Category Archives: Food/Drink Fun

Oct 13 2012
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Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family

Day 19: Way Better than Takeout

Today was quite a busy day, but any time I got stressed or worried, I reminded myself that my in-laws would be waiting at my house when I got home with a hot, homemade Indian dinner. They live in the suburbs, so usually my husband and I go to see them. Our visits dwindled over the summer though. Any time I was not working, I was usually resting. My husband went to see them without me a few times when I was not feeling up to it, but I hadn’t seen them since mid July.

So when my husband got a call from his mother asking if they could come see us in the city, and could they bring us dinner, I told him, “say YES immediately.” I have missed out on a lot of things and going to see them is definitely one of them. And my mother-in-law’s cooking is amazing! Anyone who has tasted her food knows this is true. She is more than happy to give cooking lessons, but no chicken turns out so tender, no sauce so creamy, as hers.

She prepared everything at home, transported it to the city and then heated things up in our meager kitchen. It was ready to go when I got home from work, shortly after 9pm. (That’s the other part, it was late). Even so, we sat down to a delicious meal of chicken curry, rice, cabbage curry, and samosas. We reminisced about our wedding trip to Mexico, teased my husband’s cousin about all the studying she does (she is in the country looking to get in to a medical residency program) and looked at old pictures. They made it easier for me by bringing everything in to Chicago and, for that, I am so grateful.

My only regret is that I was so hungry when I got home that I did not even think to take a picture of the delicious food! You’ll just have to imagine…

 

 

 

Oct 09 2012
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Food/Drink Fun, Fun for Couples, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Day 15: Changing Things Up

Tonight, I directed dinner the way one might direct a play if the actors (well in this case actor) had never looked at the script. From my place on the couch, I looked at a recipe for chicken paprikash and told my husband what to do in the kitchen. It was a cooking challenge the likes if which you might see on Top Chef.

I would demand things like, “Measure two cups of chicken broth, but DON’T PUT IT IN YET.” And he would ask things incredulously like, “Two cups of chicken broth?!” He asked towards the end, “Is this supposed to be a sauce, like a thick sauce?” My response, “I don’t know. I’ve never made it.” Him: “Well it’s a lot of sauce!” Me: “Are you having fun?” Him: “Yeah.”

Now I do not always enjoy cooking. I’m more of a baker, but as something to do as a couple, I like it. Usually, I would participate more actively, measuring, stirring, but still probably giving directions. This time I had to do it from the couch, because I had my knee injected today, so we made a fun game out of it. I couldn’t see what he was doing and he could only rely on my interpretation of the recipe and guidance. It was a test of our communication skills with delicious results.

Having my knee injected was only part of today’s appointment. My doctor does not think these current medications are working so we are moving on to bigger, stronger things. Now I have not done my research yet (that’s for later tonight) but it looks like I will be taking Actemra, an infusion. I will go in to the office once a month for about two hours to get the medication via IV. Just from talking with my doctor, it seems the risks and side effects are the same as other drugs in this class that I have taken, Enbrel and Humira. But he still encouraged me to read “the whole scary list” so we could talk about it. He knows that I have a tendency towards anxiety when it comes to these potential side effects, so I will want to make sure we are monitoring them closely.

New medications in particular put me on edge because I don’t know how my body will respond and I worry about the worst possible outcome. It’s like seeing a drug commercial on tv and wondering why on earth anyone would take it with the list of potential side effects they rattle off at the end. But as my doctor likes to point out to me, the risks are rare and usually manageable while the benefits could be exponential for me. And this disease has its own risks, just as scary (things like heart attack, stroke, and cancer) when left uncontrolled.

So I’m learning to live in the moment and not worry about potential future side effects of medication or disease. I’ll still be cautious, do my research and keep my eye out for strange symptoms, but I’ll try not to let stress keep me from life and my fun activities.

