Food, the best medicine?
In times of crisis, people turn to food. When someone is sick, vats of homemade chicken soup tend to appear. Funerals are always followed by tables full of food made by friends of the family. It's human instinct -- when someone close to you is hurting, that nurturing heart wants to feed and take care of them.
This came home to me again Thursday, when my mom called me at work to let me know that my grandmother had fallen and broken her knee pretty badly. She said Grandma would be fine, but she was going in for surgery Friday and would be doped up through the weekend, so there was no point in rushing down to Florida when I couldn't do anything about it.
Couldn't do anything about it? Once I calmed down and found out my grandma would be OK, my first thought was, "Who's going to cook for my grandfather while she's in the hospital? And who's going to cook for both of them while she's recovering in a wheelchair?"
Now, don't get me wrong -- they wouldn't starve. Even though he grew up in a generation where men didn't always learn to cook, my grandfather can fry an egg, even cook some hashbrowns if he has to. And he knows where McDonald's and the local breakfast joint is. My parents, while working full-time, would be around to help out. But they get busy around this time of year, and my grandparents would probably get sick of eggs and hasbrowns all the time.
So I came up with something I can do -- I can cook. This week, I've been scouring recipe books, looking for stuff I can make in large amounts that will freeze well in individual portions. (Any suggestions would be much appreciated.) This weekend, I'm leaving to see my grandparents, and I plan on spending a good amount of my time in Florida stocking their freezer with food that is explicitly labeled with heating instructions for my grandfather.
And after getting to spend a few days with my family, I'll be able to return to North Carolina knowing that even though I won't be there to help out on a daily basis, my food will be.
Comments (2)
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I know it sounds cheesy but Spaghetti is great to freeze. Put it in a large freezer bag, and when they're ready to eat, they can just drop it into hot/boiling water for a few minutes - viola! It's also cheap, easy, and can be made by the vat full.
Posted on November 5, 2005 10:32 PM
Fresh farm eggs freeze well out of the shell - that's how my sister makes it through the winter when her chicken's aren't laying... but I'll assume that in Florida, there is probably a grocery store very close by.
A crock-potted pork butt is fabulous to freeze and warm in individual servings. Hits the spot on those chilly fall/winter days, too. Any stew or roast would do fabulously.
Here's wishing your grandmother a speedy recovery.
Posted on November 6, 2005 8:52 AM