This past weekend, my parents and I flew to Indianapolis, to attend the wedding of our very good family friend, Julia, and her now-husband, Danny. It was a beautiful ceremony.

My mom is a Hoosier, so a lot of her friends and their families live in and around Indiana. After a canceled flight and [...]]]>

This past weekend, my parents and I flew to Indianapolis, to attend the wedding of our very good family friend, Julia, and her now-husband, Danny. It was a beautiful ceremony.

My mom is a Hoosier, so a lot of her friends and their families live in and around Indiana. After a canceled flight and a lucky re-booking, we arrived at the rehearsal dinner just in time to say hi to everyone before we sat down to eat.

This was also the occasion of my first alcoholic beverage (I had a glass of Chardonnay) in a month! Don’t worry, I haven’t gone too crazy .

I stayed with Jenny, my oldest friend. We see each other every year in Michigan, but it’s never enough. We’re trying to plan another trip later in the year, though! Here we are in 1989…

Probably around 1999 (pictured with our friend Bill)…

… and just a few days ago, in 2012! Time surely flies.

On Saturday morning, Jenny took us to Tulip Noir, a cute and surprising café that was only a short drive away. The menu is extensive, featuring not only a seasonal supply of fruits and vegetables, but a changing list of teas and coffees as well!

My taste for coffee hasn’t quite returned, so I opted for a hot matcha cup with steamed almond milk. I was impressed that they not only offered soy, but a soy alternative! I also greatly appreciated that I was able to substitute tempeh for the usual eggs in my delicious veggie hash (carrots, red bell pepper, sweet and white potatoes, and onion served on a bed of spinach with a slice of whole grain baguette).

Jenny ordered a glass of the daily iced tea (which I believe was pomegranate-peach) and eggs benedict (sans ham), which looked pretty good as well.

We stopped at Target before the wedding, where I picked up these amazingly comfortable platform wedges. The run big, so I bought a 9 instead of a 10. They look a lot like the shoes I’ve seen on the Shopbop, J. Crew and Madewell websites, but you can’t beat the $25 price tag!

The wedding took place at the Indianapolis Art Center, a chic but relaxed venue with both indoor and outdoor areas.

Julia looked beautiful.

We all kept talking about how happy the bride and groom were! And the newlyweds’ joy was contagious: all of the guests were relaxed and confident that this will be a fabulous marriage. I’m turning into a bit of a sap when it comes to weddings!

It was a really fun wedding. The best part was getting to spend time with my family and friends, like my cousins Abby and Bere (they’re twins!). I’m lucky enough to get them three times this year: Easter, the wedding, and over July 4th in Michigan.

Like mother, like daughter:

Jenny and I found the photobooth…

As the party wound down, I grabbed my second (third?) piece of cake for the road. Julia’s aunt baked two fabulous cakes: chocolate buttercream, and vanilla-raspberry. Now, I’m usually a chocolate girl the whole way, but the vanilla was out. of. this. world.

A perfect wedding on a perfect weekend.

Do you like weddings? If you’re married, what was yours like?

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot more about the food we eat and how it affects our bodies. How we feel shortly after a meal, and, in the long-term, how the decisions we make today will shape our future health.

And so it came as a timely coincident that I was asked to review [...]]]>

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot more about the food we eat and how it affects our bodies. How we feel shortly after a meal, and, in the long-term, how the decisions we make today will shape our future health.

And so it came as a timely coincident that I was asked to review FoodTrients, a new cookbook dedicated to the idea that specific ingredients have anti-aging properties that can encourage a long, healthy life.

Grace O, the creator of FoodTrients, has always been conscious of the connection between nutrition and health. She grew up in Southeast Asia; her father was a physician and her mother ran a cooking school. Today, she owns and operates nursing facilities in the United States, employing the ideas she outlines in FoodTrients: antioxidants found in vegetables and fruit can reduce our risk of cancer, Omega-3 fatty acids can lower our cholesterol and fight depression, foods like ginger turmeric can reduce inflammation, and Vitamin E can keep our skin healthy.

