The Sandwich Life

The Week Moves On By

Thursday?  Wow. The week has flown, crawled and seeped by, all at the same time. Monday was chemo. Although I hate not being able to be with Ernie during his treatment, he DID have our trusty Peter Case with him. "Excelsior," as Peter would say.

I was so exhausted on Monday that after the appointment with the oncologist I went home and slept until he was done with chemo. I've been wiped out all week. Anxiety no doubt and my inability to sleep of late. 

On Sunday, before chemo, we did go for a bit of a wander however. We loaded up our masks and some snacks and meandered through a bit of Indiana closest to us.

As I took a picture of this building in a little town that was about a block long, a man rolled by in a golf cart. He yelled out, "50 cents a shot...just leave it on the corner for me." We both laughed, and then he stopped, and said, "They used to have EVERYTHING in there. It was the hardware store. You could get anything you wanted in there." He shook his head, we wished each other a good day and he rolled on.

Onward.

Overload

Day number 529 of the pandemic, or so it seems. This week was a tad rocky and by yesterday evening I had not a damn bit of interest in cooking dinner. Owen was all for Papa Del's and it sounded fine to me. We ordered what is pretty much our standard, the Rico sandwich for Ernie, a gluten free for me and a pan pizza for Owen. When it arrived my pizza was clearly wrong. Luckily, it WAS gluten-free but it had DOUBLE sausage as well as green pepper and mushroom. I shrugged my shoulders and said what the hell. I also ate more of it than I usually do. What a freaking mistake. I may never eat sausage again. I really shouldn't order it on my pizza as I know it has garlic/onion in it, but normally I do pretty much ok with it. Doubled up? Oh, no, no, no. Why do I do things I know aren't good for me? I know, I know...a life long question. Suffice to say, it was a pretty rough night and I just dragged myself out of bed close to noon. Feeling a bit better now and shaking my head at myself.

I also spent way too much time finishing a novel that turns out to have two, count 'em TWO characters that died of pancreatic cancer complete with details about their last days. Why the fuck didn't I just stop reading? Again, I have no idea and just shake my head at myself.

But Ernie made me eggs and spinach and is playing Kris Kristofferson. It's raining outside and I'm planning a drive for tomorrow. 

Onward.

Just look at this beast.

My Sweet Pea

I remember my last semester of high school. It was an exciting time. I had managed to escape my high school with a semester long internship in Springfield. When I went back for graduation it was a time of excitement, going to parties, planning for coming down here to Champaign for college in the fall. It felt like such a time of limitless possibilities. I cut my hair into its first punk/new wave iteration and the way people responded to me completely changed. It was all about trying new things, both good and bad. There was some teenage angst in there, mind you, but it was a bright, glowing time.

And now my senior in high school is locked at home, furloughed from his job, frustrated beyond belief at being trapped. His damn bug isn't even running. I feel so bad for him. I can just feel his frustration in my chest. Leo's frustrated too, but he's more of an at-home guy AND he's making more with unemployment than he did working. For my Owen, it's just damn hard. And through it all, he's been remarkably even-tempered and helpful, doing things around the house and shopping for us. When he finally gives into the frustration and sadness my heart just breaks for him.

I know what it's like to be a 50-something in these times, I can't really imagine being an 18-year-old in these times.

My sweet pea.

Sometimes things just happen

Another day. Another day. I want to say they are endless, but they aren't. They seem to fly by. It's the way they blur into each other that gives them that endless feeling I suppose. 

Lord, I don't even have any pictures of food for you.

We're trying so hard to stay at home and safe but then sometimes things just happen. Owen got a call from his girlfriend that she had a flat tire so he raced over to rescue her. He changed it and they headed on their way when smoked started coming from one of her headlights. They pulled over and her car had flames coming out of it. The Fire Department came and the damn thing just burned up. I feel so terrible for her. Then, evidently Owen had left our car running or whatever, I don't know, so it wouldn't start. Ernie and Leo headed out to go jump it. I should have kept Ernie home but sometimes in the moment you forget. They got into Leo's car and HIS battery was dead. I kid you not. Ernie called his brother who came over and jumped Leo's car so they could drive over and jump OUR car.

In the meantime, his other brother, Dennis, came over with a new receiver so we could play vinyl again. ❤️

Eventually, everybody came home.

And now we're listening to the Real Kids, on vinyl, of course.

Onward.

Oh, and we have a new box.

Six Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1. I showered yesterday, so there's that. I'm wearing a shirt I like that I haven't worn in a long time. It's a little too big so it may have appeared I was wearing pajamas in my recent Zoom meeting but I'm ok with that. I am bound and determined to make today a bit better. Ernie and Owen are outside doing some yard work so I can plant seeds later today. Owen's doing most of it. I was going to make Leo do some but I know it would take years off his life and drive us crazy so I will assign him some things to do inside instead.

2. I'm going to plan a long drive for the weekend. I want to go on a wander so bad it hurts, but a long drive should help. Maybe a little Indiana?

