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You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / True Coat of Arms, Random Crap & Open Thread

True Coat of Arms, Random Crap & Open Thread

by Betty Cracker|  February 8, 201410:55 am| 95 Comments

This post is in: Domestic Politics, Open Threads, General Stupidity

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The mister and I come from hearty bowling, hunting and fishing stock and aren’t into genealogy. Since our ancestors were a motley collection of Eastern European peasants and Anglo-Saxon brigands, we feel certain that the “coat of arms” images and “family mottos” the hucksters at the fair try to sell to us on engraved plaques are randomly generated crap designed to fleece more credulous bumpkins than ourselves. We believe our true coat of arms would look something like this:

coat_of_arms

Ever heard of the Sandwich Generation? I never thought much about it until I joined it a couple of weeks ago, but I propose a name change: Shit Sandwich Generation. Because it sucks. Hard.

Speaking of shit, iTunes needs to redo their interface or something, or maybe my kid needs to get her goddamned hippity-hop and pop bullshit out of my music library and quit fucking with the settings.

I went on there a little while ago to create a playlist to make the three hour drive in the rain I’m to undertake later a little less tedious, and BOOM, it’s an unrecognizable hash of Black Veil Brides, Ke$ha, Kanye and all this other crap where my B-52s and Little Feat are supposed to be. Goddamn it. Lawn, vacate, etc.

What are you up to today? Also, can anyone direct me to a good recipe cache for people on sodium restricted diets? In cooking for my ailing mama, I’ve discovered that salt really is the most important weapon in the kitchen arsenal — or it was in mine, anyway. I would have guessed bacon grease, but same difference.

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Reader Interactions

95Comments

  1. 1.

    shelly

    February 8, 2014 at 11:00 am

    Ever heard of the Sandwich Generation?

    Damn, I first read that as ‘Sandwich Generator.’ Was excited about a website where you’d type in one ingredient and it’d give you a slew of different combinations to put together.

  2. 2.

    the Conster

    February 8, 2014 at 11:01 am

    Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is amazing. Use it with stir fried anything.

  3. 3.

    Amir Khalid

    February 8, 2014 at 11:02 am

    Is this helpful?

  4. 4.

    kdaug

    February 8, 2014 at 11:03 am

    Use soy sauce as a substitute for salt.

  5. 5.

    BGinCHI

    February 8, 2014 at 11:05 am

    Betty, why don’t you just get your daughter a record player and a box of 45s (the one with the handle so you can carry it around), then she will leave your iTunes alone.

  6. 6.

    Amir Khalid

    February 8, 2014 at 11:05 am

    @kdaug:
    Maybe not. Soy sauce itself can be rather high in sodium.

  7. 7.

    Gozer

    February 8, 2014 at 11:05 am

    Wishing I had the nerve to buy weed today. My anxiety is through the roof for some reason and the usual solutions (anxiolytics, booze, exercise, etc.) haven’t been working. I think I need the Pdoc to adjust my meds.

  8. 8.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 8, 2014 at 11:07 am

    @BGinCHI:

    Are you kidding? Do you know how much those go for in antique shops?

    Also, too, Beatles’ 45s are a rare commodity.

  9. 9.

    BGinCHI

    February 8, 2014 at 11:10 am

    @Villago Delenda Est: I knew I should have saved all that shit.

    Recently unearthed my old comic books from the 70s. Two nice boxes full. Torn between selling them and saving them for the boy. No idea whether kids will care about that in the near future with the flying cars and jetpacks and single payer healthcare.

  10. 10.

    currants

    February 8, 2014 at 11:11 am

    @Amir Khalid: Could be, as long as you don’t pick a random site. My experience with online recipes that are not from people/blogs I know to do a lot of successful cooking has been pretty dismal, and trying to make something tasty without an ingredient you normally use would seem to run a higher than average risk of that outcome.

    So for instance you could do a low-sodium search on epicurious, or the same thing on the foodnetwork, or some similar site you use often (like Whats4DinnerSolutions, say, or smitten kitchen, chocolate and zucchini, etc).

  11. 11.

    Cermet

    February 8, 2014 at 11:11 am

    Consider using the so-called “No Salt” that is made with Potassium Chloride; most people can use it safely (in moderate doses/levels.) It is very similar to salt in recipes but rather metallic straight. Like anything when there are issues with your health, check with your doctor before using; if you have heart issues it could be dangerous. Most people are rather deficient in required potassium levels so it can also help (it is often added to chips to lower the sodium level while keeping the ‘saltiness’.)

