iscah meal log 052017

[prismaticbleed]

 

 

May. 20th, 2017 09:30 am = time for a new pen!

Breakfast= oatmeal, raisins, vanilla soymilk, strawberry Ensure, earl grey tea, and TWO Pop Tarts: one blueberry, one strawberry! Thank you, God, for giving me that comparison opportunity! ♥ And also, thank You, God, for LAURIE, who kept me aware & attentive so I COULD get that data!! ♥ Now, the first thing I want to mention as a general, miraculous rule of thumb, is that ALL foods DO taste how they are colored!! It really is a beautiful wonder. But yes, this applied to the PopTart fillings today! The blueberry tastes INDIGO-purple, honestly right between the two, and the strawberry tastes BRIGHT red, with the tiniest pinkish edge, and a tint of white while staying saturated. Expectedly, the SB has a quicker, upbeat, playful vibe, while staying gentle in its sweet pinkish leaning (warmer leanings tend towards fiery energy: a more zealous hue than red's solid strong courage), and BB's vibe is cooler, calmer, but still smiling happily, soothing in blue but encouraging in its touch of violet leaning. Both have the childlike sweetness of a touch of white sugar, too-- and the icing is ALL that, and far moreso understandably, with a subtle sugar-crystal texture undertone that brightens it even more! Icing, especially with its touch of milk, tastes like a boundlessly happy child, a little bit still a baby in its simple, natural "immaturity," but all the more baby-loveable for it, in its innocent exuberance. Color DOES inevitably add to it, but again, that's to be discussed elsewhere & elsewhen! For now it's just PopTarts, and the beloved fact that Laurie POINTEDLY called me to attention SEVERAL times over them, most notably for the biscuit part! "Describe it to me," she said, which demanded PRESENCE & rapt attention. And, "obviously" but still "amazingly," that, too, tastes like it looks! AND, due to that extra focus, I was ALSO able to get the BASIC FLOUR DATA so now it'll be easier to identify in other foods! ♥ It's, most simply, like the bottom-essence of baking. Kneading pure dough, with nothing added but the baking powder & soda-- no butter, no milk, no sugar. The taste of it on your fingertips after flouring the countertop! THAT'S the flavor-- it's tough to describe BECAUSE it's so utterly elementary. But really, the surprising quality of white flour is the LACK of the "whole grain wholesome" taste that darker, full grains carry! Plain flour has just enough of a lingering hint of it, just the tiniest starch-sweet levelness, to have the subtlest tan tint-- stark whites are virtually impossible in nature; only white sugar & salt taste LEGITIMATELY so. Milk & boiled eggs lean towards blue, for example. But yes! White flour is almost plain white, but not quite! AND, as such, it's really a perfect blank canvas for other flavors, that lingering wholesome-hint establishing a gentle baseline support. And flour ALWAYS has that soft-kneaded, but slightly heavy texture... oh, come on; it's DOUGHY. It's BREADY in scent & FLOURY in taste. Elementary, my dear!! So that's that-- but remember, flour is virtually ALWAYS a unitive food-- Jesus knew what He was talking about with wheat!! ♥ It's a natural "binder," it easily brings & holds ingredients together. And in the PopTarts? It gains the flavor & color & soft-but-crumbly-firmness of butter & baking! Really, there's minimal sugar in the biscuit part; the icing & filling do that job in supportive harmony with it! The biscuit has that salted-cream golden glow to it, but slight-- it's still mostly a light brown color; lots of plain white to ground that golden yellow into that distinctive floury-oily-tinysugarsalty taste! The raisins, too, have a distinct taste-- but today? I REALLY looked at them, and realized, they are literally just dried grapes. Shriveled by sun until they lose their blue-water color & taste, instead purpling from the sun-drying warm influence, until they become tiny & condensed in moist but firm-squishy denseness of texture. And that moistness makes them purpler than violet, and when I taste them now? I CAN TELL THEY ARE GRAPES!!! ♥ That's a huge victory! I can grasp that particular sweetness & "tartness" that a fresh grape carries, but scrunched up solid & intensified by the lack of water-given spaciousness-- water doesn't just "lighten," it "clarifies" BY "spreading out" flavors! So without it, everything is COMPACT and it hits harder in smaller amounts! Hence the flavor-punches of SALT (the ultimate waterless edible) and dried fruit & meat and spices, too. But yeah! Revelation! ♥ And of course, the crystalline-sugar punch of the fructose is surprisingly overwhelming at first-- WHICH IS WHY SOAKING OR THOROUGHLY CHEWING RAISINS MAKES THEM TASTE CLEARER!!! It diffuses the impact so it makes more sense, in being less of a huge "all at once" flavor punch. So I chew 'em well! And they taste red-violet at the center. THAT'S