Local Flavor Update!
February 28th, 2008 emnemastilYou can view the page by clicking the Local Flavor link on the right, or click here.
You can view the page by clicking the Local Flavor link on the right, or click here.
When I was young, I had no problem going to the dentist. We (my sister and I) were taken every six months by my mother for our checkup and cleaning, and then two weeks after that appointment we would be back for fillings. We (my sister and I) had to go back almost every time for fillings. We thought this was normal. We also took EXTRA care of our teeth, in order to not have MORE fillings.
Thanks mom.
My mom has a great smile, and her teeth look ok, but under the surface are terrible, soft-toothed genes that she passed on to her daughters.
On the other hand, my dad never had a filling in his life, his teeth could crack diamonds, I’m sure. You’d think that he could have passed that on to us, huh? Instead I just wrinkle up my nose funny when I’m concentrating on something (as does my dad, as did my grandpa, as I’m sure his father did, too). It’s not attractive.
Back to the subject.
I had a dentist appointment last night, with a new dentist (He’s closer than the other one I was going to.) He didn’t clean my teeth, he’s going to do that next time. In two weeks. When he fills the first cavity.
The first cavity.
There are two more after that.
I told you that I had a lot of cavities filled when I was younger, and it wasn’t really a big deal then, but I had a traumatic dental experience and the last time I had a filling, it wasn’t a pretty sight. I got shaky, I got sweaty, and I cried, which is pretty much what happened when I had my traumatic dental experience, too. What happened? I woke up as they were cracking one of my wisdom teeth to remove it. It sucked, and I reacted in such a terrible way that I brought flowers to the oral surgeon when I went back in for my check up.
So. What to do. about the new fillings.
Well, I’m going to have my teeth cleaned in a couple of weeks, then I am going to inhale laughing gas and see if that helps my nerves. If it doesn’t, my husband will drive me to the dentist two weeks after that, and we’re going to try Valium. I hope it doesn’t come to that.Well, I kind of wish that it would, but only in the way that would get me arrested, not in the way that I’m a big wimp.
Pasta is a staple of my diet. (I don’t mean “Diet” diet, like Atkins or Weight Watchers (I know, it’s not a “diet” either…) just what I eat.) Luckily for me, my husband is as much of a self proclaimed carb whore as I am, and doesn’t mind meals created from two ingredients. (One box and one jar count as two ingredients, right?) I do, however, use some simple ways to spice up a “two ingredient” meal, with minimal effort or additional ingredients.
Let’s start with the basic “recipe”:
1 Jar of ready made spaghetti sauce
1lb of pasta
Boil a big pot of water, sprinkle in a little salt and olive oil, and add your pasta. Cook it as the package directs.
While that’s going on, get a saucepan, plop in the spaghetti sauce, and heat until it’s splattering all over your white shirt.
Drain the pasta with a colander, pour it back in the original pan, and pour in the heated up tomato sauce. It should splatter all over your bra during this step, since you took off your shirt to soak the tomato stains out of it.
Usually I toss some frozen vegetables in the microwave after the spaghetti’s all ready, and by the time they’re done, I’ve finished half my plate and forgotten about them. I’ll find them the next day when I remember after the last minute to toss some more frozen veggies in the microwave, and by that time they’re stinky and gross. I then have a plate of spaghetti and again forget about the vegetables.
Anyways, this isn’t about the veggies.
Here are a few things you can add to the “recipe” to increase the tastiness and health quotients:
Boca ground burger- just toss in a packet or two while you’re heating up the sauce. Extra protein FTW!
Mushrooms- Chop ‘em up and cook these for 5 minutes with a little olive oil in your saucepan for 4 or 5 minutes before you add the sauce.
Fantastic brand Sloppy Joe mix- This makes your sauce really thick and “meaty” (faux meaty =featy?) and a little sweet. Just use half the liquid to reconstitute the sloppy joe mix, and leave out the tomato paste. Pour the jar of spaghetti sauce in, heat, an you’re all set.
Green peppers- use the same instructions as the mushrooms, but cut them into strips instead of smaller chopped pieces.
These are all easy-peasy, and only one (main, if you don’t count the salt and olive oil) ingredient more that two.
We’ll see how this goes…