  12. 12.

    currants

    February 8, 2014 at 11:14 am

    @Cermet: Yes, and lemon is often a surprisingly good ‘salt’ substitute too. Should look it up my in Harold McGee to figure out why….

  13. 13.

    Cacti

    February 8, 2014 at 11:14 am

    Well, I just got some terrible news.

    My Moms probably has congestive heart failure. :-(

  14. 14.

    SuperHrefna

    February 8, 2014 at 11:17 am

    Sorry to hear things are so shitty! I have no specific low-sodium resources to share, but a few general tips: use lots of herbs. fresh herbs add interest to everything without salt, and dried herbs have their uses as well, especially when you can mix them in oil to carry their flavor through the fish, like in salad dressings, etc. Consider using nutritional yeast as a condiment, like vegans do. It has a cheesy nutty flavor and is packed with b vitamins. http://www.bobsredmill.com/nutritional-yeast.html Acidic touches can help as well, finish a dish by squeezing a wedge of lemon over it, or stirring some vinegar into it, to pep it up.

    In general though the best way you can lower your mom’s salt intake to avoid ALL processed food as it is insanely high in sodium. I’ve even read where doctors said it’s ok to sprinkle a bit of salt on a from-scratch meal prepared entirely without salt as table salt makes a negligible contribution to the overall sodium levels in our diet. Of course that turns you into the domestic goddess producing her meals and baked goods from scratch – do you have a kid or two you can turn to KP duty?

  15. 15.

    BGinCHI

    February 8, 2014 at 11:20 am

    @SuperHrefna: This.

    Especially second paragraph. Exactly right. Control your ingredients.

  16. 16.

    Amir Khalid

    February 8, 2014 at 11:20 am

    The design for the Cracker family coat of arms looks promising, by the way. Maybe you could get it done up all professional-like, with a hen on top of the shield, a boxer on either side, and a banner under it with a slogan in pig-Latin.

  17. 17.

    Suffern ACE

    February 8, 2014 at 11:21 am

    As someone who has been restricting my sodium intake, any web site for DASH diet recipes will do. The Mayo clinic has some. And lots of steamed veges.

    I’m not certain what other restrictions she is on, but Traders does have low/no sodium trail mixes. Bread is not your friend, so lots of rice. Shredded wheat is the lowest sodium breakfast cereal. Dark and semi sweet chocolate tends to be low sodium for a sugar rush. Ritz now has decently low sodium crackers if you limit your intake. Greek yoghurt is better than French. The mustards that have whole seeds floating around tend to be lower than other types. Boars head makes a no sodium turkey, which is fine, but again, bread is not really your friend when you’re trying to stay under 2000 mg per day.

  18. 18.

    IowaOldLady

    February 8, 2014 at 11:21 am

    @BGinCHI: Upstairs, I have a big box of my son’s old Dragon magazines. I keep thinking I should do something with them.

  19. 19.

    JPL

    February 8, 2014 at 11:23 am

    @Cacti: What sad news and please keep us updated.

  20. 20.

    shirt

    February 8, 2014 at 11:26 am

    lemon juice is a fine substitute for salt. Makes a lot of foods taste better as well,

    Congestive heart failure is not a death sentence. My Mother in law lived 13 years with that diagnosis. Encourage your aging ones to keep walking, don’t become sessile! Mechanical aids sometimes end up encouraging laziness.

  21. 21.

    NotMax

    February 8, 2014 at 11:33 am

    @kdaug

    There is as much variety in soy sauces (point of origin, method of fermentation, blended or not) that hard and fast numbers have a wide range, but the garden-variety ones on market shelves usually consist of between 15 to 20% salt.

    Want to use less salt? Then Use. Less. Salt. Keep the salt shaker off the dining table for starters. Retraining the palate is like any other physical training, it takes some time to see results.

    Dependent on the recipe (and one’s preferences) pungent notes (garlic or aromatic herbs in some cases, hot sauce or peppers in others, citrus in yet others to provide zing) or root veggies such as carrots to provide variety, balance acidity and meld flavors while cooking in yet others can be just as, if not more, satisfying.

  22. 22.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 8, 2014 at 11:34 am

    Heading to the opera.

