15 Weeks to Heal

I never in my wildest dreams thought it would take 15 weeks to recover from my broken ankle. I guess I'm lucky that it was a clean break, without infection and that it healed correctly. It could have been much worse. Don't get me wrong, I knew there would be aches and pains for at least a year or two, and twinges for the rest of my life, but I never expected not to be able to walk on that foot for over 3 months.

Just this week, finally this week, the swelling is starting to decrease and I'm able to walk most of the day without a cane, crutches, or much of a limp. The limp is a bad thing, because at my age hips are not the best functioning part of the body, and limping puts a lot of stress where I don't need it. It's not so great for the lower back either.

I've also been able to finally put on my comfy sneakers. I had to buy extra big shoes, because my foot was so swollen, it hurt to wear the sneakers. That was a great thing, as I think the sneakers are making it easier for me to walk too. Who would have thought that that padding by your ankle would dig in so deeply that it would cause too much pain to walk. It's all good now.

And now that I'm back on my feet, it's on to my next life's adventure (or figuring out how to pay the remaining bills). That is until the snow hits and I have to teach myself how better to walk on the ice. That was my 4th fall on the drive this winter. I was lucky I only broke my ankle.

What's Cooking? - Garlic Soup

I know this is a little late in the season, but there are still some of you out there with fierce colds and flu. I thought I'd post my favorite cure. I've taken an old Spanish Garlic Soup recipe and altered it over the years. The recipe is for one serving of two bowls. I always eat two. Garlic is a fantastic source of natural antibiotics and the cayenne pepper is great for circulation. 



Here's what Wikipedia has to say about Garlic.


GARLIC SOUP


2 cloves garlic, diced
2 slices of white bread torn, crusty stale is better
2 T olive oil
2 cups water
one egg, slightly beaten
cayenne pepper
salt to taste


In a medium saucepan add oil, saute garlic until very light brown and soft. Add torn bread pieces and saute stirring constantly until brown. the garlic will brown more too. Add the water and mash the bread until it's incorporated with the water. Add the beaten egg and stir quickly to incorporate with the bread. I usually add about a teaspoon or more of the cayenne. I like spicy. You might want to use a bit less. The more you can tolerate, the better for your cold. Add salt to taste. 


If you want a bigger batch, just increase. This does make 2 small bowls, so you can make for a crown accordingly. It doesn't hurt to add more garlic either.