Each recipe in the book features fresh ingredients and highlights the FoodTrient(s)- a food “essential to age-defying and healthful living- in play. This Spinach and Grapefruit Salad, for example, combines all five of the FoodTrients Grace O has identified and contributes the following properties: Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, Disease-Preventing, Immunity Booster, Mind and Beauty.

Inspired by a FoodTrients recipe for Mango Tapioca, I created my own Pineapple-Chia Parfait.

While I enjoyed this for dessert (a slightly lighter alternative to the cake slices I’ve made part of my nightly ritual), this makes a refreshing breakfast or anytime snack.

—

PINEAPPLE CHIA PARFAIT

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 T chia* seeds
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1 t agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 3/4 c. water
• 2 c. frozen pineapple (you can use fresh, but you won’t get a sorbet-like consistency)
• 1 c. almond milk
• shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)

Combine chia, vanilla, agave or maple syrup, cinnamon, and water in a bowl and mix well. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Blend pineapple and almond milk together until smooth.

Layer chia and pineapple mixtures in a glass and top with shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Chia seeds- one of my all-time favorite ingredients that I consume daily in my oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, etc.- are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and are a great alternative vegetarian and vegan alternative to fish and fish oil supplements.

—

In the morning, turn your leftovers into a tropical breakfast bowl! Pour one serving into a cheery dish and top with your favorite fruit, granola, nuts or nut butter. Below, I used LoveGrown Granola’s Sweet Cranberry Pecan and Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter with Flaxseeds.

Want your own copy of the FoodTrients cookbook? One winner will receive the book and a FoodTrients apron so you can stop picking chocolate and cookie crumbs off your clothes. (Ahem, I don’t know who that happens to….)

To enter, leave a comment below about a health benefit of one food you ate today. I had oatmeal for breakfast, which is chock-full of soluble fiber and can help lower cholesterol, enhance digestion, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

For an additional entry, Tweet the following: @Lilveggiepatch is hosting a @FoodTrients giveaway!

I will pick a winner on Friday, May 18. Good luck!

Last night my mom and I had a relaxing evening. Manicures, pedicures, 10 minute massages… life is good! After pampering ourselves, we walked over to Zen Palate, a plant-based trio of restaurants that have been around since 1991. We sat in the back room, which had a floor-to-ceiling window that was very, well… [...]]]>

Last night my mom and I had a relaxing evening. Manicures, pedicures, 10 minute massages… life is good! After pampering ourselves, we walked over to Zen Palate, a plant-based trio of restaurants that have been around since 1991. We sat in the back room, which had a floor-to-ceiling window that was very, well… zen!

A lot of the items on the menu rely on meat substitutes, which I’m not a huge fan of, but we found several items on the menu that looked enticing. We ended up both ordering the South by Southeast: beans and hearty soy croquettes served with a light & spicy Vietnamese-style lemongrass sauce, with moo-shoo rolls and blanched veggies. We both gobbled our dishes right up! The croquettes tasted a bit like a lentil loaf (the vegetarian version of meatloaf) and the kidney bean/barley mix was smokey-sweet, with a light barbeque flavor. Nom nom nom!

My dad and I also recently returned to the Green Bean Café, one of my new favorite haunts. We both ordered the same thing as well: the Organic Spicy Glazed Tempeh with sweet potato, steamed vegetables, spiced glazed gravy. Dee-lish! I need to get more adventurous with tempeh; whenever I have it at a restaurant, I love it. And it’s been a while since I’ve made this Sweet Potato Stuffed with Caramelized Tempeh and Sautéed Kale…

For dessert, I took home a goji berry-filled macaroon, which was almost as good as Gina’s.

Ooh! Before I forget, I want to show you my most recent new-to-me food find! I spotted this almond milk “yogurt” at Whole Foods the other day and brought it home to try out in my Overnight Oats.

It’s a little sweet on its own (and high in sugar) but it was great for breakfast! I’m glad to see so many non-dairy options cropping up.

