Random Notes from a Crank

As was expected, Moscow Don's foolish economic policies have made the economy worse because of his stupid tariffs and the amount of debt the U.S. owes to all kinds of countries: "Markets Rattled on Concerns about U.S. Debt." 

This is what the U.S. gets when the country votes in a moron who bankrupted a casino.

The GOP says they care about budget deficits, but when they get the White House, the deficit increases. 

They only seem to care about the deficit when a Democrat is in office. 

I recently purchased some chia seeds because I've been reading about the health benefits of eating them. People suggest using them with yogurt. 

I've moved from the high-sugar yogurts to something much healthier. I'm going with Greek yogurt with fruit intermixed, and I add some honey for a bit of sweetness. Then I will sprinkle in some chia seeds. 

Here's what Healthline says about chia seeds: "Chia Seeds 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits." 

Tottenham Hotspur won the Europa League yesterday. #COYS

I'm intrigued with which new players will join the club to bolster its squad because of the Champions League competition. 

Stay Positive: In Praise of Cottage Cheese

Probably because I follow a number of cooking-related sites on FB, an ad/article came across my feed today touting an article by The New York Times titled "Cottage Cheese Makes a Comeback."

The line below the title says, "The diet staple of the 70s is jiggling back into the mainstream--bringing with it a host of benefits." 

I don't have a subscription to that great paper, but I got intrigued by the health benefits of cottage cheese. 

And I've always liked cottage cheese. It looks weird - sort of like really white brains - and it tastes good. 

I grew up in Iowa. One of the best dairies in the state is Anderson Erickson out of Des Moines. They have some great cottage cheese and chip dips. Their cottage cheese is excellent. It's old fashioned. 

So I did some sleuthing on the InterWebs and found a few articles I thought I'd share.

"7 Reasons Why Cottage Cheese Is Good for You" from the Cleveland Clinic

"Cottage Cheese: Are There Health Benefits?" by WedMD

"Why Cottage Cheese Is Super Healthy and Nutritious" by Healthline

It's high in protein and gives you a good helping of B12, selenium, riboflavin, and phosphorus. Also, people also recommend it when one is trying to lose weight. 

I've always been a fan of cottage cheese. Now I like it even more. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Over the past couple of weeks, I've made both mustard greens and collard greens in the Southern style. Although this opinion may be unpopular among people who care about food, I prefer mustard greens over collard. I like the spiciness of mustard greens. 

According to the short article by heathline about collard greens, they're rich in antioxidants and a solid vegetable to eat because they have incredibly high levels of Vitamin K along with C and A. 

The same goes for their rundown on mustard greens. 

So this cursory research got me to thinking, "What the hell is vitamin K anyway?"

Apparently vitamin K helps with strengthening bones, improving memory, and keeping the heart healthy. 

The new Netflix stand-up special by Jim Jefferies is quite good. I really like his point that the saying "Happy wife--happy life" is generally thought of a truism or a maxim that most people believe. 

I agree with his point that there is no saying that is approved about a "happy husband." No one gives a damn. Most people, as Jefferies intimates, would have a reaction more like this: "Happy husband - Wait, why is he happy?" 

I know how he feels. 

Musing of the Moment: Lime Water

When you go to restaurants, servers often bring your water with lemon on one of the rims. I don't like lemon in my water. 

But I like limes. 

And apparently lime water has a number of health benefits. 

If you're interested in reading that information, here are some links:

• Healthline's "Lime Water Benefits"
• Medical News Today's "12 Health Benefits of Lime Water"
• VeryWellFit's "7 Lime Water Benefits"

Random Notes from a Crank

After doing some reading and some research, I'm moving to using avocado oil as my high-smoke-point and relatively flavor-neutral cooking oil. 

Mash the title if you want to know about "9 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Avocado Oil." 

It's been a rough week for the Premier League. Manchester City got humbled by Lyon in the Champions League, which means there are no EPL teams in the quarterfinals. And on Sunday Manchester United lost to Sevilla. 

Speaking of football, I discovered a Netflix series about the eight national teams that have won the World Cup. The opening episode about Uruguay was fascinating. 

Because I planted pickling cucumbers, I've been making pickles. In addition, I pickled some hard-boiled eggs. A bar I used to frequent during my college days always had pickled eggs on hand, and I was one of those guys who acquired a taste for that odd foodstuff.