bad about taking everything...

....not really...

there simply was no room left in my cart  :)

I had also bought 100 pounds of Jasmine rice (just over 45 Kilos).

On my way home...

the above included song began playing from my playlist...

and, once again...

I played it over and over all the way home

(no exaggeration...when I hear a great song that I really love...

I will play it over and over for hours at a time).

The song just matched my feeling of complete freedom...

of my feeling so good...

in not just stocking up on food...

and not just in anticipation of my soon to be had meal...

but...

with the crisp air just flowing through the car...

washing over my face and sending my hair all askew...

I simply had to rock out to this great song from my High School days.

Pikes Peak from Colorado Springs.

For more than halfway home...

I can see Pikes Peak from different angles.

Pikes Peak from Woodland Park in the McDonald's parking lot.

Pikes Peak from the seating inside.

I had a goldilocks meal...

not too large...

not too small...

but just right.

I didn't want to stuff myself...

but I wanted to feel satisfied.

Those six cheeseburgers just hit the spot.

I have always eaten a lot.

Even when I was in elementary school...

I regularly ate five cheese burgers in one sitting.

Even at 66 years old...

I still have a very high metabolic rate.

I had gotten that from my mother.

She had also eaten quite a lot throughout most of her life without ever gaining much weight.

And...

both of us generated a lot of body heat...

especially after eating.

We simply converted our excess calories into body heat.

I remember when I was young...

whenever my mother wanted to cuddle next to me...

I would squirm out...

as with both of us being like little furnaces...

it was simply too unbearably hot.

It is also why I feel so comfortable in cold weather...

and why I suffer in hot...

and especially in hot and humid conditions.

This is another reason why where I live is paradise to me.

I love crisp cold arid air.

This allows me to dissipate my body heat easily...

and why I feel so good driving with all of the windows down...

even in conditions most others would find uncomfortably cold.

To me...

it all feels so refreshing.

The community center near home.

Heading up my mountain ridge line towards home.

Almost home here.

I store most of my dry goods in containers in my storage room just on the 

other side of the hallway next to the kitchen.

I can store 150 pounds of rice per container.

I now have just over 200 pounds of rice

(I have another container with another 50 pounds of rice)...

and I will pick up another 100 pounds of rice next time I go to the Asian Market.

I just love to keep essentials stocked up at all times.

I moved items from the upper kitchen freezer shelf to the bottom portion

to make room for some of the Natto I had just purchased.

This is the upper kitchen freezer shelf filled with Natto.

And this is the washroom vertical deep freeze.

I filled up the rest of the door shelving...

...and I put the rest into an open space in the main body of the freezer.

----------

Tonight I will just rest in bed...

but...

tomorrow...

I think I will start on some indoor projects.

But...

as with everything in life for me now...

I just go by the feel in the moment.

That...

is freedom  :)

Natto And Snow Bandi

 

Song:  My Immortal

Group:  Evanescence

Yesterday...

as well as today...

it had lightly snowed off and on...

and it is supposed to do the same tomorrow...

but on the following day...

it is supposed to be sunny all day long.

I just took it easy yesterday...

as will I today as well.

It is lightly snowing today.

Even though I am snug at home

(I use the subfloor heating on the second floor...

which heats the loft as well...

although upstairs...

and the 1st floor both have subfloor heating as well)...

on snowy days...

I just feel like mellowing out.

-------------

Today...

I ate a big bowl of Natto...

and I finished up a honey glazed smoked ham...

as well as the rest of the mozzarella 

(Bandi and I shared the ham and cheese).

The last time I went shopping at the Asian market...

I had bought up all the Natto they had.

As you just keep the Natto frozen until a couple of days before you use it

(defrost in the fridge)...

I just stock up with all they have whenever I go.

From Google:

Natto, a traditional Japanese dish of fermented soybeans, offers significant health benefits, primarily through its high concentration of nattokinase (an enzyme) and vitamin K2. It promotes cardiovascular health by dissolving blood clots and lowering blood pressure, improves bone density, supports gut health via Bacillus subtilis probiotics, and is packed with protein and fiber. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Key Health Benefits of Natto:

• Cardiovascular Health: Contains nattokinase, which helps dissolve blood clots, reduce plaque buildup, and lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Bone Health: As one of the richest sources of Vitamin K2, natto helps regulate calcium, guiding it to the bones and reducing arterial calcification.
• Digestive Health: Rich in probiotics (Bacillus subtilis) and fiber, it promotes a healthy gut microbiome, improves digestion, and boosts the immune system.
• Nutrient-Dense: High in protein, iron, calcium, manganese, and potassium, aiding in energy and metabolism.
• Other Benefits: Potential anti-inflammatory properties, potential aid in weight management due to high fiber, and improved skin health. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

I cannot impress this upon you enough...

Natto is a super food.

I regularly eat Natto.

For those of you who eat more than once a day...

Natto mixed in with Jasmine or other types of rice...

is a very healthful and delicious way to eat breakfast.

And if you include a few eggs or breakfast meats...

it will satisfy you until much later in the day.

Simply visit your local Asian market...

in the frozen section...

and just try it.

Although some people seem to dislike its taste or texture...

this I do not understand.

I love it.

