This is a quickie post to say, I've opened a Tumblr account, you can find me at
http://jazzeria.tumblr.com
Apologies this was so late. I kind of forgot about this blog, but have been updating my Tumblr regularly. But who knows, maybe I'll end up steady on Blogger again one day...
Friday, June 21, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Small Discoveries
Today has been a day of discoveries for me. First, I've discovered that I should never go grocery shopping--especially at SuperStore--without having eaten breakfast, unless I want to spend seventy bucks on tasty things.
Having said that, I ended up buying a lot of tasty things that I'd never tried before; and while I haven't dug into all of them yet, I've already learned more than I thought:
PC Baby Dill Pickles with Garlic [link].
I never really liked pickles until now. These aren't sugary-sweet like most bread-and-butter pickles. And they're also not overly vinegary like most other pickles I've tried. And as a bonus, they're tiny. Only downside: I could only find them in the 500 mL jar, and I want moar! However, for $2.18 for the jar, I'd still call it a decent purchase.
Island Farms Victoria Style Cream Cheese [link]. I bought this serendipitously. Philly was $4.90-some for a 400g tub, and this was $3.99 for a 500g tub. And as a bonus, it's made in BC. I've only ever really had Philly cream cheese (unless you count bad experiences with Lucerne and no-name), so I didn't know what to expect from "Victoria style" cream cheese.
First thing I noticed was the texture. It's looser, more liquid than Philly, and I got the feeling I could have poured it out of the tub if I wanted--though the entire tub might pour out!
Curious, I stuck a finger in it and tasted. HOLY CREAM. You know how heavy cream (like whipping cream) has that beautiful sweet dairy taste? It tastes like that; but also with the tang I've come to associate with cream cheese.
I suspect this goes with everything; but I have only yet tried it with the aforementioned pickles, and slices of Ambrosia apples. Cream cheese and apples seem like common sense, but cream cheese and pickles--who knew! (Extra: Cream cheese, apples and white wine were a brilliant combination!)
Salami. I never used to know what salami was, besides some kind of dry-ish sausage that my mom sometimes put on sandwiches when I was a kid. I hated pre-sliced meat that came in vacuum packs; they were always wet and in my young mind, gross.
But one day, in the last year or two, I tried "Genoa salami". And it was interesting. I think maybe I expected it to taste like pepperoni, but there was this strange, unexpected taste. I suspect it's the "fermented meat taste". It was also chewy. And "meaty", which I don't know why surprised me--maybe I expected it to taste like spices?
Ever since, I'd been meaning to try salami again. For most people, maybe salami is no big deal, but bear in mind, I thought it was icky as a kid. But every time I'd go to the deli, I'd be hugely intimidated by the vast selection of salamis--not to mention their pices. I hadn't realised there were so many types of salami!
Today, I happened to be near a Miller's Meats by accident. I nosed around their frozen foods. Chicken livers for $6.59 /kg was cheaper than Safeway ($7.91 /kg), but still nowhere near SuperStore ($4.14 /kg). They also had some Manitoba-made perigies, and a good selection of frozen lamb from New Zealand--though, a bit pricey.
However, their deli was reasonably-priced, in fact cheaper than Superstore! Most salami were $2.19 /100g, whereas SuperStore charges around $2.50 /100g. The staff were friendly and helpful--even let me taste some salami. I bought about 75g each of Genoa and Hungarian salamis; and a jar of rosehip spread.
(Another reason to eat breakfast before going out: so I don't accidentally drop my newly purchased jar of rosehip spread on my way out the door! Thankfully the staff let me take another one after checking my receipt.)
The Genoa salami tasted exactly as I remembered: meaty, just a little smoky, and with that same "strange" flavour. The Hungarian salami was much bolder in comparison; much saltier, smokier and "meaty", but it didn't have as much of the mystery flavour. I'd say the Genoa salami was "mild" compared to the Hungarian; but I liked both--just for different reasons.
Other things I bought today but haven't yet tried, and will likely blog about soon:
 |
| (This doesn't show all the things I bought, but it does show most of the food.) |
PC Baby Dill Pickles with Garlic [link].
I never really liked pickles until now. These aren't sugary-sweet like most bread-and-butter pickles. And they're also not overly vinegary like most other pickles I've tried. And as a bonus, they're tiny. Only downside: I could only find them in the 500 mL jar, and I want moar! However, for $2.18 for the jar, I'd still call it a decent purchase.
Island Farms Victoria Style Cream Cheese [link]. I bought this serendipitously. Philly was $4.90-some for a 400g tub, and this was $3.99 for a 500g tub. And as a bonus, it's made in BC. I've only ever really had Philly cream cheese (unless you count bad experiences with Lucerne and no-name), so I didn't know what to expect from "Victoria style" cream cheese.
First thing I noticed was the texture. It's looser, more liquid than Philly, and I got the feeling I could have poured it out of the tub if I wanted--though the entire tub might pour out!
Curious, I stuck a finger in it and tasted. HOLY CREAM. You know how heavy cream (like whipping cream) has that beautiful sweet dairy taste? It tastes like that; but also with the tang I've come to associate with cream cheese.
I suspect this goes with everything; but I have only yet tried it with the aforementioned pickles, and slices of Ambrosia apples. Cream cheese and apples seem like common sense, but cream cheese and pickles--who knew! (Extra: Cream cheese, apples and white wine were a brilliant combination!)
 |
| Hungarian Salami: the larger redder one. Genoa Salami: the smaller paler on one top. |
Salami. I never used to know what salami was, besides some kind of dry-ish sausage that my mom sometimes put on sandwiches when I was a kid. I hated pre-sliced meat that came in vacuum packs; they were always wet and in my young mind, gross.
