Year Four, Day 42: Congee ala Z! And Hopped Grapefruit Kombucha

I am just now beginning to feel human again.

I was beginning to wonder if the antibiotics were working at all.  I was beginning to let my mind go to dark places.  

The land of the "what if's"

"What if I have an abscessed tooth?"

"What if I have bone cancer?"

"What if I never recover?"

I decided to just put an end to the what if's. And focus on recovery. One moment at a time.  

I have started resorting to home remedies.

It began yesterday. I decided to make the trip to Portland to teach.  Apparently I am not contagious.  I was told this is a bacterial infection. Hence the antibiotics.  Viral infections do not require antibiotics.

I thought I could handle it. I did. I started out feeling pretty good in the morning.  I had oatmeal for breakfast and black tea.  The hot tea soothed my throat and seemed to open my sinuses.  I'm trying not to move my jaw much. My right TMJ joint is severely out of wack.  I placed a hot, wet washcloth on my face and leaned my head back.  The steam opened my sinuses. My jaw joints felt like they opened up and relaxed. I am going to keep eating soft foods and fluids until I get this under control.  I hope I remember this pain next time I am faced with something crunchy or chewy!

I packed light.  Just a few DVD's I needed to return to the library. And my new book Shinrin Roku: The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing. Love this book!  I can't wait to be healed enough to do some serious hiking in the woods and let it do it's magic! 

It did feel good to finally get out of the house and walk through the park.  I actually stopped and put my hand on one of the trees.  I took a deep breath and imagined healing come through his rough bark and into my veins.

A young couple passed by and looked at me oddly.  So I continued on my way.  I made it to Portland in record time.  Enough time to stop at the library. I dropped off some books and then I planned on stopping for a lovely hot bowl of pho before I went to teach my classes. I had a light day of teaching.  Only two classes.  

My head was starting to pound as I walked up the street.  My jaw was throbbing.  My throat burned.  

Then I stopped dead in my tracks.  The pho restaurant I had planned on eating at had gone out of business!  There was graffiti all over the outside of the building.

So I moved on to Plan B. There was a Fred Meyer right across the street. This particular Freddy's had a sushi bar.  Miso soup sounded really appealing.

So I shuffled across the street and entered the building. But everything had changed!

They must be remodeling. The only that was in it's old spot was the produce. 

And the sushi bar had disappeared!

I felt like I was in a horror movie.  What next?  Was that the ominous music I heard that said the killer was right behind me?  No. Just my pounding head and throbbing jaw.

So I went on to Plan C.  There is a lovely Szechwan Chinese restaurant near the music center. I often stop for cashew nut shrimp and hot and sour soup. Their lunch specials are very reasonable.  And I think their hot and sour soup is the best in town.

And I just passed by their yesterday. They had not gone out of business.

Only, I could not imagine chewing shrimp, cashews or even rice. 

Then it dawned on me. Why had I not thought of this sooner?

CONGEE!!

I was so happy, I practically skipped to the bus stop.  

I got to the restaurant. My usual server was there.

She greeted me with a smile and showed me to my table.

"Cashew nut shrimp?", she asked as she poured my ice water.

"Not today", I said, pointing to my throat. "Do you still have congee?"

She looked surprised. Congee is not on the menu.  

"I'm a little sick", I explained.

"Oh, yes!  Congee. Very good!" She smiled.

I told her no bread. It usually comes with sticks of bread to soak in the broth.

For those of you that are not in the know, don't feel bad. I stumbled upon congee quite by accident many years ago at this same restaurant. With one of my killer sore throats. The serve told me congee was an "ancient Chinese remedy for sickness". She told me it was especially good for babies because it was easy to digest.

I sure do stumble across many ancient Chinese remedies!  And they work!

Much better than modern American over the counter meds, that's for sure!

Anyway, congee is basically a rice porridge.  It is rather watery, the rice so soft it almost disintegrates in your mouth.  Basically it is chicken broth, rice, and ginger, with sliced green onions on top. You can add meat to it. I had chicken.

It was heavenly!

Congee a la HoHo Restaurant, Portland, Oregon

It definitely took the edge off of the head, jaw and throat pain.  And I had a delightful afternoon teaching. I was worried since, it had been painful to talk. But my students are troopers. I told them I was losing my voice, so I would not talk as much and when I clapped my hands, that meant look up at the black board.

I would write what our next activity would be.  For instance, when they first get to class, I have my students warm up with their headphones while everyone gets settled. Then we gather for circle time and talk about our weeks. So about 4 minutes into class, I clapped my hands and wrote:

"CIRCLE TIME!" on the blackboard.

My wonderful students all looked up, smiled, and took off their headphones.  Then they came forward to the circle. And they started sharing without my prompting! :)

I love my students. And they were so understanding of my lack of voice. Many of them talked about how their parents made them stay inside the last few days because of the air quality.

Aha! The air quality! I'm sure that has not helped my asthma/sinus infection/TMJ syndrome!

I feel like a detective.

And today I made much progress in solving the crime! Er...my illness!

My daughter and I discovered "Hummm Kombucha: Hopped Grapefruit" No alcohol content, but flavored with hops. We each had one on tap at a lovely little kombucha/health food shop in Uptown Village Vancouver.  It's called "Arnada Naturals".  They have kombucha on tap! We tried several flavors, but the "Hopped Grapefruit" was a hit for both of us.  We talked about getting a growler, but we had some shopping to do, and didn't think it would keep well in the hot car. So we shared a large cup.

Now, my daughter and I do not drink alcohol. But I swear this was like a nice light, fruity ale.

And we had a very happy rest of our day!

Even better than hopped grapefruit kombucha, was my homemade congee I made when we got home!

I used a basic recipe, but added a Mediterranean twist. It turned out tasting like Greek Avgolemono soup. A family favorite.

We're not Greek. We just love good food!

Here's my simple recipe:

Congee a la Z!

1 cup white rice, rinsed

7 cups chicken broth

1 inch cube of fresh ginger root, minced

2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

salt to taste

Just put the rice and broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for about an hour, stirring occasionally and checking the flavor. I added a bit more water and a bit more salt.

The consistency should be like watery porridge. The rice cooked so that it practically melts in your mouth.

And it did.

Best congee ever! Even my daughter and Baby Gracie liked it!

Congee a la Z!

My congee didn't look as pretty. Probably the presentation. Nothing looks too appetizing in a paper bowl, with a plastic spoon.  But the taste was divine.  And I know it is healthy.  And that is what really matters to me! 

I really am feeling better. I am actually smiling as I type this!

AND I made it to the gym! First time in over a week! 

HOOYAH!

I only rode the bike and sat in the steam room, but I made it in!

And tomorrow is a new day!


Talk to you then.

Love,

Zita