I'm at the hospital waiting for my husband who is having an out-patient procedure today. Nothing serious. Nothing scary - at least, not scary to me....although it is a bit odd to be on this side of the patient/caregiver scenario.
I've had 3 kids and a few out-patient procedures of my own so I'm used to being the one in the bed. Being the one sitting out here, not knowing exactly what is going on is odd and bothers my Type A sensibilities.
I've noticed a few things out here in Waiting Room World.
People here give the "hey, how are you doing today" nod and look, but don't say anything.
Everyone tries to look busy. (Wait, just like me? Typing away on my computer trying to look like what I'm typing is really important? Nah. I'm just some sort of southern belle trying to use my time wisely. Plus typing uses less battery power on my computer than watching an NCIS dvd.)
People can be really noisy doing nothing.
Evidently, many family reunions/class reunions/neighbor reunions take place in Waiting Room World, though I'm experiencing
The nurse at the check-in desk has no problem shouting out each patients name as they check in. I believe she feels it is her duty to let all of Waiting Room World know what ailments each new citizen has.
Did you know they have beepers for Out Patient procedures? I have a beeper that is good all over the hospital. It should beep when my guy is done with his thing. My question is where, besides the bathroom, am I going to go while my guy is being worked on?
My guy will have pretty much one day of not feeling his best. The doctor said that by tomorrow he should be back to almost 100%. This is great news! My job today is to find ways for my guy to be as comfortable as he can be. If I could reference my own experience with pharmaceuticals, I hope he gets some good ones!
Since he will have had anesthesia, the doctors and nurses said he shouldn't go out and eat a 5 course meal right away. What they don't know is that I already knew that and have planned ahead! Finally, something my Type A-ness is good for!
We are going to have chicken and dumplings for dinner and I'd love to share the recipe with you. Mind you, it is NOT the gourmet version. There are no veggies in this soup/stew/dumpling concoction. What it does have is the basic good stuff that makes everyone feel better on a wet, cold, January night.
Here we go.
You'll need chicken, some celery and onion, salt and pepper, milk, Bisquik and a little bit of corn starch.
Really. That is it. (You're loving me already for this super simple recipe, right?)
Put the chicken, celery, onion, and some salt and pepper in a large pot. Cover with water.
Please ignore the absence of celery. I had none, but I had carrots and they are in there. Promise.
Turn the heat up to med-high and poach the chicken. This should take about 20-30 minutes. Maybe not that long, but I let it cook for a bit so the broth gets good and chicken-y.
Take out the chicken, celery and onion. Shred the chicken. Use your fingers, forks, whatever you like. You can throw away the celery and onion. Do NOT throw out the broth.
In a small bowl or cup, mix together 2-3 tablespoons of corn starch and water.
Meanwhile, get the broth up to a boil.
Add the milk/cornstarch. You may want to press it through a strainer to get the lumps out. This will help thicken the broth. Stir constantly and wait for the broth to thicken a bit. If it doesn't get thicker, just add more cornstarch/milk 1-2 tablespoons at at time. I add a little bit of salt and pepper (to taste) at this point.
Once the broth is thick, put the chicken back in the broth.
Make the dumplings following the directions on the Bisquick box. (I know! How easy!)
Drop the dumplings in the hot broth and cover for 10 minutes.
Voila! Basic Chicken and Dumplings!
These are at the halfway point of cooking. I had to leave to take the Oldest to volleyball camp and, well, you know, I wanted to get a picture. Forgive the uncooked dumplings. Thank you!
I don't have any veggies in mine, but I've seen recipes that have carrots and such in it. That looks fantastic--If you want to try that, either find those recipes OR add the sliced carrots to the broth after you've taken the chicken out to shred. That should give them enough time to cook a bit.
What do you cook on days you just want to feel better?
Yummy--that looks really good AND easy--just what a NON-cook like me needs in a recipe! Love the pictures too--I am such a visual person that it seems so much more "doable" with the pictures.
ReplyDeleteHope you are home safe and sound with your husband and that his surgery was successful. Too funny about the waiting room--I've had many an outpatient (and inpatient) procedure and never thought about what Bryan must be doing out in the waiting room.