boiling point

Water may always boil at the same temperature, but humans reach their boiling point quicker when conditions are stressful. Think of stress as water from the hot water tank. If you fill your pot with hot water from the faucet, it will boil faster than if you fill it with cold water.

Many of us currently live in situations that feel like hot water. A tiny bit of added stress can feel like the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. We boil over before we even see our response coming.

Here, the heat and humidity add stress earlier and earlier each year. It doesn’t take much to set off a driver who has just jumped in a hot car. Road rage becomes a bigger risk.

Frequent surgeries can keep a parent from their children. On top of that, the child may see all sorts of frightening equipment when they visit the hospital. If that child is then made fun of at school, their reaction may be 10 times larger than it would have been before. Labeling as a problem child becomes a bigger risk.

A disabled family member may require hours of care each week leaving caregivers without time for recreation or rest. This may lead to impatience with spouses or children from the most previously patient person in the family.

When one person in a family or group that lives together begins to express themselves differently, it affects everyone. That can be a tough pill to swallow when we self-reflect. We may recognize that we have inadvertently become a cog that contributes to stress in our family.

As hard as it may be to realize we are part of the problem, we can choose to see it as great news. Perhaps not immediately. We may have to process feelings of shame or guilt, inadequacy or fear. But once we have enough perspective to be clear-headed, we can embrace our power to change the situation.

A lot of us spend way too much time trying to control what happens around us when the only thing we can really change is ourselves. But changing ourselves will also change what happens around us. We may be able to lower the temperature in our homes with some simple changes to how we relate within our families.

Sounds easy to say the words, but we all know it’s extremely difficult. And when dysfunction abounds, it can be hard to change while keeping our self-image intact. The system may push back against change by doubling-down to force us back into familiar patterns.

This response can put us in a frustrating and/or painful position. Any time someone we rely on for support seems to continually disagree or push back when we were previously in sync, it can affect how we view ourselves and our decisions. Even with strong resolve, we may begin to question ourselves or long to reconnect with such fervor that we acquiesce to the pressure.

The problem is that dysfunctional connection is still dysfunctional. It may feel familiar, even normal, and for a moment, less stressful, but we are sacrificing long-term stress relief for short-term calm.

Writing this, I realize I unintentionally described the cyclic pattern of domestic abuse which also boils over. I really meant to focus on recognition of baseline stress and our ability to change ourselves in service of reducing it. Now, I feel a need to address the perils of changing ourselves for peace.

If changing yourself threatens an oppressive, violent, abusive living situation, you should absolutely change AND GET OUT! Get protection. Get support. Get out. Right now, I’m speaking to adults. For children, it’s a lot more complicated and requires a separate post.

Adults, this is the voice of experience. You CAN find a way and you are worth it. Anyone who has told you or made you feel as though you must live with domestic abuse is WRONG, that you are less than is WRONG, that you deserve the stress you’re living in is WRONG. I don’t care how rich, educated, connected, famous, or “respected” they are. THEY WERE/ARE WRONG.

You can love them and forgive them down the road if you want or choose to, but for now, focus on the damage they cause and leave. You can take a minute to get your ducks in a row and be strategic in order to be safe. But the longer you stay, the harder it will be to follow through.

And if it requires reaching your boiling point to propel you out the door, temporarily ignore the first part of this post and get there quicker. Just be aware that not getting out the door is the real problem. Once you prioritize setting boundaries and leaving, you’ll be on the path to reducing baseline stress and lowering your boiling point. You’ll also be closer to finding a path to heal and keep it low.

When you live with a significant amount of baseline stress, it’s even more important to eat well, move, get outside, and get enough rest. Challenge yourself enough to feel a sense of accomplishment. Rest enough to feel renewal. Every health regimen includes these basics for a reason. They work.

And now, I must go out into the ridiculous heat that will RAISE MY STRESS! But I won’t stay long. Take care!

At high altitude, you’ll need a slow simmer. The results you get when cooking any meal are affected by temperature, humidity, and altitude. That’s why cooking is as much art as science. None of us have consistent atmospheric conditions in our kitchens so we have to use memory, senses, and perception to determine if a batter looks wet enough or the cookies should brown a minute longer in spite of what the recipe says.

Driving through the Sacramento Mountains in my slightly underpowered RV, I am acutely aware of the extent to which heat and altitude affect my ability to gain speed or maintain it as I climb. I have food with me I can microwave for dinner, but I begin to wonder how high I am and whether I’ll need to adjust my cooking times.

Altitude is stable and predictable. That means it can be adjusted for with relative consistency. If your kitchen is located from sea level to 2000 feet above, you may not have to adjust at all or so slightly that you don’t need to think twice about it. At 3000 feet and above, there is a more noticeable need for adjustment.

As you ascend above sea level, the air begins to contain less oxygen and atmospheric pressure. This is why pilots who fly unpressurized aircraft are advised to use supplemental oxygen above 10,000 ft. Less oxygen and atmospheric pressure mean water boils at a lower temperature and takes longer to boil.

Other foods also cook slower and take longer. In addition, baking requires special attention to rapid evaporation and the fact that leavening expands more at high altitude.

Turning up the temperature on the stovetop doesn’t help.

Let’s use boiling water as an example. Water cannot exceed its boiling point unless you increase pressure (like in a pressure cooker). Since water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitude, turning up the heat will only make it evaporate faster. It won’t make it hotter.

If you’re going to braise, simmer, or stir-fry meat or poultry, you’ll need to increase the cooking time and increase moisture to keep them from drying out. How much longer? At 5000 feet, it can take up to one-fourth longer for meat to cook. If you’re at 3000 feet, a shorter extension is required.

When deep frying, the lower boiling point of the water content in the foods will require lowering the temperature of the fat to prevent food from over browning on the outside while leaving the inside under-cooked. The decrease will depend on the food being fried, but roughly expect to lower the temperature of the oil about 3° F for each increase of 1,000 feet in elevation.

Be sure to have a meat thermometer on hand. In a high-altitude environment, it can be your best friend. Using a thermometer increases safety and helps prevent over and under cooking.

Eggs will need longer cooking times in high altitude as well. Again, don’t worry about turning up the heat, just increase the duration.

With slow cookers, the lower boiling point can make it difficult to get the food to reach a safe internal temperature. Use the high temperature setting for at least the first hour and increase cooking time. Be sure to keep the lid on. It takes longer than you imagine to regain the heat lost from opening the lid. It may also be helpful to put a piece of aluminum foil under the lid to keep the heat from dissipating.

To keep things confusing, oven temperatures are not affected by high altitude so baked meats can be prepared as if you are at sea level. Relying on the oven can be helpful if you’re making a transition to high altitude cooking. I won’t have that luxury in the RV. I’ll be using the microwave.

Meat and poultry will require the full recommended microwave cooking time, but I may need to reduce time for other foods that dry out quickly. Now seems to be the time to add a meat thermometer to my RV kitchen.

Winding through the mountains on a curvy two-lane highway is more interesting than weaving through trucks on the interstate. It also means my driving and my cooking rely on a long, slow simmer.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/high-altitude-cooking

Tag: boiling point

A Long, Slow Simmer