In non-food news, yesterday I went for my free haircut a Bumble and Bumble University. This was my second time at the school (I got some ombre highlights about a month and a half ago) and had a great experience! I’ve been growing my hair out for a while, so it was all pretty much one length. Flat and lifeless.

My stylist (who’s been cutting hair for 13 years, so I wasn’t nervous… shout-out to Rob at Art & Science in Chicago!) took off about two inches and gave me a lot of layers all over. He also re-shaped my bangs, which I’d been growing up. It’s an easy haircut- the below photo was taken after showering at night and letting everything air-dry- and I think makes me look, overall, a lot healthier.

And speeeeeeeaking of healthy, as of Wednesday morning I am officially off of antibiotics. No more nurses and bi-weekly blood-drawings, no more IVs, and hopefully soon, no more side effects of the medicine I was on. My PICC line has been removed (it didn’t hurt much, just gave me the heebie jeebies) and other than a few scabs and scars scattered across my body, it’s hard to to tell anything happened nearly three weeks ago. Craziness!

So in celebration, I’m featured on the Cold-EEZE website as their May Wellness Guru! Check it out for my tips on how to fight a cold and stay happy when you’re not feeling so hot. Hint: one of them involves a fuzzy friend!

Well, I’m off to finish packing for the wedding! I’m terrible about waiting until the last minute, as you can see…

Have a great weekend! What have you got planned?

Well, I don’t have to turn over my V-card just yet.

My avocado love has returned with a vengeance, so we can all sit back and continue to breathe normally. Whew! That was a close one.

This slaw was inspired by the view from my window. I live in an apartment building right off one [...]]]>

Well, I don’t have to turn over my V-card just yet.

My avocado love has returned with a vengeance, so we can all sit back and continue to breathe normally. Whew! That was a close one.

This slaw was inspired by the view from my window. I live in an apartment building right off one of New York City’s large parks, a luxury which I have, in the past, taken for granted. Now, though, I find myself remarking over and over about just how, well, green everything is! It’s almost as if I went to sleep and woke up to a new season. Which is kind of what happened.

And so, I have a new dish for you to add to your Spring repertoire. It’s light and flavorful, with just a little kick. In a single bite you’ll find sweetness, a bit of tang, nutty crunch, and a hit of silk. It’s satisfying without being heavy, and while festive, is simple enough for an easy weekday lunch.

THAI-STYLE GREEN SLAW WITH SPICED COCONUT-MINT DRESSING

Makes 2 large or 4 small servings

Green Slaw

• 1 bulb fennel, leaves trimmed, thinly sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 Granny Smith apple, grated or thinly sliced and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 avocado, diced

Spiced Coconut- Mint Dressing

• 2 t roasted peanuts, crushed with the back of a knife
• 1 T fresh mint, coarsely chopped, plus a few sprigs for garnish
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1/2 t hot chili sesame oil

In a medium-sized bowl, gently mix fennel, apple and avocado together.

In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together. Pour over slaw and mix well. Garnish each portion with a mint sprig and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy in the park for a picnic lunch. If you can’t get away, sit as close to a window as possible. Daydream.

In other parks and wildlife news, I just saw Cameron Crowe’s latest, We Bought A Zoo. It’s a quiet film with subtle performances; I loved it. And, as is always true of Crowe’s movies, the soundtrack was great.

source

What does Spring look like out YOUR window?

Well, the cooking bug has got me again! And thank goodness. To be honest, I was a little worried it would take a lot longer for me to want to get back in the kitchen. Luckily, all it took was a trip to Whole Foods. I got serious crazy eyes, and came back [...]]]>

Well, the cooking bug has got me again! And thank goodness. To be honest, I was a little worried it would take a lot longer for me to want to get back in the kitchen. Luckily, all it took was a trip to Whole Foods. I got serious crazy eyes, and came back with a lot of groceries. When will there be enough time to eat them?!

