Not made for consuming ~ Bos journal

[zbigi]

My recipe for classic Polish pea soup:

Ingredients:
600 g of dry peas (halves)
150 g of carrots
150 g of parsley (root)
700 g of potatoes
250 g of onions
300 g of celeriac (root)
300 g of bacon (raw, smoked)
300 g of sausage (preferably vaguely smoked one, for flavor)
3 tablespoons of cooking oil
Salt, couple cloves of garlic, marjoran (very important, add a lot), allspice

Instructions:
1. Peel whatever needs peeling (parsley, carrot, celeriac, potatoes). If you feel lazy, the potatoes don't need to be peeled.
2. Slice and dice everything (except peas) into small cubes, perhaps 2x2x2 cm.
3. Throw everything into pressure cooker.
4. Add water - as much as your pressure cooker allows (beware that peas create foam, so you can't fill the pressure cooker too much - refer to presure cooker's manual). The amounts of ingredient I gave require a fairly large pressure cooker, if you have a medium one, adjust the numbers own, so that you can fit enough water into the pot.
5. Pressure cook for 20 minutes, then leave to cool off.

Comments:
1. It's delicious.
2. Once done, the peas should totally disintegrate and form a cream. If it didn't happen, you didn't cook for long enough.
3. In total, you get about 5000 kcal worth of food, so 5 solid servings.

[guitarplayer]

It's easy to make a meal tasty when you only talk about it

That said, what I cook every night is modular so can be easily adjusted to any taste. I have just added here cues for very efficient cooking of majority of food for the day.
- an insider info is that I am thinking with experimenting adding hibiscus flowers to my stews. Hibiscus flower is one of the cheapest teas out there and has a very strong slightly salty (for palate that is off regular salt) flavour. Have been drinking it for years now and recently thought it can potentially amazingly enrich my stews (but might be a total miss).

Separately, @bos there is this recipe for BROL which you can replicate exactly given you have Instant Pot. I have just ordered 25kg medium oatmeal and 4.6kg coarse oatmeal (pinhead, steel-cut oats) and will try it in the slow cooker as per my recipe. After @Jean's carbonara which had been tasty but left me with skin in shambles (not used to dairy any more) I look forward to some plant based caseine (oats)

On a different note, going through my past forum posts for one reason or another, it feels embarrassing how much of what I have the impression I'd been speaking about in the meetup is already written by me on the forum (facts, opinions, anecdotes)! Hope I didn't bore you all / is this a sign of getting old?

[bos]

My recipe for classic Polish pea soup:
...
Comments:
1. It's delicious.
2. Once done, the peas should totally disintegrate and form a cream. If it didn't happen, you didn't cook for long enough.
3. In total, you get about 5000 kcal worth of food, so 5 solid servings.

Thanks for sharing. I'll give it a try this week and let you know the result!

[bos]

Separately, @bos there is this recipe for BROL which you can replicate exactly given you have Instant Pot. I have just ordered 25kg medium oatmeal and 4.6kg coarse oatmeal (pinhead, steel-cut oats) and will try it in the slow cooker as per my recipe.

You've got 30kg of oats at home! Are you secretly keeping horses? I've been trying overnight oats this week, and it works fine for me. I’m not as hardcore as you though - I still mix mine with milk and a bit of honey. Plus, I’m not a fan of scrubbing oat pans, so this method keeps things quick and easy.

On a different note, going through my past forum posts for one reason or another, it feels embarrassing how much of what I have the impression I'd been speaking about in the meetup is already written by me on the forum (facts, opinions, anecdotes)! Hope I didn't bore you all / is this a sign of getting old?

Don't worry about it! I am not that active as some of you on the forum, so much of what I heard was new for me. Besides, hearing good advice more than once helps it sink in!

[guitarplayer]

I’ve got space and it’s cheaper and more convenient this way, plus always something for the guests in my pantry you’re onto something with the horses, when I was telling my folk how I cook cauliflower leaves in the slow cooker they couldn’t help but mention how you feed that to pigs (ok I think they were too polite to say that, I might have brought it up). Though come to think of it, we’re not that far off each other after all. Poke a hole in the exceptionalism balloon.

