>Chicken Breast with Herbs

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>Before I even post the recipe, I’ll note for you: be flexible with the herbs. This recipe is likely to still be delicious if you run out of parsley and have to use fresh spinach. Guess what – that’s what happened here! I have lots of fresh oregano, though, and that was the main herb. I added onion, too. Here goes:

Chicken Breast with Herbs
Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped parsley (or spinach, if your pet rabbits have eaten all the parsley)
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 Tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 Tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
1/4 cup diced onion
3 Tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
Directions:
1. In small bowl, stir together parsley, oregano, lemon peel, and garlic. Set aside. This will smell good!
2. In 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion and chicken until chicken is browned on the outside. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside. Leave onion in the pan. Stir in half the herb mixture. Add broth; bring to boiling, stirring to scrape up any browned scraps from pan. Return chicken to skillet; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
3. Serve with pan sauce; sprinkle with remaining herb mixture. Serves 4.
This chicken dish worked well over long grain rice.
I do plan to plant parsley so I’ll consistently have enough in the house for cooking, even while I’m keeping the bunnies fed and happy.

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>Daisy and the Gatekeeper

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Actual phone call with clinic; I am not making this up.

Me: I’d like to make an appointment to see Doctor DHH (deaf- hard of hearing).

Gatekeeper: Regarding?
Me: Creating a letter discussing medical accommodations for my job.
Gatekeeper: Oh, we don’t make appointments for that. He just writes a letter.
Me: He already wrote a letter, and my attorney says it’s not suitable.
Gatekeeper: In what way?
Me: It needs to be specific, suggesting an accommodation and giving a medical reason for that accommodation. I need to talk to Dr. DHH. Could you please check his schedule?
Gatekeeper: We write letters to employers all the time. The one you have should be sufficient.
Me: I’ve run it by my attorney, and she says it’s not specific enough. I’d like to talk to Dr. DHH so we can draft a new one.
Gatekeeper: We send these out all the time to employers and SSI for disability cases. No one has ever had a problem with this.
Me: Please schedule an appointment for me so we can resolve the letter completely.
Gatekeeper: Oh, no, instead let’s see what’s in your file.
Me: (pacing next to phone)
Gatekeeper: Okay, he sent a more detailed letter to your family doctor and a short one to you. You picked it up two days ago.
Me: Yes. I have it. It’s a short summary, and it needs detail. Maybe Dr. DHH could call me.
Gatekeeper: Let’s see if the family doctor letter has what you need. We could send that one.
Me:(pausing while she looks it up)
Gatekeeper: Maybe you don’t need a doctor’s letter at all. You just need the audiology report.
Me: No, I’ve already asked. I need a letter from an MD. If I need to include audiograms, I have several years of them on file.
Gatekeeper: Oh, Dr. DHH won’t need more. He has the one from November.
Me: If he needs to show that the loss is progressive, he’ll need a series of audiograms over time.
Gatekeeper: Oh.
Me: Shall we schedule an appointment?
Gatekeeper: No, I’ll ask Dr. DHH if we should use the medical letter.
Me (firmly, but politely): I will stop by to pick up a copy. Do not send it to my employer until I’ve reviewed it with my attorney.
Gatekeeper: Oh. Well…
Me: I’ll pick it up Monday morning. See you then!
Notes: I managed to make an appointment a week later by going through a different receptionist. Dr. DHH was appalled to hear that his “gatekeeper” had refused to schedule my appointment the first time I called. We’re still working on the disability documentation, but at least I made it one more step up the ladder.

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>Redecorating

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La Petite has an internship in another town, so she’s only home about half the week. Just so we don’t miss her too terribly much, Chuck redecorated the fireplace mantel with something uniquely hers: her collection of Converse shoes.

Yes, this is only part of the collection. We were able to “borrow” from her supply because she is dressing more professionally now and wears dressier, but still comfortable, shoes. I guess that means she’s grown up now. Maybe.

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Fit in or stand out?

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“Why do you try so hard to fit in when you were made to stand out?”

This quote turned up again, this time in my Plurk network. It strikes me in a sensitive place, as always.
I am different.
I have a hearing loss.

