Mastering the Art...

Why do I LOVE to cook? There is nothing like the satisfaction of thoroughly enjoying something I have created. Not to mention the wine-pairing possibilities...Amazing...Stupendous! As it turns out, I'm a "Foodie", Sand proud of it!  Let me clarify:  I am a food afficionato, minus the snobbery. I turn on music to fit the mood of my day, put on my favorite apron, pour a glass of water or wine, and get lost in the creation...the smells and tastes...the rendering of something extraordinary. Sometimes I sing along, sometimes I simply reflect on life. Always I have done something wonderful for me in the process.

As a single girl, I have habitually shied away from a lot of cooking.  It is less-than-easy to cook for one person, rather than a couple or more.  Additionally, since practice-makes-perfect, I have been a little insecure of cooking for others.  As I saw it, I had a 50/50 chance of the meal turning out to be a scrumptious delight.  That's a lot of pressure!  The only explanation for this new insatiable appetite I have for cooking must be my new favorite movie "Juile & Julia", and my lovely sister-in-law Kimberlee.  For a single girl like me who--as it turns out--LOVES to cook (and is rather good at it, if I do say so myself): "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" or "The Joy of Cooking" like Julie or Julia, means "Mastering the Art of Re-Heating Graciously". 

Mose of the dishes I have spent from hours to evenings-on-end preparing have quite simply been exquisite experiences, from preparation through savoring.  I have made countless recipes, taken endless notes on the specifics (post-meal preparation) and enjyoed every bite of the leftovers.  I have found that cooking 2-3 meals a week is great fun, healthy, economic--and super tasty!  I am, hands-down, the vascular tech with the best lunch every day, and am growing in confidence with every dish I prepare.  Plus, I am having the time of my life in my silly retro rental-apartment kitchen!  Oh, what I wouldn't give for my Cambridge condo kitchen!!

I have not mastered the art of "Halving" the recipe...and I'm okay with that. Half the recipe is a really good idea for a single girl is cooking for herself and hates leftovers.  That is SO not me!    A whole recipe is okay when reheating-with-grace is an option.  In this, I am a work-in-progress.  Nevertheless, I will cook like a fiend for days in a row, copious amounts of food!  This is good...to a point.  First drawback= limited freezer space.  Second drawback= days and nights of the same meals gets mundane.  I am A-OK with the convenience of home-made meals in the freezer.  Freezing is a breeze.

Speaking of:  The only problem with my new-found favorite hobby is: "There is limited freezer space", and "What to do with food from the freezer". There is definitely an Art to re-heating fabulous meals. Stovetop, microwave...is it possible to enjoy a "Fresh" meal several days or weeks later? I can gurantee the answer is YES!! Is a case-by-case learning experience with no formula...sorry.

Oh, Dear Reader: I DO NOT mean to insult your intelligence!!  Please see the following from the perspective that I have just finally understood these tricks...and therefore I intend to be a good samaritan and pass along the info...and/or I simply would like to brag about how much I've learned :-)  Please DO comment, passing along extra pearls of wisdom...I greatly appreciate it!!

MY FAVORITE SUGGESTIONS:
- Roast a whole chicken in the oven and once rested, pull-apart, separating dark/white meat into one container for use in multiple meals.  Store cooked chicken pieces in freezer or fridge (depending on how fast you're going to use it!).  My goodness, I easily get a week's worth of use out of one chicken, and just tonight I got a whole fryer for $0.69/lb.!!

- Many meals call for 1/2 onion, 1/3 pepper, etc.  Go ahead and chop the rest of the onion (while the tears are already flowing), peppers, herbs, etc. together and store in baggies in the freezer for future meal seasoning, etc.  Particularly when there is a sale at the grocery store or extra time for food prep, stock up on chopped versions of onions, garlic and peppers for future use!

- You can get all kinds of veggies in the freezer section of the grocery!  This will save great amounts of money and time. For example, pearl onions are significantly cheaper frozen in a bag, and frozen chopped spinich is cheaper too, on top of being easy to use!  In a baked or cooked dish, you'll never know the difference.

- Copious amonts of gadgets don't actually help in the cooking process...just more items to wash.  Take your time preparing the ingredients ahead of time with the tools you have, then cook with leisure. 