[loutfard]

You've got 30kg of oats at home! Are you secretly keeping horses? I've been trying overnight oats this week, and it works fine for me. I’m not as hardcore as you though - I still mix mine with milk and a bit of honey. Plus, I’m not a fan of scrubbing oat pans, so this method keeps things quick and easy.

Don't worry about it! I am not that active as some of you on the forum, so much of what I heard was new for me. Besides, hearing good advice more than once helps it sink in!

Same here. I'm old anyway. I _need_ to hear things more than once, lest I forget.

[bos]

Mushrooms
Yesterday, I went mushroom foraging in the area after a full night of rain. By morning, the sun was shining brightly, and I felt confident heading out, especially after learning the basics at the ERE Europe meetup.

Yesterday I went mushroom foraging in the area after a full night of rain. In the morning the sun was shining strongly. I felt confident to head out, especially after learning the basics at he ERE Europe meetup. I found tons of "chicks of the woods" and "yellow-knights". Interestingly, during the meetup I only found chanterelles, so I assumed they are super common, but I didn't see any.

@guitarplayer Do you eat your yellow-knights? Wikipedia has a very strange entry that states roughly "used to be eaten for thousands of years, but has been described as poisonous since the 90s"

A Week with My Brother
My brother stayed with us for a week, and we had an amazing time together. Before leaving, he made an interesting observation that felt like a compliment: "You’re already living like you’re retired. You make art, go for early morning walks, and read books in the park."

Cooking
@zbigi I made your classic Polish pea soup. It was super tasty and DW loves it. The flavors really came together and matched the colder weather. Most of my friends are vegetarian so I will try that once too.

[ertyu]

bos, what came out of practice tattooing? am really excited about your progress w that

[bos]

bos, what came out of practice tattooing? am really excited about your progress w that

Thanks for asking! The next step is to give the studio owner enough confidence that I can tattoo someone. I don't have that myself yet

I anyway continue to study drawing daily. Every Friday I am meeting with a group of people for a 3 hour session to draw from a model. The material is charcoal and not ink like tattooing.

Next week Inktober is also starting and I'm excited to participate!
The challenge involves drawing a different prompt each day in ink. I’ll be doing it alongside @mountainFrugal, so it should be a lot of fun!

Here is one of my drawings from last Friday:

[zbigi]

I'm glad the recipe worked! However, I don't think the soup will work as a vegetarian option - I've tried it yesterday without bacon and with very lean venison sausage only. Unfortunately, most of the flavor was missing, I needed to rescue the soup with a generic flavour additive (Maggi) to make it somewhat good.

Also, the drawing is great. Did you use charcoal pencil?

[guitarplayer]

Mushrooms

...

@guitarplayer Do you eat your yellow-knights? Wikipedia has a very strange entry that states roughly "used to be eaten for thousands of years, but has been described as poisonous since the 90s"

Well done! I've not had the Yellow Knights in DW and I's foraging adventures, but remember my family members talking about the mushroom and might have had it or its close relative when I was a kid. Though I think due to controversies, I would skip it for now and research more at the least. There's plenty species that are good to eat for certain to discover and try first.

Chicken of the Woods - this is on the other hand an unquestionably a brilliant mushroom! I wonder if you already tried it and if you find it to resemble chicken in texture because I do and so does DW.

[bos]

My bicycle's fork broke last week. I am good with bikes, but since moving countries, I don't have the tools for such job. I went to a shop, and they quoted me €300. I bought the bike for €200 second-hand so I was not planning to pay that. Then DW heard about a community repair shop through her food-sharing group, which got me interested.

I bought a fork and went to the community shop. It's open to everyone, and a nice old hippie walks around that offers advice while you work.
They have all the tools you can imagine plus plenty of spare parts. At the end, you give a donation. It took me two hours, and I felt amazing afterwards. That kind of hands-on work is exactly what an IT worker like me needs sometimes.
The new fork cost €70, and I gave a €20 donation.

