Friday, March 25, 2011

Enjoying the Simple Things...like Stirring


It has been almost fifteen weeks since my hand was broken, fourteen since three steel pins were inserted to give my healing some structure (see pic). As I face the procedure to remove the pins, and not having even a foggy idea of how everything will feel afterwards, I am enjoying all that I can do this week. It has only been very recently that I can really do some of the things in the kitchen that I had previously taken for granted...like stirring a really thick gooey batter or uniformly chopping a vegetable. My left hand has certainly tried its best over the last few months...but my right hand was pretty useless as a supporting player for such tasks as just holding the bowl. After missing cooking up some of the goodies you should only have once a year at Christmas and New Years, I had a ton of fun fixing up some goodies for a recent event. With the taste of that experience still fresh, I decided to throw the dietary restraints off and have some fun with some new recipes and really spoil my family with some hearty home cooking.

Armed with inspiration from Guy Fieri and the Pioneer Woman (whose blog my blog wants to be like when it grows up), I stocked up on bacon, eggs, butter and whole milk. With pages spread out before me or recipes pulled up on the nearby computer, I have made chicken parmesan, twice-baked potatoes and blueberry cobbler this week. We (I am, anyway) are looking forward to a potato and leek pizza (with goat cheese!~ Yikes! A first for all of us!) tonight for dinner and soft "everything" pretzels (a request from my husband) as a snack later. Before the weekend is over we will have had french breakfast puffs and new recipes for chili, mac & cheese and an apple pie. And there will be some pulled pork ready to be used on tacos and sandwiches in the coming days. Now, I have had to sprinkle some familiar stuff in along the way to keep my kids' heads from exploding from the new stuff. But they have absolutely found some new likes. And besides that, the house smells absolutely yummy all the time.

It has been fun for me...sometimes the kids help...sometimes it's my version of "me" time. But at least with this "me" time, others can benefit too. And I promise to get back to steaming and cutting the fat and calories afterwards...so please do not tattle on us to our doctor.