MY FAVORITE KITCHEN ITEMS:
   * Really Good Sharp Knives:  one large for chopping, one small for chopping, one really small for paring and one serrated for breads and special instances. (Mine are Furie...love them)
   * A regular wisk and a flat whisk.   The flat whisk is ideal for sauces and reductions in a large deep saucepan. (See Bed, Bath & Beyond or Amazon.com)
   * A salad shooter.  Laugh if you will!! I grew up with one, Thanks Mom!
   * A manual food chopper.
   * An electric food chopper.  I have often lusted after a food processor...but after considering the perils of clean-up, can probably do without...for now.  I have been making my own breadcrumbs on the suggestion of a fabulous blog (Thanks Kim!) called "The Smitten Kitchen".   They are so right!  Wonderful breadcrumbs when I need them (planned a day ahead), rather than a bin-full of cardboard crumbs.
   * A really nice dutch oven. I bought a large oval Cuisinart version of the oh-so-nice Le Crueset, tradition (cast iron wtih ceramic finish), very reasonably priced at Marshalls.  Very proud of my score on that one!
   * Kitchen tongs.  I use an all-plastic version that is a KitchenAid brand.  LOVE it. Use it for literally 90% of tasks...it's like having burn-proof fingers/hands. 
   * Favorite mixing bowls.  I have several large bowl and one multi-piece nesting set.  I love to prepare all the ingredients in smaller bowls ahead of time, then take my time when it comes to putting it all together, gives me time and presence to tinker and create!
   * One large deep-dish sautee pan, and one smaller sautee pan.  Make good use of the saucepan lids...they ought to fit the smaller sautee pan for steaming maneuvers!

MY KEY TO MAKING WAY TOO MUCH FOOD: 
   * A whole gaggle of re-usable tupperware-type containers.  The "Glad" versions work well.  Key point: DO NOT re-heat the food in these containers.  Pop the frozen contents into a dish/bowl/plate and reheat from there.  Reheating in the plastic containers leaches chemicals into the food, which is really bad.  Plus, not reheating in those containers lengthens the life of them, saving money!

MY TIPS FOR ADDING TO THE PLEASURE OF COOKING:
   * Wear an apron. I have a couple of favorites.  Both have pockets, each have an easy place to tuck a dishtowel...brilliant to have handy for wiping and drying.
   * Wash the kitchen tools and dishes as you cook:  To have a fabulous meal and a clean kitchen...Priceless!
   * Use a "Garbage bowl" (Thanks Rachael Ray!):  Line a medium-large bowl with a regular plastic grocery sack or plastic bag from produce.  Place discard portions and wrappers in this sack, including dangerous chicken, seafood and other meat-product discards, tie the sack shut and deposit directly into the lined-garbage can.  No dripping, no fuss, no muss. 
   * Take the edge off while cooking:  Munch on veggies (carrots, celery, broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas, etc).  A little more substantial snack like a bit of cheese, salami roasted chicken and/or crackers is a good idea when sipping a little wine...after all, we are dealing with an empty stomach!   All of this helps to relax and enjoy the cooking process.

MY PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
I have but one last item...a Hopefully the majority of your groceries are carried home in re-usable sacks such as:   http://www.envirosacks.com/. 

Honestly, I am a relatively new convert...finally being a nearly-full-time user about a year ago.  What I like about the envirosacks-type-design is that they roll up into very-small packages in my purse...versus some of the larger sacks I have (like Trader-Joes, etc.) that live in my trunk and are perpetually forgotten.  I can carry 4-5 "envirocacks" without notice of bulk. This is huge!!  I just feel good leaving the grocery store.  Plus, they are machine washable for when you bring home the raw chicken in the leaky plastic wrapper.  Uh-huh.  You know what I'm talking about. 

Thanks to my lovely sister-in-law Kimberlee, I have discovered a whold new world of cooking and foodie blogs!  My goodness...I will try and pick my favorites (tough job) and add to the list on the right.  Please, plase, dear friends:  Make suggestions on sites I should know about!!

---------------------------

Happy Cooking and  Happy Eating!

A few more random thoughts:

- Favorite flower at this very moment: the Camellia  (please do not be offended, dear hydrangea...you will always have my heart)

- Jesus loves me, this I know.

- It is possible to be simultaneously surrounded by people and yet completely alone.

- I wonder if perhaps police officers become exasperated having to go the speed limit whilst behind law-abiding citizens like me?


- My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions but in the fewness of my wants. ~J.Brotherton

- My neighbor frightens me:  She claims to walk, talk and drive in her sleep.  And she just started parking next to my car.  And she keeps a whole bunch of re-used glass and plastic water bottles on her window sill.

- Oh, how I love old pictures, especially those of my Dad and Mom when they were kids!

- I can remember my gym locker combination despite lately-infrequent visits, nearly every computer password, even the telephone number from my childhood home in Molalla (503-829-5322).  My landlord put a combination lock on the dumpster, and I cannot for the life of me recall those blasted 6 digits without looking at the cheat-sheet.

- I *love* to cook. For a single girl like me who LOVES to cook:
"Mastering the Art of Cooking" = "Mastering the Art of Re-Heating Graciously".

- I may have lost my cell phone, at least for the day.  This seems as absurdly improbable as the time I completely forgot the PIN to my debit card.  I use it all the time. The worst part is, I don't have another phone with which to call my cell phone and let the ringing guide me.

Patient Story #2

I visit with patients while I am scanning them, small talk mostly.  I try and guess what people do for work...it's interesting to me.  (I'm right about 8% of the time).

Kari:  So, what kind of work do you do?
Man:  I am an architect.  How about you?
Kari:  Uhhh...well... (I hold up the transducer and look at the machine...)

