Almost too quiet. I just got back from dropping off the kids at school for their first day back from Christmas break. And I actually feel a little sad, which is good, because that means I wasn't so frazzled and tired and stressed that I couldn't wait for school to start up again. I am, however, glad to be back to a schedule and structure and the chance to run errands by myself or get things done when I can be really productive. Or just a chance to ride the exercise bike without 17 interruptions.
We had a good morning and the kids were both at school on time. Ben and I had to wait for a minute or two for the teachers to show up at the dropoff area, which suited him fine, because he did not want to be back at school today. The biggest issue was the fact that he had to leave his little Fisher-Price girl with me instead of keeping it with him. That lead to a traumatic separation. Then he decided that focusing on the zipper of my coat was a good idea. I think he decided that focusing on the zipper would just make it all go away.
Minor fit when I handed him over, but by the time I drove by to leave the parking lot, he had a smile on his face. Hopefully he enjoys his time back.
We found out over Christmas break that Ben has been having some issues in the church nursery with being aggressive towards other kids, pulling hair and grabbing at their faces, etc. Not really sure how to prevent that as we still can't have a conversation with him about appropriate behavior and set down expectations. We pretty much have to deal with things in the moment. It would have been if they had kept us informed instead of just dumping it on us that he'd had some problems in the past (including an incident during the Christmas Eve service this year, which lead to us finding out that he'd had other run-ins).
The main thing that comes to mind is that certain things are triggers for him to act out physically - if it's really loud all of a sudden or if a child is crying or screaming, if someone gets in his face, if someone tries to take a toy - but those are things that are difficult if not impossible to prevent in an environment like a church nursery. He's been doing well at school and I think there's just been one incidence of him trying to hit another child during snack time. He was removed from snack time and was all done, and that seemed to make enough of an impression on him that it hasn't happened again.
I'm not sure how they prevent aggression at his preschool, which has a mix of developmentally delayed children and typically developing children. I think I'm going to e-mail his teacher, though, and see if she has any tips that I can pass along.
I really don't like starting out the new year with this kind of stress and anxiety, not knowing if he'll keep up with the behavior and if we'll be told at some point that he can't be in the nursery anymore - or if one of us will always need to be in there with him to monitor things.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Are You Depressed?
For some reason, I got to thinking today about a guy I knew in high school youth group. After graduation, he married a girl from our youth group who had graduated a year or two before. She had a daughter from a previous relationship. They seemed very happy, and though the little girl wasn't his biologically, he doted on her and I don't think he could have loved her more.
But a year or two after they married, he killed himself. I didn't know Randy all that well, just from youth group events. I have no idea what might have been happening in his life at the time or what had happened up until that point. But I can't help wondering if he was in the throes of clinical depression and just couldn't take it anymore.
I experienced that in my freshman year of college, and that's been the worst experience of my life. I just felt bad all the time and as if there was no hope of ever feeling better, no happiness in my future. On many days, I simply hoped that my life would end so I could stop feeling so bad. I never put much thought into suicide, though, because as a Christian, I believed that I would go to hell if I killed myself.
In reading through a book of Q&A from Max Lucado called Max On Life, he had some interesting things to say about that. Here's part of his answer:
I appreciated his thoughts on this subject, and pondering it myself, it does make sense that God wouldn't choose this one sin as the unforgivable one, particularly as it is often driven by mental illness.
So how did I come out of my depression? Basically just by waiting it out and through the support of a friend of mine who was a greater encouragement to me than I think he ever knew. I didn't recognize what was happening to me, and if anyone else did, they didn't tell me. It wasn't until several years later, when I read a checklist of symptoms of clinical depression, that I realized what I had experienced and why it felt so hopeless.
I really wish someone had said "Maybe you should go see a doctor or the college health department." I know that my moods and attitude were evident to some of those around me, although not all. If you think that someone in your life might be going through depression, please talk to them about it. You may be surprised at how open they are to discussing it, and it might spur them on to get the help that they need to get through it.
So how do you know if you are depressed? Here are some of the symptoms:
I went through a minor depression last year and finally went to a doctor. It turned out that I had very low levels of vitamin D, and she put me on a supplement that made a world of difference after just a few weeks. Sometimes it's as simple as that, sometimes it might take counseling or antidepressant medication or other interventions. But there's no shame in getting help for depression.
