Getting back in the habit

[fenchurch]

Bah! I need to give up on this insane desire to actually update on everything I've done. Because then I don't get around to actually doing it because it would take too long and more time passes and then I think "Wow, now I have even MORE stuff to talk about" so of course it would take even longer to write up an update and, well, never mind.

Donated blood today. It's amazing how different the experience is nowadays... and every time I donate blood now, I get even happier that I decided to start seeing an ND. I used to get refused about every other time due to low blood pressure or low iron and the times I was able to donate, I would nearly pass out. Now, there's no trouble at all... in fact, I get done and can pretty much hop right up and could very likely just walk out of there (except I fully realize that's a VERY bad idea -- plus I'd miss out on the yummy Cougar Mountain cookies they have at our local blood center). So, anyway, blood donated! They shouldn't bug me for another month and a half or so, at which point they'll start pestering me to make an appointment for two weeks later when I'm eligible -- it's what I get for being a "rare blood" donor (I'm O+, but I'm also CMV negative).

Other than that, the only really exciting thing going on is that we made "Dinner in a Pumpkin" for dinner last night. Yum! I ended up creating my own recipe because all the ones I found inevitably called for Cream of Something-or-Other soup. Blech. Ours turned out to be a bit more of a soup, and was incredibly good... plus when it's reheated, it's a lot more like a thick stew. Also, on a whim, I tossed in some curry powder and it turned out wonderfully!

Dinner in a Pumpkin

I should point out that this uses the fairly standard Jack-o-Lantern style pumpkin we get in the US (we're talking a fairly large, round orange pumpkin) that I'm not sure is as readily available in other countries).

1 lb. extra lean ground beef (could use ground turkey or ground lamb)
1 12-14" diameter fresh pumpkin or squash (hubbard or turban)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 med. onion, chopped
12 or so mushrooms, sliced
1 med. bell pepper
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 tsp or so of salt
1-2 Tbsp curry powder
a few grinds of pepper
28 oz can stewed tomatoes
2 c. beef broth

Wash the pumpkin and cut a large circle around the top stem to create a lid. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers (save the seeds to roast later). Spray down inside of pumpkin with Canola oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Spray a non-stick pan with canola oil and sweat onion, mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic. Add the ground beef, brown and drain (if needed) and add the curry powder to taste. Then add the rice and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add the remaining salt and pepper to taste, the stewed tomatoes and the beef broth. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes then fill the pumpkin with this mixture (it should not completely fill the pumpkin, since the mixture will expand).

Replace the pumpkin lid and place the pumpkin in a shallow baking pan. Bake approximately 1 to 1-1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

Pumpkin is ready when tender and should remain firm enough to hold the filling without danger of collapsing. If necessary, more beef broth can be added as needed. Be sure to scoop down sides to get the cooked pumpkin to mix in with the filling when serving -- I find it best to pull the filling out and serve in separate bowl, as it's much easier to scrape the sides without having to worry about having the shell collapse. Serves 10-12.

For those doing Weight Watchers, it comes out to about 4 Points per serving.

Comments

[corellian-sugar.livejournal.com]

That recipe sounds excellent! I'll have to try that!

I finally had to tell the Red Cross to stop calling. I've had problems the last three times I've given blood. They've turned me down the last two times due to iron issues, yet they still kept calling and calling. I think my blood donation situation is at its end. Ah well. It was good while it lasted.

[crossreactivity.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recipe. Sounds yummy!

[ukamikanasi.livejournal.com]

What's an ND? My husband gets turned down due to low iron a lot.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

A Naturopathic Doctor. I started out going to the teaching clinic for Bastyr University but have recently moved to an ND in private practice. I originally went after I was told by my regular doctor that some of the problems I was having were just "things that happen as we get older" (this was after she'd done exactly two tests). By contrast, I was impressed by the battery of tests I got from the ND as well as the grilling I got on my medical history. She ended up having me make a few changes to my diet, change to a different multivitamin, add two dietary supplements and take cod liver oil. Not a huge difference in what I was doing, really, but the change has been phenomenal (and those problems that were "things that happen as we get older" have all gone away).

I've sort of been using the blood donation thing as a barometer of the changes... going from barely being able to donate (seriously, aside from the time I started to pass out, I once got disoriented and thought I'd locked my keys in the car even though they were in my pocket) to being able to spring right up without even feeling slightly light-headed.

Not sure this would be the solution for him (since I know it's not for everyone), but it might be worth a try. Definitely look for someone who is a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. I'm trying to remember, does he work for MS? If so, as long as you find an ND who accepts insurance, his insurance should cover the visit, since mine does.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

Still using needles for that, huh? *laughs nervously*

[kassto.livejournal.com]

I used to donate blood a lot when I was younger, but since having kids, I always seems to on some kind of medication or other which disqualifies me. It's disappointing because I saw it as my one real public service! I always felt OK afterwards except for the one occasion when they put me on this special machine to donate platelets and it made me feel pretty sick afterwards.

[framefolly.livejournal.com]

Sounds delish! Um, one what of brown rice? It would be really funny if it's "grain" ;) .

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Ack! It's 1 cup. *headdesk* I can't believe I didn't notice that.

[thebitterguy]

How much rice was it, btw? A cup worth?

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Yes. *headdesk*

I can't believe I left that bit out... and that I didn't noticed I'd left it out!

[rosiewook.livejournal.com]

You are lucky living in the Northwest where you have more access to naturopathic medicine. Atlanta is not exactly a thriving epicenter. And the ones who do practice always strike me as more than a bit odd.

Still, it might be nice to get balanced, again. I am so out of whack!

[jedihealer.livejournal.com]

Of course a big *YAY* from me for donating blood. I, too, had to give up donating as my hemoglobin is on the low side of normal since having kids.

Just a bit of wisdom, women shouldn't give as often as men. Don't let the Red Cross harrass you. 3 or 4 times a year is plenty! This from a blood banker.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

I don't actually end up donating blood as often as they'd like (now that I think of it, it winds up being about four times a year), if for no other reason than I'm often not home when I become eligible again. Because of the CMV thing, I do know I can at least count on getting the phone calls to help me remember when I can start thinking about it again. I also work to time things so that I can donate blood when I go to some of the larger SF&F conventions, which often delays things a bit. But hey, they always give away fun stuff... including, usually, a t-shirt!