As I’ve mentioned a little before, my appetite’s changed a bit. Whereas I used to make big, mixing bowl-sized salads for lunch nearly every day, I’ve been eating a lot more sandwiches and hot dishes lately. Still, it’s really important for us to “eat the rainbow” and get a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, especially when we’re sick and our immune systems aren’t quite what they should be. So I’ve been doing my best to both listen to what my body is craving and eat healthful, veggie- and protein-filled meals.

Thanks to the cookbooks I took out from the library, I’ve had a lot of great inspiration. A couple nights ago, I flipped through Heidi Swanson’s latest cookbook (which I will probably end up shelling out the $23 for), Super Natural Everyday. This simple recipe for Miso-Curry Delicata Squash jumped right out at me.

Delicata squash isn’t in season right now, but sweet potatoes worked just as well. I loved the mix of tangy miso and spicy-sweet Thai red curry, and the toasted pepitas added a smoky crunch! that amped everything up a notch. Served over rice, it was the perfect weeknight dinner. I know I sound like a broken record, but grain bowls have become my new ideal comfort food.

While the potatoes were roasting, I got started on breakfast for the next morning: Gena’s version of Bircher Muesli. It’s a lot like what my Overnight Oats look like when I use almond milk instead of yogurt, something I’ve been doing a lot more lately. I first heard of Bircher Muesli about three years ago, when the physical therapist I was seeing for my ITBS told me about the big batch of oats, fruit, nuts and yogurt he makes a big batch of once a week and scoops a portion of each morning for breakfast.

Chia seeds, almonds, fresh apples, dried goji berries, and dried cherries (I substituted these for mulberries)? Hard to go wrong. It was a deliciously filling ready-made breakfast.

I also spent a few minutes peeling oranges! B is one of those people that has to have a tall glass of orange juice every morning for breakfast, and lately has taken to squeezing his own rather than buying the sugary stuff from the grocery store. I, on the other hand, am a person who’d rather eat the fruit than drink the juice. That is, I was until this whole meningitis thing happened. Now, I’ll drink just about any cold beverage (excluding cold ones) you put in front of me… especially fresh OJ.

There are still quite a few recipes I’ve got bookmarked to make, but time is running out! We’re going to a wedding this weekend, and are planning to be out of town next week as well. Time to get cooking!

What did you eat for breakfast today?

It feels like both forever and no time at all since we were last in Southampton with the pups. I can’t believe it’s May! It’s going to be a great Spring and Summer… I can feel it in my bones.

It was good to be back on Long Island for a weekend of R&R [...]]]>

It feels like both forever and no time at all since we were last in Southampton with the pups. I can’t believe it’s May! It’s going to be a great Spring and Summer… I can feel it in my bones.

It was good to be back on Long Island for a weekend of R&R with my parents and B.

It felt so unbelievable to be able to stretch out on the deck and breathe in fresh air! Sitting inside all day is relaxing, but gets a little stuffy sometimes.   I also started a new book, which I love so far. Sadly I haven’t read too many great ones thus far in 2012, but I have a good feeling about this one.

I’m also really excited about the three cookbooks I took out of the library… I’ve marked almost every recipe as “to-make.”

On Sunday morning, my mom and I even went on a little shopping trip. (Although, to be honest, I’ve mostly been living in leggings and PJs!)

We also finally, finally went to go see The Hunger Games. It was worth the wait! The handheld camera is a little nauseating in the beginning of the movie, but overall I found it to be really well done and (mostly) true to the book. And I’ve loved Jennifer Lawrence ever since she won my heart in Winter’s Bone .

I wasn’t sure how I would do sitting in a chair for three hours, but my legs actually didn’t fare too badly. I’m still having trouble with my circulation (all of the blood rushes to my calves when I stand in one place) so I sit with my legs stretched out and use a plastic folding chair when I shower. My whole body really does feel stronger every day, though, and I think it’ll only improve once I’m off the antibiotics in a couple days.