the tart-sugar color. Like a PLUM!!! Dude we are learning a LOT today!! So yes, raisins. Dried vine grapes would DEFINITELY taste different!! Boxed grapes-- well, raisins-- are probably the red & green varieties?? I'm not sure! I should look it up, but I'm assuming red. Anyway, knowledge has been gained, by the Grace & Gifts & Wonder & Boundless Creative Joy of God!! ♥ So that's our little dried fruit friends. The oatmeal is next, and Spine asked me to pay close attention to it, being a "brown" food-- but actually? "Brown" in and of itself has LOTS of flavor! Pale "browns," with a high tint, are understandably less dense in flavor. So it is with the oats! Yes, instant oats are much "whiter" in flavor than steel-cut, obviously! PLUS they cook them with water, which further spreads out the flavor's intensity. But!! Oats are still a grain, and ALL grains have that good wholesome undertone, in varying colors. These had it lightly, as that pale brown. Obviously! But it's still nice, & a very fittingly "neutral" offset to the intensity of the raisins-- which is why I REALLY want to UNITE 'em on Tuesday, to see how they play together (if they want to!), now that I have both their data clear. Also! Oatmeal has a TACKINESS to its texture, notably the lumpier bits-- which do have that tacky teeth-stick (like a post-it note!) when you chew them! And the more liquid part, like slightly starchy milkiness, is a bit tacky too-- NOT like flour, but like... bran in water? It's the structure of grain itself that adds the inherent firmness. And it didn't have that savory taste today, which is good, because it wouldn't have went very well with all that white sugar!! But it was lovely & comforting & simple, cool on top & warm on the bottom-- temperatures that highlighted individually the "bluish" flavor of the water-thin wholesome taste, and the inherent "warmer" tones of both whole grains & their native brown color-- although, heat DOES intensify the present flavor too, and a heated "blandness" becomes a little papery? But no matter! Paper is WOOD and that stuff tastes great in its own way, too!! But yeah. Too much complex contemplation to discuss here, again. Let's wrap this up by mentioning our two constants-- the vanilla soymilk & the strawberry Ensure! They UPPED my Ensure intake today, so now it's easier to get the flavor data (more in a cup = more in your mouth = more substance to get data from = more repeated intakes before the cup is empty!)... and I am happy to say that the Strawberry kind STILL tastes straight-up of Easter morning, in its "pink-colored white chocolate" taste. It's TRULY enjoyable! Also I'm wondering if breakfasts get cleared data in general?? As my mind & senses are fresh awake & ready-clear for the day, whereas they can get inundated as the day goes on. But! That's something to take as a healing challenge!! ♥ A wound to love with. If my mind gets blurry with overwhelm over time, start taking steps to soothe it! Rest it, meditate more, clear it & just soak up pure unlabeled, unjudged Creation-beauty like a plant! ♥ Take a break from all this writing
& reading, for heaven's sakes; too much of a good thing can STILL burn you out, love!! BALANCE. Even God rested on the 7th day, love. You NEED to do the same. And, relatedly, tell Laurie to keep reminding you to PAY ATTENTION! (KARUNA!! ♥) Show respect & gratitude & compassion THROUGH ATTENTIVE, CONSCIOUS PRESENCE and the AWARENESS of life, which is GOD in gift & hologram & shade & flicker & glow, that is attained IN & THROUGH PRESENCE!! Because GOD gave you this life to LIVE, and this body to INHABIT in ORDER to LIVE, and this entire Creation to SHARE in life WITH you, FOR you, THROUGH you... and a lot of Creation is food, you notice. Giving, manifested in deepest function. It's awe-inspiring; it's reverential. And every experience of it is miraculous-- every bite is a victory in Christ, a victory of life over death, THROUGH death, INTO life. Perpetual glorification of BEING, of God's ineffable TRUTH. Eternity & infinity reflected so meekly & hidden in such tiny, everyday, human moments. And the miracle of life IN that transmutation-- the tastes, the colors, the textures!! All praise & glory & honor be to God the Creator!! He spun together the sweetness of vanilla, that always-loved creamy texture & coolness of the soymilk (although I DO want to try it room temperature!)... AND the new and wondrous taste of EARL GREY TEA!! ♥ I kid you not, my friends, I think I have a new favorite. It's the sophisticated herbal-bitter taste of black tea (which I have learned to love), but with a LEGIT citrus overtone! It's SO GOOD. I was surprised! But I'll tell you what, I'll DEFINITELY be having it again-- probably Monday, as tomorrow is JASMINE tea day, and you just can't beat the beautifully delicate floral taste of that. Plus... it makes me think of Easter. So, there's no better tea for a blessed Sunday morning! ♥ Amen. ♥

