Comfort Reads discussion
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I don't think I've ever had roast cauliflower. I've always steamed or added to soups/stews or eaten raw. I've never baked it in the oven.
Lisa, you can chop / break the cauliflower into pieces, drizzle with a little olive oil, season, spread out on a baking tray and roast until golden brown. It's yum. I also like it Lebanese-style (that is, fried) but I tend not to fry stuff at home, so that's an eating-out-at-a-Lebanese-restaurant treat. I also like cauliflower steamed, broken up into tiny pieces and forked through cous cous, seasoned with salt and pepper and some dry-roasted cumin seeds. Great with a vegetable tagine.
Lee wrote: "I often forget to buy beets but when I eat them, I always think how fabulous and delicious they are."I love beetroot too, Lee and it's my younger son's favourite vegetable. We eat it roasted and I make a beetroot and sour cherry relish from time to time.
Every Christmas I make a red coleslaw, with shredded red cabbage, shredded raw beets and a dressing made by heating vegetable oil, vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, a little salt and pepper and a teaspoon of celery seed together, pouring just enough of the hot mixture over the cabbage and beets to very lightly coat them, and chilling the salad before serving.
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I pretty much only make it once a year, Lee. It's expected on the table on Christmas Day, but there's not that much call for it otherwise!
Kim wrote: "Lee wrote: "I often forget to buy beets but when I eat them, I always think how fabulous and delicious they are."I love beetroot too, Lee and it's my younger son's favourite vegetable. We eat it ..."
Would less sugar work as well? A tablespoon sounds like a lot. And I wonder what maple syrup or molasses would taste like instead of the sugar?
Gundula, a tablespoon is only an approximation and not that much given the quantity of cabbage and beetroot I use - I make a huge bowl of the stuff for Christmas lunch. Honey or molasses would give a stronger flavour to the dressing, but would probably be okay too.
Kim wrote: "Gundula, a tablespoon is only an approximation and not that much given the quantity of cabbage and beetroot I use - I make a huge bowl of the stuff for Christmas lunch. Honey or molasses would giv..."I think molasses might be a bit strong tasting, but maple syrup, yummy if you like it. I'm going to have to try this, sounds delicious.
Kim, Thanks for the tips. From what you and everyone has said, I'll have to tried roasted/baked cauliflower. I've loved cauliflower every way I've tried it so I'm sure I'll like it.
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Lee wrote: "Lisa, I think you'll really enjoy the roasted cauliflower. :-)"Me too, Lee. Yum!
Lisa wrote: "Diane, We love it though when people check in and let us know. And had fun emailing with you today about The Casual Vacancy. :-)I know: the last thing the area needs is another storm. I feel very..."
I have more more The Casual Vacancy to discuss with you.
Everyone - your foodie talk sounds delish! I just had some stir-fry veggies with homemade polenta.
I love beets, all colors; and as for cauliflower, we've had it in place of mash potatoes too - make it the same way except replace potatoes with cauliflower.
Diane,Oh boy!
And your homemade polenta with veggies sounds good. Glad I'm not hungry at the moment.
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I just arrived home from my free art class! I'm loving it so much. I'm painting a portrait in oils of my daughter and my grandmother who will be 98 this year. I'm really pleased at how it's turning out.
Lee, I'm so happy that you're happy with your painting and enjoying the class.
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Lee wrote: "When I'm done, if I'm happy, I'll take a photo and share it! The composition is really sweet, it makes me smile to look at it, even half finished."Thanks, Lee. I'd love to see it!
Lisa speaks for us all, Lee. None of us can wait to see it. When's it likely to be finished?And go steady on those scones! Or put in some extra walking. I don't want to see you heading north on MFP after all the hard work you've put in on getting to where you are.
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Great! Send me one down the Internet line, hot out of the oven. No butter for me though!
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If only! I'm waiting for the day: sending food and other items over the internet.Ya never know. They can make 3-D copies now.
Lee's strawberry scone arrived, still warm, as I was driving to work. There may be virtual crumbs all over my car seat by now!
If anyone has good vibes, prayers, or petitions to higher powers to spare, they'd be appreciated; I feel like all I do on Goodreads is complain, so I won't go into details, but my mother fell yesterday... She broke bones, but the hospital is trying to send her home, and not only can I not believe that would be in any way good for her I just don't think I can handle it, mentally or physically... I think after the hurricane two weeks ago and the nor'easter last week someone must have said "What next?" and this is the answer. Next week scares me a little.