But one day, in the last year or two, I tried "Genoa salami". And it was interesting. I think maybe I expected it to taste like pepperoni, but there was this strange, unexpected taste. I suspect it's the "fermented meat taste". It was also chewy. And "meaty", which I don't know why surprised me--maybe I expected it to taste like spices?
Ever since, I'd been meaning to try salami again. For most people, maybe salami is no big deal, but bear in mind, I thought it was icky as a kid. But every time I'd go to the deli, I'd be hugely intimidated by the vast selection of salamis--not to mention their pices. I hadn't realised there were so many types of salami!
Today, I happened to be near a Miller's Meats by accident. I nosed around their frozen foods. Chicken livers for $6.59 /kg was cheaper than Safeway ($7.91 /kg), but still nowhere near SuperStore ($4.14 /kg). They also had some Manitoba-made perigies, and a good selection of frozen lamb from New Zealand--though, a bit pricey.
However, their deli was reasonably-priced, in fact cheaper than Superstore! Most salami were $2.19 /100g, whereas SuperStore charges around $2.50 /100g. The staff were friendly and helpful--even let me taste some salami. I bought about 75g each of Genoa and Hungarian salamis; and a jar of rosehip spread.
(Another reason to eat breakfast before going out: so I don't accidentally drop my newly purchased jar of rosehip spread on my way out the door! Thankfully the staff let me take another one after checking my receipt.)
The Genoa salami tasted exactly as I remembered: meaty, just a little smoky, and with that same "strange" flavour. The Hungarian salami was much bolder in comparison; much saltier, smokier and "meaty", but it didn't have as much of the mystery flavour. I'd say the Genoa salami was "mild" compared to the Hungarian; but I liked both--just for different reasons.
Other things I bought today but haven't yet tried, and will likely blog about soon:
- White Stilton with cranberries [link]
- Rosehip spread (it will be a while before I open this, though)
- PC Glazed Pork & Chicken Liver Pate - 4 Peppercorns [link]
- PC Smoked Mussels
- PC Goat Brie [link]
I also passed The Frenchway on my way home, and through the window saw a few loaves sitting on the "50% off" shelf, so I just had to see what kind they were! I ended up getting a seed-filled bread with lots of flax and I think sunflower seeds for $2.25--a steal of a deal! It may or may not be the same one I got last time, which I think they called something like "Happy Sunflower Loaf". I wish they had a menu so an awkward person like me could lurk before ordering.
Chicken Livers
A roommate walked in on my cooking and asked, "Whatchya makin?"
"Chicken livers", I said, as I pulled these out of the oven where they were keeping warm.
"Omigosh they're so tiny!!"
I was so happy to know this love of tiny things is not a trait found only in Asians!
I'm not exactly certain why or how, but I've really gotten into eating chicken livers these past few months.
I usually dip them in a mixture of flour, salt, garlic powder and black pepper; then fry them in bacon fat thinned out with sunflower oil because I find bacon fat smokes easily. (Or perhaps more accurately, sunflower oil flavoured with a bit of bacon fat.)
Handling the raw livers felt like handling a giant blood clot: kind of morbid, but really cool! I don't like finding tough sinew in the finished product, so I do like to remove the yellow-white sinews, even if it takes extra time. I haven't found a good way to remove them, other than to hold a paring knife in place and tug, but this affects the texture slightly. I'm told this step is optional, though.
 |
| Chicken livers with red wine sauce and caramelised onions with balsamic vinegar. |
If I'm not using a lot of oil, I'll sometimes deglaze the pan with whatever red wine I have open (lately it's been Merlot), thicken with a bit of flour, and add a big scoop of blackcurrant jelly. Yes, blackcurrant jelly. I find I need a BIG fruity flavour to contrast with the good-bitter, slightly metallic flavour of the livers. I usually like a thin red wine sauce with meat, but the livers need a thick sauce that will really hold on, so this sauce usually takes on a gravy-like texture.
I also like them with caramelised onions in balsamic vinegar.
A while back, in late January, I noticed a bag of onions had been sitting in the kitchen for maybe two months, and were starting to actually mould! I left a note to my roommates, "If those were your onions, I used most of them because they were starting to go bad. If you had plans for them, please let me know and I'll buy you a new bag!" Actually, I left three, because I figured that was a good number of onions to leave.
I made a small mistake of cutting the onion slices longitudinally instead of latitudinally. The fibres run longitudinally, which tends to result in unappetising strings of onion pieces later. I sauteed them in a Dutch oven with little oil and salt, then put the lid on and over the next hour or so, would pause my homework to stir them a bit and add a little splash of water to help them soften.
After tasting, I decided they weren't as sweet as I had dreamed, so I added a big splash of balsamic vinegar. That hit the spot!
What didn't fit in the jar, I ate that night on a slice of homemade bread, with a smear of butter. Mmm!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Breakfast
I've been trying to make a habit of taking time for breakfast whenever possible. Usually this means days I don't have school, and weekends I don't work. I had a loaf of bread and some coffee cream I was trying to use up, so lately breakfast has been French toast.
I usually have it with some sort of warm cooked fruit, sausages and or bacon, maple syrup and a nice smear of cultured butter, with a sprinkle of coarse salt mixed in.
One time, I had a bunch of green grapes going bad in the fridge. There were too many to eat at once, and I don't like squishy grapes, so I decided to roast them. I tossed the stemmed and washed grapes with a bit of olive oil and a big pinch of salt, then roasted in the oven at about 375F for maybe 15 min, until they were browned.