I wear two hearing aids.
And…

I teach.
I am educated.
I am articulate.
So which is it? In education we claim to value differences. However, I see more pressure to conform, pressure to follow the same path and be just like the others. We differentiate and adapt for our students, but not for each other.
Being a teacher and being different do not mesh well.
I may not always hear you perfectly, but when I know what you’ve said, I can address it and answer you in complete sentences. My hearing loss didn’t stop me from earning an undergraduate degree from a Conservatory of Music and a graduate degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I can write a research paper and quote the studies that support each point I make. I can write a letter that’s short and succinct and yet complete enough for the newspaper to publish. I can write a grant application that brings my class and my school much-needed money.
So which is it? Square peg or round hole? Fit in or stand out?
I still don’t know.

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>Spring, Summer, and good health

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Late spring and early summer are sometimes the hardest seasons for eating fresh and local. My freezer is emptying of last summer’s bounty, the Farmers’ Market hasn’t opened yet, it’s too early and too wet to plant, much less harvest, and we’re in the midst of time-consuming events that signal the end of the school year.
We’re hoping and planning to put up more of our own garden produce and local goodies from the Farmers’ Market as soon as local food comes into season. I’m preparing in several ways.
  • I picked up a food saver to replace my hand pump. I liked using the zipper bags for vegetables, but pumping the air out of each bag got tiring. Pushing a button and “zip!” sucking the air out will make it easier.
  • I’ve set aside good containers for freezing fresh fruits and fresh peppers. It’s so nice to reach into the freezer and pull out a jalapeno pepper from last fall’s garden instead of buying one from the store, a pepper probably imported over a great distance.
  • The tomato and pepper sections of our garden will be bigger and more varied. The family requested more salsa this year; last year’s stock only lasted until December. More salsa means more pulp tomatoes and more peppers.
  • We’ll continue to plant spinach; adding spinach to soups and stews and salads and omelets, to name a few, can increase or maintain a decent amount of iron in my diet.
  • Herbs! Seasoning with fresh herbs is tasty and helps us resist adding too much salt to our food. The chives are right outside the dining room door, making them easily accessible.
In the meantime, I can stock the kitchen with good foods made from scratch. I keep baking bread, adding flaxseed or local honey or other healthy additions to the recipe. The slow cookers (yes, plural, I have several) provide another method for easily cooking from scratch. It’s easier to keep meals low salt and low calorie when I have control over the ingredients.
When I don’t have time or energy to cook from scratch, it’s time to pull out something simple, yet healthy. Weight Watchers Smart Ones is making it easier to stay on track with a healthy meal plan without spending time on prep work beforehand. Their products provide a variety of delicious, convenient and portion controlled meals and snacks that contain lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. And now they are offering two new breakfast items – like the new Egg, Sausage & Cheese Wrap and the French Toast with Turkey Sausage. If you’re keeping track, the packaging tells you the Weight Watchers PointsPlus values in each serving, allowing you to conveniently plan for the day. Visit www.eatyourbest.com for more information.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Weight Watchers Smart Ones and received a promotional item and coupons to facilitate my review.

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>What a difference a week makes

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On a cool but sunshiny day at the end of March, I dumped the pieces out of the box and put together my mini-greenhouse. My goal: to start more from seed this year, using the greenhouse structure to protect the small seedlings from evening frosts.

Then, about last Wednesday, Mother Nature had other ideas. She dumped (there’s no other word for it) she dumped more than 8 inches of heavy, wet snow on our house, our trees, and (you guessed it, readers) my new mini-greenhouse. If you can find it behind the lilac branches that are bent nearly double under the weight of the snow, my mini-greenhouse stands on our snow covered deck.

Picturesque, wasn’t it? Well, it was pretty enough if it had come in November. In late April, we’re about over the loveliness of this white stuff. We’d rather get out the garden spade than a snow shovel.
What a difference a week makes! Finally, finally, most of the snow is melted. My mini-greenhouse is full of pots, and many are poking little green shoots above the soil. No, don’t mention it, please – I know we’ve had snow in May some years. Shhhh.

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>Planned overs and Pantry Raids – Soup with Ham

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>We made a large ham for Easter. Half of it served the family (our basic family of four and our parents) on Sunday night. The rest of this delicious smoked ham became leftovers – or planned overs, since we planned it that way. Chuck sliced some of the meat in sandwich- sized slices and cut up the rest, the awkward pieces, in smaller chunks for soup or stew. He left quite a bit on the bone.