If you need help and you don't have insurance or aren't sure where to turn, you can check out the Mental Health Services locator on this web page:
http://store.samhsa.gov/mhlocator
Please don't feel like you have to go through it alone or just wait it out.
But a year or two after they married, he killed himself. I didn't know Randy all that well, just from youth group events. I have no idea what might have been happening in his life at the time or what had happened up until that point. But I can't help wondering if he was in the throes of clinical depression and just couldn't take it anymore.
I experienced that in my freshman year of college, and that's been the worst experience of my life. I just felt bad all the time and as if there was no hope of ever feeling better, no happiness in my future. On many days, I simply hoped that my life would end so I could stop feeling so bad. I never put much thought into suicide, though, because as a Christian, I believed that I would go to hell if I killed myself.
In reading through a book of Q&A from Max Lucado called Max On Life, he had some interesting things to say about that. Here's part of his answer:
Let's be clear: suicide is the wrong choice. The date of our death is God's to choose, not ours. He gives life, and he takes it. When people orchestrate their own death, they make the wrong choice.
But is the mistake a spiritually fatal one? Do we despair of any hope of their eternal salvation? Are we left with the nightmarish conclusion that heaven holds no place for them?
By no means. For while suicide is the wrong choice, have not we all made wrong choices? And did Christ not come for people like us? Frame their lives rightly. Remember good decisions. Catalog blue-ribbon days. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28 NKJV). God does not measure a person by one decision, nor should we.
I appreciated his thoughts on this subject, and pondering it myself, it does make sense that God wouldn't choose this one sin as the unforgivable one, particularly as it is often driven by mental illness.
So how did I come out of my depression? Basically just by waiting it out and through the support of a friend of mine who was a greater encouragement to me than I think he ever knew. I didn't recognize what was happening to me, and if anyone else did, they didn't tell me. It wasn't until several years later, when I read a checklist of symptoms of clinical depression, that I realized what I had experienced and why it felt so hopeless.
I really wish someone had said "Maybe you should go see a doctor or the college health department." I know that my moods and attitude were evident to some of those around me, although not all. If you think that someone in your life might be going through depression, please talk to them about it. You may be surprised at how open they are to discussing it, and it might spur them on to get the help that they need to get through it.
So how do you know if you are depressed? Here are some of the symptoms:
- Feelings of sadness or unhappiness
- Irritability or frustration, even over small matters
- Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities
- Insomnia or excessive sleeping
- Changes in appetite — depression often causes decreased appetite and weight loss, but in some people it causes increased cravings for food and weight gain
- Agitation or restlessness — for example, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still
- Indecisiveness, distractibility and decreased concentration
- Fatigue, tiredness and loss of energy — even small tasks may seem to require a lot of effort
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself when things aren't going right
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
- Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide
- Crying spells for no apparent reason
- Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
I went through a minor depression last year and finally went to a doctor. It turned out that I had very low levels of vitamin D, and she put me on a supplement that made a world of difference after just a few weeks. Sometimes it's as simple as that, sometimes it might take counseling or antidepressant medication or other interventions. But there's no shame in getting help for depression.
If you need help and you don't have insurance or aren't sure where to turn, you can check out the Mental Health Services locator on this web page:
http://store.samhsa.gov/mhlocator
Please don't feel like you have to go through it alone or just wait it out.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Pity Party Never Lasts Long
I found myself recently feeling a little sorry for myself. Sometimes it's a little tiring having two kids who are not "typical." It can be draining, emotionally, mentally and physically. But you know what? There are definitely worse situations we could be experiencing as parents. And it seems like whenever I start to feel sorry for myself, I'm reminded that there are others who have much tougher challenges than we do.
We were in Seattle this weekend and visited Mars Hill. One of the executive pastors was preaching, and he shared about his infant son, who died at the hospital after several months of surgeries and treatment without ever being able to go home. In fact, they couldn't even hold him much while he was alive because he was hooked up to so many tubes and machines.