I hope it's not as bad as it seems right now, Tracey. I'll keep you in my thoughts!
I will keep you and your mother in my thoughts too, Tracey. Check with social work dept in your hospital to see if they can connect you to community care for your mom. That's what we did when my father became ill. It really helped my mom, she was not alone in taking care of him.
Tracey - my thoughts are with you, and, as has often been discussed on this thread in the past, I am sending you the strongest juju that I can possibly summon up right now.But go back to the quotes that you planted on your own GR profile when you set it up, and believe that all of your Comfies friends are going along with these for you and your Mom.
Callahan's Law: "Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased—thus do we refute entropy."
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
― Leo Buscaglia
"Even the smallest thing can be enough to encourage someone who has decided to give up hope."
- Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
I would like to share a moment of my own with you.My eighteen year old grandson, Taran, has been in and out of hospital with an assortment of mental illnesses for the past six years. It is a very long story, so I won't bore you with the detail. Suffice to say that I have been battling to get the best level of treatment and therapy, and the right carers, and some good communication from the team who are supposed to look after him, for all of those years.
He is currently in a medium secure hospital, which is one hundred miles from my home. Visits are difficult and are limited to one hour per week, supervised, and the journey can be hell.
On the bright side, I am very satisfied that at last he is in good hands, and they are working to a plan which will improve the poor boy's life.
This morning, there were reports published in the UK on this very subject, and it was all over the newspapers and radio stations. The experts were all having their say. I called in to BBC Radio London, and had a very fruitful and frank discussion with top presenter, Vanessa Felz (famous in UK anyway!).
Afterwards, the producer gave me the contact details, with their permission, of the experts who appeared on the programme. I shall be in touch.
I have to say that, although the past few months and years have been very stressful for Taran and the whole family, I feel, today, the most optimistic that I have felt for a long, long time!
Maybe it was all down to that hot, virtual strawberry scone that Lee sent to me to kick off my day!
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And Tracey, our most positive and loving juju is definitely flying your way. I know how stressed out you must feel. I hope your mom recovers quickly and we are here if you need to vent or just need a virtual hug. (((((((HUGS)))))))))
Lance Greenfield wrote: "I would like to share a moment of my own with you.My eighteen year old grandson, Taran, has been in and out of hospital with an assortment of mental illnesses for the past six years. It is a very..."
I send you my best wishes for your grandson.
Tracey wrote: "If anyone has good vibes, prayers, or petitions to higher powers to spare, they'd be appreciated; I feel like all I do on Goodreads is complain, so I won't go into details, but my mother fell yeste..."I will keep your mother in my thoughts and prayers and wish her a speedy recovery.
Lee - you are so generous with your virtual hugs and baking today. I am sure that we all appreciate it!
Lance Greenfield wrote: "I would like to share a moment of my own with you.My eighteen year old grandson, Taran, has been in and out of hospital with an assortment of mental illnesses for the past six years. It is a very..."
That sounds very hopeful, Lance! And thank you, to you and everyone. It'll be better - a bit - when we finally know what's going on...
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Tracey, I can relate to your news about your mom. My parents are in Boston and my mom took a fall in August. She is 85. I was there in September. All of the upkeep of the home is on my dad, although she does have nurses in very day. She did recover from the fall pretty well, but she is suffering greatly with her COPD which has worsened over this. If your mother is in general good health, I'm sure she'll recover from the fall. Try your best to have her work with her PT regularly - my mother is extremely stubborn, so I hope yours is NOT.Lance, good thoughts for your grandson. I can only imagine the impact and worry that has been in your and your family's life.
My mother's 85 as well; she broke a hip about five years ago and still thinks she can do more than she actually can. Otherwise her health is generally good. But she *is* very stubborn, and I have doubts that she's going to cooperate completely with the physical therapist; she didn't last time, which is one reason she's not more mobile now... I just heard that Medicare will NOT cover a hospital stay, much less a nursing home, because she didn't have surgery. The fact that she can't walk is apparently irrelevant; she's coming home tomorrow. I feel extremely selfish, but I just want to go sit somewhere and cry - glad as I'll be to have her home, it's going to be ...difficult. For everyone. (I put my back out yesterday, and I still have a lot of work to do clearing out a downstairs room for a hospital bed to be brought in tomorrow...)
