Good Medicine

The last time I was sick was I can't even remember ago. I don't mean feeling sore and tired and blah and in a Fibro fog...I mean so sick I can't leave the house for fear of spreading my plague throughout the land. But the donkey of denial was kicked out from under me this week. (is that a mixed metaphor or are my delusions twisted in my weakened state? Whatever.)
After coming home from holidays the boys had little achy sore throats for a couple of days, and I blithely ignored it, failing to foresee my impending doom. I was blind, floating along in a fog of contentment and post-holiday bliss, but then I too started to feel the scratch in my voice and a tickle in my nasal cavities. It developed into a full blown boar of a cold. H1N1? I would not be surprised. My Brother in Law just recovered from it.

I've been sticking to home and couch for days on end. No grocery shopping, no parties, all activities canceled. I've had boxes of kleenex and my homemade Bacteria Buster spray at hand at all times. I've sneezed so hard and so often my eyes actually fell out of my head several times and rolled around on the floor. almost.

This morning I woke at 4:11 am as the Mr climbed out of bed to begin his day. I could not go back to sleep. My sinuses hurt and my addled flu-brain raced with the thought that I had to de-clutter if I wanted to feel better. This. Does. Not. Happen. Plus, I was suddenly obsessed with the thought that if I didn't recover and my mom had to come and clean out my craft room, she would discover just what a pack rat* I've become!! That on top of loosing me! ( Not that she doesn't know this as well as she knows my middle name, which is the same as her first name, and she named me, but still!)

I'd hate her to have to leave my funeral early and go directly to my house in her state of grief and sort that whole container of thread that I accidentally dumped out on the floor at Christmas time and didn't have the heart to sort so I just stuffed it all in a bin, tangled mess that it was, and said when my time came someone else could worry about it. I also said some other stuff. **
Well. Apparently that someone else is the alien that has taken over my fevered mind and forced me to worry about cleaning and thread and clutter in the middle of the night.

I cleaned from 4:30 am till 10:am...without the benefit of caffeine I might add, Lord knows what I could accomplish if I was on the junk.
I cleaned bins and containers and sorted sewing pins by colour for goodness sake! I organized bobbins and needles and notions and then, THEN, I started in on the homeschool paperwork I have moved from place to place and filed and shelved and never, ever looked at since 1995!!! That was in the LAST CENTURY!! I actually threw most of it out, but only after I had read every, last page. (I know, I'm sicker than you thought I was. But on the other hand, if this is H1N1, you know the one that is causing all the fear of lost work time and lost productivity? Maybe they don't have to worry so much about that last part?)

So please pray for my swift and speedy recovery. Or not. Because when I staggered up the stairs muttering, and collapsed, drooling, face down on the couch at 10am, frightening my children, I had accomplished more in the way of home organization while they slept that I had in the previous decade. Or thereabouts.

I slept the sleep of the truly exhausted, uncaring of my plugged nose and sore throat and dry mouth. I woke at 12pm when the phone rang, and carried on an almost intelligible conversation with my seester, whom, when I filled her in on the details of my binge-like behavior offered to call 911. It hurt her how the illness had taken from her the sister that she knew and loved.

An afternoon of reading and resting, with almost no sneezing, and I felt ready to go outside and see to my tomatoes. I picked a huge box and a pail besides, and I knew they were just just what the Dr ordered.
And I made supper! No minor miracle in my state.
I made a meal that, should you also happen to come down with the bubonic plague or swine flu or any other nasty virus that leaves you in a weakened mental and physical state, will surely set you right.

This is what to do about it.

Gather plenty of these...I have a bunch of heirloom varieties. They are not perfect and uniform looking as the tasteless ones from the store. They are purple and green and yellow striped and luscious and juicy and sweet beyond imagining.

They are full of vitamins and flavonoids and phytochemicals, but all you can taste is the sunshine and the love!

Wash hands. Pour a generous amount of your very best olive oil into a roasting pan, chop the tomatoes roughly and toss them in. Add some chopped onion and sea salt. Put them into an oven at 450. Cook till they start to caramelize, stirring once or twice.

While they are cooking, take three or four HEADS of garlic, whole, and slice the very top off. Trust me, it's not too much. Place them on a sheet of foil and drizzle with that lovely, fruity olive oil. Wrap loosely and place in oven till, soft, squishy, sweet and golden. Set aside.

When the tomatoes are done (oh, you'll know!) place them in a bowl and give them a whiz with the immersion blender. Then open up the package of garlic (the best medicine ever) and break the head apart. Squeeze the cloves, which are now a golden, gooey lovely paste of mild sweet heaven, into the bowl, yes ALL of it, and give it another quick whiz. You know what? You won't even need more salt. The flavour of this sauce will now make a grown man cry with happiness. And the coulour?? Where do I begin? I am already feeling better.

Take some zucchini and red pepper, and chop them up pretty.

Take a big, big pot and fill it with water. Throw in some sea salt, a little more than you think you need. Bring it to a boil.


When the water boils, throw in some good hearty pasta. I like this organic stuff, with all natural beets, tomatoe and spinach colour. It's big, tasty, and really soaks up the sauce.

While the pasta is cooking, saute the veggies in a little olive oil and while you're at it throw in some garlic and seasoning salt. Don't overdo it on the heat...you want them to still have a crunch.
Chop a couple handfuls of fresh basil from the pot at your back door.

Drain the pasta, layer it all in a huge pasta tray, top with feta or goat cheese and the basil. Pass the freshly grated Parmesan at the table.
This is better than you can even imagine. It will cure whatever ails you. It represents all that is wonderful in the world of health and nourishment. You will thank me for it, your men will not complain, or even notice, that there is no meat, and hopefully it will help you sleep at night. I'll keep you posted on that one.

*AKA "slob"
**%^&*#@!