  23. 23.

    Betty Cracker

    February 8, 2014 at 11:36 am

    @Cacti: I’m so sorry.

  24. 24.

    Tripod

    February 8, 2014 at 11:37 am

    Not feeling the team figure skating. It seems antithetical to the nature of the sport (see Harding vs. Kerrigan), and a bit contrived in execution.

  25. 25.

    Slugger

    February 8, 2014 at 11:38 am

    I’d like to design a coat of arms for my family. How do say,” Throw the cork away, we’ll finish the bottle!” in Latin?

  26. 26.

    Montysano

    February 8, 2014 at 11:43 am

    +10 for the Spanglish reference. That movie sucks me in every time because…. well.. . Paz Cruz.

  27. 27.

    James Gary

    February 8, 2014 at 11:45 am

    Confidential to Betty Cracker: It’s *extremely* easy (two clicks) to set up multiple libraries in iTunes…you might want to give the topic a Google.

  28. 28.

    WereBear

    February 8, 2014 at 11:49 am

    @Cacti: There’s a lot she can still do, hopefully. CoQ10 supplementation, for a start. And if she is on statins, STOP. They deplete CoQ10 and make the situation worse.

  29. 29.

    BethanyAnne

    February 8, 2014 at 11:50 am

    @Cacti: oh, no. I’m so sorry to hear that.

  30. 30.

    Ruckus

    February 8, 2014 at 11:50 am

    @SuperHrefna:
    A good point on the processed foods. The sodium content can vary wildly and has to be looked at, but not all processed foods are horrible.
    I have to keep a check on salt and also potassium due to heart issues and my meds make me retain potassium. But a huge thing to controlling sodium is put away the salt shaker and watch how much you cook with. If you cook with fresh foods the salt you add is for the most part the salt.

  31. 31.

    Betty Cracker

    February 8, 2014 at 11:52 am

    @Montysano: Never seen it. What have I accidentally referenced?

  32. 32.

    Michael Bersin

    February 8, 2014 at 11:53 am

    Senator Claire McCaskill proudly touts her “moderate” rating in the National Journal:

    High Broderism, part the infinity

    “

  33. 33.

    GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)

    February 8, 2014 at 11:55 am

    @Cacti:

    While a major disorder, CHF is often well-managed with medication. I’d get her to a good cardiologist specializing in heart failure. I know the Mayo Clinic has some. Find a major institution and get her meds dialed in.

  34. 34.

    ruemara

    February 8, 2014 at 11:56 am

    @Cacti: Big support hugs. Sorry.

    Betty, I’m on a sodium restricted diet. 2 things to have: Braggs, cut in half with water. A good salt free seasoning base. I use a 50/50 mix of a garlic sesame blend and a salt free blend from an organic seasoning company that I can buy in bulk. I did an article on them, but I’m running out the door to travel to my next shooting event. It’s easy to go salt free, but you have to get used to dealing in flavours, not reaching for the salt shaker. More herbs, less salt! Plus, no more eating out. Not unless you can specify, no salt, no soy sauce, please and thank you. In fact, I can send you my larder staples guide. Some of them are brought up here, some may not be. Y’all be good and don’t piss on the rug.

  35. 35.

    Tokyokie

    February 8, 2014 at 11:56 am

    @currants: When I look up a recipe online, I’ll usually check several, then kind of take the average of them. If, say, several call for 2 cups of flour, one calls for 1 cup of flour, and one calls for 3 1/2 cups, I’ll go with 2 cups. But if one includes an ingredient that would seem to go well with the dish, and the others leave it out, I’ll include it. (Conversely, if one recipe includes an ingredient that I think seems awful for the recipe, I’ll follow the majority an leave it out.) And I’ll substitute ingredients — I’m big on using maple syrup instead of corn syrup in baking, and I’ll use a good bittersweet chocolate over that unsweetened Baker’s crap every time — with abandon. If it’s baked goods, I’ll use the quickest cooking time, monitor and keep returning it to the oven for 5-minute stretches until it’s done. But if it’s meat, I’ll err on the side of caution and cook it as long as directed, maybe 5 minutes longer. (Yeah, I should find my meat thermometer, but that’s not something I think of until whatever I’m cooking is being cooked.)

  36. 36.

    phoebes-in-santa fe

    February 8, 2014 at 11:57 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: So am I. I am going to the HDLive at the Met performance of “Rusaka”. Is that what you’re going to see?