[bos]

Work
I’ve been taking more risks at work. A few months ago, I realized that more responsibility and ownership would bring greater satisfaction, as it did when I moved from junior to senior. With responsibility comes agency, which feels rewarding. To take on more, I’ve been pushing my ideas by writing proposals, connecting with people, and getting feedback. Some call this office politics, but to me, it’s just communication. Like with family or a partner, you can’t drop wacko ideas out of nowhere. You have to introduce them gradually, get opinions, and build on them.

Two things have happened.

• 1. I’m being considered for a promotion to staff engineer, but it comes with more stress. I constantly have to defend my ideas and convince directors, who are sharp and quick to spot weaknesses. Every time they push back, I have to improve my proposals before we can move forward.

• 2. I'm learning, but that amount of stress is higher then expected. I wake up, thinking about my technical proposals - how to refine them, what to say and how to form my sentences. Now I get why some people see senior level as their end goal and stay there for the rest of their careers.

Art
My art journey is moving forward, and I've started working with oil paints. I enjoy the process, but working with oil in a small appartment is challenging.
I've already accidentally dropped a brush on the floor and smushed the wall . Plus, working with solvents like turpentine isn't exactly appreciated by DW. (That stuff smells like crazy). I'm thinking about switching to an opaque, water-based medium like gouache to reduce some of the hassle.

Art and tech continue to feel like a hedge position in my life. Friends back from artschool are feeling serious pressure of AI on their work. One person what was doing low-skill business illustrations is jobless. No matter what people say, it's happening. But in tech, you're reaping the benefits. Company stock and compensation is going up. When tech goes to shit or burns me out, then I have the beautify and depth of art to continue pursuing.

I'm enjoying participating in Inktober with @mountainFrugal.

[guitarplayer]

I like how this is split in presentation between work and art only, sounds a bohemian lifestyle

To add and on a more serious note: well done progressing in both work and art scenes. Do you ever talk art at work?

[bos]

I like how this is split in presentation between work and art only, sounds a bohemian lifestyle

To add and on a more serious note: well done progressing in both work and art scenes. Do you ever talk art at work?

Thanks for your reply - I mean no offense, but I work mostly with 3rd world immigrants and a bohemian artsy lifestyle is not on their list (yet). Something maslow pyramide I completely understand that their goals are different for now. You can see the same thing on the forum. How many native Latin Americans, Indians, or Southeast Asians are pursuing ERE?

[bos]

This year, I proposed skipping Christmas presents within the family. At first, they were a bit hesitant, but I reassured them I'd still give gifts. Just homemade and free ones Most of the family was on board, except for my grandparents, who got nervous about the idea to make stuff. We told them they could still give money if they really wanted to, which made them happy since buying presents was anyway stressful for them.

For the gifts:
- I made a personal charcoal drawing.
- DW made several cups and bowls, which I painted on before glazing (a.k.a pottery).
- For my dad and grandfather, I created a 3D-printed statue based on a family inside joke.

A month ago I bought a 3D printer. So I've been on a 3D printing spree lately, which feels super rewarding. Shared one example in the fixit thread.

I also took two weeks off work and stayed home. It was very relaxing and gave me a glimpse of what ERE life could feel like. It's a different vibe from traveling. More grounded and realistic.

On the art front, my journey continues. Recently, I was asked to teach at our weekly figure drawing class. I enjoy it, but I’ve noticed many participants treat it as a social, creative evening rather than aiming for serious improvement. That’s totally fine, but it’s not how I approach it right now. The teacher at the class is a super friendly man. What I did not know is that he is more then 90 years old! Crazy that arts keeps you that fit. 3 times a week he comes on his bicycle to teach 4 hour classes.

Financially, it's going well. It's the 3th month that the investment return is higher then my salary.

In terms of our relationship, I’ve realised I’ve been a bit too pushy to integrate ERE into our daily life and need to ease up. While DW and I are fully alligned on the big picture - savings, investments, affordable living, it's the smaller things we not always allign on.