3. Oh, did I tell you that Owen is getting Best Male Hair in the Central High yearbook? I laughed so hard I almost cried. They asked for a picture. I wanted him to submit this one but I got outvoted by his girlfriend and I figure I have to defer (which is fine, I love her). Now he'll have to get a yearbook. He wasn't going to get one and didn't get a senior picture taken. I wasn't going to argue. My mother made me get a yearbook even though I didn't want to and I have no idea where that thing is today. As my friends have told me, 'you breed weasels, you get weasels.'

4. We splurged and got steaks for the three meat-eaters in the house. We hardly ever get steak but Owen went shopping and suggested it so I said sure. And....you know, you win some, you lose some.

I was cooking them in a couple of cast iron skillets and I, uh, got a bit distracted. This was the worst one so I took it. Honestly, though, it didn't taste nearly as burnt as it looked. It wasn't dried out, just, um..burnt.  The vegetables tasted as spring as spring can taste. Asparagus, peas and green onions, with a bit of butter. I almost always use olive oil with vegetables...the butter was a surprisingly delightful addition.

5. And for breakfast, Ernie made me eggs with the leftover vegetables. 

6. Hey, Bob? Got anything to say about those scratches on the wall behind you?

Tastes. Discoveries and Memories.

When Eric Brace posted the other day about our canceled house concert he mentioned the tamale place in Indianapolis they go to. For some reason in the middle of that night, when I couldn't sleep I started googling it and thinking about food...and then in that dreamy half-awake state I started making food lists in my head before I fell asleep. These are not necessarily the most exotic or interesting things I've ever eaten, but the ones that were revelatory. Sometimes it was the first time I'd had that food, like the eggplant parmesan or the asparagus...and others were times it was just the most perfect version, like both hamburgers on the list, as different as they are.

 

Eggplant parmigiana in the Allen Hall dorm cafeteria. 

Asparagus at some architecture conference reception in Ann Arbor

Lobster roll at the Pier Patio Pub in Old Orchard Beach, Maine

Burritos at some little Mexican spot on Howard in Chicago

Spanokopita at the Hip Pocket on Green Street

Homemade pesto in our apartment in Chicago

Homemade hummus in our old rental house in Centennial Park

Swordfish, halibut and lobsters from Bayley's Lobster Pound in Pine Point, Me

Smoked salmon from Captain Vinny at Boldcoast Smokehouse in Lubec, Maine

Fresh sesame bagels from New York Bagels and Bialy west of Chicago on Touhy, with cream cheese from the deli next door

Steamers at my grandparents' house in Maine

Bean soup at Deluxe in Campustown

Tamales my friend made in Chicago, taught by her Mexican-American mother in law

Chinese food in Chinatown sometime around 1990 in Chicago when a Chinese friend ordered everything off-menu

Cuban food in Calle Ocho in Miami...when we won the trip to Miami from the Maverick's first MCA album.

Mussels at Fore Street in Portland, Maine

Doughnuts from Donut Dip in Springfield, Massachusetts

Some coffee shop in Albuquerque near our hotel a million years ago...amazing New Mexican food

Green papaya salad from a place across from our hotel in St. Louis about ten years ago or so

The first time I had Thai food in Chicago at Star of Siam, a, well, a billion years ago with a friend from work

Cheddar biscuits from a barbecue place in Birmingham when we were there for a Lego convention

New England hot dog buns

Cheese plate at Baumgartner's Cheese Store and Tavern in Monroe, Wisconsin, just a few months ago

First real Chicago hot dog with my sister from some diner in Rogers Park when I was still in high school

Hamburgers at Moody's Pub in Chicago

Hamburgers at Green Gables just north of Bloomington

Deep fried green olives at some tapas place in Clemson, SC with my sister Judi

Superdawg. Always Superdawg.

Ok, I'll stop now, but I may update later.

 

What you got?

 

Last time we were at the Donut Dip

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing. And Scallops.

Man, I've got nothing. The days flow by and like the rest of us, I can barely tell one from another. Yesterday I got up, worked a while in my office, then came downstairs and had the last bowl of my ham and potato soup for mmm, I guess it was brunch. I took pictures of Bob. Did some more work. I curled up with Leo and Ernie to watch Mandalorian and Lego Masters. Realized I'd made a mistake in something I sent out so sent it out again. Turns out it still had a mistake. I could not fucking win yesterday. Read that Wreckless Eric has coronavirus. Worried. Sent Amy Rigby a message saying we were sending our love. Finished watching Lego Masters. Somehow, suddenly it was 7:00 at night. How did that happen? I've been eating horribly and feeling lousy as a result so I made myself a nice dinner. Others don't share my love of scallops so they had frozen pizza.

I can't tell if I'm physically tired or mentally tired. Either way, I went to bed early.

Onward.

