>Eating the Opponent: Minneso-ta style

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It was fried ravioli with Shock Top beer last week.

Amigo had his with Mello Yello.

This week, it’s Minnesota. The guys in purple. The Northern team that plays in a (snort) dome. The dome that couldn’t handle the snow last year and actually collapsed. No players in purple were injured during the perilous storm, but the Vikes had to play their next home game in an outdoor college stadium. Pardon me while I giggle a little at the irony of the whole disaster.

Back to the topic at hand: a Minnesota staple food. I asked my Facebook friends to help, but the two who live in the Twin Cities remained silent. I blogged a plea for ideas on Monday, and two chimed in. So…. we’ve narrowed it down.

We haven’t decided or shopped for ingredients yet. Well, folks? Wild rice? The ubiquitous Minnesot’n hotdish? Lutheran-style after-church pie?
There is still one Farmers’ Market left. I might buy my pie from the Amish baker. She makes delicious – well, everything. And almost next to her booth is the cheese vendor, the one who sells the freshest cheese curds I’ve ever eaten. Oh, wait. Cheese curds are Wisconsin, not Minnesota. Or are they also eaten west of the Mississippi and the St. Croix?
Meanwhile, let’s not forget the whole reason for the Eating the Opponent routine.
Go! Pack! Go!

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>Oh, the Gatekeepers!

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>Gatekeepers, also known as receptionists and schedulers, that is.

First, there was the gatekeeper at the ENT who thought she could decide who got to see the doc and who didn’t.
Then there was the gatekeeper who couldn’t correct a scheduling error and therefore put me back on a waiting list after six months of waiting already.
I could also mention the gatekeeper who tried to talk me out of even asking for a new doctor for Amigo. She sounded quite surprised when New Doc said yes, of course, he’d take Amigo as a new patient.
This time, the schedulers are not talking to the schedulers and the left gatekeeper doesn’t know what the right gatekeeper is doing.
I had a November appointment set up to review meds and check on my progress in recovering from the deepest and longest depression of my life. Recovery is going well: slow but steady, a marathon rather than a sprint.
Then I had to schedule a pre-op physical before the removal and replacement of my cataracts. Given that opportunity to touch base and review my health in general, Family Doc said I could cancel the November appointment. “That’s the day after Thanksgiving. Go shopping,” he teased. “The mob scene? No thanks. I’ll be shopping online,” I laughed.
So…the nurse came in, gave me my annual flu shot, and the logged onto the computer and pulled up the schedule. Lo and behold, my November appointment wasn’t even listed. We were both confused, but shrugged our shoulders and decided it was all for the best.
Two days later I got a letter in the mail from the Clinic That Shall Not Be Named. “Dear Daisy; we need to reschedule the following appointment(s):” followed by the information of the already cancelled November date. Huh??
This time, at least, the failure to communicate doesn’t interfere with my health care. It does, however, lower my level of trust in the Clinic That Shall Not Be Named. I still trust the medical professionals who’ve treated me; I’m just losing trust in the system in which they work. Oh, and the gatekeepers who guard the palace doors.

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>Yet another Zucchini Recipe

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>You guessed it, readers. I am presenting to you one more way to use up the last few zucchini. I liked this as a vegetarian main dish; Chuck preferred it as a side. Either way, it’s delicious.

Cheesy Zucchini Squares
Ingredients:
3 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3 eggs or 3/4 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions:
Spray 8 by 8 baking dish (or similar sized pan) with non-stick spray.
Stir together the zucchini and salt in a colander and let drain 15 minutes. Press out the liquid; let drain another 15 minutes. Pick up small handfuls of zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer to small bowl.
Whisk together flour and baking powder in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then stir in flour mixture and mix well. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the zucchini, onion, and cheese. The batter will be stiff. Pour into baking dish and press evenly into all corners.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes; serve warm.
By the way, this heats up well as a planned-over. In true Wisconsin fashion, I’m considering dusting the top with grated mozzarella or Parmesan when it comes out of the oven. I didn’t add nuts and twigs to this dish, either. The possibilities for variation are endless!

