10 Meals For Under $10

In my ongoing quest to eat meals with good nutrition at a reasonable cost, I have experimented with cooking in bulk and freezing the results as individual meal portions.  The recipe/process I'll detail below yields me 10 meals at (or under) $10.  I'll store most of the meal portions in the freezer with around 3 of them in the fridge.  When I'm ready to eat, I pull one meal out of the fridge and transfer one of the others stored in the freezer down to the fridge so that I always have a supply there ready to heat up.  When I'm left with only 2 meals in the fridge - it's time to go shopping to set up the meal rotation again!

This whole procedure only takes me an hour - from pre-heating the oven to storing the meals and cleaning the pans.

The equipment you'll need to follow this plan is as follows: An oven, a stove top, a large baking tray (with a lip around the edge) that fits in the oven, a large stove top steamer, and a utensil you can use to stir what's in the steamer - I use a large serving spoon.  An oven mitt or thick pot holder.  Finally, you'll need 10 plasticware sealable containers to store the meals in individual portions. (see image below)  Having a timer (even your smartphone) helps.

Also, it will be best to arrange for room in your freezer for seven of your plastic containers - not stacked, so the portions freeze more quickly.

Here are the groceries to buy:

1 pack of 10 chicken thighs (or 20 drumsticks) - around $5.50
1 large 64 oz bag of broccoli florets - around $2.50
1 large 80 oz bag of mixed vegetables - around $2.50
Note: the large bags of veggies will last for several rounds of this recipe, so the cost is lower per run.

Optional:
Several varieties of sprinkle-on spices (for the chicken)
1 large can of Old Bay seasoning (for the veggies)




Procedure

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• Place all of the chicken, skin up, on the baking tray.  (Optional: sprinkle bottled spice mix on each chicken piece)  Put the chicken into the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes
• When the timer goes off, leave the oven alone.  Put an inch of water in the bottom pan of the steamer and set it on a stove burner that you crank to "High".  Place the top basket of the steamer into the bottom part on the stove.
• Set a timer for 15 minutes.  Fill the steamer basket, half-way with frozen broccoli florets, half-way with frozen mixed vegetables.  (Optional: sprinkle Old Bay seasoning over the frozen veggies, but do not stir)  Cover the steamer.  Turn the burner down to Medium once it begins steaming vigorously.
• When the timer goes off the second time, turn the oven off with the chicken still inside.  Turn off the stove burner.  Lift the lid of the steamer and press down on the veggies so they expel extra water down - out of the upper basket into the bottom part. Stir the veggies well.
• Take the baking tray with the chicken out of the oven and set it on a level surface.  If the drippings from the chicken have burned onto the bottom of the tray, your oven temperature was too high.  Try a lower setting (by 25 degrees) next time.  Use your utensil to gently push each piece of chicken so it un-sticks from the bottom of the cooking tray.
•  Set out your 10 plasticware containers and put one baked chicken thigh in each.  If you cooked drumsticks, place two in each.  Pour some of the drippings form the baking tray into each container.
• Spoon portions of the steamed veggies into each container.  Let them sit out, uncovered for 10 - 15 minutes so they cool somewhat closer to room temperature.
• Cover each of the containers.  Put seven of the 10 into the freezer - not stacked at first, so they freeze more quickly.  Put the remaining three containers into the fridge.

If you're in a rush, you can just eat a portion cold - like leftovers.  To heat one, however, I've found it best to pop it in a microwave for 2 mins 30 secs on 70 percent power.  One minute at 100% works a little less well.  Be sure to open the lid on the container before you microwave it.!

My '10 Commandments' To A New Humanity

A friend on Facebook, Jerry Schirmer, suggested the following parlor game.  Below the quote are my 10 Commandments to a new humanity.

There is going to be an atomic war. All of humanity is going to be wiped out. The only survivors will be a group of 1,000 babies that will be raised by robots and given only knowledge of the English language, basic survival skills, and a firm belief in a vague monotheism.

On their 13th birthday, they will be brought above ground, and their first sight will be a giant stone tablet on which will be inscribed ten statements of some reasonable number of words apiece (something like ten, lets say). These statements will be said to be the absolute word of God. You are entrusted with writing these statements.

What do you put on them in an effort to create/preserve/restore the best society possible?

    I. These laws never expire.
   II. Debts and all other laws expire within 7 years.
  III. Patents, copyrights, and leadership roles all expire within 7 years.
  IV. War may be waged only with weapons powered by hand.
   V. Adults may ingest, copulate, and cohabitate as they see fit.
  VI. The best paid teachers and scientists must have equal pay.
 VII. No salary may exceed that of the best paid teachers.
VIII. You may each worship God, or not, as you see fit.
  IX.Anyone attempting to overrule these laws must die painfully.
   X. The maximum penalty for other offenses: 7 years humane imprisonment.