  37. 37.

    Karmus

    February 8, 2014 at 11:59 am

    @Cacti:

    My Moms probably has congestive heart failure. :-(

    So sorry to hear that, Cacti. Also my empathy to you, Betty (my mom was named Betty, and yeah, we are/were crackers). I was an ‘open-faced sandwich’, involved in elder care, though no kids of my own. My mom was a peach, and she slipped away just as she wanted (and had made very plain to everyone), but I sure miss her.

  38. 38.

    NotMax

    February 8, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    Took nearly two years of cajoling, arguing and working through channels back shortly after the last dinosaurs died out, but did succeed in getting the college food service to offer non-salted french fries.

  39. 39.

    ThresherK

    February 8, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    I barely know my saltire from my escutcheon, but shouldn’t the “yer doing it wrong” with a saw be accompanied by either blood, a bandage, or a crutch?

  40. 40.

    NotMax

    February 8, 2014 at 12:09 pm

    A recliner rampant on a field of martini glasses would be just perfect for my coat of arms.

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 8, 2014 at 12:10 pm

    @phoebes-in-santa fe: @phoebes-in-santa fe: yup! Can’t wait!

  42. 42.

    Lyrebird

    February 8, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    @Cacti: Ouch. Best kind of good thoughts goin’ out to you and your moms.

    re: low salt, low sodium diet:

    GARLIC is your FRIEND. For stewed chicken (note that long cooking takes the sharp bite away), tomato sauce, etc, amping up the garlic made food much more palatable for one of our elders who at 91-ish had to have absolutely no salt added.

    My mom, who is the adaptive cooking champion of the universe, noted that she found cutting added salt to 1/10th was still much tastier than None At All.

  43. 43.

    ThresherK

    February 8, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    @NotMax: How can a recliner be rampant, and wouldn’t that be defeating the purpose of a recliner?

  44. 44.

    Howard Beale IV

    February 8, 2014 at 12:13 pm

    @BGinCHI: Thanks for kicking an archive bit on.

  45. 45.

    NotMax

    February 8, 2014 at 12:15 pm

    @ThresherK

    Side view, footrest fully extended.

  46. 46.

    ThresherK

    February 8, 2014 at 12:16 pm

    @NotMax: +1

  47. 47.

    Lyrebird

    February 8, 2014 at 12:16 pm

    @James Gary: Hi, I can set up libraries no problem, but I still loathe the new iTunes versions, and the iTunes Store* above all. Is there an “act like the previous decade” setting?

    *After screwing up access to my own account and music which I myself paid for, they had some lucky international customer service person tell me to send them my credit card number that I’d used to pay for the music in plain email. With my identifying personal information.

    I haven’t written back with what I think of that idea, bc I feel badly for random customer service dude.

    Been weighing whether or not to get an iPhone or a competing platform specifically bc I want an MP3 library application that does not screw around with me like iTunes does. (Suggestions welcome!)

  48. 48.

    Howard Beale IV

    February 8, 2014 at 12:20 pm

    @Gozer: Tried any psychoacoustics/environemntal sounds?

  49. 49.

    tybee

    February 8, 2014 at 12:23 pm

    @NotMax:

    yup. quit using salt reflexively.

    and, as mentioned above, acidic additives (lemon, lime, vinegar) do a fine job and, also mentioned previously, i find that using hot peppers (ground, fresh, pickled, etc) helped a lot.

    eventually you’ll end up in a restaurant and find yourself complaining about how salty everything is.

  50. 50.

    TaMara (BHF)

    February 8, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    @BettyCracker:

    Substitute a variety of good vinegars, wine, red, balsamic, etc. They are great in everything from potatoes to veggies to meats to soups. Also, lemon. Between these two you can reduce a lot of salt.

    And go with fresh or frozen minimally processed foods. Most excess salt comes from prepackaged stuff/crap/bane of my existence. And go for no salt added canned tomatoes, tomato sauces, etc. They pack those with salt otherwise, better to add your own.

    You can email me if you need some specific suggestions or ideas.I’ll do what I can to help. When my dad was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I went and put together a full load of menus that followed his dietary restrictions. It’s pretty easy to adapt most menus to what you’ll need, salt-wise, and fresh, simple and flavorful is key. <3

  51. 51.

