Whew! Back at it, team! Surgery was yesterday and I’m feeling pretty good! There are a couple of things I wish they would have told me ahead of time, so I’m going to pass those along to future broken-jawed internet denizens and then we’ll get onto to tonight’s supper.
Ice. I probably should have thought of this on my own, but I wish that I had stocked up on some more ice/ice trays/ice packs. A mixture of rubbing alchohol (1 part) and water (3 parts) in a ziplock works as a quick homemade ice pack. I am wearing funny old timey ice pack wraps on my cheeks and going through ice pretty quick.
Sippy Cups. The surgeon (thankfully) recognized that the inside of my lip needed to get stitched up) from where my teeth joined the bike crash party. I’m so glad she did, but now I’m not allowed to use a straw until they’re out. With a face that is totally numb around the lips, this makes drinking things a fun game. Sippy cups are the answer. Thankfully, I found some super hip toddler cups that say “YOLO” and “LOL” so I’ve been drinking in style. Thanks hipster toddlers. Also, I found the Cuppow lid that fits on my mason jar so I can maintain an array of hipster aesthetics.
Sleeping sitting up. I didn’t know that was going to be a thing. A pal of mine brought me an “anti-gravity” chair that is perfect. (Thanks Jay!) I managed with pillows yesterday, but I think this chair is the perfect spot for napping.
Also, I wish that I knew that I was going to get totally naked under the gown. I would have saved that extra cute pair of underpants for a different special occasion.
Ok, enough about my robot underpants. On to supper.
Bangers and Mash
I’m having a tricky time with measurements. I’m the cook in the house and so I generally cook for two and try to make enough for left overs. That and I just don’t generally measure things out very often anyway. I guess I’ll list what’s going in the blender because that’s what we’re here for, right?
Tonight I really wanted umami. Hence all the smoked ingredients.
- 2 smoked bratwurst
- 1 large potato
- a few chunks of smoked gouda
- half a red onion
- 4 small cloves purple garlic
- fresh sauerkraut
- dijon mustard
- whipping cream
- a bit of butter
- 3 carrots
- salt
- fresh black pepper
- chunk of fresh turmeric (optional)
- cooking water from carrots
- beef stock
Start boiling the potato and carrots. Separate or together. You pick. Sauté the red onion and 3 of the cloves of garlic on low/medium heat with the butter until they’re how you like them. I like them just at the edge of crispy. Remove from heat and set aside. Throw the sausages on the frying pan on medium heat until they brown. At this point if you’re making a blender meal for just yourself toss in all the ingredient and blend. I went through the whole process of making the cheesy creamy mashed potatoes and putting the crispy onions on top, and the carrots on the side because if I’m not great at kissing right now, I want to make sure that my sweet ladyfriend is happy and satisfied with her meals at least.
A note about the turmeric. Curcumin is a thing. I like the way that turmeric tastes and I think that it is potentially a great thing to take under my circumstances. It also gives food an appealing color. My preferred grocer has a good supply of fresh turmeric and it is a regular ingredient for me. Injured or not. It will be in a lot of my meals. If you think it’s gross don’t eat it. If you want it for the properties it may have, it is suggested that you pair it will black pepper. I’m not a doctor. Decide for yourself what works for you based on your research.
While we’re on the vague non-advice… The raw garlic was very intentional. Prebiotics are also a thing.
This made two and a half pints of food drink. I drank a whole one and a half pints for supper! I was a little nervous that the sauerkraut and the mustard were going to over power it, but it was perfect! The ladyfriend tried a side by side comparison of her meal with the smoothie version and approved.
A friend asked for before and after photos. I took some tonight, but my kitchen is a mess, so I may just send them to him personally. We’ll see.
Keep your chin up, guys!
A hipster guide to broken jaw life 