When Broccoli Isn’t Healthy

As often happens when I’m in the kitchen I get into trouble.  Cooking is not my thing and though my mother wishes it were (Mom:  ”you may grow into it yet, Ann.”  Me:   “Mom, I’m 45…”) it just still isn’t.  And frankly, Scarlett….

But now that I’m fighting metastatic breast cancer I have an urgency to eat better.  Like many of us in the cancer boat, food is now part of my short-term plan to maintain my long-term health.

My personal plan means I eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies and hummus and black beans and other foods with protein and iron and anti-oxidants.  It’s all good, except I get bored with eating the same good food day after day.   And planning the evening meal is like homework to me.  I hate it. But I must do it, and I attempt–even though like I said it’s not my thing–to come up with ideas for interesting meals and (ugh) cook every now and then (especially if I’ve been to a restaurant or a friend’s house and they’ve made something vegan non-dairy that actually tastes good.)

Which is h0w I found myself yesterday in the kitchen stir frying broccoli–a very healthy food.  And it was all going well, I was moving very carefully so as not to mess up.  The olive oil was sizzling and the kosher salt was working and it was all coming together–

when I reached for the spatula to flip the veggies, forgetting that 30 seconds earlier it had been pulled from the flame under the cooking quinoa and was likely smoldering somewhere over 150 degrees.

So today I slowly and gently type this with 4 burned fingers and a handle-shaped burn on my right palm. I consider myself lucky to have gotten away with thick calluses and tender skin (thank you Jan for helping me out, as well as to the aloe I’d bought for the kids’ potential summer sunburns.)

I know metastatic breast cancer is a long term devil to wrestle, but short term I’ve got my family kitchen to conquer.  I’ve faced worse in my lifetime, so I know I’ll be fine.  But for the next few days I’m eating my broccoli raw–a one-step plan to keep my short term health–

at least until I have to think about tomorrow night’s meal.

Comments

Posted April 26th, 2011 by
when-broccoli-isnt-healthy
Posted in: Ann's Diary
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4 Comments

  • Sister Cousin Sarah

    ouch! Delivery???
    xoxoxo
    yscs

  • Bettina

    Dearest Ann, you are a far better cook than my dear friend in Denmark, who in vain tried to boil 2 eggs in a caserole without water, wellllll you can imagen what happend, nearly set the whole house on fire. BUT yes, you may or may not grow into the art of cooking, but hey luckily you can find good food ready made down at the Co-op. My mom always tought me, “Do what you do best”, so Ann you have already won may hearts despite your “cooking art or lack of same”, so seek inspiration from a cooking class with focus on YOUR needs. I have been there and learnt from it with a son with celiac, and lactose intollerance. hugs Bettina ps. I am sure with those blister you can´t cook for weeks, utilize that to the max

  • http://ProjectPink administrator

    right on! xxooSC

  • http://ProjectPink administrator

    who loves you B? xoo

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