Then this morning, I watched part of a show on two people with mysterious medical conditions that cause them to age very slowly. One was a 40-year-old man and one was a 6-year-old little girl. The man was able to move independently to an extent, and the little girl needed to be carried everywhere as she's still largely in an infantile state. I only caught the last third or so of the show, so I didn't see if they were able to communicate much beyond what I saw in the part I did watch, but it appeared that both were mostly in their own worlds and unable to interact very much.
And during both of these times, I realized that I am fortunate. I have a daughter who is bright and funny, who cares about others and does thoughtful things for people, who likes to be creative and write stories and enjoys music, and who is a delight to be around. Not always, but frequently! I have a son who is full of joy and laughter, who has a wicked sense of humor even if he can't tell us jokes yet, who gives wonderful giant tight hugs and holds his arm out for kisses up and down it as he beams a beautiful smile, and who loves his family beyond compare.
I'm thankful that our children don't struggle with serious physical ailments or terminal diseases. I'm thankful that we can enjoy communicating with them, even if we need to work harder to understand what Ben needs and aren't always successful. I'm thankful that we have resources available to us - medical specialists and therapists and medication and developmental school programs - especially because I know that not everyone has access to such things, and because we have insurance to pay for those things that cost us money. I'm thankful for supportive family and friends and for prayer and for the knowledge that God is in control and that He knew exactly what He was doing when He gave us these special children, and when He gave us to them.
We were in Seattle this weekend and visited Mars Hill. One of the executive pastors was preaching, and he shared about his infant son, who died at the hospital after several months of surgeries and treatment without ever being able to go home. In fact, they couldn't even hold him much while he was alive because he was hooked up to so many tubes and machines.
Then this morning, I watched part of a show on two people with mysterious medical conditions that cause them to age very slowly. One was a 40-year-old man and one was a 6-year-old little girl. The man was able to move independently to an extent, and the little girl needed to be carried everywhere as she's still largely in an infantile state. I only caught the last third or so of the show, so I didn't see if they were able to communicate much beyond what I saw in the part I did watch, but it appeared that both were mostly in their own worlds and unable to interact very much.
And during both of these times, I realized that I am fortunate. I have a daughter who is bright and funny, who cares about others and does thoughtful things for people, who likes to be creative and write stories and enjoys music, and who is a delight to be around. Not always, but frequently! I have a son who is full of joy and laughter, who has a wicked sense of humor even if he can't tell us jokes yet, who gives wonderful giant tight hugs and holds his arm out for kisses up and down it as he beams a beautiful smile, and who loves his family beyond compare.
I'm thankful that our children don't struggle with serious physical ailments or terminal diseases. I'm thankful that we can enjoy communicating with them, even if we need to work harder to understand what Ben needs and aren't always successful. I'm thankful that we have resources available to us - medical specialists and therapists and medication and developmental school programs - especially because I know that not everyone has access to such things, and because we have insurance to pay for those things that cost us money. I'm thankful for supportive family and friends and for prayer and for the knowledge that God is in control and that He knew exactly what He was doing when He gave us these special children, and when He gave us to them.
Monday, August 1, 2011
August Already?
I was nervous about this summer, but it hasn't been too bad. A few rough spots with Rachel, but they have been brief for the most part, and we're figuring out triggers and better ways to diffuse them. We're already past the halfway point of summer, and while I'm looking forward to school starting back up, the has gone faster than I expected.
Rachel started swim lessons today and is doing much better this year than she did last year. Last year was her first year of lessons, and she was so afraid of putting her face in the water or anything else that she didn't make much progress over the 16 or so lessons she had. I think she made more progress in today's lesson than she did over the entire course of lessons last year. She has an older lady for a teacher, in her 60s I'd guess, and the woman is no-nonsense and is making sure that she calls Rachel's attention back to her when it starts to wander elsewhere. Rachel needs to work on some of her techniques for floating and kicking, but she's giving it good effort even though she's still afraid of water going up her nose, which happened today. She's learning to do a better job of blowing out through her nose when she goes into the water, though!
Ben has been really sweet and started a few weeks ago to ask for "Hugs!" and "Kisses!" He's always been big on hugging and gives AWESOME hugs, but he's also starting to give kisses again, something he hasn't done in a long time. And when we say hi to him, he's responding much more regularly with "Hi! Hi!", too. He was in the church nursery during the mornings while the rest of us were involved in a week of Vacation Bible School, and he did very well in there. The main nursery care provider told me that it was a joy to have Ben there, and that's so nice to hear! It always makes me a little nervous when we have to leave Ben with people who haven't been around him much since I don't know how he'll do and, to a lesser extend, what they'll think.