    Mobile RoonieRoo

    February 8, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    Grumpy says a better name for our generation is Wedgies.

  52. 52.

    SuperHrefna

    February 8, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    Another thing I forgot to mention is gremolata! That’s a mix of lemon zest ( use a microplane), minced garlic, chopped parsley and olive oil. It adds a serious punch to foods you might otherwise have topped with salty cheese or just plain salt.

  53. 53.

    Montysano

    February 8, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    @Betty Cracker: “Just try it on”

  54. 54.

    Ferdzy

    February 8, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    Hi Betty. Mostly I’m a lurker here, but I just want to say I feel you on the parents-getting-older thing. Good luck!

    Also, I do a food blog. I don’t do low sodium recipes per se, but I don’t use anything more processed than dry pasta and purchased chicken stock, so salt levels are pretty easy to adjust. I’m also pretty allergic to spending much more than half an hour making anything, so most recipes are pretty basic home-cooking type stuff. I try to do a lot of veggies.

    http://seasonalontariofood.blogspot.ca/

  55. 55.

    Betty Cracker

    February 8, 2014 at 12:41 pm

    @Montysano: LOL! My mother-in-law says that ALL the time. No one is allowed to give anything to Goodwill; it is her quest to match every article of clothing with a new owner.

  56. 56.

    KS in MA

    February 8, 2014 at 12:41 pm

    @NotMax: That would be couchant, wouldn’t it?

  57. 57.

    Svensker

    February 8, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    @GHayduke (formerly lojasmo):

    What he said. We’ve got a friend who’s lived with it for years. Gotta pay attention, do what the doctor says, change your life a little, but it’s definitely not necessarily a death sentence. It just sounds so dang scary!

    Big hugs and hope your mom gets through this.

  58. 58.

    Betty Cracker

    February 8, 2014 at 12:48 pm

    Thanks to everyone for the low-sodium suggestions. It’s really a challenge because, as Southerners, we have abominable eating habits. Once I left home, I discovered the joys of fresh food and non-bacon-flavored veggies. But my mom eats a lot of processed crap, so this is a huge change for her.

  59. 59.

    kindness

    February 8, 2014 at 12:53 pm

    Why aren’t the kids using a version of iTunes on their own page at home? That would end them putting their music into your library.

  60. 60.

    IowaOldLady

    February 8, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    Mr IOL is supposed to avoid sodium for his blood pressure. Your home cooking probably is not a problem, especially if you use the sodium reduced salt and watch things like ketchup and soy sauce. Eating out is almost impossible though. We use so little salt at home that anything in a restaurant tasts super salty to us.

  61. 61.

    SuperHrefna

    February 8, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    @Betty Cracker: in a way that makes things easier – if she’s been eating a standard American processed diet until now, just switching to fresh food cooked from scratch will improve her health enormously without having to go to any real extremes or bizarre salt substitutes. I’m sure it will be a shock for her taste buds, because processed food is designed to be both very salty and very sweet, but if she can stick with it her palate will adjust. Good luck to you both!

  62. 62.

    KG

    February 8, 2014 at 1:11 pm

    I often just exclude salt from recipes, or just reduce the amount. Never had much of an issue with that approach. I also rarely put salt on food after it’s cooked though… Figure I get enough sodium from the cokes I shouldn’t be drinking

  63. 63.

    Barry

    February 8, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    @SuperHrefna: “Acidic touches can help as well, finish a dish by squeezing a wedge of lemon over it, or stirring some vinegar into it, to pep it up. ”

    Or wine (I don’t know what the sodium content of beer is).

  64. 64.

    gene108

    February 8, 2014 at 1:17 pm

    Salt is an acquired taste.

    Get used to using less salt.

    Then when you eat things with what used to be your normal salt levels it will taste like you are eating a mountain of salt.

    Seriously, your taste buds will adjust to what is “normal” salt levels, if you use less salt consistently.

    Cacti, sending good thoughts your way.

    EDIT: Suggestion up top about DASH diet recipes is good. DASH diet is a good place to start for low sodium recipes.

  65. 65.

    Elizabeth

    February 8, 2014 at 1:22 pm

    My I-tunes is screwed up too; in fact, our whole family can’t get access to any of our accounts anymore. My daughter said to make an appointment with a ‘genius’ at the Apple store, take in my laptop, and have them sort it out for me. Sounds like a great pay-back plan; have Apple deal w/what they’ve done to me.