The roasted grapes had a beautiful, mellow flavour. Is mellow the right word? It was rather mild, but very pleasant. The taste of grapes was still there, but with almost no acidity. The browned skins gave a nice "toasty" flavour. With the acidity gone, a bunch of other flavours start to come through. I want to say it tastes like an unwooded wine, but I feel that might do wine a disservice.
By the way, I cooked these apples with Fireball and the last bit of dark rum. Mmm!
I'm liking my breakfast habits :)
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Grilled PB&J
I had a craving for something different for breakfast today. I opened the fridge door to look for inspiration. I've had this jar of natural peanut butter for months, I just don't go through peanut butter very quickly--unless I'm making peanut butter cookies, or have gotten back on the peanut butter and bananas on warm bread -boat.
And lately I've fallen in love with blackcurrants, in particular, blackcurrant jelly. Even the store-brand stuff tastes great, and I just can't wait to open the jar I bought from the farmers' market in fall!!
So peanut butter and jelly sandwiches seemed suitable. But if you know me, you'll know I dislike cold sandwiches. So I decided to pan fry it like a grilled cheese sandwich!
I think next time I'll use a softer white bread without so many seeds and grains, to really let the peanut butter and jam shine through. All I had was a seedy, grainy bread--which is heavenly for grilled cheeses.
A note on peanut butter: I buy natural peanut butter whose only ingredient is either "peanuts" or "roasted peanuts" depending on the brand. While I love not worrying about hydrogenated oil, I also find the texture inhibits my ability to taste the peanuts, maybe it's too oily and my saliva can't dissolve the flavours so quickly, maybe the uniform texture makes it all blur together--whatever the reason, I usually add a tiny dab of honey and a sprinkle of salt. This opens up the peanut butter and I can taste so much more peanutty goodness this way!
Labels:
food,
peanut butter,
recipe,
sandwich
Apple Pie Sugar
Whenever I need to peel apples for something, I always feel that throwing away the peels is wasteful. So I started dehydrating them for a later use.
I could put them in tea blends, I thought to myself.
Or, I could grind them into powder and add to my oatmeal, or as a topping on baked goods.
Even better, why not mix that powder with spices and sugar?
Above: three average-sized apples gave me the peels on the drying rack; and I saved the peels from maybe 3 apples previously. When ground in my mini food processor, this resulted in approximately 1/6 cup.
The method is pretty straightforward:
The next time you need to peel apples, try to keep the peels in large pieces. Arrange them on a rack, set on a baking pan, and dehydrate. I set these in the oven at 175F, and then forgot to turn the oven off when I went to bed (thankfully, I woke up in the middle of the night and remembered!), so it was on for about 10 hours. I assume they were done sometime well before that!
You don't need to dry them in the oven, if you have the time and space, you can just let the peels air-dry. But I think the low heat actually cooks the sugar a bit, I got a very nice toasty flavour from the peels this way!
Crush the dried peels in a food processor, spice grinder, or whatever implement you like, until it's a consistency you like. Mix in sugar and spices as you like. I used a raw small-granule sugar, ground cinnamon and ground cloves.
Apple Slices and Pan Sauce
(Apologies for the blah photo, I only had my cell phone camera at the time. I'll post a better photo next time I make this!)
When my wisdom teeth made chewing difficult, I got into the habit of cooking my fruit in this manner. And even though my jaw's back to normal, the habit of cooking fruit stayed.
I like this cooking method for apples and pears. I imagine it might also work for hard nectarines or peaches. It feels a bit strange to "sear" the fruit and make a sort of pan sauce by deglazing with white wine. I sometimes wonder if some properly-schooled chef will appear behind me and smack me upside the head for this disgrace. Or something. ... Anyway.
First I melt some butter and add just a bit of oil to raise the average smoke point.
On high heat, I "sear" the fruit slices, adding a big pinch of salt and whole spices (eg: star anise, cinnamon stick) to the pan, if I remember them. For this batch I used three apples, which fit very nicely in the 11" pan.
After I've gotten a nice colour on the fruit, I deglaze with white wine, about 3oz, and kill the heat. I taste and add any sugar if necessary, and any ground spices (eg: ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger). This pan keeps heat for a long time, so the wine keeps a hard simmer awhile. If I want, I add a pat of butter or maple syrup if I'm in the mood. I let the fruit and sauce cook to whatever consistency I want that day.
For everyday eating, like the fruit soft with just a bit of resistance in the very centre; and the sauce to be moderately thin, maybe the consistency of half-and-half, and not too rich-tasting. I typically just eat this with a spoon; but it's also good on top of oatmeal, and I imagine it'd be great on top of ice-cream, baked goods, or beside pork or chicken.
Good combinations I've tried so far:
- Pear with maple syrup and extra butter; thick sauce. This is heavenly on top of oatmeal, the sauce is almost too rich to eat alone!
- Pear with white wine, cinnamon stick and star anise; thin sauce.
- Apple with white wine and butter; medium-thick sauce.
- Apple with white wine, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and black pepper; medium-thick sauce.
Combinations I think would be good but haven't yet tried:
- Pear or apple with white wine and ginger; thin sauce.
- Nectarines with rum, cloves, nutmeg; medium sauce.
- ...
White Wines
I have a favourite all-purpose white wine! I like to drink it, I use it in my pasta alla carbonara, chicken, poaching fruit, in a reduction for fruit sauces, and I'll probably think of more ways to use it as I go! Also, it's very affordable, about $13 a bottle; and according to the website, with every bottle from this line sold, the company makes a contribution to "global conservation" which I consider a bonus feature.
