SheSue Experience

I was brought up in the world of 4-H.  I can bake a mean butter cake or perfectly rounded and crossed peanut butter cookies, but 4-H of years past didn’t teach you how to make fried

The chef, Jack Campbell

chicken or beef stew.  In my later years, I did prepare a full course luncheon.  It had to be nutritious and look nice, the table setting was also important as well as how I prepared the meal.  Unless I married into a wealthy family where I prepared dinner parties, my training wasn’t that useful.  I do admit, however, that I do reap some of the lessons at holidays.

So when the community class schedule came out and there were a few cooking classes on exotic foods, I jumped at the chance to try it out.  I chose Ethiopian cooking.  It sounded more interesting than the Mexican one.  I had never taken a cooking class before, so had no idea what to expect.  There was a class size limit so I figured we’d all be sharing in the cooking duties.  I was in for a surprise.

The mirror set-up

I arrived and in front of the room was a counter set up with a huge mirror over it.  Kinda like what you see at the county fair where they are demonstrating the latest slice and dice gadget.  The teacher is walking around in full chef gear.  He hands out a recipe booklet, a pancake looking thing on a plate and a bottle of water.

The class begins by him introducing himself.  He is a chef full time and teaches the class for fun.  He says it gives him a chance to try out new recipes.  All his classes are taught on different types of food and he claims that even if he teaches two classes on German, for example, the recipes will be different.  I can tell by his bantor that some of the students have been to his classes before.  In fact some, it turns out, have been taking his classes for 5 of the 6 years he’s been teaching.  That’s a good sign, right.

Next he introduces Ethiopian cooking.  It’s mostly very spicy, thus the water.  The Ethiopians don’t use eating utensils, instead they use the bread that is in front of us to scoop up their food.  The bread is made with Teff flour and is a mainstay of their diet.  Alone, it is not terribly good, the texture is more like a pancake then bread, it has a sour taste like sourdough, but it also has an earthy flavor.

The chicken and beef stews

Instead of inviting us up to cook, it is obvious that he will be doing all the cooking.  He will be preparing a beef stew, a chicken stew, lentils and collard greens.  All with lots of onions, clarified butter and spices.   As he cooks he tells more about reasons for using particular foods.  For example, clarified butter, which has all the dairy taken out, can be bottled and does not have to be refrigerated.  Africans don’t have many refrigerators.  Also, when a chicken is soaked in lime juice, it isn’t for flavor, it’s to kill the parasites.  Once again, with no refrigeration, a chicken is just sitting out in the warm air until time to cook it.

As he cooked, he also talked about some good Ethiopian restaurants in the Portland area.  Of course, the best is some whole in a basement where the owners are Ethiopian and speak little English.  There are also a couple of Ethiopian grocery stores, but the spices are hard to come by.  The cook had to send away to Washington DC to find some of them.  Speaking of spices, apparently everyone has their own special spice mixture and this is how you make it or break it as a cook.

The collard greens and lentils were finished first.  He set them out for us all to sample.  The people who had taken class before were jumping up as soon as he started setting it out.  They were here to eat.  The collards greens were okay, the lentils were very tasty.  Next came the beef and chicken stews.  Once again, tasty, but the lentils were the best.  Some used the pancake bread to scoop up everything.  Others, like myself, used a fork to scoop stuff onto the bread.  The lentils on the bread was even better.

Finally he put all our names in a bucket and drew out one name.  That person got the Ethiopian cookbook he had used.  Apparently this book give-away is a tradition in all his classes.  I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to cook, but I did learn a lot.  The only recipe that didn’t call for his special spice mix was the lentils, so here is the recipe.

The collard greens and lentils

Ethiopian Split Lentil Sauce

• 2 cups split lentils, red or yellow
• 6 cups water
• 2 cups red onions, chopped
• 1 cup oil or clarified butter
• 1 Tablespoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 4 fresh green Anaheim chili petters, de-seeded and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• salt to taste

Wash the lentils and boil for 5 minutes.  Cook onions adding oil and stirring gently so the onions won’t turn brown.  Remove lentils from the heat, drain and reserve water for later use.  Add the lentils to the onions.  Add reserved water, stirring to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add spices and salt to taste.  Simmer for another 20 minutes.  Keep cooking if you like very soft lentils.

Serves 6.

Today I begin a new category; What’s Your Job?  I’ve always been very curious about what people do at their various jobs and I’ve had some interest from readers.  Not one to be shy about asking, I’m going to get out there and find out.  Sort of like job shadowing, I will be there in the background and, hopefully, try my hand at some part of the job.

My first entry is one of many jobs I’ve had in the past.  My husband has never made that much money, so I’ve always had to work.  While homeschooling my children, I worked many part time jobs to make ends meet.  One of these jobs was as a janitor.