My appetite is still a little out of whack. First of all, I wake up in the morning between 5 and 7, regardless of what time I went to bed. This has happened every day since I’ve been home from the hospital, and you know what’s usually the culprit? My grumbling stomach! So I eat breakfast #1 by myself in the dining room, often in the dark, before stumbling back into bed for another hour or two of sleep. Usually, this is something easy like cereal or a PB&J.

Breakfast #2 comes a couple hours later; this weekend I ate oatmeal both mornings, but sometimes I’ll eat more cereal or, as was the case last week, a sandwich.

One of the side effects of the medication I’m on- and the only one I’m really experiencing- is that it kind of messes up your digestive tract (sorry) so I’m hungry all the time, but not always sure what I want to eat. Luckily, good food has been in no short supply!

A little Googling turned up a market and café in Sag Harbor called Provisions. It’s a really cute health food store that has everything (cue the crazy eyes) and seems to be a popular spot for celebrites who weekend in the Hamptons, too.

On my first visit, B and I both got burritos. Mine was a basic black bean/brown rice/cheese guy with guacamole (top notch) and salsa on the side. Quite simple, but it really hit the spot! (I’ve also been drinking quite a bit of kombucha for the probiotics and B vitamins.)

The second visit was with my mom; we needed fuel for our shopping trip!

She ordered the special BBQ chicken quesadilla, while I tried a romaine salad with grilled tempeh and tahini dressing. Seasoned with a generous sprinkle of gomasio (a mix of sea salt + sesame seeds) and Provisions’ homemade hot sauce, it was quite good! As was the thick wedge of cornbread I picked up on the way out.

On our way back to the city last night, our friend Lesley had us over to her cottage for a cozy dinner and a slice of hot pie.

We feasted on Orecchiette with Fried Chickpeas, Cracked Pepper and Sage, a mélange of ingredients that all worked really well together. Legumes are making up a big part of my diet right now, and I can’t get enough!

I think I’m also finally ready to get back in the kitchen again. My 2012 Recipe Challenge has been set back a few weeks, but no matter. I’m excited to try out my new cookbooks!

Have you seen any good movies lately? I’ve been glued to Mad Men on Netflix, but I really want to see The Avengers!

Happy Humpday! Is it gray and rainy where you are? It’s really balmy here in New York today, but I’m going to see if I can get out for a little walk today.   

Yesterday I had two hospital follow-up appointments, one with the dermatologist and one with the infectious disease specialist. The dermatological [...]]]>

Happy Humpday! Is it gray and rainy where you are? It’s really balmy here in New York today, but I’m going to see if I can get out for a little walk today.   

Yesterday I had two hospital follow-up appointments, one with the dermatologist and one with the infectious disease specialist. The dermatological team really helped diagnose me when I was in the ICU; the rash that broke out all over my body was biopsied and tested, and determined to be a symptom of bacterial meningitis by the way it responded to different medications. While the rash was all over my body (eyelids, fingers, everything) it’s now mostly gone, and the only parts of me that still look a bit “off” are my arms and legs. (I’ll spare you the visuals.) Still, everything is healing really nicely and the dermatologist was quite pleased.

The infectious disease specialist is a really smart man; I felt like I was on House by having him on my team! He’s also the one who prescribes my IV antibiotics, the precautionary antibiotics I was on for pneumonia (I have a very minor case of bronchitis), and the nurse’s visits. So he’s also the doctor who gets the results from my blood work. Well, yesterday when my dad and I went in to see him, the doctor had just gotten the lab results from my most recent nurse’s visit on Monday. And somehow… all of my nutrient, vitamin, and mineral levels have gone back to normal!!! My white blood cell count was high when I went home (22,000 as opposed to 10,000) but that’s gone way down, too. And… I’ve already made a full recovery. How nuts is that?! A lot can happen in two weeks!

