Cooking, toes (RL)

[thistlechaser]

I see a nutritionist once a month. Not totally by choice, but I need to, so. One of the goals we set was me cooking twice a week. With my mother here (and cooking nightly) there was no chance or reason to, so this week is my first week of trying it. I had intended to cook last night, but I had leftover Chinese food so it got pushed off until tonight.

I poked around online for an easy recipe, perhaps one in the crock pot. I decided on:

Pork chops
Packet of ranch dressing
Can of cream of chicken soup
Stick in the crock pot on low for four hours or so.

In an effort to be healthier, I got "heart healthy" (low sodium) soup. The regular stuff has a whole day's worth of sodium in one can.

Once I was putting those things together I paused, wondering how in the world it was going to taste. Turned out it was pretty okay. It tasted neither like ranch nor like chicken/soup, it just tasted sort of okay. A tiny tiny bit tangy (which surprised me, the recipe was for 6 pork chops, I used 2, so I worried it would be too strong). I wouldn't make it again, but I ate it tonight and I'll eat the other one tomorrow night. (Edit: Must remember to remove all fat from pork chops before putting them into the crock pot.)

Must shop and find something to cook for the weekend. Also, must find things like side dishes or something (my dinner was a pork chop, period). Also, no more 'cream of...' things.

Toe/medical: I'm trying not to be too depressed or distressed, though I feel like jumping out a window. I have an infection in my toe (ingrown toenail), same side as my bad leg. I went to the doctor yesterday and got antibiotics, but she has no idea which one (if any) will work, since I had basically all of them in my system within the last month. (Isn't that a scary thought? I had every single antibiotic that exists in me, except one.)

The doctor wasn't worried, so I'm trying not to be, but all I can think about is it getting really bad and spreading up to my leg, causing that to flare up again. I swear to god, I cannot go back to the hospital. My leg has to finish getting better, not worse. It still looks like I have the plague, all the skin is in the process of replacing itself, it's really dark/grey/red blotchy. Even if I had the energy I couldn't go swimming -- rightfully people would not want me in the pool with them, I look contagious with some horrible thing.

I try to be chipper and happy, especially at work, but I just can't deal with more medical stuff. It's only been 24 hours of taking antibiotics (3 pills total). While the net has no exact figure on how long it takes antibiotics to work, every site I looked at listed something more than a day. I will not panic yet that it's not looking any better.

(I don't know why the doctor only gave me pills instead of cutting the nail like they had last time I had an infected ingrown one. I'm assuming because of the issues with my body and antibiotics, she didn't want to expose me to more potential infection than necessary.)

Comments

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

Blimey. I hope the antibiotics work for you.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I sure do too.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

I hope the infection clears up without more antibiotics. That many in your system could cause other problems too. Hope you're eating yogurt of similar to keep your digestive system going.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've been taking a probiotic pill for a month or so now, and will have to take them for a few months more.

[teslanomaly]

Glad you are feeling better, though I am sorry for the lingering concerns! I know very well what hovering medical anxieties can do to one's state of mind.

Crock pot meals are my favorite easy thing in the world. Crock pot pot roast is easy and delicious: An eye of round roast (or a piece of pork tenderloin if you're staying away from beef) with the fat trimmed off, cubed potatoes, a pack of baby carrots, and 1-2 cubed sweet onions, depending on how much you like onions. Put the roast in first, salt and pepper on top of it, dump the veggies on top of the roast. Proportions don't matter! Add about 1/2" of water to the pot, just so it doesn't start out dry (the veggies will make more juice as they cook). Set the pot on low and walk away. You can set it up in the evening and the roast will be delicious for dinner the next day.

You can make it fancier if you want, with mushrooms and red wine or boullion instead of water. You can put it over rice or just eat it on its own. But quick and simple is: beef. potatoes. carrots. onion. Walk away. Meal!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Mmm that sounds good! Maybe I'll do that for this weekend...

Thanks!

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Blah, you're just having no luck on the medical front, are you?

I wish I could be of more help on the crockpot front, but I tend to cook with it totally by the seat of my pants, so I'm not good at extemporizing recipes.

But if you like chili, try this:

1 lb. beef stew or beef stir fry bits (if the stew chunks are big, cut them smaller)
2 15 oz. cans beans (dark red kidney, black, pinto, whatever floats your boat)
3 15 oz. cans diced no-salt tomatoes
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1-2 Tbsp. chili powder (or more to taste)

Add everything to a crockpot and cook on low all day.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I know, right? If it had been my other foot it would have been so much less of a worry, but it's like two inches from where the "leg" problem starts! ARG! (The leg problem actually starts on the arch of my foot.)

Thanks for the idea! I do want to try making chili sometime. I've never had beans and I think I really should eat them more. (Crazy, huh?)

[manue7a.livejournal.com]

sending good vibes.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[gconnor.livejournal.com]

I am curious what your nutritionist has to say about low-carb and especially paleo type of plans. Most of the traditional nutritionists will trot out the "Low fat diet" mantra, but there are a growing number who believe that low-fat diets are terrible and that humans need MORE fat than we are currently getting from so-called "healthy" foods.

Good luck, be well. Take care of yourself.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

We haven't talked about either of those two things, more about balanced meals, how to snack (controlling portions) and that sort of thing.

Thanks!