You can work as an independent contractor on your own, or you work for a large company.  I worked for a large company.  I was assigned offices to clean.  Rather than clocking in on a time card, each job was assigned a time that it was estimated you should be able to complete the work.  For example if I had to clean 10 offices, it was estimated I should be able to get the job done in 2 hours and was paid for 2 hours no matter how much time it took me.  I found that their estimates were pretty accurate overall.

Some offices I cleaned every day, some every other day, some twice a week.  I cleaned offices of attorney’s, graphic designers,  architects, and city maintenance.  It was kind of interesting getting to know how much personnel it takes to run each of these offices.  An attorney’s office has the receptionist, legal assistants, clerks, sales and the attorneys.

I was assigned my own set of cleaning tools including vacuum cleaner, duster, bucket, mop, and various cleaning products.  I was given keys to the various buildings.  Every once in a while somebody was still in the building, but for the most part, I was alone.  It was kinda eery at first.  I mean I felt like I was snooping into these people’s lives without them knowing about it.  You could tell right away who was the slob and who was the neat freak.  But you don’t have enough time to do any real snooping.  Time was money.

Each office had their own set of rules as to what to clean, where, if I could move anything, etc.   You had to be very careful dusting.  You wanted to get at the dust, but not move anything.  And if you did move anything, you’d better get it back in exactly the same place.   I vacuumed, dusted, cleaned the bathrooms, cleaned the break rooms and carried out garbage.  I think the worst were bathrooms when there was a shop in the building.  I’m sorry, but men are pretty messy.  The sinks were gross and let’s just say that aim was not on their top priority at the toilet.

The worst thing that ever happened to me was when I got locked out of a building.   This was back in the days of no cell phone for me.  I went in the back door like usual and carried in some of my cleaning products.  When I went back out to the car, I thought I had unlocked the door from the inside, but alas no, I hadn’t.  So here I was out in the middle of a business district.  No handy pay phones on the corner.  I was beginning to despair when I saw a light on in a building a block away and saw a lady in the window.  I was terrified at how she would react, but I didn’t know what else to do.  I knocked on the window and she about had a heart attack.  But she was very nice and let me in to make a phone call to my head company.  Then I just had to wait for them come to the rescue with a second key.  I definitely lost money that night.

The work was not that difficult, but it got old after a while.  And, it was all at night and on the weekends, eliminating precious family time.  The pay is better than fast food, but not that great, but it didn’t require any experience or much training.  It can be more lucrative if you go out on your own.

What’s Your Job?

Tomorrow is the big day.  Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.  A couple of random thoughts I have come across about Thanksgiving that I wanted to pass along.

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.
by W.J. Cameron

With that said, I came across this photo which is entitled ” Thanksgiving is many circles of love.”

And finally I couldn’t resist passing this poem along:

T’was the night of Thanksgiving,
But I just couldn’t sleep.
I tried counting backwards,
I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned,
The dark meat and white.
But I fought the temptation,
With all of my might.
Tossing and turning,
with anticipation.
The thought of a snack
became infatuation.
So I raced to the kitchen,
Flung open the door,
And gazed at the fridge,
Full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey,
And buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots,
Beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling,
So plump and so round.
‘til all of a sudden,
I rose off the ground.
I crashed through the ceiling,
Floating into the sky,
With a mouthful of pudding,
And a handful of pie.
But I managed to yell
As I soared past the trees
Happy eating to all,
Pass the cranberries, please!!
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious,
May your pies take the prize
And May your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!
by Lauren

Do you sometimes get an intense craving for a certain food? As you binge on those chips, you tell yourself that it is your body’s way of telling you it needs some nutrient in the chips. This is a good excuse, but scientific tests have proven otherwise. What if, when you had this intense craving for chips, you were given a cocktail that mimics the chemicals found in chips, OR you are given chips that look, smell and taste like chips, but contain no authentic ingredients in the chips. Which you would go for, the chemical cocktail or the taste? Hands down, you would choose the taste.

Cravings are driven by emotions and psychological factors. We crave foods we enjoy and associate with pleasurable times. If foods with tastes and textures we enjoy are used as a reward or to provide solace, a practice commonly begun in childhood and continued throughout life, then the psychological component for craving such foods grows even stronger.

For example, while also tasting pleasant, foods such as ice cream and cookies rank high as “comfort foods” – foods eaten in an attempt to soothe away troubles. The desire for such items may reach stronger proportions during stressful times. People also have strong expectations for certain foods during cultural times and places. Christmas time we expect lots of rich foods and sweets. At Thanksgiving we expect turkey and pumpkin pie.