I *am* finding out that people are generally pretty understanding and many even have experience dealing with kids on the autism spectrum. In fact, one of the other nursery workers during VBS used to work with severely affected autistic children. So neat the way that God works out the details for things when we don't even think to ask Him for the specifics!
We're taking a vacation in a few weeks, and I'm looking forward to that. We're staying in town because it's easier to deal with Ben's sleeping arrangements if we can just sleep in our own beds at night, but this way we'll be able to play tourist locally and do some of the things about which we keep saying "We should totally do that sometime!" We're planning on renewing our zoo membership for the Point Defiance Zoo and going there one of the days, along with a stop at Fort Nisqually afterward. We're planning on two day trips to Seattle to go to the Children's Museum, Space Needle, University of Washington Arboretum and probably one or two other places. Some of them won't take long, so we're hoping to do maybe 2 things a day plus lunch in between. I'm hoping to find a good Cuban restaurant in Seattle on one of those days. There's also a park not too far away that has a fountain play area that I think the kids would enjoy, judging by the fun they had at a similar fountain in Victoria, B.C. last year. It will be nice to just take it easy that week and let ourselves be in vacation mode. We'll have to resist the temptation to do yard work, though. That wouldn't be vacation for me.
Rachel started swim lessons today and is doing much better this year than she did last year. Last year was her first year of lessons, and she was so afraid of putting her face in the water or anything else that she didn't make much progress over the 16 or so lessons she had. I think she made more progress in today's lesson than she did over the entire course of lessons last year. She has an older lady for a teacher, in her 60s I'd guess, and the woman is no-nonsense and is making sure that she calls Rachel's attention back to her when it starts to wander elsewhere. Rachel needs to work on some of her techniques for floating and kicking, but she's giving it good effort even though she's still afraid of water going up her nose, which happened today. She's learning to do a better job of blowing out through her nose when she goes into the water, though!
Ben has been really sweet and started a few weeks ago to ask for "Hugs!" and "Kisses!" He's always been big on hugging and gives AWESOME hugs, but he's also starting to give kisses again, something he hasn't done in a long time. And when we say hi to him, he's responding much more regularly with "Hi! Hi!", too. He was in the church nursery during the mornings while the rest of us were involved in a week of Vacation Bible School, and he did very well in there. The main nursery care provider told me that it was a joy to have Ben there, and that's so nice to hear! It always makes me a little nervous when we have to leave Ben with people who haven't been around him much since I don't know how he'll do and, to a lesser extend, what they'll think.
I *am* finding out that people are generally pretty understanding and many even have experience dealing with kids on the autism spectrum. In fact, one of the other nursery workers during VBS used to work with severely affected autistic children. So neat the way that God works out the details for things when we don't even think to ask Him for the specifics!
We're taking a vacation in a few weeks, and I'm looking forward to that. We're staying in town because it's easier to deal with Ben's sleeping arrangements if we can just sleep in our own beds at night, but this way we'll be able to play tourist locally and do some of the things about which we keep saying "We should totally do that sometime!" We're planning on renewing our zoo membership for the Point Defiance Zoo and going there one of the days, along with a stop at Fort Nisqually afterward. We're planning on two day trips to Seattle to go to the Children's Museum, Space Needle, University of Washington Arboretum and probably one or two other places. Some of them won't take long, so we're hoping to do maybe 2 things a day plus lunch in between. I'm hoping to find a good Cuban restaurant in Seattle on one of those days. There's also a park not too far away that has a fountain play area that I think the kids would enjoy, judging by the fun they had at a similar fountain in Victoria, B.C. last year. It will be nice to just take it easy that week and let ourselves be in vacation mode. We'll have to resist the temptation to do yard work, though. That wouldn't be vacation for me.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Coconut Pecan Frosting Recipe
We're headed to a family reunion today, and I decided to make some cookie bars to take with us, along with some layered bean dip and tortilla chips. The cookie bars are awesome - a buttery firm bottom crust, semisweet chocolate chips sprinkled over it, a rich coconut pecan frosting layer (the kind of frosting you use in German chocolate cake) and a top crust of the same mixture as the bottom, thinned with a little milk. I've blogged about them here. The problem with the bars, though, is that all of the canned coconut pecan frostings I've seen have red dye 40 in them for some reason, and Rachel can't have red dye 40, so she didn't get to eat them whenever I made them.