Yes, I’m still weak, but that’s just my body readjusting and resetting itself again the way it would after any old illness. So once I’m off the antibiotics (next week), he wants me to start exercising again and rebuilding my strength. It’s really amazing how quickly muscles atrophy when you’re sedentary. My muscles have literally all disappeared! I joke that I’m now a “paper pancake,” if ya catch my drift . So, I’ll have a lot of work to do to get strong (and put on some weight) again, but I’m going to take it slowly to make sure I don’t injure myself or take on too much too soon. Every day I’m going to walk a little more; my dad and I walked about six city blocks yesterday between appointments. I put my gym membership on hold for a month, but starting next weeks I’m going to do some light strength-training exercises and a bit of yoga. I think yoga- and even meditation, if I can quiet my mind enough- would be really good for me right now.

Between appointments, we took advantage of being on the Upper East Side and checked out The Green Bean Cafe, a really cute vegan hole-in-the-wall I’ve been meaning to check out for months.

It’s really eclectic but cute inside, with stuffed animals and gauze butterflies hanging from the ceiling. You can choose from an extensive list of juices, smoothies and coffee drinks, as well as homemade nut milks; there’s a hot and cold salad bar that’s measured by weight; there’s also quite a large menu with hot breakfast/ brunch, hot and cold sandwiches and wraps, pizza, salads, hot entrées and raw plates.

As usual, I got “crazy eyes” as soon as I walked in… we ordered a lot of stuff. My dad ordered the hot special: polenta stew with mushrooms, chard, peppers and tomato. I loved the texture! I’m going to try and recreate it sometime soon.

I started with a big green juice (my new expensive habit): Sweet Barbara Green with celery, cucumber, spinach, kale, parsley, lemon, apple and ginger. I’ve been digging this combo lately. To eat, I had the (huge) Tofu Club on Seven Grain: steamed tofu, tempeh bacon, avocado, vegan cheddar, tomato, romaine and mayo. I don’t know why, but I’ve been craving a big, cold sandwich with lots of lettuce, tomato, and mayo lately. This hit the spot!

We haven’t been cooking much lately, so I also picked up some dinner for later. This was another comforting, simple, delicious dish that I would love to recreate soon. The Organic Layers of the Land came with black beans, polenta and millet, sweet potato, and steamed greens.

For lunch and dinner desserts, I brought home a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie (not so memorable) and a black-and-white cupcake. The cupcake was really good, but definitely didn’t taste like a big ole Magnolia whopper with fluffy cake and whipped frosting. It reminded me of a Babycakes cupcake, made with cornmeal or applesauce.

Speaking of sweet treats, one of my friends brought over this delectable book the other night called Paris, My Sweet.

It’s written my Amy Thomas, author of the new-to-me blog Sweet Freak, and is about her move from New York to Paris to write copy for Louis Vuitton… and eat her way through every bakery in town. I LOVE it so far… it’s kicking up my need to return to Paris ASAP, and, of course, I’m fantasizing about all of the puff pastry and macarons and chocolat à l’Africain and truffles and bonbons and everything in between.

Le sigh.

If you could pick up and go ANYWHERE right now, where would you go?

Good morning and happy Monday! How were your weekends?

Thank you all so, so much for the happy thoughts, prayers, e-mails, messages, letters, etc. you’ve sent about my illness. I’m happy to report that I’m feeling really really good, and getting stronger and stronger each day.

One of the main reasons I was able to [...]]]>

Good morning and happy Monday! How were your weekends?

Thank you all so, so much for the happy thoughts, prayers, e-mails, messages, letters, etc. you’ve sent about my illness. I’m happy to report that I’m feeling really really good, and getting stronger and stronger each day.

One of the main reasons I was able to leave the hospital so early (despite my speedy recovery) is because while I was there, a really nice nurse (with a name too hilarious for me to repeat here) installed something called a PICC line in my arm. The PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) is a more long-term port for an IV drip; it’s connected to an artery rather than a vein, so my arms won’t be destroyed every 72 hours when they have to find a new one that isn’t bruised. The line is right in my bicep and has a thin wire that goes up through my arm, across my collarbone and over near my heart. Of course you can’t see that part, but the outer tubing is tucked up under that little purple armband (AKA a purple tube sock).