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

Ugh, that sounds so painful! I hope it heals quickly and that the antibiotics help. :(

I have some easy and tasty recipes posted, if you're interested. Like:

Serbian rice and pork: http://ashmedai.livejournal.com/659154.html

A great chili con carne recipe (scroll down to the end of the post): http://ashmedai.livejournal.com/421713.html

The chili is great with bacon corn bread: http://ashmedai.livejournal.com/203216.html (you can leave out the bacon too, it's mostly optional)

Baked Brie cheese with apples and nuts: http://ashmedai.livejournal.com/183218.html (I also like to take a Camembert cheese, slather it with orange marmelade and pile sliced almonds or hazelnuts on top, then bake it at 350°F for about ten minutes).

Honeyed Ham Steaks: http://ashmedai.livejournal.com/182365.html

There are more under my "recipes" tag, but these are probably the easiest. I love my crock pot too, and rec the what_a_crock community. There you'll find great recipes, and if you're looking for a specific recipe (or type of recipe, like quick or easy), people are always glad to help.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Both for the well-wishes and the links! I'll poke through them.

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

Most welcome! :)

[loup_noir]

First: toe sympathy. Much sympathy. I've had up to five ingrown toenails at the same time. I think I'm down to three, only one of which is a continual annoyance. It is...well, it is, isn't it?

Cooking is one of those things. Since I really don't like doing it much, I tend to make a ton of whatever for leftovers. I still like roasting a chicken for the first night (do it on your weekend, since it takes about three hours start to on your plate), followed by sliced cold chicken on a salad, followed by more of the same and then ending with chicken soup cooked the next weekend. We roast loads of veggies to go with the roast bird, and the veggies are nice additions to all the other things, too.

I'm not much of a pork fan, except in stir-fries. Beef, ditto. Fish is wonderful, but fish is also a bit tricky.

Pasta is probably only in small quantities, right? The carbs are way too much too quickly. However, spaghetti squash is delicious and works in all those pasta dishes just fine.

Eggplant is another wonderful thing. No, it doesn't have to be oogy or oily. It can be roasted in the oven with a little olive oil and too much garlic and be divine. It stir-fries beautifully and keeps quite well.

This may sound like I know what I'm talking about, re cooking and all, but when left alone, I tend to make a circuit of the 'fridge to the cupboards to the freezer to the outside freezers and then repeat until I give up and eat yogurt or a piece of cracker bread with some peanut butter.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

First off, ha! I know that 'circle the kitchen until you settle on crackers and peanut butter' thing, I do that all the time.

Second: Thanks! Both for the wishes and the cooking hints. I hope your toes stop acting up, they're such a pain!

[joisbishmyoga.livejournal.com]

I don't like cooking, but I've found that it can be pretty easy to make sides. Most vegetables can steam in a microwave, just splash a bit of water on them in a bowl and nuke for a few minutes. Potatoes also do well in a microwave: rinse, poke with a fork on both sides, go about 4-5 minutes per side for a largeish one. Food's done when a fork goes in easily.

If you have a bit more time, broccoli and cauliflower bake really nicely in the oven, 425 F, ten minutes, turn over, ten minutes. I coat them with storebought minced garlic and a bit of salt first. Use cooking spray or oil if you like. Last time I tried coating them with the liquid from the jar of garlic and it ran under the parchment paper* and made an awful mess on the pan, but the broccoli came out delicious.

*I prefer parchment paper to greasing cookie sheets. Without the paper, this would probably make a mess of an ungreased metal pan, and I haven't tried glass ones to know the difference.

If you can stand or sit by the stove, an egg and spiced greens on toast are also easy. I like my eggs poached, you might like them another way. For greens, spray a small pan with cooking spray, set on medium heat, and add frozen spinach (or fresh or kale or chard, it just needs to be a sturdy leafy thing that isn't lettuce or cabbage). Poke occasionally until it's completely not frozen (or for fresh, is a vibrant instead of slightly gray green). I prefer curry powder or part of a Japanese curry block for flavor, but just about any spice mix should work.

Freezing cooked pasta lets you make one huge batch all at once and save the rest for later. Cook pasta, let cool, put single portions into baggies and freeze. Next time you want pasta, boil a small pot of water and add the pasta, a minute later it'll be ready to put sauce on. Sauce also can be frozen and reheated in the microwave. You can add frozen peas or corn or greens to the noodles while boiling, since they only take a minute or so themselves, and some ham or bacon or leftover chicken after draining it, and a bit of milk and some grated parmesan makes a sauce when mixed in.

The groceries I know sell whole rotisserie chickens. I can't remember what the nutritional content is like off the top of my head, but it's chicken you don't have to try to cook from raw. It might help you ease into cooking if you only need to make a side, or if you don't have to cook the meat ingredient yourself.

I hope you recover soon, and that this helps.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the information (and the well wishes)!

I hadn't known that about the pasta, great trick! (I just need to get my freezer emptied a little...)

I love rotisserie chickens, especially when they're on sale for $5. (Otherwise they're $8 which just doesn't seem worth it.) I'm sure I could make things from the meat...

Thanks for all the ideas!

[spike7451.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, not at all what you needed.

Hope the antibiotics do work well and it clears up soon.

Maybe when it is healed see a podiatrist and have the ingrown toe nail seen to. I have a big toe nail that I have the same problem with but I see a podiatrist every 10 weeks and haven't had trouble with it for years now.

Sending hugs and healing thoughts.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I might have to do that. I dread the idea of seeing any more doctors, but I might have to...