Dieters often report carbohydrate cravings. This may be due to a diet too low in calories which can result in blood sugar levels being too low. Dieters get most of their calories from fat and then the carbohydrate portion of their diet is too low. This also happens with people who do heavy exercise. The brain can also play a part in carb cravings via a feedback mechanism between carbohydrate and serotonin. Serotonin is a brain neurotransmitter that some researchers hypothesize is involved in the regulation of carbohydrate intake. The theory suggests that too few carbohydrates result in reduced levels of serotonin, which then drives the craving.

Unfortunately some people, in an effort to “eat right” do just the opposite. We stuff ourselves with carrot sticks while craving those chips. In then end, we tend to binge on the chips telling ourselves that our body “needs” something in those chips or that we will never eat them again. Instead, eat a healthy portion of the chips along with a well balanced diet. Your taste buds and your body will be happy.

It’s that time of year for holiday bazaars and gift shows. You wonder through rooms with colorful booths filled with a wide variety of products. The sales people are cheerful and ever so helpful. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work a booth? It looks like fun. You just stand around and talk to people and make money.

Let me tell you what it’s like to work a trade show. I’ve done many and they’re exhausting.

Weeks before the show, you begin to decide what to take with you. What will sell the best. What you can get in your car. How you’re going to display everything. What sales materials you will give out. How you’re going to collect payment. This all needs to be gathered together along with a emergency box of goodies like tape, scissors, stapler, etc.

The day of the show begins early. Hopefully you’re car or van is packed and ready to go. You make sure you have everything you need plus snacks, water and driving directions. When you arrive at the venue, they usually have an unloading zone. If not, you have to carry everything from your car. Larger venues will have hand carts you can borrow. If not, you get to carry everything.

The booth itself will consist of a table surrounded by some sort of curtain separating you from the other booths. Sometimes the table has a cloth, sometimes not. Sometimes there will be a large sign with your organization name on it, sometimes not. All this information would have been in the initial paperwork.

Depending on the products you are going to sell, you often have to assemble some sort of shelving. I used plastic shelves with removable legs. They were light weight and easy to assemble. After the shelves are assembled, you then need to set out your products in an attractive fashion. You also need to set up a sales area with promotional materials to hand out. In back of and under the table you store empty boxes, bags to give to customers, your cash box and any personal items.

And the show begins. You get to be charming and helpful for the next 10 or so hours. Lots of lookie loos. Lots of questions. After about 5 hours you are ready to crawl under the table and hide. If you’re lucky you have help so you can get away from the table and sit down somewhere.

When the show is finally over you get to pack everything back up. Take down the shelves and haul everything back out to your car. It will be one of the longest days of your life. And your feet will be killing you. Your feet and your back. Plus you will want to frown just to relax your face.

But you do meet a lot of nice people plus you get to check out your competition. I always did well at trade shows. The businesses I promoted were all online, so I could mark down my products. Everything was “on sale” at my booth.

Some tips for a successful day:

1. Don’t try to do it alone
2. Bring lots of water
   
3. Bring your own food, the typical fare is pretty dismal
4. Have everything packed up the night before
5. If you do not have help, ask a neighbor to watch your table so you can take breaks
6. Do some simple stretching throughout the day
7. Wear comfortable shoes

During a massage session, it was suggested I try Bio Feedback therapy. This is a technique in which people are trained to improve their health by learning to control certain internal bodily processes that normally

My stress release.

occur involuntarily, such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and skin temperature. It was explained to me that bio feedback is used to treat high blood pressure, headache and chronic pain all of which I suffer. When a body is repeatedly stressed, internal processes like blood pressure become overactive. Most people who benefit from biofeedback have conditions that are brought on or made worse by stress. For this reason, many scientists believe that relaxation is key to successful biofeedback therapy. I decided to give it a try.

When I called to make the appointment, I was asked to not tell her any of my symptoms. Okay. Not knowing what to expect, I was a little nervous. When I arrived, I was asked to sit on a couch and relax. Sure. The therapist attached straps around my wrists, ankles and my head. These straps were all plugged into her computer. She explained that her program would begin reading the electrical energy in my body. This took several minutes.

At this point, she explained that she was getting my readings. She began to ask questions. Did I have joint issues, was I tired often, did I have intestinal issues, did I often feel sad. All the readings I answered yes to. She said she could ‘treat’ some of my symptoms through electrical impulses. She said I would feel a light electrical zap for each such treatment. It felt like a massage wand touching my wrist. That was the only place I felt anything. After the treatment was over, she explained that she could make some suggestions, but because she was not a physician, she could not tell me what to take. She suggested some supplements.

Synopsis: I really didn’t feel any different when I was done. But it did make a good diagnostic tool. For more information, check out Naturally Healthy You With Bio Feedback Therapy