While I have a nurse come to my apartment three times a week to take labs (blood pressure, blood work, etc.) I can dispense most of the medication myself. The antibiotics I’m taking (for bacterial meningitis) come in this cool little plastic ball that looks just like Harry Potter’s golden snitch! It doesn’t hurt at all, and I can walk around the house and even eat while I take it. Medicine is so cool .

As I said, I’m feeling really really good. My only complaint right now is that the circulation is a little off in my legs, so all of the blood flows to my calves and feet when I stand up or sit in a chair normally. Really not a big deal, and it’s getting better every day. Most of the time I sit with my feet propped up (like your great great aunt), but yesterday, I made my first foray into the outside world since I came home from the hospital on Wednesday! It was a little chilly, but the fresh air felt amazing. Armed with my green juice (Juice Generation’s Supa Dupa Greens: spinach, kale, parsley, romaine, cucumber, celery, lemon + apple), B, my mom and I took a short walk to the dog park steps away from the front door. When I went into the hospital, the flowers were blooming but there weren’t a whole lot of leaves on the trees. Now, however, I can see what looks like a green jungle from my bedroom window!

My appetite has returned with a vengeance, and I’ve been eating a lot of my usual favorites, like this Laura-inspired oatmeal bowl topped with tahini, dried figs, and honey.

I’ve also been eating the occasional salad, and have been reaping the B-vitamin benefits from toast with a little Earth Balance and nutritional yeast.

What has been true, though, and was confirmed for me by someone who’s partner had an almost identical case of bacterial meningitis, is that my tastes have changed somewhat. It takes me forever to decide what to eat now, and so many things that I used to love (eggs, avocados) just don’t sound very good. I can’t drink alcohol while I’m on the antibiotics (and my immune system is pretty shot right now, anyway) but the idea of booze doesn’t sound so great either. Italian, Indian, Japanese… cuisines I usually can’t get enough of aren’t very appealing right now. Another thing I haven’t had since “the ordeal”? Coffee! I’m allowed to drink it, and it’s been brewed for breakfast nearly every morning, but it just isn’t what I want. There’s not a whole lot that I’m actually craving, other than really thirst-quenching things like fresh juice, kombucha, and ice-cold water. My palate may go back to “normal” once I’m off the antibiotics and am used to being home and cooking again, but this also may be a good opportunity to do a little experimenting. The most important thing is that I keep eating and get my strength back up.

There have been a lot of visitors (including my Aunt Mary, who we were lucky enough to see just a few weeks ago!) who have made it so nice to be at home. One afternoon this weekend found sixteen people squeezed into our tiny living room! Love all around.

Everyone is back to work this week, so things will start to go back to normal again. Meanwhile, I’ll be home doing important things like racing through season 3 of Mad Men and starting some of the fabulous new books that arrived in the mail.

Life is good .

Did your (or anyone you know) palate change when your health changed? I know this happens a lot with food poisoning, and I love hearing about pregnancy cravings!

At first, I blamed it on the weather.   

Although my nose wasn’t stuffy, I woke up each morning with a headache, sore throat, and an unquenchable thirst. While we had fun in Southampton, something just felt a little… off.

Disclaimer: this is wildly free of medical vocabulary so please forgive my ignorance if you [...]]]>

At first, I blamed it on the weather.   

Although my nose wasn’t stuffy, I woke up each morning with a headache, sore throat, and an unquenchable thirst. While we had fun in Southampton, something just felt a little… off.

Disclaimer: this is wildly free of medical vocabulary so please forgive my ignorance if you know more what I’m talking about than I do!