It's Banrock Station unoaked Chardonnay from Australia.
I used to dislike white wines because they all seemed to taste bitter and made my tongue and mouth shrivel up, the word for which I later learned was "astringent". But the bitterness, I was told, comes from the oak barrels, and this wine was not wooded, and doesn't have that bitterness I dislike!
I do follow the adage of cooking with a wine I would drink. However:
Another white wine I've enjoyed is Naked Grape Chardonnay, which has been "cellared in Canada". I haven't been able to clearly identify the source of the grapes though. I remember it didn't have as much flavour as the Banrock Station, and I think it was more acidic. It was a "pleasant" drinking wine. I'll update this description after drinking it again, as I'm having difficulty remembering it now.
I've also tried Naked Grape's Pinot Grigio. It was...I think the pretentious terms are "avuncular" and "innocuous". A less pretentious phrase that comes to mind is "sissy wine". Don't get me wrong, it's good, I just didn't think it was....remarkable. I drank about half the bottle and the rest went to poaching fruit.
With all this talk of white wine, you'd think I prefer white; but I've preferred red for most of my wine-drinking life. But, there's a slightly embarrassing story behind why I haven't tried many red wines.
I discovered my favourite red wine very early, and used it all the time in cooking, even drinking sometimes! I loved it! And when I tried to find it in stores, I could not! "It's a Cab Sauv from South Africa," I'd tell the floor staff, "with a green diamond-shaped label." It took several unsuccessful trips to the Liquor Commission before I started asking my family where they got this wine. Turns out, my brother and his friend made it!
Since then, I haven't needed red wine for cooking as much as I've needed white; so I haven't drank much red wine. But, I was introduced to Merlot recently, when a guest brought a bottle over; and I love that deep, dark, raisiny flavour! And recently, I tasted a Merlot from Cyprus that I absolutely loved.
When I've had more experience with reds, I'll definitely make a post about them.
It's Banrock Station unoaked Chardonnay from Australia.
I used to dislike white wines because they all seemed to taste bitter and made my tongue and mouth shrivel up, the word for which I later learned was "astringent". But the bitterness, I was told, comes from the oak barrels, and this wine was not wooded, and doesn't have that bitterness I dislike!
I do follow the adage of cooking with a wine I would drink. However:
- I rarely finish a bottle of wine in one sitting (unless I have lots of company over). So, I use the remaining wine for cooking, since it will only retain its subtleties for a further day or two.
- I'm a student, and have a student's budget. Wine which I buy to for drinking will be wine I can afford. And again, since I don't often drink wine, it will sit unfinished for weeks, so it will likely become a cooking wine anyhow.
- Once in a while, I will try a new wine. Sometimes I'll like drinking it! Sometimes I won't. If I don't like drinking it, it will probably end up in a dish where I can't taste it too much (like in a soup).
Another white wine I've enjoyed is Naked Grape Chardonnay, which has been "cellared in Canada". I haven't been able to clearly identify the source of the grapes though. I remember it didn't have as much flavour as the Banrock Station, and I think it was more acidic. It was a "pleasant" drinking wine. I'll update this description after drinking it again, as I'm having difficulty remembering it now.
I've also tried Naked Grape's Pinot Grigio. It was...I think the pretentious terms are "avuncular" and "innocuous". A less pretentious phrase that comes to mind is "sissy wine". Don't get me wrong, it's good, I just didn't think it was....remarkable. I drank about half the bottle and the rest went to poaching fruit.
With all this talk of white wine, you'd think I prefer white; but I've preferred red for most of my wine-drinking life. But, there's a slightly embarrassing story behind why I haven't tried many red wines.
I discovered my favourite red wine very early, and used it all the time in cooking, even drinking sometimes! I loved it! And when I tried to find it in stores, I could not! "It's a Cab Sauv from South Africa," I'd tell the floor staff, "with a green diamond-shaped label." It took several unsuccessful trips to the Liquor Commission before I started asking my family where they got this wine. Turns out, my brother and his friend made it!
Since then, I haven't needed red wine for cooking as much as I've needed white; so I haven't drank much red wine. But, I was introduced to Merlot recently, when a guest brought a bottle over; and I love that deep, dark, raisiny flavour! And recently, I tasted a Merlot from Cyprus that I absolutely loved.
When I've had more experience with reds, I'll definitely make a post about them.
Labels:
food,
white wine,
wine
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Soft Foods
As I mentioned, I'm currently recovering from tonsillitis.
So of course, my wisdom teeth are also now coming in. They've been breaking the gums for a while now, maybe two years. But now, on my right side, both top and bottom teeth have broken the gums and are pushing out.
It feels like having braces, but only on the right half of my face....in the absolute farthest back of my jaw.
And so it's become extremely uncomfortable to chew; because of the tender gums, having to re-learn the chewing motion so that I don't chew my cheek off, and because of the swelling. Oh god, the swelling.
So for the next while, I'll be avoiding chewing or even opening my mouth wide. Thus, I'll need some friendlier foods.
I've started a list of soft foods that I think I'll like, but I'd appreciate any suggestions you may have!
Protein:
Veg that can be roasted and mashed:
...will continue to update.
So of course, my wisdom teeth are also now coming in. They've been breaking the gums for a while now, maybe two years. But now, on my right side, both top and bottom teeth have broken the gums and are pushing out.
It feels like having braces, but only on the right half of my face....in the absolute farthest back of my jaw.