I thought I'd try my hand at a homemade coconut pecan frosting instead, since I knew I could make it dye-free. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com, my favorite go-to website when I'm looking to try something new. I made it yesterday, and BOY, did it turn out yummy! I probably won't buy the canned kind again. It's convenient, but there's also a weird tang or aftertaste, and I'm guessing that's due to the preservatives. I'd much rather just make it myself know that I know it's not difficult and tastes so great.
Doesn't that make your mouth water?
Two notes: I toasted the coconut and pecans before adding them to the frosting, and I stirred the frosting on the stove at a low boil for about 11 or 12 minutes. I didn't stir constantly, but very regularly, since it can get lumpy if you don't keep it well stirred.
I encourage you to give it a try, and if you do, let me know what you think of your results!
I thought I'd try my hand at a homemade coconut pecan frosting instead, since I knew I could make it dye-free. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com, my favorite go-to website when I'm looking to try something new. I made it yesterday, and BOY, did it turn out yummy! I probably won't buy the canned kind again. It's convenient, but there's also a weird tang or aftertaste, and I'm guessing that's due to the preservatives. I'd much rather just make it myself know that I know it's not difficult and tastes so great.
Doesn't that make your mouth water?
Two notes: I toasted the coconut and pecans before adding them to the frosting, and I stirred the frosting on the stove at a low boil for about 11 or 12 minutes. I didn't stir constantly, but very regularly, since it can get lumpy if you don't keep it well stirred.
I encourage you to give it a try, and if you do, let me know what you think of your results!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Hi, and Stuff
So I was on a real streak there at the beginning of this month, but then I got busy and forgot to post and/or to write some posts ahead of time. Then I just kind of drew a blank when I thought about what to write.
Summer continues, as does Rachel's dramatic tendencies. And she's not dramatic in a good way. She's in Vacation Bible School this week, and I thought having something to do in the mornings would keep her busy and entertained enough so that the rest of the day would go more smoothly. Instead, she's been dragging her feet about getting ready in the morning, which leads to me nagging and getting all stressed out. Then she's been moody and easily upset in the afternoons and evenings. Mostly we've done alright, but she's had to go into time out a few times, and it's been a battle to get her there.
We had an appointment with the neurobehavioral pediatrician on Monday. Based upon how she's currently doing and the last report he received from her teacher at school, the doctor decided to put Rachel on a very low dosage of medication to help with her attention issues. He believes that she has a significant enough problem with attention span that it's causing the other problems with time management, defiance, oppositionality, emotional maturity, etc. And he feels that finding the right dosage of medication will help her brain to function like those of other 7-year-olds so that she has the chance to choose more appropriate behavior as a general rule.
It was odd to have him prescribe medication now because we weren't expecting it. I think he wanted to deal with the worst of her defiance and behavior problems with a method of parenting that works well for children like Rachel, and he probably also wanted us to retrain ourselves to be able to respond more calmly. And now that we're doing those things and she's still having problems, it's more evident that there is indeed a neurobehavioral issue with her brain chemistry. He likened it to a child with diabetes who needs insulin to regulate their blood sugar and help it to function correctly.
I know that there are some who believe it's wrong to medicate children with attention-span issues. I'm thinking those people have never had to deal with the type of extreme behavior we've seen. And they probably also don't think of the chemistry of the brain as a physical issue that sometimes needs physical treatment. And yet if a child *did* have insulin-dependent diabetes, most people wouldn't dream of telling the parents that they needed to just be stronger and more consistent in their parenting, or just wait it out and the child would outgrow it.
