Weekend thoughts about cooking

Just like that, the weekend is over.

On Sunday, I made beef burger soup and meatballs with sauce. They both turned out well. I'm happy that I have leftovers that should last for most of this week.

I find cooking enjoyable on Sundays. It's simply sad that weekends tend to be shorter than we'd all like!

Lunar new year is next week. I placed an order for some snacks. I get to pick them up this Friday. Yay!

Meatballs and soup

As I wait for my hair to dry from washing it, I am thinking about what I want to cook later on today. It's enjoyable and a way for me to unwind.

My original thought was to make meatballs in sauce. The plan is still there, but I'm making fewer meatballs.

What I am doing instead is taking some of the ground beef to put in a burger soup. I am in soup mode that I think making a burger soup would be fun.

I made a huge batch of zuppa toscana last weekend and it was great having it for a few meals. I love soup, especially when it's colder outside.

Meatball soup and nail polish colour

On Sunday, I made meatball soup. It turned out well. The recipe is a keeper.

I used a beef-veal mix for the meatballs. I also used a veggie-beef broth mix. So flavourful. I'm glad that I made a large amount of it.

I decided to use nail polish on my nails. During this pandemic, I switched to using clear shellac. I looked at my nail polish collection and kind of missed seeing colour. It's nice to change things up.

Having comfort food and reliving good memories with my mom

It makes perfect sense to crave certain foods that bring comfort, or be comforted by something or someone during a pandemic. When it comes to the former, I seem to love carbs.

The other night, my mom and I were reminiscing about meals that she used to cook when I was younger. She fried up some luncheon meat when we were in Hong Kong years ago. It was my first and only visit there. She had never made it until then. It was delicious. So simple. Yet, so good.

I grew up with her making macaroni in soup. Last night, I did takeout at a local Chinese restaurant that has a drive-thru. I got macaroni with veggies and fried luncheon meat in soup. It came with fried eggs, milk tea, and ham. I brought it come to have for dinner. It felt like the comfort food that my mom used to make.

It was yummy. It made me feel happy.

Recovering from food poisoning

It has been a while. Here's the scoop.

I got food poisoning on Wednesday. I was working from home and wasn't feeling great. I ended up vomiting on four separate occasions. It wasn't fun.

On Thursday, I was starting to get better. I had a couple of crackers with water for a couple of meals. I was happy that I could hold food down.

I graduated to soup on Friday. Chicken noodle soup tasted so good from a can. I had to go to the supermarket. I felt weak walking to my car from my home. Luckily, I did much better walking around the supermarket.

Saturday left me exhausted. I went to run a few errands and took breaks, My stamina and energy are not fully there.

I took it easy on Sunday. I also have a cough. Raw honey helps soothe a sore throat.

I go back into the office on Monday. We'll see if I survive. I am thankful that I am on the mend.

Here's hoping that you're doing much better!

Am I getting better or worse from this nasty cold?

It's tough to figure out whether I am getting better. On a good note, my energy level seems to be back to normal.

The downside? I am still congested. Drinking hot tea or soup has been helpful. Taking a shower is my decongestant. I can't wait to get home and use my humidifier.

I do a late checkout this afternoon. It's nice.

Appointments, movie, staycation, and beyond meat

It's a bit busy for me this week. I have two medical appointments. I am squeezing a movie in. I am also doing another staycation.

My staycation is a bit different, though. I am going into the office every day next week. I want to reduce the time that I am on the road and enjoy a different part of the city. Naturally, I haven't even thought about packing. I leave on Saturday, so I have time.

I have had beyond meat crumbles twice in my meals. The first time was in soup. The second time was on a salad. I liked them.

The downside is that it doesn't really agree with my stomach. I need to figure out what exactly is in  beyond meat when it comes to vitamins.

Updates on my eye, Valentine's Day, cooking, and my guy

I have a few updates on various things.

On Friday, I went to see my ophthalmologist. My right eye is still doing well. I had my eye injection. I still see him every fourteen weeks, which is my favourite number.

