Mom came home from the Geriatric hospital yesterday. (She was there since last Wednesday, when I took her to dr about her leg oedema, who wanted an lung x-ray, and, since it is holiday season, and the local x-ray clinic closed early, decided she would send us to ER instead. From there, it was a short [4 hour wait, mind you] step to the geriatric hospital, so they could take care of the oedema and POSSIBLE water in one lung.)She hated the hospital, and I am sure SHE is thrilled to be back home.
Unfortunately, due to her intolerance to the cabbage they served her for lunch her last day there, or to a bug she picked up, or to some spoiled food...or whatever...she came home with awful stomach cramps, which led way to a number of hurried trips to the bathroom. At one point (while I was napping, mind you) she had, shall we say, an "accident"...and when I woke up, I was faced with a bathroom (my guest bathroom, by the way)that had been "wiped over" but was still rife with "stuff."....I closed the door and ignored it, because there was other stuff more urgent.
(Now for the good stuff!)
Last night, being the (final!) holiday night, and having invited my sister and family (they just got back that morning from France)and having dh back home (early!) from India, we had the "gantza mishpocha" invited. Dh had requested(a few days ago, by email, from India) crispy chicken with oven-roasted potatoes.
I had THE TIME OF MY LIFE last night, creating the meal with Oded! Besides the aforementioned entre, we concocted an appetizer that was amazing!!! Are you ready?
1 package (12 sheets) FILO dough, defrosted.
350 g CHICKEN LIVERS...we had to grill them, cuz that's the way Jews prepare liver, and then cut them up (meat grinder to tedious to take out and use). Then divided up into 11 portions.
Brush sheet of filo with OIL, and then a few swipes of ROSE WATER. Fold into quarters. Brush top with olive oil. Place folded dough into muffin cup. Add one portion of liver, sprinkle with chopped PISTACHIO NUTS, and fold up the corners of the dough artfully to make a little "package."
Repeat 9 times (to make 10 liver things).
Due to vegetarian diner, marinate some tofu in bar-b-q sauce, chop and grill quickly. Repeat above steps, using tofu instead of liver.
Sprinkle the tops with some more pistachios, and bake in 175oC oven for about 7 minutes.
SAUCE: A combination of COCONUT milk, BREWED COFFEE, a touch of SUGAR, a pinch of CINNAMON, and some CORNSTARCH to thicken. (Exact amounts unavailable.)
If you have been paying attention, you will now be asking...what about the 11th portion of liver? Well, that was for the dogs!
Oded had also concocted a "halva parfait" - the term "parfait" apparently being used in the "French fashion" and meaning layers, and not, as I had expected, a layered dessert in a TALL glass. This was minute: a layer(say, about 2 mm) of chopped pistachio nuts , a layer of tehini mixed with honey (oh...about 1 cm), and another sprinkle of pistachios. All told, pretty shallow, presented in little paper muffin liners. It was supposed to freeze hard, but we have apprantly discovered something about the freezing point of tehini-honey...being MUCH LOWER than your average freezer!
In a (pistachio) nutshell...dinner was delicious!
(Now back to the poop.)
After walking the dogs, cleaning the kitchen, etc, etc, I couldn't avoid the issue any longer, donned rubber gloves, armed myself with a bottle of bleach and some heavy-duty paper towels, held my breath, and began attacking.
I recleaned that bathroom twice, and have resprayed and wiped the toilet seat at least twice more. And I still can't bear to sit on it! Which is a BIG problem for me, since, despite having 2 more bathrooms in the house, this is the only one that is "good" for bm's...the one in the ensuite drains -- along with all the water from the shower/bath -- to the garden (so we don't use it for "hard stuff") and the one in the kid's room clogs easily, so we try to avoid the hard stuff in it. I know this above information might be considered "too much information"...but that is what is occupying my mind at this moment. I keep imagining I smell THAT smell, and keep needing to wash my hands. Yet, I blithely changed and washed my kids' tushies when they were small, and nonchalantly scoop my dog's poop. (And yes, occasionally, I get some on my bare hands..yucky, but I wash my hands and go on with life.) So why is this so different.....?
I must say thanks to DH who, in my mom's hour of need (and, I am sure, deep embarrasment), helped her out and put fresh linnen on bed, etc. When the kids were small, he would have called me: Linda...the kid needs a new diaper!
My next problem, is that my mom NEEDS a shower...and although I told her yesterday, before dinner....and again after...as far as I know, she has not yet showered. DH says I should refuse to give her any food until she has taken that shower!
End of entry....!