That’s where Monday’s soup originated: the ham bone. Most of my soups are more raid than recipe; I have the basic broth and meat and then whatever vegetables are in the house at the time. If you’re a precise recipe person, this one is not for you. If you’re willing to play with the ingredients a bit, raid your pantry if needed, then it’s right up your alley.
I added the following to my four-quart slow cooker.
Ham bone with meat scraps still on (smoked on the grill the previous night, yum)
3-4 cups water (vegetable or pork soup stock would work, too)
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
leftover bean mix from red beans and rice, served last Thursday
handful of fresh spinach, washed and torn into smaller pieces
1 can diced tomatoes
Simmer on low most of the day – 5 to 6 hours will do. Remove ham bone. Using a fork, remove ham from bone and shred into smaller, soup-worthy pieces. Return meat to pot.
Serve with fresh bread or rolls.
I had some extra fun (I’m such a science geek) with the bone. It was actually two bones, including a rotator joint. “Gee, honey, what part of the pig was this? The joint looked like a shoulder.” But anyway, back to the topic. I didn’t add spices or herbs; thyme might have been good. The beans were already spiced, so they added a little flavor of their own.
Soups and stews don’t have to be a precise recipe. My process often starts with thawing a container of soup stock from the freezer, adding onion and celery, and then searching the vegetable drawer for ingredients. Even though my last blood test showed that I’m no longer anemic, I’m still cooking iron-rich dishes. This soup had spinach and beans, both good sources of iron that are easily absorbed.
Like it? I named my experimental post-holiday soup Minestrone with Ham. We had generous portions last night, and a batch will go in the freezer for later – my next planned-overs.

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>Sprout or MacGonagall?

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>I used to think I was most like Minerva McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, instructor of transfiguration and all-around straightforward, logical Hogwarts professor.

Upon rereading the Harry Potter series, I’m starting to wonder. Maybe I’m more like Professor Sprout. She spends much of her time in the Hogwarts greenhouses; I like to “play in the dirt,” as my family says. Prof. Sprout always seems to have dirt on her somewhere; at this time of year, there’s always dirt under my nails or on my jeans or on my shirt. She wears a standard witch hat – almost. Her hat has a patch on it; mine is a baseball cap sporting the phrase “What happens in the garden stays in the garden.”
Professor Sprout’s favorite fertilizer is dragon dung. I’ll pass on that and use my own compost. I used used llama manure to make compost tea; it works quite well, and llamas don’t breathe fire.
Pomona Sprout is head of Hufflepuff House. Hufflepuff plays a supporting role in most of the books. While Gryffindor battles Slytherin for the House Cup and the Quidditch championship, Hufflepuff takes the “anyone but Slytherin” attitude, cheering on Gryffindor’s successes. I’m fine in supporting roles; actively supporting politicians is a hobby of mine. Running for office? Not interested.
Am I more Sprout than MacGonagall? She’s easier to spell, I’ll grant that. I think I’ll put a few seeds in pots and ponder this concept. Pass the dragon dung.

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Bunny Wisdom

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This one has been traveling the Interwebs all day, and I couldn’t resist sharing. It’s not a Daisy original, but it’s good.

Everything I Needed to Know I learned from the Easter Bunny

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Walk softly and carry a big carrot.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

There’s no such thing as too much candy.

All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off other people’s jellybeans.

Good things come in small-sugar coated packages.

The grass is greener in someone else’s basket.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

An Easter bonnet can cover the wildest hare.

“Shake?”

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>Light a Single Candle

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>It is better to light a single candle than to sit and curse the darkness.

Attributed to Confucious, Eleanor Roosevelt, Old English Proverbs, no one really knows where the phrase began. Some insert a word, slightly changing its tone by saying “…sit and curse in the darkness.” Most are clear, however, as to its meaning.
To me, lighting a single candle means focusing on a goal, one goal, rather than giving up in an overwhelming world. In my world of clinical depression (and a sinus infection on top of it all), I feel like too many decisions are looming. I have too many candles. Can I cut down to one?
There’s school. I’m preparing for a new position next year. This is still uncertain; I’m working on Plan B while Plan A simmers.
There’s the book project. There’s resting, gathering energy, building strength.
The single candle doesn’t last if I burn it on both ends. Pushing too hard just gets me sicker and slows my recovery. Some days I don’t have a choice; I need to take a deep breath and go out in public to get the details of my job in place for next year. As long as I plan to rest the next day (or two), I can make it through an occasional tough day like that.
So really, what’s my single candle? Recovery? Recovering and taking care of myself is number one. When I’m ready for the next step, I’ll light the candle of Educating Amigo, our book project. While I’m working, the bunnies might just have to feed themselves. I’ll be very focused on my single flame.

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