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>Meal planning, Daisy style

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A typical week looks like this in the OkayByMe kitchen:
Monday: Chuck works late, Daisy makes an omelet.
Tuesday: something good for two.
Wednesday: something good for two.
Thursday: something good for two. Can you tell we’re enjoying the empty nest during the week?
Friday: Crock Pot or other easy dish to accommodate Amigo’s pick-up time around five.

Meanwhile, eating the opponent continues on Saturday nights.

St. Louis Toasted (fried) Ravioli was delicious, but high maintenance. Chuck said “Never again.” I said, “Let’s leave it to the restaurants.”
Next week, Minnesota Vikings. Last year we faced this dilemma, too. No lutefisk, I declared, not in my home! So instead, we made a stuffed meatloaf (good hot-dish, Lake Wobegon style) and bought a can of Spam. Breakfast featured turnovers in honor of former Packer turned traitor, er, Viking, Brett Favre.
No one liked the Spam.
But anyway, we’d like to expand on eating Minnesota next weekend. A search through Swagbucks turned up recipes with rhubarb (too easy), wild rice (a strong possibility), and the ubiquitous hot dish. Hot dish, for the uninitiated, is another name for a casserole. Meat, veggies, pasta or potatoes, all in one pan, stirred with a can of cream soup to hold it all together. Many hot dish formulas call for a can of tuna or a pound of browned ground beef.
We could make a ground beef and tater tot casserole using tater tots made in Plover, Wisconsin.
We could make a wild rice dish with fish or other wild game meat.
Turnovers? Not necessary this year. Take that, Brett.
Well, readers, what do you think? Minnesota friends, weigh in, please. What should we serve for Eating the Opponent when our Packers play the Vikings?

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>Eating the Opponent: meet me in St. Louis, Louis!

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Last weekend we had peach cobbler for dessert and cornbread with peach jam with the meal. We tried Coke with peanuts later in the evening and made grits with maple syrup to go with brunch.

This time, we’re looking to St. Louis. The Brewers were up against the Cardinals, and the Packers are playing the Rams. My sister-in-law lived and taught in St. Louis for several years, so she joined Earth Muffin in recommending some good local fare.
Our tentative plan: Fried ravioli. Chuck will find a beer (not Budweiser, by the way) with St. Louis or at least Missouri roots. We weren’t willing to fry a cardinal – that’s another sport entirely. Besides, I hear cardinal tastes like chicken.
Some of the fun in this project comes from the research. We get ideas from friends and family, we look things up on the Internet, and we get creative to add a bit of Wisconsin to some. Adding maple syrup to the grits was one nod to my state tree, the sugar maple. The peaches in the jam were Wisconsin and Michigan produce, not Georgia, to be honest. It’s the spirit of the project that counts. So on we go, eating our way (we hope) to 6-0!
Readers coming from Plurk or Twitter might know that I’m having my first cataract removal surgery today. Yes, of course I’m nervous. I’m using my irreverent sense of humor to survive it. No coffee in the morning before surgery? I’ll convince Chuck to drive through Starbucks on the way home.

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>Top Ten Reasons to enjoy teaching online

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…or… Top Ten Reasons my new job is right for me

10. It lets me unleash my inner geek.

9. I can have a bad hair day and no one will know.
8. I step into the hall and breathe the rarified air of administration (we’re on the same floor as Student Services, Special Ed., and Title I, among other powerful offices)
7. I get to work with a bunch of other teachers unleashing their own inner geeks.
6. I can play with clip art and pretend I’m working.
5. I’m a good independent worker. Bloggers & writers are often self-motivated types, and I’m both.
4. Those headsets with microphones look oh so fashionable with my hearing aids.
3. I never need to leave sub plans! Well, that’s both a blessing and a curse.
2. My “Teaching Wisconsin to Read” coffee cup can sit by my side, full, all morning.
1. I can use the bathroom any time I need it and not have to wait for a recess bell!