Yeah. It happens more often than you'd think!

Patient Story #1

I was in the Emergency Department with my lovely student Calli the other day.  The patient's husband was very attentive, helping us move chairs and carts, etc. as we brought our ultrasound machine in.
Calli:  Watch your toes, sir...I don't want to run over them...
Man:  It's okay, I have steel-toed boots on. My toes have been run over by a car before and I was okay.
Calli:  Oh my.
Man:  You don't weigh as much as a car, do ya?
Calli:  Ummm...
Man:  You don't look as big as a car, for a girl anyway.
Calli:  Uhhh...
Man:  I mean, a car weighs 4000 pounds...you don't weigh 4000 pounds, do ya? 
Calli:  Well, no!....(nervous laugh)
Kari:  Sir, please...

Awkward.

Patient Stories

I am a vascular ultrasound technologist, working at the University of Washington Medical Center.  I see outpatients from clinics, inpatients on regular medical floors and in the ICU, patients from the Emergency Department, pre-op and post-op patients from the Operating Room, etc.  The patients' cognitive abilities vary, ranging from completely lucid and "normal" (we call them "walkie talkies"),  to incoherant because of medical issues or pain medications, to intubated and sedated.  In addition to the ptaients we encounter, there are multiple family members and friends, as well as any of the hospital staff. 

Needless to say, all of this makes for a pretty interesting work environment...you never know what you're going to get.  Most of the time, I love it!  As anyone here in our vascular lab -- or any other vascular lab or hospital department -- will tell you, there are some great stories.  Some are funny, some touching and heartwrenching, many too good to not share.

It is important that you know, dear reader, where my heart is in these posts.  I have tremendous compassion, respect and concern for all that patients, their families and friends are going through during their time here at the hospital.  I train my students in these values as well.  It's a frightening time for people, no matter one's current state of health.  I also understand the pressures that healthcare providers are under...we do our best for each and every patient, taking on a great deal of responsibility in their care.  Lastly, nothing I post here will reveal identifiying information about the patients, friends or family, ensuring patient confidentiality.

Coming up next...Patient Story #1.

Giving Thanks

As you may have heard, I had a near miss a few weeks ago...a brush with death.  Well, maybe not so dramatic, but scarey and expensive nonetheless! 

I was driving home to Seattle on a dark and rainy night after a fabulous visit with a friend in Olympia...jazz on the radio, days of vacation ahead.  I was on I-5 in the far left lane, traveling around 70mph, no one in front of me.  Out of the corner of my eye I see something beige-colored about the size of a large piece of firewood coming end-over-end from the front-left side of the car.  It happened so fast, but I am fairly certain it came across the concrete median from the oncoming traffic.  This "UFO" (literally, and Unidentified Flying Object) hit the hood first before squarely hitting the metal between the windsheild and side window, knocking out the driver's side mirror and clattering along the left side windows.  I do hope no one else encountered this object, and that it just fell to the shoulder out of the way.  There was no possible way of stopping to drag it out of the road...too dangerous and too far gone by the time I could collect myself.  The one thing I didn't think of was to call the State Police and let them know...that would've been wise.

So the car's at the doctor and I'm driving a rental.  It's your standard economy tin can...a Chevy something which sways a bit when a swift wind comes up. The doors clang when you shut them, the brakes grind and there's a smell I can't quite place... It's a silver color, and looks surprisingly identical to 37% of the cars in my parking lot at work. It's a large parking lot, so I get to the general area where I think I left it and begin pressing the "lock" button which beeps the horn. My student had a fine suggestion as well: press the "trunk" button, and voila! It practically raises its hand to say "here I am!".

So the purpose for this post is to express that I am so very thankful!!
- If I would have been traveling faster, slower, slightly to the right or left...it would have come directly through the windshield.  God is GOOD.  
- I have a strong constitution. as it turns out...no interior detailing necessary following this event. 
- Good car Insurance...there was $1000+ worth of damage! 
- My Toyota. It is nothing fancy, but it's a solid ride and it's mine. Far superior to the rental car, in  my opinion. Besides, it has a nice rack ;-)  (for kayak and bike, of course)
- I am able to rent a car...significantly more convenient than the bus.
- I get my car back tomorrow...all fixed up and snazzy looking again! 

Beware the UFO road debris out there people!  Safe Driving :-)

Ahhhh....Freak Out!

I realized on the way to work this morning just how dependent I've become on having my cell phone with me at all times.  I was about halfway to work--just passing the Space Needle, actually--when I realized that most precious of all communication devices is at home.  On my kitchen counter.  *FREAK OUT*   Heart-pounding, palms sweating, breath-catching...what will I do IF____?  So I talked myself down from the ledge, reassured that I will make it through the day without my phone...just for today.

If I think hard enough, perhaps I can remember a time when I didn't have a cell phone...depending on the kindess of strangers, pay phones on every corner and a pocket full of change.  Those were the days...when phones had cords and we paid for things with bills and coins.  Oh the irony that I am blogging about this!