The Rhythm is Going to Get You

Now, you know this site is for putting things in life to the "taste," meaning I want to learn about something, try out stuff, etc., etc. But today I believe I'm putting myself in danger by putting something to the "taste." Well, dangerous is relative, but it is very bold and risky, to say the least. "What is is it?", you ask. A form of birth control....a calendar-based method . Which one I'm going to use is still undecided yet. First, let me go into why I want to do this tasting.

1. The Contraceptive Pill: I have taken the pill on and off since I was 16 years old. I never took a good look at the side effects, but there are plenty. I do know it's not a good idea to smoke after 35 if you are on the pill. I read a book on Candida. According to this following, the pill helps make the body more suitable for yeast overgrowth. This may explain why some women experience increased amount of yeast infections while taking the pill. I know this was true for me during my youth, but at the time I just thought something was wrong with me! I recently returned to the pill after a bout with an IUD. The first type I took made me have terrible headaches. I was having them on a daily basis. And during my period I would have a headache that began a few days before and last until a few days after--nonstop. So, the doctor switched me to another type. This helped, but the headaches were still present. I went to the doctor in February about my headaches. Now, mind you, I was diagnosed with cluster headaches in '99, but this was getting ridiculous. I read a pamphlet about migraines. Guess who was a culprit in some cases. You bet---the pill. So last month I stopped. I just wanted to quit. I didn't like the side effects--proven or not--that could happen to me. And guess what, folks. No more headaches. I had a tiny one on the first day of my period. I've read that headaches are a PMS symptom for a lot of women. I can accept that, as long as it is not everyday! A side bonus was clear skin. I had been suffering from some red little bumps on my face. Gone! People have actually asked me if I am wearing foundation or been tanning. Nope--just the way my skin is supposed to look. So, I tasted pills. Verdict: No Thank You.

2. IUD: Oh, the IUD, how lovely it seemed at first. I got the thing put in when my second child was 3 months old. The IUD keeps you from getting pregnant by making the uterus inhabitable for conception. I had the copper IUD. So no hormone control there. There is a plastic one out alos--I believe this one uses some hormone control. Research it yourself if you are curious ;). After about a year, I started experiencing pain after my period. It felt like I was going to start again. And I also had some after bleeding too--spotting, whatever you want to call it. I finally went to the doc about it. Last January he decided to put me on the pill while I still had the IUD. He's not crazy--there was some logic behind this madness. He wanted to see if it was my body trying to regulate itself--I had not had a period in a while from breast feeding--or if the IUD was the problem. I had my period for 5 weeks! I went to the doctor and said, "No more IUD, no more pill!" He listened because well, I was a bit bitchy after 5 weeks of bleeding and a raw cooch. Plus, when he took it out I thought, "If my uterus is as small as they say it is, then that thing is stretching it out." But now, in hindsight, I think I was experiencing these problems because of my Keeper (the innovative feminine hygiene product). After taking the IUD out, I read the Keeper package and it said NOT to use the Keeper if you have an IUD. Oh well, lesson learned: read labels first. Which sucks, because the IUD worked for me. I'm too scared to retry it because of 5 weeks, ya know? One of my best friends used it and she got pregnant. She had a miscarriage and bled for several weeks before she found out. I tasted the IUD. Verdict: No Thank You.

3. Condoms: I know you're thinking that this is a no brainer. Not if you are allergic to latex. But I just found out that the Keeper is latex! Which explains a few things. A little irritation. And here I thought I was being too rough with myself. No wonder it was on sale! LOL. But, no fear, I can get the Moon cup or the Diva cup instead. I have only known of my allergy for a little while. Which is the reason I went back onto the pill. Coincidentally, I have not used the Keeper in a while because I could not find it! If you knew me, this would not be a big surprise. There are several kinds of condoms on the market, besides latex. I'll have to look into them. This option is not deterring me from a calendar-based method. I may use condoms in conjunction with the method. Verdict: Maybe for me and a definite yes for others who want to use condoms. I'm posting a site about condoms. I want to note that my doctor said not to use lambskin condoms to prevent pregnancy. Condom Site.

Now to the calendar-based methods

1. The Rhythm Method (Knaus-Ogino Method): Subtract 19 from a woman's shortest cycle and 10 from her longest. OK, this seems to be a lengthy process of figuring out when my fertile and infertile days exist. And confusing. Perfect-use failure rate of 9%. My oldest uncle is a rhythm baby. Not looking good.

2. Standard Days Method: First of all, this method may only be used by women whose cycle is between 26 and 32 days in length. Before, I had a 32 day cycle. Also, women in their late 30's and early 40's tend to have shorter cycles, so this method would not be effective. The SD method says that days 1-7 are infertile, days 8-19 are fertile, and days 20 on are infertile again. A product called Cycle Beads is commonly used with SD method.

The only thing about calendar methods is their high failure rate compared to other birth control methods. I plan on using a calendar method along with "pull-out." I know this may seem a bit personal to discuss, but I'm willing to put myself out there. My blog is about life. And life is not pure and perfect. SO, if this is offensive, your best bet is to read another blog.

