NIbbles
Chili Popcorn
I have been fortunate enough to keep my job during all of the 2020 madness. That being said, it has come with some challenges.
There is a makeshift workspace in my house with a desk, notepads, pens, and all kinds of office accoutrements. There was only one piece missing: a chair. That’s right, I would just grab a chair from our dining table and sit on the hard wooden seat until my butt was numb. This went on for weeks as I complained about my legs and knees hurting, finally realizing it was because my chair choice was less than ideal.
The first chair I bought looked comfortable enough, and had great reviews. Initially, I thought my problem was solved. It treated me better than the slab of wood, but after a couple weeks I had a new problem. I started noticing lower back pain, which increased as I spent more time in the chair. After another two weeks, I wasn’t able to sit, stand, or lay down comfortably. My nights became terrible as sleeping became difficult. I made a doctor's appointment, and also decided it was time for a new chair.
The doctor confirmed a new chair would be best, and that I should make another appointment if that didn’t help. I went back online to find something that looked exactly like my chair from work, as I had been sitting in that chair for months without issue. Of course it cost almost twice as much as the last, but I hoped that would be a sign of its quality.
By the time the new chair came, my situation had only deteriorated. Setting it up was awful: It was heavy, awkward, and I needed to contort my body into uncomfortable positions as I put the pieces together. But, I finally set it up, and after using it for a couple weeks, my back was on the mend. It still hurts occasionally, and I can feel it pop a lot when I bend to pick things up, but considering where I was a couple months ago, I feel great. I’m even sitting in it right now. Thanks, chair.
Nibble on this:
Fill the bottom of a medium sized pot with popcorn kernels, just enough for one layer. Add 1½ tablespoon of peanut oil and swirl the kernels around until they are covered.
Put the lid on the pot, and turn the heat up to high.
Prepare your salt and chili powder, 2 teaspoons of each. Mix them in a small bowl if you want, or don’t.
As the popcorn starts popping, give the pot a light shake to keep the unpopped kernels at the bottom of the pan. This will also keep the recently popped kernels from burning.
When the popping slows until there is a second or two between pops, take the pot off the stove and pour the popcorn into a large bowl. Immediately add the salt and chili to the popcorn and shake it up to get an even distribution.
Optional next level tip: Drizzle some honey on there and mix it around. The salty, sweet heat is the perfect combination for some easy and fantastic homemade popcorn.
Don’t think too hard about the popping in your back. Tell yourself its the kernels.
Blueberry Oatmeal
When I first started playing disc golf, I sucked. I frequently scored in the 20 to 30 over par range. No matter how bad it hurt, I kept track of my score so I could tell when I was getting better. Over the course of the next couple years, I improved, eventually bringing my score down to the high teens, low teens, and even into single digits. I am not a natural at anything athletic. More on that in other stories.
I’m used to waking up early, and my group likes to avoid crowds, so we play on weekend mornings. One Saturday, I got up and ate some oatmeal for breakfast, then went out to play with my crew. I grabbed my disc bag out of my trunk, and headed to the first tee-pad. I played to the best of my abilities, and I could feel that my throws were on point. The games were amazing: I set personal records each round. I was ecstatic.
As I walked back to my car, I went to grab my keys, but couldn’t find them. I looked in my bag, my pockets, and then finally realized that I had locked them in the trunk when I grabbed my bag. My good mood was instantly ruined. I was forced to wait another hour and a half for the lockout service to arrive. It was terrible, and put an awful end to what was an otherwise fantastic morning.
Nibble on this:
Boil one cup of water in a small pot on high.
Add 1/2 cup oats and reduce the heat to medium. Add in a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a few blueberries. Let it cook for about 5 minutes.
When the oats have thickened up, transfer them to a bowl. Drizzle on some honey, and maybe some more fresh blueberries to get the complementary tastes both cooked and uncooked.
Think hard about where you put your keys. Make sure it isn’t the trunk of your car.
Cinnamon Apple Slices
Some “nibbles” aren’t constant: Occasionally a nibble comes out of nowhere.
I was getting ready for work one morning, already thinking about what I’d eat for lunch: curry laksa. The day before, my girlfriend and I had gone to one of our favorite restaurants and eaten as much of the delicious soup as we could. The portions were huge and I was more than excited about taking the extra home. That night, it wasn’t visions of sugarplums dancing in my head, but that of leftover noodles and broth yet to be enjoyed. Don’t judge me.
Laksa never left my brain. I woke up, went through my morning routine, and all that remained was to grab my things and head out the door. While holding my keys, briefcase, and a takeout container between my two hands, I realized I needed to grab my employee ID badge. As I shifted the objects to fit in one hand, disaster struck. The round, condensation-covered container slipped out of my hand and onto the wooden floor of our entryway. The plastic bottom shattered, and yellow curry splattered onto the door, my pants, my shoes, and the floor. I should’ve used a thermos.
There were only 20 minutes left to get to work, and I spent half of it cleaning up my mess. After using an entire roll of paper towels, I looked in the fridge for something to take for lunch. It was basically empty. We had gone out to dinner because there was nothing to eat in the first place, and we planned on grocery shopping the next day. The only thing in my fridge at this point was an apple. I reluctantly stuck it in my briefcase and headed to work. From curry laksa to a freaking apple. What a disappointment.
This isn’t quite curry laksa level, but should help take away the pain.
Nibble on this:
Put an apple on its side and cut it into 1/4 inch thick slices. Take the seeds out. DO NOT EAT THE SEEDS.
Throw a slice of butter in a pan on medium heat, and add your slices when the pan is hot.
While they are cooking, mix 1 tablespoon of sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl.
After about 5 minutes, flip your apple slices. If they are not nice and brown, leave them on the cooking side until they are.
After flipping, give the slices 3 to 4 more minutes to cook. They should now be beautifully brown on both sides.
Move your slices to a plate, and sprinkle them with your cinnamon sugar mixture.
Forget the curry laksa. It hurt you as much as you hurt it.
Kale Omelettes
There are small things that bother me every day— not quite “disasters” that rip out big chunks of my soul at a time, but little problems that “nibble” away at me constantly. Like my upper right molars. The space between them is a perfectly-proportioned conduit for fibrous foods. As I try to eat healthier, kale has become my newest frenemy. I constantly catch myself checking for green bits wedged in my teeth. This particular gap needs flossing every single day (which at least forces good oral hygiene), and of course is also the hardest place to reach. I shouldn’t complain, but it’s a small thorn in my side that bothers me constantly. Someday I will figure out how to conquer this little nuisance, but until then, I will keep making foods that annoy the heck out of me.
Here’s a nibble:
Throw a slice of butter into a pan on medium heat. Add an overflowing handful of kale, and a dash of salt.
As the kale cooks down, crack three eggs into a small bowl. Use a fork to whip them into homogeneity.
When the kale is cooked down and turning a little brown, turn the heat down one click, and add another slice of butter. Then pour the eggs over your kale, and work it around to get all the kale enveloped by the eggs. Add a little bit more salt (but not much, the kale already has some)!
I like to grate some cheddar cheese on top of the cooking eggs. This should melt down nicely.
The egg mixture is cooking from the pan up, and when only the very top layer of egg is liquid, use a spatula to fold one side onto the other, creating a half moon. After a minute or so, flip the whole thing over and let it cook for another 30 seconds or so.
That’s it! Set it on a plate, grab some sour cream or plain greek yogurt, a little salsa or ketchup, and dig in! This is a fast and healthy way to start your day.
Go floss.