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Sep 30 2012
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Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family

Day 6: Sunday Dinner

Every Sunday, a close group of friends gets together for dinner. We take turns hosting. The host provides a main dish, usually vegetarian, and everyone else brings something. This used to happen sporadically but now it is organized. We have a Google Calendar and all of October is booked. Tonight my husband and I hosted with the theme of football (yes, you can have a theme if you want). We ate chili with tortilla chips and/or cornbread and roasted vegetables while watching the Giants v. Eagles game. (I am a big Giants fan. Sorry Bears. I know I live in Chicago and I really appreciate you and will even more so if you beat the Cowboys tomorrow night). We also shared the Peak and Pit of our weeks. It seemed appropriate that I share this project as the peak of my week. So it’s out there, which means I can’t stop now. (Not that I was thinking about it). I’ve already received some amazing words of support from great friends!

These dinners are a great way to stay connected in an ever busy city with careers and family and many other important priorities pulling us in all directions. Facebook, Twitter and, yes, blogs masquerade as closeness. I check social media multiple times every day and they do keep me updated on everything from births to weddings to team spirit to political rants to how cute your cat is when he/she sits on your laptop. And I love that! But Sunday Dinner reminds me how important it is to get together, to sit around a table with friends and talk about the week.

Sep 28 2012
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Food/Drink Fun, Fun for Couples, Nightlife, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Day 4: I think it’s working

After another long day at work (and another 8:00pm traffic jam), I was STARVING. Ok, not literally. But I did feel like my stomach was eating itself. Thankfully, my husband and I had a reservation at Deleece, a small neighborhood place and the location of our first date. We also ate here after he popped the question.

Going tonight was a special event because we honestly have not been out on a dinner date in weeks. Most nights, we sit on our couch and watch DVR or read, not because we do not want to go out but because my energy has been too low or I have been in too much pain. This has gone on for long enough that I, honestly, felt intimidated by the idea of tackling nightlife (and the two flights of stairs to get out of the apartment. I’m feeling a whole blog post on this in the future…). Coming from work made it a little less daunting and I was looking forward to reminiscing about the other times we’ve eaten at this restaurant.

Needless to say, it is a special place to us made more special by both this project and the adjustment it has had, in just four short days, on my mood. While I may have left work grumpy, tired and hungry (yet again), I arrived at Deleece, excited, energized and, well, hungry. Each fun activity I undertake leaves me feeling better than when I began. While I do not aspire to have fun every second of every day (that sounds exhausting) I have definitely noticed an adjustment in my attitude. I both look forward to fun every day and see more fun in other parts of my life.

Tonight we toasted to this blog and enjoyed a much needed night out.

Sep 27 2012
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Food/Drink Fun, Solitary Fun

Day 3: Quiet Morning

This morning the house was quiet. My husband went to work early, dropping the dog at daycare on his way. I got up, made my way to our kitchen, which is always full of sunlight, and decided today was the day to try herbal tea.

I have always been a coffee drinker, however I gave that up earlier this summer as part of a health cleanse, and had not, as of yet, replaced it with anything. So I looked through the sample k-cups that came with the Keurig and chose an Orange Spice Herb Tea. It brewed in about 15 seconds (thanks Keurig) and I sat not in front of the Today Show but at the kitchen table looking out the window.

This window faces west and overlooks our back alley, but somehow it gets a lot of light. The building across the alley has one of those wooden fire escape/balcony combos that are all over Chicago. (Why don’t we have one?) Each of the four units I could see has a lovely little table and chairs set. One has hanging flowers, one potted plants, one a grill and one a pumpkin. This building also has a fenced in area above their garage. While I sipped my tea, I wondered about what could be within that area. A basketball court? A garden? An animal sanctuary? A pool? It’s probably just a party spot with tables and chairs but a girl can dream right?

In the whole time I sat and sipped and looked, I did not see one person. No one was out sitting on their lovely little chairs at their lovely little tables. No one was shooting hoops, tending to their begonias, setting out carrots for the rabbits or swimming laps (at least not that I could see). It was peaceful, zen-like and a much needed moment of solace before going out in to the world.

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