And so it's become extremely uncomfortable to chew; because of the tender gums, having to re-learn the chewing motion so that I don't chew my cheek off, and because of the swelling. Oh god, the swelling.
So for the next while, I'll be avoiding chewing or even opening my mouth wide. Thus, I'll need some friendlier foods.
I've started a list of soft foods that I think I'll like, but I'd appreciate any suggestions you may have!
Protein:
- hummus
- soft ("silken") tofu
- baked beans
- ...
Veg that can be roasted and mashed:
- sweet potato
- squash
- potato
- carrots?
- celeriac
- parsnip
- ...
Fruit:
- poached apples, pears
- applesauce
- mandarin oranges
- banana
- cooked peaches
- ...
...will continue to update.
Labels:
food
Tonsillitis
I'm currently recovering from one of my 2-3 annual tonsil infections. I'm on the borderline, if I had say 4-5 tonsil infections a year then it would be a pretty clear sign to remove my tonsils. But 2-3 is low enough to not immediately warrant surgery, but high enough to be a nuisance for 4-8% of the year.
For me, I typically get an extremely sore, dry throat on the first day, before anything else happens. The sensation is unique--I cannot possibly confuse it with "just a sore throat". It's in the back back, deep in the nose-throat juncture (I think this is called the pharynx) and it feels like the surface is made of concrete, and swallowing is mildly painful. Sometimes, like this time, it is accompanied by an occasional dry, raspy cough.
By the second day, the aches start, and the cough worsens. Usually by nightfall, the fever begins.
This month, I bought my first, uh, human thermometer? (I've had "probe thermometers", "meat thermometers", I know what are "candy" or "deep fry" thermometers. The packaging says "fever thermometer", which I guess makes sense!)
The cough was still mostly dry; but tiny droplets of liquid would shoot up and hit my throat, and it would feel like a dozen tiny, sharp splinters in my throat.
This was my first fever alone, as I moved out earlier this year. I have several house-mates, but tried to confine myself to my room to minimise the chance of spreading the illness.
In the evening, I started feeling extremely cold. I didn't realise what was going on at first, I just pulled on a sweater and wore the hood. My concentration must have been off because I didn't put the aching and chills together and realise that probably meant fever. The whole night was a bit of a delirious mess.
I remember pacing around my room, afraid of absolutely everything! It's hard to describe it in words now, but I think this is accurate: I was afraid to do anything, including nothing. Occasionally, I would crumple up and start crying and shaking. My joints hurt, my skin was extremely sensitive, everything seemed to hurt.
Eventually, two sensible neurons must have fired together in that mess of a brain, and I started texting a sensible friend, who convinced me to get a thermometer. I gave money to a housemate with a car and asked her to buy me a thermometer from the pharmacy down the street. (Ah, another reason I like this neighbourhood!!) My appearance must have given her a fright: doubled over, sweating, shaking, crying and barely able to speak.
By the time she got back, the worst of the fever had passed, I think. The temperature I got was somewhere mid-low 37 C, maybe 37.3 C.
Myro was able to come by to comfort and help me through this. We put on Disney's Brave and I relaxed enough to sleep. I'm not sure if I had sweats that night.
The cough worsened. The doctor had given me a prescription for antibiotics (since we thought it might be Strep throat), but the development of cough made me think it wasn't, so I played on the safe side and didn't take them. He also prescribed a benzydamine gargle (0.15%). ... I found it to be ineffective at numbing my throat. It didn't get as far down or as far up as I needed. So I also got a Cepacol throat spray, which had worked for me in the past. It numbs where I need it, and it's effective on contact. The effect doesn't last very long, but it's all I need. And the combination cherry and aspartame-y flavour is abhorrent. (The artificial sweeteners are actually acesulfame and neotame.) But I still prefer it to the gargle.
On Christmas Eve, my brother delivered a care package from my folks, which included my favourite Chinese cough medicine, one of whose primary constituents is loquat, and instant mangosteen drink cubes. A beverage from dried mangosteen rind, boiled in water, is sometimes drunk to sooth inflammation. And even the instant drink cubes taste pretty good!
The loquat syrup is used as an expectorant. After taking one spoonful the night I received it, I was coughing out phlegm more often than not. Yay!
From here, it's a bit dull, so I'll use a handy-dandy chart below.
In summary...
...will continue to update as events unfold.
For me, I typically get an extremely sore, dry throat on the first day, before anything else happens. The sensation is unique--I cannot possibly confuse it with "just a sore throat". It's in the back back, deep in the nose-throat juncture (I think this is called the pharynx) and it feels like the surface is made of concrete, and swallowing is mildly painful. Sometimes, like this time, it is accompanied by an occasional dry, raspy cough.
By the second day, the aches start, and the cough worsens. Usually by nightfall, the fever begins.
This month, I bought my first, uh, human thermometer? (I've had "probe thermometers", "meat thermometers", I know what are "candy" or "deep fry" thermometers. The packaging says "fever thermometer", which I guess makes sense!)
The cough was still mostly dry; but tiny droplets of liquid would shoot up and hit my throat, and it would feel like a dozen tiny, sharp splinters in my throat.
This was my first fever alone, as I moved out earlier this year. I have several house-mates, but tried to confine myself to my room to minimise the chance of spreading the illness.
In the evening, I started feeling extremely cold. I didn't realise what was going on at first, I just pulled on a sweater and wore the hood. My concentration must have been off because I didn't put the aching and chills together and realise that probably meant fever. The whole night was a bit of a delirious mess.