Coming Out

In 2007, I happened to flip through a Nietzsche book at a bookstore. I couldn't put it down. He was bat-shit crazy about a number of things (for one, he was a huge bigot), but he was incredibly clear about many other things. One idea that struck me like lightning was his assertion that Christianity (and - any religion that promises an after-life) teaches people to disregard this life (which we know we do have) for the hope of another, future life (which we cannot know will occur). He did not mince words - stating that Christianity was "life-denying" etc.

I had already been cured (in my 20s) from my decade-long foray into Fundamentalism. But I carried (and to a lesser extent, still do carry) a sense of nostalgia, in a warm place in my heart for that "old-time religion". However, this Nietzsche philosophy hinted at a side of life one did not know and could never know if he or she held onto a hope of "heaven". He listed as virtues the things religion count as vices: ambition, the will to power, a healthy embrace of conflict, and an acceptance that when the world changes (example: Industrial Revolution), it is okay to throw away all of the former customs and ethics in order to embrace new, more suitable ones.

I just couldn't believe what I was reading. As in, I wondered how the censors of the world had somehow let this stuff slip through, unscathed. But it was clear, powerful, and had the ring of truth to it - "face the facts" kind of truth. There have been many other influences in my life for what I am about to say, it's just that he crystallized the important points most clearly.

Today, for the first time in my life, I say publicly and proudly, that I am an Atheist. I affirm that this life I have is the only life (that I know of) that I will ever have. When my heart stops beating and my brain stops firing the synapses that create the social persona of myself, there will be no more me. The foundation for my morals and ethics is the positive benefit I see to the world when I behave in certain ways and the positive feelings I experience when I follow that guide. I will probably still also claim the moniker of "Taoist" among people who have a hard time with my Atheism since the Tao Te Ching is non-theistic and its observations resonate with how I see the world. But even that is an inside joke with myself - since the very first verse of that book states: "The Tao that can be spoken of, is not the true Tao."

New Year's Eve - Or Is It?

We Interrupt This Holiday To Bring You A Special Announcement:

The calendar is a useful fiction, meant to serve us - not to be our master. In fact, the earth is not exactly where it was 365.25 days ago, because the Sun is also falling through space as is the Sun's star cluster and the Milky Way itself. It is not December or January or 2012 or 2013. It is "Now": the only time you will ever have.

Two immediate practical consequences of this observation are: You don't ever have to put your life on hold, waiting for a date on a calendar to come around in order to have a new start. And, you're always only as old as you feel you are.

You may now return to your celebrations with the people you love who imagine there are weeks and months and years to pay attention to.

The End of an Era: RIP Zig Ziglar

"You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people to get what they want."
-Zig Ziglar

With Zig Ziglar's death at age 86 today, an era has ended in the Personal Development world. Zig, Mary Kay Ash, and Jim Rohn were all inspired by a man named John Earl Shoaff who dazzled many with his wealth, lifestyle, and philosophy back in the 1960s. All three became inspirations to millions and earned great wealth as motivational speakers in the decades that followed.

Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup book series), Brian Tracy and literally hundreds of others who have tried their hand at motivational speaking or writing got their initial impetus from Zig, Mary Kay, and Jim. I myself owe a big debt of gratitude to Mr. Rohn for the difference his words made in my life. It is because of him that I became serious about journaling, goal setting, and taking responsibility for my own success in life regardless of upbringing or circumstances.

When I first heard Jim Rohn speak in 1993, my financial world was so small that I thought $20,000 per year was "making it". Although I was very bright at other subjects, understanding the concept that 'learning new skills that are in higher demand can lead to a high income' eluded me. I was waiting for God to bless me, the economy to get better, a relative to help me out, etc, etc. I guess God did bless me the day I heard Rohn say,

"Whatever happens in life happens to us all. Circumstances are like the wind that blows - you cannot control the wind. But your personal philosophy is like the set of the sail on the boat of your life. Don't wish for a better wind to blow, wish for the wisdom to set a better sail."

It took me a few years to get into this kind of thinking. My first, early goals were very timid. But then I got serious about learning skills and setting income goals (before I was even employed, other than as a waiter while going back to college). By 1997, I was making $32,000 per year. By 2000, I was making over $65,000 per year. Then over $80,000 in 2005 and in 2007, I crossed the six figure mark in anual salary (not including benefits) and have been in that vicinity ever since.

Did I get lucky? You bet I did. Nobody "called" the Internet boom back when I decided to go back to school for computer science in 1995. But there were enough hints of what was to come just by noticing the number of help-wanted ads in that field. That's where my intelligence helped out. But the fact is, I wouldn't even have thought to look at those ads or to re-train for a whole new field of work, if Jim Rohn hadn't spoken into my life.

