Melissa Jones

So much to write about, so little time. This adjustment to the explorer diet has been very exciting for me. I read the explorer monograph (I think that was where I read it) and it mentioned that explorers can get bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia. I have bipolar SAD, though not too bad since starting BTD. It's usually bad this time of year (late October, and right after the time change). Sometimes I just get tearful easily for a week, have intense carb cravings, and have bouts of weakness at random times for a month or two (the type of weakness that drains you and makes you want to lie down wherever you are, and go to sleep). I realized today that I haven't had that. A bit teary at times, but my energy level has stayed consistently high, and the oddest thing is that I've been waking up earlier, awake, instead of wanting or being able to sleep in all morning. That's a major change. I went to a kickboxing class early Saturday morning and got back before anybody else woke. If I don't get 8 hours a night, then I do require one brief nap, but wow, weird. Saturday I also went swimming with my husband for our date night (eating out doesn't really appeal to us anymore, and I had some pinto bean soup in the crock pot anyway). I hadn't been swimming for quite a while, and it's quite a workout for me, as inefficient as I am in the water. I mostly practiced some kicks I'm having trouble getting down at taekwondo, so my body can learn the motions a bit easier. The side kicks definitely made me sore in a little-used muscle on the side of my hip. My shoulders are sore from kickboxing, but overall that was just a good sweat...just like explorers need. I may make those two workouts into habits, since tkd is only twice a week and explorers need at least 4 workouts a week.

Wow, I wanted to blog more about food. I made a "potato pizza" out of some of the jerusalem artichokes I planted last spring. Just rice crust, mozzarella, thin sliced and well-steamed j.artichokes, thyme, olive oil, onions, and pinenuts. I don't have a recipe for the crust, this time I bought one as I was already experimenting with the topping, but next time I'll devise a crust and post a recipe. Potato pizza is something you usually only see in Italy...I went there in 1998 before BTD and indulged in such things. My recipe is mainly from a recipe that was in Sunset long ago, 98 or 99. I haven't made it since back when I used to make spelt pizza crusts. My youngest son (hunter or explorer) loved it, and so did I. My husband gave his stamp of approval as well (even though teachers shouldn't eat j.artichokes, I had to get his opinion as somebody who has eaten the real thing).

I also marinated some canned quail eggs in lemon juice and salt water. It took a week of that (in the refrigerator) to get out the tinny taste. I served them on a "nest" of radish sprouts. So I did have eggs one morning this week!

Oh, and yes, I am eating some dairy again. I plan to rotate it, eating it a couple days a week, then being dairy free the rest of the week. That way I shouldn't have any trouble with mucus buildup, if that's an issue. I blamed dairy for my illnesses, but it could have just been explorer toxins that I was eating as a mistaken gatherer. I'm treading carefully there, and only with the superfoods.