  66. 66.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 8, 2014 at 1:33 pm

    More idiocy from Noisemax:

    Iran Sends Warships Close to US

    If you define “close” as “somewhere in the South Atlantic”. Fuckwits would have you believing that you can see an Iranian destroyer and a logistic helicopter carrier cruising back and forth within view of Miami Beach or something.

    Like this Iranian armada is any possible threat to the US in any way, shape, or form.

  67. 67.

    currants

    February 8, 2014 at 1:35 pm

    @Tokyokie: *grin* Yes, good strategy, one I normally use–the dead giveaway for recipe fail is an ingredient in the list that doesn’t appear in the directions, or vice versa. However, I ran into trouble when trying to find recipes for vegan snacks. Yeowzuh… some of those folks just don’t really bake (or cook)….GAH.

  68. 68.

    satby

    February 8, 2014 at 1:35 pm

    @Cacti: Sorry to hear that, but treatment options can help a lot. My mom has been doing well on meds, and she’s 83 and not at all compliant on diet restrictions.

  69. 69.

    tybee

    February 8, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    the iranian navy is communicating with their sleeper cells in the u.s. and will invade shortly so obummer will declare a national emergency and cancel the elections.

  70. 70.

    currants

    February 8, 2014 at 1:39 pm

    @SuperHrefna: OH YES! That’s a GREAT addition, and there are good variations to be made on it as well. Also great make-ahead, add last-minute.

  71. 71.

    James Gary

    February 8, 2014 at 1:43 pm

    @Lyrebird: Yes, the designed-for-mobile-with-other-devices-as-an-afterthought approach to interface design is really obnoxious–the new versions of iTunes now takes up about twice the physical space on the desktop that older releases did.

    As for the iTunes Store, I avoid the well-known problems with it by using it as little as I possibly can.

  72. 72.

    Baud

    February 8, 2014 at 1:47 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    The Cape of Good Hope was our Rubicon. Now we fight!

  73. 73.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    February 8, 2014 at 2:11 pm

    I think the best advice I could give about the diet would be:

    1. Buy and/or grow ingredients.
    2. Make food, and don’t put any salt in it.
    3. Avoid packaged food at all costs short of continuing to live. There are weird salts everywhere in that world.

    I agree it’s going to be very different without salt. You’re best off to figure out how to embrace it.

    You do need it, so leave it to things like butter, meat, etc etc to give it to you, and put a salt shaker on the table for you and anyone else that may happen to be there that don’t need to worry about it.

  74. 74.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    February 8, 2014 at 2:22 pm

    @Slugger: Here you go: http://translate.google.com/#auto/la/Throw%20the%20cork%20away%2C%20we'll%20finish%20the%20bottle.

  75. 75.

    Kayla Rudbek

    February 8, 2014 at 2:22 pm

    There is also a low-iodine free cookbook available at http://www.thyca.org/download/document/231/Cookbook.pdf
    It’s low iodine and not low salt per se, but it might give you some ideas. And it is a very restrictive diet in terms of prepared foods, etc.

  76. 76.

    Lyrebird

    February 8, 2014 at 2:32 pm

    @Elizabeth: Thank you! I will try that suggestion as well, next time I’m within 2 hrs’ drive of an Apple store… (I live northeast of John Cole a bit, further into the middle of nowhere.)

    @James Gary: Yeah at this point I may just re-buy (from Amazon) the seven blocked tunes they’ve messed up and have done with it.

  77. 77.

    WereBear

    February 8, 2014 at 2:51 pm

    @SuperHrefna: if she’s been eating a standard American processed diet until now, just switching to fresh food cooked from scratch will improve her health enormously

    SO very true. Especially these days, when they seem to be in a contest to put the weirdest industrial chemicals in the food that they can.

    Subway sandwich chain to remove chemical found in yoga mats from bread

  78. 78.

    Violet

    February 8, 2014 at 2:55 pm

    Betty, you have my sympathies. Being in the Sandwich Generation sucks and taking care of elderly and ailing parents is a challenge. Wishing you all the best as you help your mom.

  79. 79.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    February 8, 2014 at 3:05 pm

    @WereBear: Yeah, I saw that… it’s completely insane.