I'm not saying this is going to work. I MAY GET PREGNANT. But, I am tired of the unnatural ways I am expected to treat my body--as a woman. Birth control, hormone replacement, Norplant (that puts up a mucus lining to keep the sperm out and your period in), spermicide, diets, skinny jeans, breast implants, liposuction, lip enhancement, stilettos, hair dye, make-up, skin creams,.....do you get the point? I'm rebelling. I've had enough of head aches, bad skin, and yeast problems. I want to be me. So, hate me.

You can check out these sites:

Signs of Ovulation

www.fertilityfriend.com

GladRags--a great site to see all alternatives for feminine hygiene

My Mind on My Blog and My Blog on My Mind

I have been thinking about what to post on this blog......besides food stuff. This blog is about tasting different things in life. Again, not just food. I mean ideas, ways of doing things, products...everyday life stuff. Have you ever wondered if that Rosemary Cookie recipe from some company is any good? Is washing freezer bags really worth it? Are the organic products of better quality? And all that jazz..... I want to put it all to the test of my own taste---hence, Put to the Taste.

Tip of the Day

I work with a lovely country gal named Tina. And she gave me one of those tips that make you want to slap yourself on the forehead. Loser! When you are soaking your beans to cook in the crock pot, use the crock pot to soak. She, as well as myself, soaked them in a separate pot first and then transferred them into the crock pot. Silly ass, this means you have more dishes! I know some of you smarty pants out there had that figured out already. But we were preparing them the old-fashioned way. You'll never understand. So, this one goes out to the ones who wanted to make it harder.


P.S. I know you are wondering, "Lady J when are you making homemade beans?"

My answer is, "I've been on this cooking kick lately. I even made my own wheat bread. And Some Damn Good Chicken Pot Pie was born out of this kick. Plus some chili. And attempted Veal Parmigiana."

Don't worry, these will be posted.

Some Damn Good Chicken Pot Pie

I'm all about saving and not wasting. And with those values in place, I made some damn good chicken pot pie. I had some canned Lima Bean leftovers, leftover corn and peas cooked in butter (real), and a need to get rid of them. I did not want to throw them away since I had recently read that the average American family throws away a pound of food per week--that's just fresh food. Lord knows if you take leftovers into account. So I was trying to save money by not wasting. Because wasting anything essentially boils down to wasting my money. Plus, you know the saying, "There are children in Africa starving and you just waste perfectly good food." Another good thing about using leftovers is a cheaper meal. Hey, I'm all for that. Home cooking is better for you anyway--you can control what goes into your meal. And since my first pregnancy, I have been a bit funny about what's in my food. So enough yapping, lets give you the recipe so you can eat Some Damn Good Chicken Pot Pie. Oh BTW, I don't always use measurements with my ingredients. And feel free to substitute ingredients. I won't be offended!

Some Damn Good Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 package chicken tenderloins (the strips for those who don't read the labels)

1 can of Lima Beans (or frozen, if you prefer. Remember I had leftovers.)

Frozen corn--about half a bag (Remember I had leftovers).

Frozen Peas--a full bag (Remember I had leftovers).

milk

cornstarch or arrow root powder (I used the arrowroot)

black pepper and all purpose seasoning

corn meal

1/4 cup of vegetable oil or shortening

Olive oil and real butter

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook chicken strips in a bit of olive oil and a pat of butter on medium heat. The butter helps with flavor, you can omit it. Cook until golden on each side. For the Love of God, don't fry them dry. Just until the juices run clear. They should still be very juicy when you remove them form the pan. Meanwhile you should be heating up your veggies in a separate pot.

After removing the chicken form the pan, do not cut off the heat. Add a bit of milk and scrape up any bits of chicken. Now mix some milk and arrow root powder together and mix thoroughly. Pour into pan. Add pepper and all purpose seasoning. Stir constantly until it thickens. Feel free to add more milk or arrow root powder if needed, you're making gravy. Add hot veggies. Stir around and let mingle in the heat. Chop chicken strips and add to veggies. Turn heat to low. Make corn bread according to the back of the corn meal bag (without cooking it!). You can use a box mix if you like, but corn meal is much cheaper. Pour chicken mixture into a greased casserole dish or 9X13 inch pan. Pour corn meal mixture over hot chicken mixture. Pop into oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, until cornbread is done.

Tip: Whenever you are putting a bread (like biscuits or cornbread) over a pot pie, you want to make sure the pot pie filling is good and hot. This way your bread cooks all the way through, from top to bottom.

Voila! You have some damn good chicken pot pie.

Now remember, you can use any leftover veggies and meat you want. You can use a jar of gravy. You can use biscuits instead of corn bread. Hell, you can even use frozen or canned biscuits. The point is to cook it at home, use leftovers, and do it cheap.

Hello World!

I started this blog to share my love of cooking and home life with the world. I do hope whoever visits will find it useful and inspiring.