To me...

it has the aroma of roasted coffee...

and a delightful nutty texture and flavor.

It simply satisfies a deep down craving in my body.

-----------

Bandi loves romping about in the snow.

I take her out for regular forest walks to her bathroom sites.

Just last week...

I had seen a couple of large stags standing in the clearing

just in front of my home.

Bandi will often sniff around to see if any other animal 

has been trespassing on "her" property.

During good weather

(which is for most of the year)...

I will just take her on longer walks in the forest as I have her use the bathroom

in different areas.

It is good basic exercise for both of us...

as well as allowing her to mark her territory around the perimeter of our acreage.

We were headed back in.

I have been trying to get Bandi to shake off the accumulated snow on her back before 

going through the front door...

but so far...

she won't do her final shake until she gets inside  :)

It doesn't matter...

I have a large waterproof carpet where I take off my shoes

just inside of the front door.

In a couple of days...

I am thinking about going back to the Asian market

to stock up on more Natto.

And I will buy another hundred or so pounds of Jasmine rice

(my favorite now).

Hopefully...

they will have a freezer full of Natto.

I want to buy hundreds of packs of them if I can

(I will go early in the morning to ensure I get first crack at it).

I just never wish to run out.

Two Meal Cajon Chicken

 

Song:  Day After Day

Group:  Badfinger

Last Sunday...

I went back to Peak View restaurant after shopping at Safeway.

Upon arriving at just after 2 PM...

I saw a woman taking her guitar case to her car...

and then making two more trips as she also took an amplifier and then a music stand.

I had asked the waitress if they had musicians performing on a regular basis.

She said that they usually have a live performance on Sundays from 12 - 2 PM.

I just missed the performance  :(

I will be sure to go back just before noon in the future.

I just love their spring rolls.

I had the BBQ brisket spring roll once again...

but they have many types.

I will try the others in due course.

I also ordered their BBQ Brisket Pho.

I added the veggies.

It was good...

and I now have a regular place to eat Pho.

They also have many types of Pho...

and I will be trying them as well in the future.

Yesterday...

I decided to make Cajon chicken so I may make two meals out of them.

I like having tons of spices...

so I buy in bulk.

I first coat one side of the chicken...

...and then flip them and coat the other side.

I have so many shelves in my kitchen.

Most are still empty...

but I am glad to have the potential to store many things.

I really like this rotatable bulk spice holder.

As I continue to buy bulk spices...

I will slowly fill this.

I usually eat Natto two to three times a week.

I just take out 3-4 packs of Natto from the vertical deep freeze in the washroom...

and put them in the fridge to slowly defrost over a couple of days...

and use the already defrosted Natto from the fridge...

just continually using and replacing them

(I eat 3-4 serving packs at a time).

I had stocked Natto in the deep freeze door for easy access.

Anyway...

with the chicken fully coated...

I then put them into the oven...preheated to 380 F for 30 minutes.

After allowing to cool for 10 minutes...

I sliced up two of them...

one for me...

and one for Bandi.

I then brought out some fresh mozzarella cheese to put on the sandwiches I was about to make 

for myself.

After slicing up the cheese...

I then placed them into a sealable container.

I like putting honey mustard and horseradish on most meat sandwiches.

I sliced up one piece of chicken for my sandwiches.

I then grabbed a piece of chicken and sliced it up for Bandi.

Each one is about one pound.

Bandi just loves Cajon chicken.

I just allowed the other two pieces of chicken to cool as I ate.

After putting together the first sandwich...

I put it in the micro for 45 seconds to fully melt the mozzarella.

I then stored the last two pieces of chicken for the morrow.

Later that night...

I made some hot buttered popcorn for Bandi and myself to enjoy as I watched

one of my favorite reruns (Frasier) on my iPad.

Bandi gets so excited whenever I get out the air popcorn maker.

I always eat a handful at a time...

and then give her some each time I do.

This late morning...

I used the last of the Cajon Chicken to make Cajon Chicken Yakisoba

(I left some for Bandi to eat as well...just for a taste).

Up here in the mountains...

the weather changes so quickly.

It started hailing as I was preparing the meal this morning.

As the temperature did a precipitous fall...

I lit the fireplace...

and turned on the firebox fan.

It kicked out so much heat so quickly that I shut it off after 15 minutes or so.

It had heated up the whole great room and the loft in that short time period.

Before I had even shut off the fireplace...

the skies had cleared.

As I decided to take the trash down to the community center...

I first took Bandi out to use the bathroom.

It had warmed up so quickly that I just went out in my sweat pants and a T-shirt.

On my way back home after dropping off my trash.

Bandi had a great time...

as she always does anytime we take a car ride

(on the way back...she saw some deer).

-------------

As I had eaten quite a bit...

I am just going to relax in bed until my food digests...

maybe even take a nap.

I plan to practice guitar later tonight.

--------------

I have a big advantage in time and effort savings...

as I usually only eat once a day (usually in the late afternoon to early evening).

So...

 I usually only have to cook once a day...

 even less when I batch cook.

Even when I cook eggs...

I will cook one dozen at a time (for Bandi and myself)...

and if I want left overs (egg sandwiches and food for Bandi on the morrow)...

I will cook even more.