  80. 80.

    waratah

    February 8, 2014 at 3:12 pm

    Betty you are lucky,today there are a lot more products that are no sodium or low to chose from.
    I generally cook fresh food with no salt and add some at the table.
    I like the new sea salt grinders set on a large grind and find I need little.
    I add no salt to grilled steak and the searing holds the juices and you get to like the taste of the meat. I do add a little sea salt on the plate. I like to squeeze lemon or lime juice on seafood and vegetables.

    Kettle makes no salt chips but they seem to sell out quickly at the my supermarket.
    There are no salt peanuts.
    You will find a lot more available of low salt than no salt but that might help to get your mother started.
    I found I would rather eat less real salt than eat the substitutes.

  81. 81.

    Jamey

    February 8, 2014 at 3:20 pm

    BC: Add “One Taste Won’t Kill You” above the a bend-sinister and that could be MY family’s coat of arms!

    Also, had my own sandwich experience–seven years easing my ma off this mortal coil as she deteriorated from CA/CHD and dementia, while simultaneously raising two kids aged 10 and under. No picnic. But I somehow feel that I’m the better man for it…

  82. 82.

    Jamey

    February 8, 2014 at 3:21 pm

    @shelly: Actually, it’s an Arduino-powered 3-D printing machine.

  83. 83.

    JaneE

    February 8, 2014 at 4:18 pm

    I generally just omit salt when cooking meats or vegetables. Reduce the amount for baking- start with half and see if you can really tell the difference. You might be surprised how quickly you get used to not having salt.

    Watch out for anything that comes in cans, bottles, or pouches from the store. Make that any kind of processed food. Look at the nutrition labels, and check the serving size. Make sure that you only eat out at restaurants that can/will do low/no sodium on request.

    Sauces go on the side. Sprinkle with herbs, spices, zests, fresh citrus juices. A lot of curries can be made without salt, even if the recipe calls for it. The same for chili. Even if you can’t do without salt for something, you can usually cut it way back. Be careful with quick breads, I don’t know any substitutes for baking soda/baking powder that you can use for a sodium free diet.

    Provide a salt shaker for those who have to have some.

  84. 84.

    Gozer

    February 8, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    @Howard Beale IV:

    Stuff like that sometimes helps with sleep. It’s my waking moments that give me trouble.

    I’m really trying to reorder my work/life balance. Though I love my job I sometimes spend nearly 4 hrs a day commuting (2hrs each way if there’s bad weather) alone with my fucked up brain. That’s a huge problem and one I’m trying to solve.

  85. 85.

    Chickamin Slam

    February 8, 2014 at 5:09 pm

    A couple of libraries are having “Friends of” book sales this weekend.

    It kind of warms the heart to see the works of Thomas Friedman and Hugh Hewitt tossed on a table alongside some faded Harlequin romance novels and tomes dedicated to running Microsoft products … 95, 98, etc …

  86. 86.

    kathy a.

    February 8, 2014 at 5:40 pm

    I started watching my salt because of high blood pressure. The most important thing is to scope out sodium levels on labels! The amount of salt in many products (and fast foods) is just shocking. You can use a 50% allotment of the daily recommendation on a kid’s cheeseburger; or blow a good chunk of the daily allowance on an easy frozen meal. Watch portion sizes, too — that little bitty sodium level per serving might be 2 chips.

    You have to shop around, but there are low sodium products out there. Always go for the lower sodium. And what everyone else said about spicing it up in other ways — herbs, spices, peppers, lemon or vinegar.

    I was really distressed about never being able to eat a burrito again, or a hundred other things. So one trick is to eat half of something special, and save the rest to eat later. Instead of deprivation, spacing out the treats.

  87. 87.

    ranchandsyrup

    February 8, 2014 at 5:53 pm

    Ha! Love these posts from you Betty.

  88. 88.

    Talentless Hack

    February 8, 2014 at 5:54 pm

    @Barry: Beer has zero sodium, unless you use softened water to make it, and then the yeast will probably rebel and the beer won’t taste good.

  89. 89.

    Original Lee

    February 8, 2014 at 6:42 pm

    Spice Hunter has some really good low- and no-sodium spice blends. Here are a few. We keep a number of their products on hand. Our favorite is the Steak & Chop Grill and Broil Blend.

    You can order online and get delivery in less than a week, or you can find a store near you that carries the brand.