Last Tuesday, April 17, I went to work as usual, showing up at 7:30 AM for my morning shift. I served a few customers, and considered asking one- a physician- if this allergy season was producing particularly bad symptoms this year. I’d taken one ibuprofen tablet before I’d gone, but as the morning progressed, so did my headache. I started feeling faint and dizzy, and took advantage of the quiet morning to sit and rest between tables. Around 9:30, I felt so bad that I thought I’d throw up and finally took my manager’s advice to go home. B picked me up from the restaurant and drove me home, installing me in bed with a cold compress and a bowl of ice chips. I e-mailed my parents asking them to please not call me as I wanted to sleep off whatever bug I had,

My fever grew and my body ached. Around noon, I called my doctor, describing my symptoms to her assistant but asking for a prescription over the phone if possible because I didn’t feel up to going in. The assistant promised the doctor would return my call. My fever escalated to 102.8 and every inch of my body felt like it was being crushed. I called my parents, who were in Florida, in tears because I felt so terrible. We tried the doctor again at 2; no response. At 4:20, she called back and suggested I go to an emergency room because my symptoms- including the sore body- could signal either Lyme or meningitis.

Going to the ER is something that never would have occurred to me on my own. Headache? Take an aspirin. Flu? Take Nyquil and sleep it off. B drove me to the hospital and I staggered into the waiting room, asking for a meningitis test. Thankfully, my doctor had called ahead- and B had been in contact with my dad and knew this- so we were able to skip right ahead through the line. My legs hurt so badly that I had to keep them propped up on another chair. We were admitted into an isolation room where my fever continued to climb; meanwhile, my heart rate was skyrocketing and my blood pressure was dangerously low, causing my heart to virtually pump poison instead of healthy oxygen. The doctors still didn’t know what was wrong, but took a spinal tap to try and gain more information. Normally this is a procedure that’s supposed to be really painful; I don’t remember feeling any pain, however, because I was so feverish and wild with panic.

It felt like hours and hours passed, and I was getting increasingly anxious, wondering why the doctors weren’t telling us what was going on or giving us more information. The rest of the night gets very blurry, but I started coughing and couldn’t stop. A flood of doctors rushed in and took me on a stretcher to a new room, putting an oxygen mask over my face. The oxygen itself felt like it was suffocating me and I remember panicking and screaming that I couldn’t breathe. To clear my airway, they’d have to intubate. The doctors sedated me and put in a “Swan” catheter to help me breathe and also help determine whether or not I had congenital heart failure. My mom’s flight arrived from Florida just in time for her to see her daughter wheeled into a room filled with specialists, about to get her throat ripped open. Pretty freaking scary. The last thing I remember was the strangely surreal feeling of waking up from the sedation but not being able to open my eyes, move, or speak.

I’d developed a rash all over my body, eyelids to feet; this turned out to be indicative of bacterial meningitis, which they discovered when one of the lesions on my leg was biopsied. They began treating me for meningitis early Wednesday morning. I spent Wednesday, Thursday, and much of Friday heavily sedated in Intensive Care; they didn’t know if I was going to make it for much of that time. They thought I’d spend at least 2-3 weeks in the ICU alone, with a few more weeks in rehab after that.

But… things got better! The antibiotics worked, I was extubated, and on Sunday I was moved out of Intensive Care to a floor for less severe cases. On Tuesday they took me off the oxygen tubes. I started walking to and from the bathroom (a huge step from the catheter and then bedpan I required earlier… sorry for the TMI).

I was showered with an outpour of love and support from friends and family everywhere, and trust me: even the smallest “get well!” message makes a huge difference in a patient’s morale and recovery.

Food abounded: fancy cookies and chocolates, soups, avocados, coconut water (I drank at least a case of the stuff while I was there).

Orange, mint + honey tart; vegetable dashi made by my fabulous chef friend Ryan

You’re probably wondering about the actual hospital food, too! I was lucky enough to have quite a bit of outside food brought in, but I also signed up for the vegetarian/vegan options. Initially I thought it was all pretty gross and bland, but then I realized there’s a daily menu where you can choose from a pretty big selection of vegan-friendly items.

Anyway, it’s been a pretty crazy week. It was a much, much harder time for my family and friends, who had to sit by and watch everything unfold. I came home yesterday, and while I’m still on IV antibiotics, I’m getting stronger and stronger every day. I am so, so, so fortunate to be alive and have my health and my family and friends and my dog and the grass and the trees and every little atom in this world. I’ve got a couple battle wounds, too, to keep me grounded and remind me just how lucky I am.