4 weeks sick...in pictures

I'll spare you too many details, but I've basically been fighting a cold off and on since we returned home from California, and after a solid 3 weeks of actually being sick with a wicked cough that won't go away, I was prescribed antibiotics.

Normally I'm not the type to go running to the doctor for medications. I grew up in the age of the miracle of antibiotics, and I know I was prescribed antibiotics far more than necessary as a child, so I'm very aware of the horrifying future of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Still, this cough has been really awful. It's kept me from sleeping soundly for several weeks now, which makes it hard to fight the infection, not to mention function well on a daily basis. The diagnosis...bronchitis. Normally this is a viral infection, so I'm a bit leery, but my doctor told me after this long, if it was viral it would be done with already.  I've almost finished my dose of antibiotics, but they haven't really made any difference at all, so I'm going back today to ask to get swabbed for whooping cough. The only symptom I don't have is the "whoop", but I've read that's not uncommon in adults, and there's been an outbreak around my city.

Over the last few weeks I've stayed the course, mostly, in cooking dinners. In 4 weeks we've ordered in or taken out 3 times. Which isn't great, because pizza, for example, doesn't have a lot of nutrition- but not bad, considering how terrible I feel. I'm so glad I started stocking my freezer with freezer meals. Those have really helped.

I actually enjoyed a #testkitchen night last weekend. I discovered that pumpkin can be frozen raw. Our halloween pumpkins became 12 cups of (cooked) puree for loaves, and 4 cups of raw diced chunks (for entrees), plus a few cups of roasted seeds. I experimented with a coconut lentil and pumpkin curry dish served over basmati rice. It was delicious, and only the second son didn't enjoy it. Pictured above.

So over the last few weeks these are some of the foods we've eaten. A lot of soups...I think at least twice a week. I doubled a recipe of minestrone and filled up both my slow cookers one day, which was delicious, and gave us another couple of freezer meals. And a harvest vegetable soup, top right, which was really delicious. The pasta bowl is olive, tuna, and tomatoes with fresh parmesan, bottom right was pumpkin chips with chicken and asparagus/fresh tomatoes. A balanced snack one morning with white cheddar, whole wheat crackers, and grapes. And the ultimate comfort food...beef stroganoff.

I wish you a wonderful week. Peace and health to you! I hope to be on the mend soon to get posting more regularly.
Stacy