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>Fun with a Can of Baked Beans

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>We keep a few cans of beans in the pantry in case we need a side dish for a simple meal. We almost never make the can plain, as sold. It’s not that they’re bad; they’re quite good. It’s more like gee, we could have fun with this. Let’s make that can of beans into —

Denver (no omelet) Beans
1 can (28 oz.) Bush’s original baked beans
Sautee ingredients:
green pepper
red bell pepper
red onion
Spices:
lemon pepper
cayenne pepper
cumin
white pepper
salt
smoky Tabasco sauce
minced garlic
Simmer beans in medium pan over low heat.
Saute peppers and onions in olive oil until soft. Add to simmering beans.
Add a dash of each spice to simmering beans.
Simmer until warmed through.
Serve with fresh chopped tomato on top to balance the spiciness.

Calico Beans

One can (28 oz.) Bush’s original baked beans
One can (14 oz.) butter beans
Touch of brown sugar
Dash of balsamic vinegar
Mix both types of beans, sugar, and balsamic vinegar, and simmer in a medium pot until warm.
Beans and Weenies
Leftover beans, plain or either of the kinds above.
1 leftover hot dog, bratwurst, or any cooked sausage. Best if grilled.
Slice sausage. Mix into beans. Heat until warm. Serve for lunch or solo supper; a classic leftover.
This is one of Amigo’s favorites. He makes it himself.

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>Eating the Opponent: Green Bay vs. Atlanta

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>It’s time for Georgia peaches and Coke with peanuts!

Last year I made peach cobbler and it was delicious. I also have peach jam this year – made from Wisconsin and Upper Michigan peaches, but tasty. Very tasty. We served Coke products with the meal, of course.
If you’re new to Eating the Opponent, we’ve developed a tradition of looking at the Green Bay Packers schedule and serving a local dish from the opposing team’s locale. Sometimes it’s sincere, sometimes it’s tongue in cheek. We had bear claws for breakfast the day of last season’s Conference Championship game in Chicago.
Lately, Wisconsin sports fans have offered up a lot of great play for fans, and a lot of fun eating for us. Our Brewers keep on hitting and defending their Beast-ly title, too. And the Wisconsin Badgers? Last week was easy; sweet corn on the cob to represent Nebraska. This weekend, we’ll eat our fill of good food and cheer on our favorite team: last year’s Super Bowl Champs, the Green Bay Packers.

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>Celebrating Abilities Week and more

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>Sometimes there are just too many celebrations and commemoration days/weeks/months. This week in my fair city the downtown area and the school district have their version of Disability Awareness. In our neck of the woods, we call it Celebrating Abilities. I’ve had concerns about the way this group has portrayed disabled people as cute, incapable, very needy children. In the past few years they have changed their focus for the better. A few years ago they sponsored a recital that included a blind violinist and a cellist with one arm. Both are very talented musicians.

This year the theme is faces: the face of disability. Promotional posters feature adults, many of whom work at Goodwill Industries. It’s a step forward, but also a step back, as the majority of the poster models have cognitive disabilities.
Why not take this a step farther? Follow a disabled adult like me through a normal workday. It might be dull, and maybe that’s the point. I need some accommodations, but I’m an average, everyday professional on the job. I’m not a poster child for anything; I’m a teacher. A teacher with a hearing impairment, yes, but mainly a teacher.
I announced my new hearing aids to my coworkers via email, the norm in our online environment. I explained that I was adjusting to the new technology and they might need to bear with me for a little while. Within three minutes I had several replies, all positive.
One called me a good sport and an inspiration.
One thanked me for educating him about hearing loss.
Several wished me good luck with the transition.
One put a lump in my throat with her supportive comments.
This is the reality of being a disabled person. In some work environments, my hearing loss was basis for bullying and ridicule. In a positive work climate, dealing with my disability is not a big deal. My coworkers and I simply, well, deal with it, pass the coffee, and get back to work.
October’s calendar also sports a depression awareness movement. Our wellness department, officially called the Office of Lifestyle Enhancement, included in their newsletter a short paragraph and several information links. One year ago, I could have been the poster model for this devastating illness. I’m recovering – not recovered yet, but making major progress. Working with positive people is a huge factor in developing peace of mind. A safe workplace makes a big difference as I’m healing – and beyond.
If you’re interested, here are the links:

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