Sometimes I wonder who will take up the 'influence' mantle of John Earl Shoaff for the people born in the '80s and '90s. Who will be the next generation of voices, perhaps inspired by Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, Mark Victor-Hansen, or even Rhonda Byrne, Deepak Chopra, or Wayne Dyer? Maybe in the Internet age, with TED talks, blogs, YouTube lessons, and so on, a new, a more democratic day has dawned with fewer motivational "stars". That's fine. As long as the message gets out which challenges people similarly to these words, by John Earl Shoaff:

"Lets not be moons, the reflector of light. Lets be suns, the creator of light - the creator of ideas. Because we all have the capacity."

Fall 2012: Prelude To Recession

In my opinion, the U.S. economy has begun a slide into probable recession. This prediction is based on a technical reading of the major stock market averages (Dow Industrial, Nasdaq, S&P 500) as well as analysis of several recent shocks to our economic system. I have "called" these economic movements in the past and occasionally been correct about them. I want to give you, the reader, an opportunity to understand what I'm seeing, so I will use this blog to explain the analysis that happens behind the predictions.

In stock charting, we don't just show the price points making up the chart. We usually also draw a line on the chart showing the average price of the last 50 trading days. Additionally, we draw a 200-day moving average. Taken together, these moving average lines depict the longer-term direction of the price that is being tracked.

In a healthy stock market, the prices of the major indexes stay above their 50-day moving average lines (and the 50-day moving average lines stay above the 200-day moving average lines). This indicates the price is increasing and its long term trend is upward.


Thanks to stockcharts.com

Here is a daily price chart of the S&P 500 Index from late May 2012 to the date of this blog post. We have healthy behavior in portion 1, within the green circle, where the daily price lines are moving upward above the blue line, which is the 50-day moving average line.

A few weeks ago, in portion 2, (yellow circle) we have a warning indicator. The daily values have dropped below their 50-day moving average, but they are still above their 200-day moving average. Stocks and indexes occasionally bread down below their 50-day moving averages but then recover above them. That is not what has happened here.

A few days ago, in portion 3, (red circle) we see a serious warning that the S&P 500 index may have begun a longer-term downward trend. The daily values have crossed below their 200-day moving average. Notice that the index has remained below the warning level for several trading days. The Nasdaq 100 and the Dow Jones Industrial average are both also below their 200-day moving averages and have been there several trading days longer than the S&P 500 index has.

so we start with the facts - reality - the three major indexes have all fallen into the danger zone, and have not recovered so far. To be sure, there have been occasions in the past when they all crossed below the danger thresholds then recovered back up into healthy territory. On the other hand, every recession in this country dating back at least to the Great Depression, has been signaled by the major indexes of the day slipping below their 200-day moving averages and not recovering.

In concert with the stock market danger zone, we have: 1) the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and federal spending cuts looming, 2) continuing uncertainty regarding solvency in Europe, 3) a recent swell of unemployment due to the destruction from Hurricane Sandy, 4) thousands of troops returning from foreign wars also joining the pool of the unemployed, and 5) Atlas Shrugged - in the form of pissed off Republican business owners retaliating for four more years of Barack Obama by cutting hours and positions to protest what they see as a slide into Socialism.

A deal on the fiscal cliff would certainly give a positive jolt to the economy but it remains to be seen whether that, alone, would provide enough impetus to restore it to the path of slow, gradual growth it had been on prior to November.

Back to My Center, Politically

I'm not really sure which post or image I first responded to on Facebook that made me start sounding like a perpetual Barack Obama supporter the last couple of months. The truth is that I am not. I just felt it was important to take a stand against obviously slanderous information. I guess there's just something in my DNA that rages against intentional misrepresentation. No one may say I have not done the same for Romney when I saw similar distortions.

But I identify most closely with the Libertarian point of view: "Lord, save me from those who try to help me, I can handle my enemies by myself." If the Republican party had had the balls to nominate Ron Paul, I'd be all over that. In the end we need less centralized power, not more. Just think of it - instead of one convenient place for corrupting, pandering lobbyists to go (Washington, DC), just think if they'd have to spread out across all 50 states Capitols. Or, even better, thousands and thousands of county seats. Alas, I may not see that come to pass in my lifetime.

But I know that a Republican party yes man is also not what this country needs in the White House. The Neo-cons still control the Republican party and it is thanks to them we had the runaway spending of the Iraq war and the erosion of our civil liberties in the form of the so-called Patriot Act, warantless wire-tapping, the TSA, etc. If I must choose between a tax-and-spend Democrat or a borrow-and-spend Republican, I will go for the guy who's gonna at least bankrupt us peacefully.

Which brings me to our role in global affairs. I've said it before, I'll say it again: We cannot preserve our Republic while we try to maintain an Empire. The problem with maintaining a Superpower-class military long after the Cold War has ended is that you end up looking for excuses to get a return on your investment. I'm all for strength, but "larger than the next 10 militaries combined" is at least seven or eight times too large. Continually bleeding debt money for this - as well as the Federal entitlement programs in their current forms - will certainly force the hard choices, in a more painful way (like in Greece today), than if we made them today, intentionally.