Okay. Done whinging. We won't have to have Thanksgiving in a facility: there's a bright side.
Tracey, it's ok to want to go sit and cry. I've felt that way alot. I live in LA now and they are in Boston and I feel horribly guilty with it all on my dad. On the other hand, you being there it IS difficult on you. My mother canned her PT -- so I understand your frustration there as well. Good thing she likes the nurses. I wanted to go home after Thanksgiving for a few days and she flat out refuses to let me come. So there you go....I get what you're going through. Not easy.
I am grateful I'm here with her. Our moms do sound alike - she told me flat-out not to come to the hospital last night (partly, I'm sure, because she remembers that time I got lost in New Haven at 2 AM coming back from visiting an aunt at the hospital, and wound up in a Very Bad Area). Thanks, Diane!
Oh that makes me feel better that she told you not to come! :) I was so hurt and angry that I actually didn't talk to her for a few days....but then I got to thinking 'what if'.... poor us, Tracey. Keep me posted and good luck. When my husband I were back there in September, there were incidents of much stress...between me, my dad, my mom....tempers flared....tears flowed. It was hard. And more tears when we left to come back to LA.
Tracey wrote: "My mother's 85 as well; she broke a hip about five years ago and still thinks she can do more than she actually can. Otherwise her health is generally good. But she *is* very stubborn, and I have d..."Tracey, I don't think you are whining at all, this is terrible and simply unacceptable, enough said. Hugs!!
And Lance, all the best for and to you and your grandson (it sounds tough, but it is encouraging that he is in good hands).
I wish I had a magic wand to make everything better for everyone (Lance, Diane, Tracey, everyone).
Gundula you are so sweet thanks for your words.
Tracey, I hope your mother gets better and that whatever arrangements are made for her will work for you too!Lance, your grandson Taran is very, very lucky to have you. I hope he does in fact get help where he is. Many people find they have such a lack of support when they have mental health issues. At least that's true in the U.S. Having a relative (or anyone) care goes a long way toward getting us all whatever we need.
Having a family member who is ill is such a stressful situation to be in. May things improve soon for your mum, Tracey and for yours, Diane. And lots of positive thoughts for your grandson, Lance. I hope things go well for him. I've been hearing a lot about young people with psychiatric illnesses recently, as one of my sons is currently working as a teacher attached to a residential adolescent psychiatric unit in a hospital in a rural area of the state. He's found it both challenging and very rewarding and has learned such a lot about mental illness and young people.
Again, thanks, my friends. Mom's due to come home today - but at the 11th hour a neighbor (interfering? helpful? We'll see how it all pans out :P) told her that, well, several people SHE knows went on to a skilled nursing facility without having had surgery, so why not Mom? So Mom called me, and I called Medicare, and three quarters of an hour later now maybe she *is* covered, so why is the hospital trying to send her home, and now what?
Why look, a wall. I think I'll bang my head against it for a while...
I see the dent with your name on it - I'll take the spot right next to it. I'll either feel better or stop feeling - I'll take either!
Tracey, I hope it works that your mom can go to the skilled nursing facility. It will immensely help her with the PT and take stress off you. Again, since she is similar to my mom, she will probably tolerate it for less time than she should (my mom pretty much checked herself out 2 weeks too soon) but it was better than had she not gone at all. Then perhaps the PT can come to the house to continue for a few more weeks.
Thanks, Diane - but nope. She's home. Problem is that the hospital never actually admitted her: she was in as "outpatient observation." So because she was never – technically – "inpatient" she was not eligible for the "skilled nursing facility" (that's where the surgery came into play – outpatient + surgery = ok for rehab; inpatient + need = ok for rehab; "outpatient" – surgery = not ok for rehab). There will be a physical therapist coming to the house, and home health aid, when none of us can be there. Between all of that and the day this has been at work, I think I really will take up drinking.
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Comfort Reads
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Para Handy Tales (other topics)
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Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jane Austen (other topics)Rebecca Stead (other topics)
Ken Jennings (other topics)
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Nigel Tranter (other topics)
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Sounds delicious, I love candy cane beets (I've had yellow beets as well).