Lunch= baked chicken on a wheat bun, 2 tomato slices & 1 big lettuce leaf, broccoli & cheese soup with carrot & onion (no potato today!), chocolate Ensure, and a strawberry-syrup sundae. GUESS WHO ATE THE WHOLE BURGER (pun happily intended), WITH lettuce & tomato on it, too? Yes, we did!! ♥ And it was LOVELY!! The sweet-pinkish-red, slightly tart (LIKE A PEACH!! ♥ Seriously, it's that SAME flavor kiss!) brightness-- and uniquely "aerated" firm spongy texture of its meat-- of the tomato slices, the tiny bitter-bright nip of their seeds, & the cool wet jell around them... it adds SUCH a perfect flavor complement to the meat & the bread! And with the crisp, wet, vibrant green & water-cool joy of fresh lettuce, tasting so fully ALIVE in its verdant hue, rich in that ever-beloved chlorophyll taste... that doesn't so much "complement" as "enlighten" whatever it is paired with! It uplifts the WHOLE, which is really special. The wheat bun is SO GOOD, oh my gosh-- and for whatever reason, the tomato's moistening influence on it made it SWEETER? Maybe because of the bit of acidity interacting with the starches? Who knows-- all I can say is WOW. I have become QUITE the fan of whole wheat's wholesome brown flavor, and that sweet undertone it gained here... honestly, I can only praise God for such Goodness! SO! Now imagine how those three ingredients harmonized with the light, juicy, herbal-kissed chicken meat!! DOUBLE WOW. It all tasted so LIGHT!! But the bun was a PERFECT "grounding" base for it-- in wondrous comparison to yesterday's WHITE bun, whose sweetness & plain lightness was the perfect lifting influence on the heavier, meatier (pun intended) flavors of the cheese & beef. And there, too, the lettuce & tomato added that heavenly spark of luminous clarity. Really, levity!! But I thought that meat/bun, color/weight harmonizing was REALLY cool. In short? I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED this burger!! ♥ Love & healing have happened 100%! And so it ALSO was with the SUNDAE-- which Laurie encouraged me throughout, guiding my focus & appreciative affection for the dear treat from Our Lord-- yes, specifically these sundaes, in light of their tumultuous history that paved a powerfully fertile path for virtue to bloom upon--because today? Not only did the syrup+cream mixed bits taste legitimately PINK-- that blissfully gentle, soft, deeply compassionate tint-- but I DIDN'T HAVE ANY "NEGATIVE" REACTION! No dizziness, nothing!! It was purely a blessing today. ♥ The syrup was joyously red & summer-strawberry-bright, actually tasting JUST like this morning's Pop Tart! And the ice cream was the softest, sweetest, gentlest thing... so warmly comforting even in its cold temperature! Jesus remembered how sincerely I asked Him to heal & bless it last week, and with that process accepted & remembered in humble, truly grateful trust? THIS is its fruit! Forgiveness, friendship, & joy through Grace! ♥ Now, last up? The broccoli cheese soup! Laurie had me describe it to her, and guess what? It DOES taste amber!! There's actually very little "cheesy" flavor to it; it's subtle & lighter, like on the english muffin & omelettes-- not the orangey-warm flavorful sort on the burger patties! Those WORK with an equally "big" cheese taste, but this creamy soup needed delicacy to hold the vegetables more gently. And how nicely it does! The broccoli is that special "softly firm" texture, and its heat-warmed-to-olive-tinted-green color lends its flavor a similarly mellow touch-- and in any case, the particular taste of cruciferous vegetables tends to go VERY WELL with cheese! The carrot bits are a rich orange AND are actually pretty firm! Not mushy whatsoever, but not hard. A nice, medium "bite-ability" is where they're at! It's nice on the teeth. And!! You did read correctly-- there were NO potatoes in today's soup; instead there were little unmistakeable bits of chopped onion! They, too, have a bite-texture that you can't misplace. It's close to, but firmer/ "crisper" than a tomato slice, similar to raw bell pepper maybe? I like it. But it does have a nice softness in soup. And, again, onion goes well with lighter cheese! I suppose the cooked carrots do, too-- as this soup tastes amber, not orange, so they don't conflict. Instead, the carrots add an analogous richness to the taste-hue! I'm telling you, man-- symphonies. Taste paintings!! Edible color schemes! It really is all a joy... all such a blessing. ♥

