Big Changes and Comfort Food

There have been many changes at the Osbornes recently.  First, two weeks ago, we moved my mother from one assisted living facility to another.  So you are thinking, what would bring you to do such a thing so close to Christmas?  Well, we had to.  My sister lives the same small community and visits her daily.  My sister works in a care facility for developmentally disabled folks, so she has some learning in the area of care and began seeing some things she thought were wrong.  To make a long story short, she started keeping track of the facility's administration of our mother's medication and found that they were doing a very poor job.  She found that they were skipping days of her medication.  She saw that they hadn't initialed the box in her records for each pill, then after the fact going back and initialling them days later.  Even a non-medical person like myself would know this is like a bad thing.  And, yes, some of her pills are missing.  


I'm not showing current pictures right now, but here is an old blog about her. http://dinnerattheosbornes.blogspot.com/2009/12/visit-with-my-mom.html


Now, when God was handing out stuff, my sister and I were standing in different lines.  She is a sweet and kind person, a great caregiver, but not an assertive person.  I'm sorry, but you don't want to be hurt around me.  I can hand out band aids and Tylenol, but I just don't have much else.  On the other hand, if there is a war to be waged, I'm your gal.  So, I started firing certified mail and faxes at them, but I wasn't there.  My sister did a stellar job of having three meetings with them and they promised corrections, but they couldn't stop making huge mistakes.  So we took her out.  What could we do?  I took too good employees, one of our trucks, our largest trailer and we moved her.  Yea, there's more to the story, but that's the punch line.  


I'm still dealing with the aftermath.  We filed a complaint with the State.  They are currently being investigated.  So, if you are old and can't defend yourself and you don't have two strong people to defend you, what's up with that?  We filed our complaint with the State to defend the others in the same facility.  If you are considering a facility in the central Willamette Valley, e-mail me for info. 


Oh, and she is doing really well so far.  She took the move well and seems to be happy. 



More from that day.    When I was a kid, this was a burger joint called Hansel and Gretel.  I passed it on the way home from grade school and junior high.  I ate there only a couple times, because I almost never had any money and my parents didn't want to eat in burger joints, go figure.  I remember longing, pining actually, to stop and have a soda there.  Some neighbor kids had money for sodas and, Oh My God, milk shakes, but I didn't and I was jealous.  I'm not proud of it, but it's true and I remember to this day.  


But really.  Do you know the Hansel and Gretel story by The Grimm Brothers.  Two children of a poor wood cutter, their step mother convinces Dad to let her take them out into the forest and leave them because they are so poor that there is no food.  The kids overhear the plot and take with them stones to drop on the way out as a path back.  When they return, step mom takes them further into the forest where they meet up with a witch who tries to cook and eat them.  Being a step mother myself, it is hard sometimes, this is really over the line.  Also, not a good name for a restaurant.  Just saying. Today, it is a very nice Mexican Restaurant.  Good food, good service. 


The other big change is that step son, daughter in law, step grand daughter and brilliant baby will be staying with us for a while.  They moved from their old place today.  They are between places temporarily.  It's getting worked on.  We all hope no longer than 2 weeks.  Time to make the best of it. 

Stuffed Potatoes  
I baked seven small russets in the oven early in the day.  Baked potatoes really are better from the oven than the microwave.  It's a texture thing.  When cool enough to handle, I sliced each in half and used a fork to remove the center.  I used to stress out about getting every little bit, but not now.  Leaving a little bit helps them hold their shape and look better.  I sprayed my pan with cooking spray and place each potato skin in it skin side down. 

You can clean out the veggie drawer with this one or use your favorites.  We like this one with broccoli and mushrooms. 

 

I've got a couple pieces of bacon from a holiday dish which I cook and crumble.  Get rid all grease but 1 or 2 T or how every much you want.  A scallion and 2 cloves of garlic get cooked down a bit.  Broccoli, 2 bunches, finely chopped and the flesh of a roasted red pepper, 1/2 dozen nice big crimini mushrooms, finely chopped. 

Cook baby cook.

 

Into the potato pulp.  4 T. melted Tillamook butter, 1/2 c. low fat Tillamook Sour Cream and mix to combine.   And by the way, isn't melted butter pretty?

Spoon into the prepared potato shells and bake at around 350 until hot and a little crusty on the top.

Oh, and a Beef Cross Rib Roast doesn't hurt anything. 

 

Remember to make comfort food.