Happy Father's Day!
Pucker up Puckerbutt, a review and a recipe
Last year for Father’s Day I gave my dad some Puckerbutt hot sauce because I heard Ed Currie (think Carolina Reaper) speak with Mike Rowe about the ability of hot peppers to contribute to good health and sobriety. I also gave some to my husband aka The Chicken Whisperer while I was at it because giving the gift of the “ring of sting” sounded like a good idea. Don’t judge me, I have been the only female swimming in a testosterone sea for over 30 years now and some things guys would do to each other may have rubbed off on me a little bit. If you haven’t found a gift for the dads in your life, I can now highly recommend Ed’s Honey Bonnet Hot Sauce, Puckbutt Pepper Company, because I have tried it for myself. I didn’t try enough of it to achieve the euphoric levels Ed has described though because I’m pretty sure my brain hasn’t accepted this as a possibility quite yet.
The chemical in peppers that causes the burn is called capsaicin and not dangerous unless pounds of it are consumed. Even so, the minds of humans and other mammals perceive capsaicin as a threat and send a strong burning signal to the body. Because birds don’t have the same reaction, they are able spread pepper seeds while sparing the plant.
The burning sensation spurred in humans also releases endorphins and dopamine into the body. Currie, who went all in to growing peppers after kicking drug and alcohol addictions, considers that kick a natural high. He shares his peppers with medical researchers, hoping they can use them to cure disease and help people who suffer chronic pain or discomfort.
My family enjoyed this simple hot sauce which is made from honey, cinnamon, and scotch bonnet peppers. There is a hint of cinnamon, but the flavor is complimentary, and I would not have guessed it was there, if I had not read the label. It’s a nice medium to hot heat, depending on how much you eat, and the heat does not overpower the flavor of the sauce. I am also happy to report that there was no ring stinging or eye watering involved with this one, so if you are looking for something super-hot, you may want to try one of Ed’s other hot sauce varieties. The Puckerbutt Company recommends it’s Honey Bonnet hot sauce for ribs or chicken, but The Chicken Whisperer really likes it on his eggs. Today, I enjoyed it on my lima beans. Have any of you tried The Puckerbutt Company hot sauces or listened to Ed’s interview with Mike Rowe (link is in the previous newsletter)? Let us know if you did, what you thought of it, and if you’ve experienced any pepper health benefits, in the comments below.
I actually got so inspired by Ed’s hot sauce making that I decided to make some hot sauce from my own home-grown peppers which was not like the famous Tabasco Hot Sauce brand. Last summer I grew some Tabasco peppers so that I could make my own vinegary pepper sauce to go with all of the greens I have been encouraged to eat. I enjoyed growing them as this pepper plant is quite pretty in the garden, but I was not expecting the heat packed punch that these little firecrackers brought to the table. I’ve never tasted a fresh Tabasco pepper right off the plant before so, I don’t know if Tabascos are usually that hot or if they picked up some heat from the jalapeno plant that was growing nearby. I gave one of my Tabascos to my second born who has been enjoying the tasty burn of hot chicken and what he experienced with my home-grown Tabasco pepper didn’t look very euphoric. Yikes! I had so many Tobasco peppers last summer, that once my pepper sauce was made, I hit the interwebs to learn how to make my own hot sauce out of the rest of my hot pepper bounty. I will be sharing my own recipe for Steph’s Hot Sauce (a little bit goes a long way) with PAID subscribers at the end of this newsletter.
Because we have talked about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, I thought this bit of pepper science to be curiously interesting-
Health benefits of chili peppers have been ascribed to capsaicin, its major pungent compound, which has been observed to favorably improve cardiovascular function and metabolic regulation in experimental and population studies (5). In addition to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties and atheroprotective effects (4), capsaicin reportedly induces apoptosis of the tumor cells (6); high concentrations, however, likely evoke deleterious effects (7).
And, if you are as curious as I was about what the “deleterious effects may be (7)”, you can learn more here (note that the words “may” and “hypothesis” and “further studies are needed” were used) -
Chili pepper consumption and gastric cancer in Mexico: a case-control study - PubMed (nih.gov)
Creating new things, is a good thing, especially if it helps someone like Ed turn their detrimental addictions into something with a positive purpose that benefits themselves and others. We simply love good stories in which ordinary people overcome their troubles and become more resilient in the process.