I remember pacing around my room, afraid of absolutely everything! It's hard to describe it in words now, but I think this is accurate: I was afraid to do anything, including nothing. Occasionally, I would crumple up and start crying and shaking. My joints hurt, my skin was extremely sensitive, everything seemed to hurt.
Eventually, two sensible neurons must have fired together in that mess of a brain, and I started texting a sensible friend, who convinced me to get a thermometer. I gave money to a housemate with a car and asked her to buy me a thermometer from the pharmacy down the street. (Ah, another reason I like this neighbourhood!!) My appearance must have given her a fright: doubled over, sweating, shaking, crying and barely able to speak.
By the time she got back, the worst of the fever had passed, I think. The temperature I got was somewhere mid-low 37 C, maybe 37.3 C.
Myro was able to come by to comfort and help me through this. We put on Disney's Brave and I relaxed enough to sleep. I'm not sure if I had sweats that night.
The cough worsened. The doctor had given me a prescription for antibiotics (since we thought it might be Strep throat), but the development of cough made me think it wasn't, so I played on the safe side and didn't take them. He also prescribed a benzydamine gargle (0.15%). ... I found it to be ineffective at numbing my throat. It didn't get as far down or as far up as I needed. So I also got a Cepacol throat spray, which had worked for me in the past. It numbs where I need it, and it's effective on contact. The effect doesn't last very long, but it's all I need. And the combination cherry and aspartame-y flavour is abhorrent. (The artificial sweeteners are actually acesulfame and neotame.) But I still prefer it to the gargle.
On Christmas Eve, my brother delivered a care package from my folks, which included my favourite Chinese cough medicine, one of whose primary constituents is loquat, and instant mangosteen drink cubes. A beverage from dried mangosteen rind, boiled in water, is sometimes drunk to sooth inflammation. And even the instant drink cubes taste pretty good!
The loquat syrup is used as an expectorant. After taking one spoonful the night I received it, I was coughing out phlegm more often than not. Yay!
From here, it's a bit dull, so I'll use a handy-dandy chart below.
In summary...
| 19 Dec | Woke up with sore throat, occasional dry cough |
| 20 Dec | Morning: occasional dry cough, sore throat throughout day. Afternoon: dry cough worsen, aches begin. Evening: dry cough, aches worsen, chills begin. Night: cough, aches, chills, fever. Overnight: night sweats. |
| 21 Dec | General malaise and sore throat throughout day. Morning: dry cough and a bit of phlegm, aches. Afternoon: aches lessen, cough begins to bring up thick, green phlegm. Hot/cold flashes, sweats. Night sweats. |
| 24 Dec | Expectorant coughs, sore throat. Take cough syrup for the first time. Night sweats. |
| 26 Dec | Weakness. Coughs lessening in frequency, but coughing fits last about as long. Starting to feel better! |
| 27 Dec | Feeling stronger. Able to leave house. Swollen lymph node near neck. Coughs continue to lessen in frequency and duration; still thick green phlegm. |
| 28 Dec | Feeling stronger. Able to leave house. Swollen lymph node makes swallowing extremely uncomfortable! Coughs continue to lessen in frequency and duration. |
| 29 Dec | ... |
...will continue to update as events unfold.
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Monday, June 18, 2012
Early-June Updates
It's been a while since I've managed to post about gardening.
The other night, I was in the kitchen when I heard a high-pitched sound coming from outside. I paused everything and listened. It was meowing. Tiny high-pitched mews! I turned on the light, and on the deck was a small cat--definitely not a "kitten", but still rather small and young-looking; white and grey and very soft-looking! It was sitting maybe 3m away from the door, perched neatly on a chair-thing my dad had been building. As soon as I'd turned on the light, it began walking away--not running, just walking. I haven't seen it since, but it definitely brought some extra joy to my evening! I almost want to leave a fish out for it.
Some more highlights:
Four zucchini seeds suddenly decided to germinate (a third appeared in the container on the left). I gave them to a classmate who has room for them.
Zucchini, tomatoes, basil and marigolds have been set out in the 3x16 bed.
I can't wait for salad!
16 June:
Salad greens and edible flowers:
Zucchinis:
Peas continue to get nibbled by birds. I don't know what to do any more!!
Below left: Black krim tomato plant; main stalk is getting thick (approx 1cm)
Below right: Sun sugar tomato plant is still pretty small.
Marigolds!
Proto-apples on our Gala apple tree. I think there are too many bad/misshapen (possibly aborted) fruits. At least a hundred of these tiny withered fruits have blown down, and there are still more on the tree. I want to hose them off so the tree can redirect energy to the good fruits.
Radishes!
Typical-sized radishes when I pull them out. I take the two or three biggest-looking plants and pull them out ever week.
My broccoli-carrot-radish bed! (I can no longer call it my 3x6 bed, since I have two now!)
A friend gave me two hot pepper plants! She's not sure what kind they are; she got the seeds from a neighbour who brought seeds over from Vietnam. So we call them "Vietnamese peppers". Apparently they're very hot and the mature fruit is red.
Some chamomile came back!! I'm so happy!! (My dad "accidentally" ran the lawnmower over the plants I had growing here, including swamp milkweed. Seriously, how do you "unknowingly" run over a milkweed plant?!) I've since sowed more tall plants here, including: "white cloud" poppies, calendula (these ones grow to be huge, and self-seed like crazy!), and bachelor's button.
The tomato I planted in my adopted pot. The main stem is as thick as my index finger (approx 2cm). The other week, I found the marigold to be missing. Either the crazy winds ripped it out, or someone is a jerk. I've since replanted the marigold and added a calendula!