He asked me an interesting question. He asked whether I have any new year's resolutions. I'm not the type to declare them. I have goals that I feel are attainable, such as decluttering in phases.

Then, there's Valentine's Day. One of my students indicated that she was bummed out not having a boyfriend to enjoy this day. I had to tell her that the day is overrated. Love happens all year round. Valentine's Day is just a reminder to those commercializing on this day to get flowers, candy, and hit a nice restaurant. It also tends to alienate those who are single. They need to know that they are loved by friends and family.

I cooked up a storm on Sunday. I made broccoli cheddar soup for the first time in my life. The recipe called for eight tablespoons of butter. Really? That seemed like way too much butter. I put in four tablespoons and felt that it was a ton.

My guy has made it safely to India. I have a feeling that he will have a tough time adjusting to the timezone, which is normal for him. I hope to hear from him when he isn't working or sleeping.

Turnips and learning

I had a good Saturday. I slept in and got nearly eight hours of sleep.

I went out to run some errands. I am the odd one who enjoys grocery shopping on a Saturday.

I drove a few towns over to a discount grocery store that specializes in frozen items. I like the frozen, cubed turnips. There is no need to spend time peeling them. They are also uniform in size and cook evenly.

At the checkout counter, I took everything out of my basket. The cashier asked whether the turnips take long to cook. I said not really. I put them in soups and pan-fry them. She liked my answer.

I am a foodie at heart. Perhaps I look like I know what I'm doing. Not really. I learned that I enjoy eating turnips about half a year ago! I am still learning and it's a journey.

The cashier was great at packing all my groceries into my single reusable bag. I was impressed. I need to learn how to bag like she does!

Food poisoning and George Michael's passing on Christmas

Happy Boxing Day! I am still recovering from Christmas.

I had food poisoning from dinner on Christmas eve. I felt horrible for most of the day, especially with the sharp stomach pains that accompanied everything else that was happening.

I had a light dinner, which consisted mostly of soup and some yummy warm bread. I didn't want to take any chances.

I then learned that George Michael had passed away. I equate the 80's to be my decade. My mom bought my first four cassette tapes for me in the mid-80's. One of them was Wham's Make It Big. I loved that album so much. I still have the cassette tape!

He went on to do solo work. At first, I wasn't all that receptive to it, but it grew on me. As I grew older, I appreciated it more.

Like David Bowie, I have only seen George Michael once in concert. He was such a great singer and performer. He danced and sang with soul. I am so fortunate to have seen both these talents perform.

It is sad that they both died so soon. May George rest in peace.

E is for eggs

You would think that with today being Easter that this post would be about the day's religious significance. Or, you could look at the day often being associated with eggs hatching and chicks growing up to be adult birds. Of course, you could also look at it from a commercialized viewpoint of marketing chocolate eggs to those with a sweet tooth.

For years, I made myself eggs for breakfast. I stopped perhaps a year ago. I wanted a change. So, I have been varying my breakfast foods and don't buy eggs as often.

However, when I travel, I have this urge to have eggs in my diet. When I drove to Montreal, I didn't feel like having a full-fledged lunch. Instead, at a rest stop, I grabbed an egg salad sandwich on whole wheat. I ate it as I drove and loved how fresh it tasted.

I like having eggs for brunch, be it scrambled or as an omelette. I also like French toast.

The other day, I went to a Chinese vegetarian restaurant with a good friend, who is vegan. There was a fried rice dish that I like, but I asked that the egg be omitted. The dish was still yummy.

As much as I enjoy eating eggs, I don't like them in soup. I don't like egg drop soup. I am okay with poached eggs. I don't like runny egg yolks, so I prefer eggs being overhard.

My guy and I love hard-boiled eggs. He does much better with egg drop soup than I do. One of our first meals together was sharing a plate of scrambled eggs.

Happy Easter, whether you enjoy painting eggs, eating chocolate eggs, or watching eggs hatch!