In other news, I am happy to report that although I came down with Covid again about 2 weeks ago, I am doing better with this round than I ever have before. My symptoms have been way more manageable, and I have been able to maintain a pretty good for me level of activity. Plus, it has been almost a year (11 mo) since my last reinfection. Before acupuncture, and the other things I have been learning to do to better manage Covid post viral chaos, I was getting re-infected about every 4-6 months and experiencing around 4 months of severe lingering symptoms with each round of infection. See more on that here-
Long-Covid Corner | Leaving Death in the Dust | Stephanie Schaible, MT (ASCP) | Substack
I am currently further exploring the possibility that I do have an underlying Lyme infection (based on bioenergy testing and my lingering symptoms) for which I have implemented an herbal and homeopathic protocol. See Co-Infections and a Good Report (substack.com) for more on that as well as this link-
“Long covid looks exactly, and I mean exactly, like chronic Lyme.” (lymedisease.org)
Treating chronic Lyme can be a long process, so it will probably be a while before I can report back on how all of this ends up turning out.
Also, as more news has been coming out about the origins of Covid and the political shenanigans surrounding it, and the people who seem to get off on making life more difficult than it already is for quite a few of us, Psalm 23 and Corrie Ten Boom’s powerful story of forgiveness have been a soothing balm and inspiration to my sometimes weary and sometimes joyful soul.
Keep moving forward…………………..
Looking back to Covid Groundhog Day April, 2023. I see progress being made and yes, I did get my sunflowers planted on that cool spring day!
Will I write today? The air is cool, and the sky is cloudy. They say this might be a good day for it, but they make this blanket warmer in such a cozy kind of way that this cup of coffee might not be enough to stir my thoughts into words. Outside, the birds are singing, calling me to come, but I’m not sure I want to go. A peek through the window reveals two cats having a quiet standoff, and they aren’t even mine. The world out there looks inviting, but so does that warm blanket I moved out from under. The sun is starting to peek through the clouds tempting me to open the door, but the C word is buzzing in my head, again. If I plant some seeds today, they will bear fruit in several weeks. Will I go outside today? Here comes the sunflower…….
I love the way small sunflower seeds feel in my hands, the smell of the earth, and seeing these sunny flowers in my garden. 🌻
Happy Father’s Day Dad! I’m thankful that you’re still here with us.
Looking back on Dad’s cancer painting days-
On his good days dad was able to paint. I think he may have even given away more of his artwork and painted more paintings for others while he was sick and on chemo than he did before cancer interrupted his life. Focusing on others rather than yourself also helps a lot when you are sick, it kind of helps me alleviate feelings of self-pity that can creep in and threaten to take over.
Best wishes (you are all in my prayers),
Stephanie
*Leaving Death in the Dust is a newsletter and is not a replacement for professional, regulated, medical, healthcare. This is informational and educational. Some of us in this community may have worked in the healthcare system, but we are not your medical provider and whatever you find here is not the establishment of a professional medical relationship or medical advice. **That is an MT behind my name not an MD.
Heavenly Father,
Please help everyone who has gathered here find everything needed to heal their entire being- mind, body, spirit - soul. Please provide us with the grace that we need to bear our trials well.
Please forgive all of our sins. You have created everything in your power, and you have given us the breath of life. In every breath that we take, in every morning that we wake, and in every moment of every hour, we live under your healing care. Please touch us with your merciful, kind, loving, healing, power. Recreate us in your image. Heal our sick soul. Cast out anything that should not be in us and replace it with everything good that should be within us. Bind up what is broken within us. Remove and replace any inflamed, damaged, cancerous, or unproductive cells, bones, and tissues from our body and cleanse us from all illness. May the warmth of your healing power pass into us and make the sick areas of our soul new so that our entire being will heal and be used to bring glory to your wonderful name, that we might be used for your Kingdom to bring you honor and glory.
In Jesus name, Amen.
