I confess I haven’t cooked since Sunday. I probably shouldn’t have cooked then–but of course Funeral Potatoes with Ham were a big hit. Unfortunately, I made them through a cloud of fever. I have had a lingering cold since before BlogHer Food. It had reached the eh, cough a few times phase last week. This isn’t unusual for me and colds. Then on Saturday night I felt suddenly really bad. Sunday, I continued to feel bad. In the midst of that I started running a fever. I also felt like death warmed over. Monday had me realizing that I would have to go to the doctor.
Doctor pronounced sinus infection and probable H1N1. He ordered blood tests-because you see the scary part of me having a fever is I am on immune suppressing drugs which mean even when normal people run fevers, I do not. Luckily the blood tests didn’t say head to hospital forthwith. The blood tests said “oh she is on the low end of normal for WBC but still in the normal range” (note: when YOU have an infection your white blood count goes up) I am on antibiotics for the sinus infection. We decided against the antivirals. We are in that stage of waiting for the past three days. Bonus points: headache has gone away. Unfortunately, fever seems to come and go.
This means I have slept/lounged all day for a couple of days. I am getting nothing done around the house. (Yes, I thought “ooooo sick days-I can clean off my desk-before realizing-oh yuck. Sick day. I wear myself out walking to the other end of the house) McDonalds kindly provided dinner last night. Goode and Fresh is providing tonight’s dinner. (though I really don’t care since antibiotics hate my guts-literally) Leftover funeral potatoes and ham were dinner the night before. At one point yesterday I cursed that we didn’t have #bertollifrozen in the house and that Bertolli is all Italian food which definitely is wearing thin around this house, at least for me.
Tomorrow-fever or no I must work lest I go insane. I also need to change my mother’s sheets and mop her floor. I also need to figure out what I planned for meals this week. I did it on the fly and didn’t write it down though I know we got special ingredients.
I know it won’t involve this recipe. My family has rebelled against vegetables in gelatin. This one is even beyond me to think palatable. But it does come from a Knox Gelatine cookbooklet (1961) called Meal Planning for the Sick and Convalescent with Menus and Recipes. If you are into canned peas and shredded carrots as well as aspics-you could give it a try. I am very sure that offering this as required eating to any malingerer in your family will cause instant cure though.
Jellied Vegetable Salad
Mix 1 envelope Knox unflavored Gelatine, 1-2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt together thoroughly.
Add 1 3/4 cups very hot water and stir until gelatine is thoroughly dissolved.
Add 1/4 cup lemon juice. Chill to unbeaten egg white consistency.
Fold in 1 cup shredded carrots and 1/2 cup well-drained cooked or canned peas.
Turn into 3-4 cup mold or individual molds. Chill until firm.
Makes 6 servings.