 

Another Day in the Life of Bob

Sometimes, in these times, a pot of soup is enough

Some days I wake up cheerful, some days not so much and I can never predict. Yesterday I was out of sorts, today I feel pretty good. Part of yesterday's sadness was the fact that in normal times, I would have been enjoying the golden glow that follows a house concert with Eric Brace, Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz. Eric put it so beautifully on his Facebook post:

This morning, in that beautiful parallel universe, without the virus or tornado wreckage, I would be waking in Champaign, Illinois, with Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz, looking for a nice little coffee joint, reflecting on what a splendid time we had last night playing our Sandwich Life House Concert. We'd be praising Cynthia Voelkl and Ernest Blackwelder to the sky, and waiting for the Golden Harbor Authentic Chinese Restaurant to open, where we'd get an early lunch, then go wandering at the University of Illinois Arboretum, before heading east on I-74 to Indianapolis, where we'd stop for a snack at one of those amazing tamale joints there, before heading to our wonderful friend Cyndi Parrett Wagner's for the Redbud Tree House Concert tonight.
Sigh.

I was supposed to be feeling like this...

That sadness stayed with me. Our house concerts feed us. They bolster our mental health. They do so much for our life that we really feel the loss. Add in to that not going on our wanders through the midwest these days---the other meditative way we deal with processing life, living in the moment and finding pleasure in the day to day world...well, hell it's a wonder we're doing as well as we are. Yesterday, however, I made a glorious pot of ham and potato soup, and that was enough. So I woke up cheerful today.

You know that old adage about ham and two people and eternity? Well, there are three of us who eat meat in this household and we went through that ham in a FLASH.  It was a spiral-sliced one and we had pulled every bit of sliced ham off it, leaving just some bits at the end of the bone. I had some Triple S turkey broth in the refrigerator so I put the ham bone and the broth in the crockpot and let it go overnight. Yesterday I strained the broth and just added back in the bits of ham. I added about 4 russet potatoes diced up with the skin left on and cooked them until done. Owen came downstairs and said, "WHY does it smell so GOOD in here?" I got all excited because he doesn't usually like it when I make soup. I mashed the potato up some and added green peas and green onions. It was utterly heavenly. Of course if you could eat garlic and onion that would be good in there but honestly, we didn't miss it a bit. Of course you could add lots more vegetables but really...it was kinda perfect the way it was. In hindsight, I would have added more potatoes, and let the broth chill so I could defat it easily but DAMN it was so good. I used to make pea soup with a leftover ham bone but I can eat dried legumes anymore (although fresh peas seem to be ok) so this is my new post ham recipe.

So, no, I didn't feel the golden glow that a house concert would have left with us, but sometimes a pot of soup is enough.

Until next time, Eric, Peter and Thomm. We love you so much.

Onward.

In which good meals cheer my spirit

It's Friday and I'm feeling a tad bit more cheerful. Who the hell knows why but I'll take it. It's gray outside, which I like...in fact when I woke up early there was thick fog. I happily went back to sleep. I love fog.

I have no anecdotes, no news, but I HAVE had two really good meals in a row and that's good enough for now.

To back up for a moment, I made a really piss poor dinner the other night. I'm always somewhat crushed when I do that. And I spend the rest of the evening lamenting it and speculating what I did wrong, or should do differently next time. It drives poor Ernie nuts. Anyway, I overcooked the salmon...not a ton but I like my salmon rare, my green beans and almonds looked ok but tasted uninspired and the leftover mashed potatoes tasted, well, leftover. Sigh. 

We had some of the leftover salmon (see?) still in the refrigerator so this morning, well, mid-morning, when I finally dragged myself out of bed where I had been reading, Ernie made me salmon and eggs. 

Best breakfast I've had in AGES. He even took the salmon skin and fried it like a little chicharron. Good GOD, I love my husband. Just salmon and eggs and a little olive oil, salt and pepper. It was heavenly, again reminding me to keep it simple.

Thanks, baby. And yes, I let Rascal have a little piece of salmon.

I said I had TWO good meals though, right?  

Last night we had our first bunch of asparagus from Farmer Greg. We also had some boneless chicken thighs we needed to use up. I found a recipe in the New York Times and went with it. 

Turmeric-Black Pepper Chicken With Asparagus

3 tablespoons honey
¾ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon coconut or canola oil
12 ounces asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar or soy sauce
1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)

In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together 1/4 cup water with the honey, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set honey mixture aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and toss until coated.

In a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until the turmeric is fragrant and the chicken is golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add the asparagus, season with salt, stir to combine and cook until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the honey mixture and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lime squeezed over top, if you like.

 

I used gluten-free flour but will probably try cornstarch next time. (neither one browns as well as regular flour). I also added a sprinkle or two of red pepper flakes in the honey mixture (which I think it needed) and upped the black pepper a bit.

I went with the soy sauce but will try the rice wine vinegar next time. Oh, and I added some green peas...would probably add more asparagus next time...I used one bunch...don't know how many ounces that is. My chicken was a little more than was called for, so I think the chicken/vegetable balance should be heavier on the vegetables next time.I should have done my chicken in batches...might have browned better, BUT it was delicious and really simple. I will definitely make this again. We served it with a bit of Asian rice.

Ok, there you have it. Two good meals. My BIL dropped off toilet paper and wine. A friend dropped off  Peeps, chocolate, flowers and yeast. I mean really. We are blessed. Ernie doesn't have chemo until the 27th. I can do this.

Onward.