YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Though this is not as weighty as some of my posts, it is just as important.

Why peppers matters

Sleep apnea is the most important issue I face, by far.

Nutrition is the most important method I have of, of many, to face sleep apnea. Increasing my intake of unprocessed vegetables* is a major part of my recovery from sleep apnea.

Upcoming pepper reports:

Current: Anaheim (promising) and "mini sweet peppers" (suspect: may activate my GERD).

I'll also post, with your kind indulgence, about my complex history with bell peppers (is it time for me to give them a second chance, now that I have an air fryer?), and other pepper-related ups and downs.

More soon. Thanks for listening!


* I know peppers are fruit. For my purposes- saving my life- I'm considering them vegetables in the larger picture of the recommended Mediterranean diet. btw, I increasingly love fruit. My tastebuds and palate totally changed after getting sober. An under-reported and under-appreciated miracle of sobriety.

Absolutely love bell peppers filled with a rice mix with other things like feta beans or anything you like. Baked and delicious.

Fry and skin them, dice and stuff into a chicken breast with basil, cream cheese or feta. …

Good thinking Oak.

1. Thanks to our good friend, Mental Fairy.
2. Happy pepper update.
3. TW: generational trauma and substituting food for love.
4. Reflection: I contain multitudes, even with something as "silly" as peppers.

1. Thanks to our good friend, Mental Fairy.

Mental Fairy wrote: ↑August 20th, 2022, 10:17 am Absolutely love bell peppers filled with a rice mix with other things like feta beans or anything you like. Baked and delicious.

Thank you for the encouragement and advice, Mental Fairy. I tried it with an Anaheim, but I think my rice was off. I'll try again, my friend!

2. Happy pepper update.

While I'm open to trying (read: buying, and specifically seeing the pretty cashiers when I walk to the store) new peppers, I've settled on Anaheim for cooking (yum!) and Jalapeno (hot stuff!) for fresh. So good! So much apnea-curing euphoria.

3. TW: generational trauma and substituting food for love.

Over lunch this week with a friend, I blurted out that I associate (with good cause) green bell peppers with generational abuse. eg, my mother. Food was love and weapon.

4. Reflection: I contain multitudes, even with something as "silly" as peppers.

I have zero anger towards green bell peppers.

I do have to process generational trauma (above) or die (apnea).

Something can be so full of joy, healing, recovery, and being fully in the moment (walking to the store to get exercise and out of my head) and at once also the same old generational traumas, rehashing the same DARVO from 150 years ago.

Said another way: this generational trauma ends with me, one jalapeno at a time.

Oak, you have pointed out something that has struck me in a i never really thought about. Food as a weapon. That is so true on multiple levels and I thank you for bringing that up. I will ponder this today. This is what this forum is for, connection. Thank you

Just want to say that I love the colors, the gloss, the reflective highlights from peppers displayed in the produce section. (The purple of the eggplants too!).

Walking thru a well-maintained produce section can lift my spirits. So many interesting shapes, colors, textures and imagined & remembered tastes!. So lucky to have the opportunity to try all these things.

I adore peppers, however they are $4.50 and up to $6.00 for just one pepper here currently. I buy frozen chopped ones and put them in my stews or pies. I made a chicken mustard pie last night and put a cupful in. A bag 500g. $3.50.

Don’t even get me started on lettuce prices. Growing my own currently. Same with avocado and pears. Getting our tomato plants sorted also.

Would love to grow a watermelon.

Well said, SnoringDog and Mental Fairy.

You know what they say: beautiful people eat beautiful. And these peppers, onions, and tomatoes are so beautiful.

I am also exploring, friends, the literal essence of peppers: spices, and combinations of the same.

My two current favorites being berbere and Old Bay.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berbere

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Bay_Seasoning

(I am 100% open to suggestions for other spice blends!)

At the risk of being woo-woo, I sometimes feel stronger and more vital, more alive, when consuming such wonderful spice blends. I really wonder if spices enliven me.

Hi Oak, so pleased to hear your enjoying the spice of life!

Will share with you my little spice blends. Easy and cheap to do.

For chicken: 2 Tablespoons each of curry powder and ground garam masala.
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice. Salt and pepper.
Add some ground garlic if you like.

Mix all together with some olive oil and pop your chicken drums or whatever chicken you have into a bowl and let it all sit overnight in fridge.

I love paprika, oh and the smoked paprika.
Today I’ve had some chicken breasts sitting in some paprika mix with garlic powder. Stuffed the chicken breasts with spinach, cream cheese, onion, garlic and some parsley.

Bake later tonight.

Let me know what meats you like to cook and can give you some ideas.

Mental Fairy wrote: ↑September 16th, 2022, 3:35 pm ... ground garam masala.
....
I love paprika, oh and the smoked paprika.

In honor of you, Mental Fairy, I dug the amazing garam masala out of my cupboard, and it will be in my rotation.

I've only used dollar-store paprika, so I'm putting a better-quality paprika in the shopping list for the coming weeks.

My favorite meats are:

1. Chicken thighs in the air fryer.

2. A nice burger, now and then.

In addition to the above, please share any other recommendations!

Edit to add:

If you see either of these in the store, please consider picking up, especially the first. Lawry's is divine on chicken.

Lawry's Season Salt (accept no substitutes!)
https://www.worldfoodsnz.com/shop/grill-mates-montreal-steak-seasoning-800g

Old Bay Seasoning (a hint of celery. so good.)
https://www.worldfoodsnz.com/shop/old-bay-seasoning-680g

At the risk of being woo-woo, I sometimes feel stronger and more vital, more alive, when consuming such wonderful spice blends. I really wonder if spices enliven me.

No woo-woo about it. Look up "Spice Trade"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_trade

Thousands of years, millions of miles....

Maybe Helen of Troy launched a few ships, but spices surely have her beat.