  90. 90.

    rikyrah

    February 8, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    Fraternity Life, Islamic Style

    By KYLE SPENCER
    FEB. 6, 2014

    SHORTLY BEFORE SUNUP, a dozen or so students at the University of California, San Diego, stumbled dutifully out of bed. They ironed their collared shirts, knotted their ties and piled into their cars. Their destination was the Islamic Center of San Diego, where they were to be initiated into the country’s first Muslim fraternity, Alpha Lambda Mu, named for three letters that start several chapters of the Quran: Alif Laam Meem.

    After the morning prayer, Fajr, the 13 pledges recited a passage from the Quran, then listened attentively as their adviser applied the Islamic values of loyalty, sincerity and brotherly forgiveness to daily life on campus. Finally, the young men pronounced their goals for the coming semester: Rumzi Khan, a computer science major who founded the chapter, vowed to pray more. Several science majors promised to double down on their studying. Samer Abusaleh, a junior in economics, pledged to be more consistent with his Quran reading. He also wanted to work on his six-pack, and not the kind usually associated with Greeks. There was nothing typical about this initiation, which ended over plates of carrot cake pancakes and huevos rancheros at a 1950s-style pancake house. No beer pong. No hazing. None of the raucousness that characterizes frat life.

    ………………………….

    WITH YOUNG MUSLIMS demanding support, acceptance and greater understanding of a culture that many Americans seem to know little about, the arrival of Alpha Lambda Mu may be less an anomaly than a sign of the times. Researchers who study the ebb and flow of immigrant assimilation say that recent interest in a fraternal identity makes a kind of symmetrical sense.

    “I’m surprised it took this long,” said Brian Calfano, an associate professor of political science at Missouri State University who has conducted extensive research on Islamic and American identities. “The fraternity itself is a hallmark of the modern American college experience,” he said. “In other words, these students are saying: ‘We want to live out our identity. We want to be protected within our group. But we also want to exercise our capacity to enjoy our college life.’”

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/education/edlife/greek-life-islamic-style.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=1

  91. 91.

    Calming Influence

    February 8, 2014 at 7:17 pm

    In The Bushwacked Piano Thomas McGuane’s protagonist remarked to his mother that he felt the family crest should feature “a snake dragging its heels”.

  92. 92.

    Sandia Blanca

    February 8, 2014 at 10:11 pm

    The American Heart Association has a low-salt cookbook, and also online resources.

    We’ve been doing the low-sodium diet for several years, and I recommend liquid smoke (especially nice in greens or meatloaf), Tabasco sauce (it’s low in sodium), garlic powder, and the Costco no-salt seasoning mix.

    I’ve developed my own taco seasoning combination (oregano, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and cilantro), and my for pasta sauce I use the classic combination (oregano, basil, bay leaf, garlic, and onion), with some bell pepper and carrot for depth of flavor. Organic strained tomatoes by Bionaturae have no salt, and make a great sauce: http://www.drvita.com/product/bionaturae-organic-strained-tomatoes-24-fl-oz/7559.

  93. 93.

    Sandia Blanca

    February 8, 2014 at 10:25 pm

    Also, Hain makes a sodium-free baking powder, and Rumford makes a low-sodium version. Many recipes for baked goods can be modified to use a little bit more of the baking powder, and no baking soda (and of course no salt). Experiment a bit with cookies, pancakes, etc.

    And you can buy low-sodium or salt-free breads–Ezekiel makes a good one (in the freezer section).

  94. 94.

    Glocksman

    February 9, 2014 at 4:03 am

    @Lyrebird:

    If you’re on Windows, the standard WMP app works OK.
    It’s not the best thing out there, but it’s good enough that I haven’t been assed to go look for alternatives.

    OSX? No idea.

    @kindness:

    Separate user account for the kids with limited privileges.
    That way, the kids can’t install the latest ‘free’ game or music app that infects the entire machine with malware.

    Password protecting the administrator accounts with new unguessable passwords after setting the kids up is a necessity.

    That said, you can only have one install of iTunes on a computer.
    I’ve never tried it, but Apple says you can have separate libraries, which would solve the problem.

  95. 95.

    kathy a.

    February 9, 2014 at 1:17 pm

    @kathy a.: And also, the crock pot is really useful! You control what goes in; the slow cooking brings out flavor and blends it. Easy to toss in lots of vegetables, so there is that bonus, too. Instant leftovers, which is handy if you are transitioning from using more prepared foods.

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