The nasturtium I direct-seeded to the adopted planter. This is one of only two nasturtium seedlings that actually popped up this year. I'm not sure why it's been such a bad year for them! Maybe I'm doing something wrong... Anyway, I'm half-seriously tempted to dig this up and replant in my home garden. Argh.
New:
The other night, I was in the kitchen when I heard a high-pitched sound coming from outside. I paused everything and listened. It was meowing. Tiny high-pitched mews! I turned on the light, and on the deck was a small cat--definitely not a "kitten", but still rather small and young-looking; white and grey and very soft-looking! It was sitting maybe 3m away from the door, perched neatly on a chair-thing my dad had been building. As soon as I'd turned on the light, it began walking away--not running, just walking. I haven't seen it since, but it definitely brought some extra joy to my evening! I almost want to leave a fish out for it.
Some more highlights:
- Something ate a bunch of our violas. We suspect birds. I've put the little windmills back up!
- The bunny is still tiny, I don't know how this is possible! And he (or she) is still not very afraid of me! What a brave little bunny!
- Radishes are growing pretty slowly; I suspect the heavy rains have compacted the soil, which has been impeding root growth. That, and flea beetles and cabbage caterpillars have been munching the leaves into doilies.
- more later...
8 June:
16 June:
Salad greens and edible flowers:
Zucchinis:
Peas continue to get nibbled by birds. I don't know what to do any more!!
Tomato Plants!
Below left: Black krim tomato plant; main stalk is getting thick (approx 1cm)
Below right: Sun sugar tomato plant is still pretty small.
Marigolds!
Proto-apples on our Gala apple tree. I think there are too many bad/misshapen (possibly aborted) fruits. At least a hundred of these tiny withered fruits have blown down, and there are still more on the tree. I want to hose them off so the tree can redirect energy to the good fruits.
Radishes!
Typical-sized radishes when I pull them out. I take the two or three biggest-looking plants and pull them out ever week.
My broccoli-carrot-radish bed! (I can no longer call it my 3x6 bed, since I have two now!)
A friend gave me two hot pepper plants! She's not sure what kind they are; she got the seeds from a neighbour who brought seeds over from Vietnam. So we call them "Vietnamese peppers". Apparently they're very hot and the mature fruit is red.
Some chamomile came back!! I'm so happy!! (My dad "accidentally" ran the lawnmower over the plants I had growing here, including swamp milkweed. Seriously, how do you "unknowingly" run over a milkweed plant?!) I've since sowed more tall plants here, including: "white cloud" poppies, calendula (these ones grow to be huge, and self-seed like crazy!), and bachelor's button.
The tomato I planted in my adopted pot. The main stem is as thick as my index finger (approx 2cm). The other week, I found the marigold to be missing. Either the crazy winds ripped it out, or someone is a jerk. I've since replanted the marigold and added a calendula!
The nasturtium I direct-seeded to the adopted planter. This is one of only two nasturtium seedlings that actually popped up this year. I'm not sure why it's been such a bad year for them! Maybe I'm doing something wrong... Anyway, I'm half-seriously tempted to dig this up and replant in my home garden. Argh.
New:
- Bought a 6-pack of California Wonder red bell peppers from SuperStore. These are usually $2.50, but I got the pack for $2 today. I hope they're good!
- Also bought a lemon balm and a golden lemon thyme. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THESE YOU HAVE NO IDEA. But I want to give them a proper home, in a perennial herb bed... For now, these and my oregano will go in a large planter. But one day...
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Radish Sprouts - Days Three and Four
Day Three:
I guess those long white things are stems and roots. They're all tangly. Because I was keeping the jar upside-down to let the water drain out, some roots tangled themselves into the cheesecloth. I waited until I felt they would be strong enough to not break if I tried to take them out.
You can see the pale yellow seed leaves. Ideally, I would have put the jar in indirect sunlight (windowsill) or bright artificial light. I was in a rush to get to school, and I typically don't get home until late, so this spent the day on the kitchen table, with whatever light was available. The results? ...
Day Four:
A big, slightly tangled mass of firm shoots and lightly green leaves; with lots of seed casings (the brown stuff).
Considering I used about 1 tbsp of seeds, and got approximately 1 cup of sprouts, I'm pretty happy with this investment!
Eating: The sprouts are pleasantly crisp (crunchy) and "juicy" the way an apple or Chinese pear are "juicy". The taste is straight up RADISH, but maybe not as "hot" (peppery) as radish roots. And these are jucier than eating radish roots.
I was very hungry at the time, so I put these in a wrap with chicken and a Greek vinaigrette. But I could have eaten them as they were!
I have since started a new jar, with approx 1 heaping tablespoon of seeds, and am excited!
I guess those long white things are stems and roots. They're all tangly. Because I was keeping the jar upside-down to let the water drain out, some roots tangled themselves into the cheesecloth. I waited until I felt they would be strong enough to not break if I tried to take them out.
You can see the pale yellow seed leaves. Ideally, I would have put the jar in indirect sunlight (windowsill) or bright artificial light. I was in a rush to get to school, and I typically don't get home until late, so this spent the day on the kitchen table, with whatever light was available. The results? ...
Day Four:
A big, slightly tangled mass of firm shoots and lightly green leaves; with lots of seed casings (the brown stuff).
Considering I used about 1 tbsp of seeds, and got approximately 1 cup of sprouts, I'm pretty happy with this investment!
Eating: The sprouts are pleasantly crisp (crunchy) and "juicy" the way an apple or Chinese pear are "juicy". The taste is straight up RADISH, but maybe not as "hot" (peppery) as radish roots. And these are jucier than eating radish roots.
