Doctors Visits and Well Being

MARY HONRUD

FOR THE COURIER

We’ve had another trip to Billings, this one for a couple of medical reasons. The main one was for another follow-up on Dennis’s shoulder procedure. The healing of that shoulder is proceeding extremely well. He’s the anomaly in that he’s way ahead of the curve in range of motion/lack of pain.

The other reason was my dental referral. I was lucky enough to be able to get my tooth extraction scheduled for the same time. The tooth had been bothering me for at least three years. Two re-fills and root canals had not cured the extreme sensitivity to both hot and cold. I opted to have it removed. After a few months of the jaw bone healing and I’ll be back to start the process for an implant. (I was told, after the extraction, that the tooth had cracked.) I’ve had a few days of soft, tepid food, with OTC Tylenol for the bit of resulting pain. I’m waiting for my tongue to get used to that gap where the tooth used to reside. Said gap seems to be double the size the tooth was.

Before the out-of-town trip, I’d tried making baked potatoes using a different method. They’re similar to the blooming onion, without the breading. There’s a bit of prep involved, and you need to use the actual oven rather than zapping in the microwave, so they took a bit more time than I usually spend. I believe they’re worth the extra time. ( But I may try these in the microwave. Probably will since I still tend to procrastinate to often about cooking.)

Blooming Spuds are more of a process than a regular recipe. You can use however many potatoes you’d like, as well as much or as little of the other ingredients as your taste buds prefer. Scrub your baking potato(s), and slice of a thin layer on the long side. Then cut down into the open potato in concentric circles, not cutting through the bottom. Flip it over, and then slice down through the spud, going around the outer edges so it looks like a blooming onion, being careful to leave the center uncut so it stays in one piece.

Flip it upright again and drizzle EVOO over it, sprinkle with kosher or sea salt, and bake at 425°. I put mine atop tin foil on a rimmed baking sheet. After a half hour, take out, drizzle on more EVOO and add some chopped fresh garlic. Bake for another half hour. Pull out from the oven and cover with grated cheddar, returning to the oven for five minutes to melt the cheese. Add crumbled bacon, chopped chives, and/or sour cream to suit your taste.

To my mind, this could be the entire meal. Or you could serve alongside whatever meat you like: steak, pork chops, chicken, salmon...

While in Billings, I managed to search out and find a powdered sugar substitute. The next time I make those gingerbread breakfast cookies, I’ll have a proper glaze for them that will be WLC-compliant. I’m sure I’ll also use that glaze with the addition of cacao powder for a chocolate dip/coating for nuts or fruits, to be consumed in moderation (hah) when I get a craving for sweets.

I had planned to make WLC-compliant BLTs this week. But life has a way of throwing curve balls, changing ones’ carefully made plans, doesn’t it? Since I was planning to use lettuce leaves instead of toast (breads are not WLC-compliant), they’d have really been BT wraps, which isn’t nearly as catchy a name.

The Well Being Practice this week is “Share the Love”. The basic instruction is: anytime you use social media, communicate consciously - be kind, honest, and compassionate. I’m trying, although I’d rather be sarcastic and snarky. Anyway, I wish all of us did this all the time, don’t you? We should follow Thumper’s mother’s advice: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”.