I'm not interested in a debate over how we're proceeding with Rachel, but wanted to share what's going on for those of you who may have been following along with us. We're watching Rachel carefully and will be talking with the doctor regularly so that he can monitor her progress. He'll be seeing her again in August and at the beginning of October. He's a very caring, concerned doctor who wants what is best for his young patients, and it's been good for us to see that so that we can trust his care of her. We're keeping this in prayer and trusting in God and in our parental instincts to make sure that Rachel is getting all that she needs to be successful and to feel more joy and less frustration. And if we as parents are able to feel the same as she makes progress, all the better!
Summer continues, as does Rachel's dramatic tendencies. And she's not dramatic in a good way. She's in Vacation Bible School this week, and I thought having something to do in the mornings would keep her busy and entertained enough so that the rest of the day would go more smoothly. Instead, she's been dragging her feet about getting ready in the morning, which leads to me nagging and getting all stressed out. Then she's been moody and easily upset in the afternoons and evenings. Mostly we've done alright, but she's had to go into time out a few times, and it's been a battle to get her there.
We had an appointment with the neurobehavioral pediatrician on Monday. Based upon how she's currently doing and the last report he received from her teacher at school, the doctor decided to put Rachel on a very low dosage of medication to help with her attention issues. He believes that she has a significant enough problem with attention span that it's causing the other problems with time management, defiance, oppositionality, emotional maturity, etc. And he feels that finding the right dosage of medication will help her brain to function like those of other 7-year-olds so that she has the chance to choose more appropriate behavior as a general rule.
It was odd to have him prescribe medication now because we weren't expecting it. I think he wanted to deal with the worst of her defiance and behavior problems with a method of parenting that works well for children like Rachel, and he probably also wanted us to retrain ourselves to be able to respond more calmly. And now that we're doing those things and she's still having problems, it's more evident that there is indeed a neurobehavioral issue with her brain chemistry. He likened it to a child with diabetes who needs insulin to regulate their blood sugar and help it to function correctly.
I know that there are some who believe it's wrong to medicate children with attention-span issues. I'm thinking those people have never had to deal with the type of extreme behavior we've seen. And they probably also don't think of the chemistry of the brain as a physical issue that sometimes needs physical treatment. And yet if a child *did* have insulin-dependent diabetes, most people wouldn't dream of telling the parents that they needed to just be stronger and more consistent in their parenting, or just wait it out and the child would outgrow it.
I'm not interested in a debate over how we're proceeding with Rachel, but wanted to share what's going on for those of you who may have been following along with us. We're watching Rachel carefully and will be talking with the doctor regularly so that he can monitor her progress. He'll be seeing her again in August and at the beginning of October. He's a very caring, concerned doctor who wants what is best for his young patients, and it's been good for us to see that so that we can trust his care of her. We're keeping this in prayer and trusting in God and in our parental instincts to make sure that Rachel is getting all that she needs to be successful and to feel more joy and less frustration. And if we as parents are able to feel the same as she makes progress, all the better!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tenderizing Your Steak
As part of my pledge to widen my repertoire of grilling options, I decided to make steak and chicken for the 4th of July. I was looking for ways to prepare both, and I came across a method for tenderizing steak that works even on cheaper, sometimes tougher, cuts of beef. I found it at the food blog Steamy Kitchen, on this page. You can go there to read her full description of what to do, including diagrams, and why it works. In a nutshell, here it is:
- Your cut of steak should be 1" thick or more.
- Liberally salt your steak 1 hour before cooking for every inch of thickness. For a 1" thick steak, you'll leave the salt on for an hour. For a 1.25" steak, you'll leave it on for 1 1/4 hours, and so on.
- Once the time is up, rinse all of the salt off and pat the steak dry.
- Prepare as planned - grill, broil, etc.
Why does it work? Salting the meat just before you grill brings out the moisture and causes it to basically be steamed. It also doesn't allow the salt to really penetrate to give you good flavor.
If you salt ahead of time, it draws out excess moisture, but this doesn't leave your steak dry. The salt is drawn into the meat and breaks down the protein cells, causing them to become more tender and mix in with the fat cells.
Apparently this can also work wonders with chicken and roasts, although I haven't yet tried that. But I did try it for the 4th of July with my steaks, and they came out tender and flavorful. Jaden at Steamy Kitchen also notes that you can add other items during the salting process to pull some of that flavor into the meat. I used garlic powder, and there is definitely a mild garlic taste to the meat. Kinda wishing I had added more!
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