I was very hungry at the time, so I put these in a wrap with chicken and a Greek vinaigrette. But I could have eaten them as they were!
I have since started a new jar, with approx 1 heaping tablespoon of seeds, and am excited!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Radish Sprouts - Day Two
It's a little hard to keep on this four-rinses per day schedule...
Most radish seeds have swelled and opened!
Most radish seeds have swelled and opened!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Radish Sprouts - Day One
I've been itching to try sprouting for a few weeks now, but never really had the courage, and have been a little scared of contaminated or less-than-ideal seeds. But the thought of paying money for farmed sprouts when it seems so easy and cheap to do it at home--and the promise of more fresh (salad) veggies...and finding affordable organic seeds--did convince me to try!
I was at Vita Health on Sunday, and saw a 200g bag of organic radish seeds for under $5. I had thought they would be more expensive! Found some canning jars at Canadian Tire, on sale for $7 for a 12-pack; and I had some leftover cheesecloth at home.
Instructions on sprouts package:
I was at Vita Health on Sunday, and saw a 200g bag of organic radish seeds for under $5. I had thought they would be more expensive! Found some canning jars at Canadian Tire, on sale for $7 for a 12-pack; and I had some leftover cheesecloth at home.
Instructions on sprouts package:
Rinse seeds in fresh lukewarm water and drain 4 times a day. On the 3rd day, the sprouts will be app. 1-2". Place in direct sunlight, sprouts will be ready to serve on the 4th day.Day One:
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Escaped Chives
Myro and I went for a walk today, and found both onion and garlic chives growing in a ditch! I'm so tempted to steal the flowering garlic chives--our garlic chives have never once flowered--and onion chives, since we have none. But we're a little nervous about ticks in the grass, and also didn't have any shovels with us on our romantic evening walk. Here's a picture from his phone camera:
(The white flowers are garlic chives, we presume; and the purple ones are onion chives.)
(The white flowers are garlic chives, we presume; and the purple ones are onion chives.)
Gardening: week 6.5
It's been an exciting weekend! I didn't put my plants in the ground yet, as they're not yet accustomed to being outside--some are still getting sunburnt leaves, and I'm starting to lose hope for the sick zucchinis. But it is a time of anticipation and excitement!
The following photos are from 2 June.
My friend gave me two litchi tomatoes, and one has just blossomed! I think it's absolutely gorgeous!
I spent the afternoon digging in these stakes. I'm afraid they may not hold, so I may need to fasten them to the bed somehow--digging them in deeper is kind of out of the question. These are 10' 2x2s, buried about 1' into the ground. I'll have to come up with a way to secure them before I transplant the tomatoes!
If you think the stakes above are unreasonably optimistic, here's a photo from 7 Aug last year. Remember, the fence is about 6' tall; and that one plant, though it's hard to see because of the backlighting, is taller than the fence, while bent over itself. Some plants got over 8' tall last year, even after I let secondary shoots grow out.
I am SO FREAKING EXCITED for these radishes. I've never grown radishes before! *squee!* Lookit this one, bulging out of the soil slightly!! (Also: I freakin' LOVE my new camera!)
Radish plots:
Our neighbourhood has a sort of "adopt a planter" program. I e-mailed the neighbourhood community organisation and asked if I could adopt this abandoned one near my house, and if there were any guidelines to what I should plant. The reply:
The only potential problem: this pot has ABSOLUTELY NO SHADE WHATSOEVER. It's by a bus stop on a main road in this neighbourhood. So I put down some mulch, to help retain moisture; but I'm a little worried this guy may get sunburnt. I'll check up on him whenever I can, but I'm pretty confident. I'm also pretty confident that nobody will steal the tomato cage--though I'll be a bit disappointed if someone does.
The following photos are from 2 June.
My friend gave me two litchi tomatoes, and one has just blossomed! I think it's absolutely gorgeous!
I spent the afternoon digging in these stakes. I'm afraid they may not hold, so I may need to fasten them to the bed somehow--digging them in deeper is kind of out of the question. These are 10' 2x2s, buried about 1' into the ground. I'll have to come up with a way to secure them before I transplant the tomatoes!
If you think the stakes above are unreasonably optimistic, here's a photo from 7 Aug last year. Remember, the fence is about 6' tall; and that one plant, though it's hard to see because of the backlighting, is taller than the fence, while bent over itself. Some plants got over 8' tall last year, even after I let secondary shoots grow out.
I am SO FREAKING EXCITED for these radishes. I've never grown radishes before! *squee!* Lookit this one, bulging out of the soil slightly!! (Also: I freakin' LOVE my new camera!)
Radish plots:
Our neighbourhood has a sort of "adopt a planter" program. I e-mailed the neighbourhood community organisation and asked if I could adopt this abandoned one near my house, and if there were any guidelines to what I should plant. The reply:
There are no restrictions to what you can plant (except of course anything illegal - haha) so go ahead and get creative!SWEET! So I've planted a Purple Prince tomato, and some nasturtium seeds. When my plants get big enough, I'll also include basil, marigolds and maybe some onion chives, if I can get my hands on some (the ones we have are garlic chives, and have never flowered).
The only potential problem: this pot has ABSOLUTELY NO SHADE WHATSOEVER. It's by a bus stop on a main road in this neighbourhood. So I put down some mulch, to help retain moisture; but I'm a little worried this guy may get sunburnt. I'll check up on him whenever I can, but I'm pretty confident. I'm also pretty confident that nobody will steal the tomato cage--though I'll be a bit disappointed if someone does.
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