Dinner= the BEST chicken tenders, a BIG heap of french fries, peach yogurt, vanilla Ensure, & Fig Newtons! The Fig Newtons were actually very surprising, taste wise-- the floury covering is virtually flavorless! I'm serious-- I nibbled it off the long-sides of each cookie, and really rolled it around in my mouth, but besides that now-recognized flour texture, light & soft-dry easy crumbing, and the sort of "base" neutral flavor-essence it holds, there was virtually NO data TO get!! That was unexpected! BUT! Now I know why-- because the fig filling is as intense as any other dried fruit, and its fruit-tart, fruit-sugar flavor wallop would have been WAY too powerful for anything BUT the simplest of grounding flour-flavors to handle!! Isn't that a beautifully perfect paradoxical pairing? The "weakest" crumbly cookie-coating imaginable, almost tasteless on its own, is the ONLY grain able to embrace the sheer strength of flavor the figs contain. Not only that, but they're a match, a union! That's as sweet as the figs themselves! ♥ And boy howdy, they ARE sweet-- without that floury bed they'd be TOO much! (More reason for trying the raisins with the oatmeal on Tuesday-- who knows? They might "fall in love" too! As will I, undoubtedly. ♥) But MOST interestingly was their flavor color. That raisin-like "tart" taste registered as the same purplish-maroon in my head, almost black in denseness of taste & structure, BUT! Then I realized the quality of the SWEETNESS-- it was NOT like a raisin, but like a DATE!! And, looking, yes-- the filling was BROWN! They're not the assumed plum-dark mission figs, but the tart yet syrupy TURKISH figs!! And the taste CLICKED. ♥ The perfect balance of sugary richness & sour roundedness, held together in harmony within that flour. And yes, they actually DO remind me of Grandpa, taste-wise! I wonder, what a person's favorite tastes & flavor interplays might say about their personality? THAT'S a really cool & inspirational thought!!! I'll DEFINITELY have to contemplate that later-- ESPECIALLY in the Leagueworlds!!! ♥ But now? It's PEACH YOGURT TIME. Yes, it tastes that creamy-pale pleasant orange tint, and its texture is just as soft & gentle, silky smooth. There aren't many peach bits in it, but they are nice & firm & flavorful-- like nips of the ones I had last night! The whole thing really just has this preciously delicate but happy balance of dairy-calm and the simple sunny gladness of ripe, juicy, water-plump fruit... you might even say it's-- wait for it-- peaches and cream. BA-dum-tssh!! ♥ Honestly, it's super nice. Although, fruity flavors work better earlier in the day! They just match that vibe. Evening foods are like blankets, often-- warm & comforting without weighing you down. And so we have our Saturday evening CHICKEN & POTATOES!! ♥ And both done warmly but lightly enough to give that last boost of encouraging strength as the day winds down. The fries were ESPECIALLY tasty today! They were warm & soft & nicely hard-crisp at the pointy bits, rich with oil without being greasy. And fries DON'T have the heaviness of baked potatoes, texture-wise! They aren't as soft as mashed, but they're getting there, so to speak-- and we all know that mushy fries are the tastiest. Just like French toast! ♥ Honestly that's why I won't put ketchup on them-- it overpowers their simple but much-loved potatoey goodness. And they're such a nice prelude to THAT CHICKEN! I LOVE that peppery breading so much, all crispy-hard (like the fries) at the edges, soft in the middle, all smoothed with oil. And the chicken itself, so tasty with those stripes of tougher fat, and so soft, without being juicy (which wouldn't go with fried breading-- juicy breaded perfection is MONDAY'S chicken meal! ♥) or mushy. It's lovely. Lastly... I have to laugh.That poor vanilla Ensure!! I just can't seem to grasp it! Well, tomorrow I'll just have to have it at ALL THREE MEALS! Plus, I'll have the opportunity to compare it to the soymilk AND a Magic Cup! It's a richer vanilla than the yogurt & ice creams anyway, so the closer comparisons should help my mind grasp it clearer. We'll give it our best shot, as always, with God's help! ♥

Snack= tonight was the TRIPLE NUGO NIGHT and my intuition agreed! ♥ It was nice to have them all together again. It's just a lot of sugar at once-- but really, dude, after breakfast, I cannot complain! Really, focus on the love, which heals all ills, and fosters friendship & gratitude in ALL things. The salty crispness of the pretzel, the minty cocoa-cookie loveliness of the mint, the warm cozy simple sweet of the chocolate chip... they're all to be treasured. Thank You, God, for Your gifts! ♥