I recently noticed that DW stopped using our shared account for certain items, which led to a conversation between us. She explained that it was simply to avoid comments I’ve made in the past about specific purchases. That really hit me because it made me realize I’ve been unintentionally creating a dynamic where small, inconsequential expenses take up more attention than they should. (This time is was about fresh pastries from the bakery at the corner)
The truth is that we’re in a solid financial position. We’re aligned on the big picture. We save, invest wisely and live affordably. Those are the things that matter on the grand ERE scale and define our long-term goals. Ironically, these small indulgences are the least significant in the grand scheme of our finances, but they’ve somehow become easy for me to point out in day-to-day interactions.

I'm ending this entry with one of the better drawings I made the last month

[bos]

I hope everyone had a cozy Christmas. DW and I visited @J_ and his wife, delivering a 3D-printed part I'd promised them (See our @Fixit Log for context). I found it wonderful to meet again after the ERE Europe meetup last summer. They're such inspirational people! In fact, they inspired us to read Dr. Greger's How Not To Die, which we both nearly finished over the holidays. As someone who grew up consuming animal products daily, this book made me rethink my diet. I've always said, 'Dairy is my culture - my grandparents consume it daily and they are healthy!', But I realised that this is not the right way to approach health. Anecdotes are not evidence. It's important to stay rational in health decision by using data, and this book has given plenty to consider. Easy and Tasty recipes are welcome

As a follow-up to an earlier entry, this Christmas, I suggested we skip buying presents and make them instead. My family found it a bit difficult and still bought most of their gifts, but they did get me some consumables I’d asked for, like organic olive oil and a block of soap.

DW and I focused on handmade gifts. DW’s pottery skills were amazing this year, and everyone loved the bowls, cups, and plates they received. I added some simple decorations before the final glaze to personalize them. It was great to work together and see how happy our gifts made everyone

[guitarplayer]

I can easily imagine how good pottery skills coupled with your painting / drawing skills bring about incredibly beautiful results.

To reiterate: get a slow cooker doubling down on my recommendation now that I have discovered a little luxurious trick. The slow cooker we got in Madrid has this default setting where mode ‘warm’ switches on after timer of cooking on ‘high’ is up. It takes some extra energy (don’t know how much) but man after regular 5.5h on high AND a few hours on ‘warm’ those beans or lentils are mind blowing!

Also, if you go 100% dr Greger get B12 straight away and err on the generous side. We were taking what he recommends (2000 mcg once a week) but for the past few months had started taking 1000mcg day and it made a big difference. Guess it is down to each individual body re B12 absorption.

[bos]

I can easily imagine how good pottery skills coupled with your painting / drawing skills bring about incredibly beautiful results.
To reiterate: get a slow cooker doubling down on my recommendation now that I have discovered a little luxurious trick. The slow cooker we got in Madrid has this default setting where mode ‘warm’ switches on after timer of cooking on ‘high’ is up. It takes some extra energy (don’t know how much) but man after regular 5.5h on high AND a few hours on ‘warm’ those beans or lentils are mind blowing!

Cool trick I didn’t realize the warm mode could enhance the texture so much. My pressure cooker can also act as a slow cooker (sort of). You can set a long cooking time and avoid building pressure and has a 'warm' mode, which sounds similar. I will give it a try!

Also, if you go 100% dr Greger get B12 straight away and err on the generous side. We were taking what he recommends (2000 mcg once a week) but for the past few months had started taking 1000mcg day and it made a big difference. Guess it is down to each individual body re B12 absorption.

Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely grab a B12 supplement since I’m aiming for 90% Greger while DW is going for 100%. I’m curious, what kind of differences did you notice when you upped the dose to 1000 mcg daily? Was it more energy, or something else?

[guitarplayer]

Off the top of my head, my nails got better and DW started dancing salsa in the evenings with her earphones on.

Also general energy etc. B12 is tricky because it takes so long for it to get depleted, years. Can be even longer if you don’t go really whole foods plant based, because it is added to fortified flour or morning cereals of the corn flakes type and you then get it on some sort of random basis. So it is hard to condition taking it.

From a deficiency state to fully stocked body reserves by taking oral supplements only it can take a few months so I still wonder if there’s more coming. Also wonder if various levels of stock feel different or it is more 0-1 relationship. Medical studies are stats based so there is always some translation I factor in when doing these interventions because I am a particular individual and not a statistically average person.