Happy Birthday to me! It’s official, I am now older than the hills. That’s not quite as old as dirt, but getting there.
As many of you already know, I tend to write my posts well in advance. Life has a way of getting in the way of writing, so I write when I can, while I can. Some days it’s just researching recipes or the history of a particular subject looking for inspiration. Other days I am up with the first rooster’s crow (yeah, one of our neighbors has a rooster) and it’s a non-stop writing marathon, the thoughts and ideas just keep flowing.
This year’s birthday is kind of a big deal in that for the first time I think of myself as old. I don’t feel old, but that mindset is slowly seeping in. Here I sit in the middle of May, writing about my birthday two weeks into the future while not knowing what that future may hold. I guess that could be true any day, but at this particular moment in my life the unknown is unsettling.
As you might remember, in September Hubby and I began a huge cleanup project of the ivy that had been allowed to run wild throughout the backyard. At times the ivy was so dense, standing in a patch of it meant ivy was all the way up to your knee. Beneath the top layer was dead and dying vines, filled with mold and decay. We breathed in a lot of unhealthy spores. I began to cough. When I saw my doctor, she asked me one question – did you ever smoke? When I said yes, ten years ago I was a light smoker, without a single test she said it was COPD. End of discussion and began treating me accordingly. I did not get better. In February, the coughing subsided just in time for our vacation. That break did not last, and the end of the cruse was a disaster. One of our dinner companions was a nurse and she suggested that I may have a lung disorder that made me more susceptible to the harsh chemicals used to keep cruise ships “germ free.” She called it a cabin cough, and said it usually appears during the second week of exposure. I share this information with my doctor, who wasn’t all that impressed. Still insisting it was COPD.
Finally in April my doctor decided I needed to see a pulmonary doctor and run a series of lung capasity breathing tests. It was like running a marathon race. The results were that I have lost lung function due to scarring. However; the pulmonary doctor and my primary doctor do not agree as to the cause of the scarring nor the diagnosis. My primary doctor is sticking with COPD. The pulmonary specialist is leaning (I stress leaning since more tests are needed) toward ILD. The breathing tests revealed that my lungs are not able to put enough oxygen into my bloodstream due to a build up of scar tissue. Simply put, there is not enough oxygen getting to my heart or brain or any other organ. ILD would explain the headaches, bouts of confusion, mood swings and a whole host of other issues. Since both COPD and ILD involve scarring and depleted oxygen levels, my primary doctor stood by her original diagnosis of COPD. I refused any further treatment (that weren’t working anyway) until we had some sort of definitive answer. My sister died in October. She had been treated for years for COPD, and it turned out it was ILD. By the time a high resolution CT scan was preformed that led to the correct diagnosis it was too late. I refuse to allow the same mistake.
Both COPD and ILD involve a scaring of the lungs. However; based on a family history of ILD (my sister’s death) coupled with my own medical history (3 bouts of pneumonia, and last year’s prolonged exposure to fungus) the Pulmonary Specialist is leaning toward ILD. Hubby and I tend to agree. Today (my birthday!) I am scheduled for the CT Scan and hopefully real answers. I’m not afraid to die. I just want to know what I’m up against.
While we wait, I was given a new toy to help me breath. Great for at home, but you can’t stick it in your pocket. And when you suck on it too fast, it sounds like a harmonica. Any requests?
Okay, that’s my old-age rant for the day. Here’s hoping for the best outcome. In the meantime, life goes on. So let’s stop brooding and get to cooking!
Remember that amazing Chicken Al Pastor Salad not long ago? I loved the chicken! I went in search of recipes so I could make it myself. Yeah, right. The list of spices is as long as my arm – and some of the peppers I’ve never even herd of. I hate spending a small fortune on a spice when all I need is a pinch. So while I’m still in love with the chicken, it’s far easier to buy it in a package, already seasoned and ready to cook. Besides, today is my birthday. I’m not planning to spend much time in the kitchen, but I am planning to down about a pitcher of margaritas. Who’s with me?
Nachos Al Pastor
Chicken
1/2 Yellow Onion
2 tablespoons Spicy Olive Oil
16 oz package Chicken Al Pastor
Cut onion in half from root to tip. Reserve half for another purpose, peel remaining half. Cut into thin slivers, set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and onion slivers. Cook, breaking up the chicken pieces, until the chicken is cooked through and the onion tender, about 15 minutes. Keep warm.
Nacho Cheese Sauce
3 cups Milk
2 fresh Jalapeno Peppers
4 oz Cheddar Cheese, from a block
1/2 cup Quesadilla Mexican Melting Cheese
1/2 cup Chihuahua Mexican Melting Cheese
4 tablespoons Butter
4 tablespoons Flour
Kosher Salt to taste
In a saucepan over medium heat, warm milk almost to the point of boiling. Keep hot without reaching a boiling point.
While the milk warms, stem and mince the Jalapeno Peppers. Retain seeds if desired. Shred Chreddar Cheese from a block. (Freshly shredded cheese will melt more smoothly than store-bought shredded cheese). Mix Cheddar with the Quesadilla and Chihuahua cheeses in a bowl, set aside.
In another saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Once melted, stir in the flour. Cook over low heat for 5 minute without browning the mixture, then slowly stir in the warm milk. Bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stir in the grated cheeses and minced Jalapeno. Immediately remove cheese sauce from heat, season with salt to taste.
Nachos
16 oz Tortilla Chips
1/2 cup pickled Jalapeno Slices
1/2 cup Pico de Gallo
1/2 cup Sour Cream
2 Green Onions
To build the nachos, arrange half of the chips on a large serving platter or plate. Scatter half Al Pastor Chicken with onions over the chips. Pour cheese sauce over the meat and chips. Place a second layer of chips, chicken and cheese.
Dollop with Pico del Gallo and sour cream as desired. Snip green onions, scatter over the top of the nachos. Serve and enjoy.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to His call.
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