Home Again, Home Again....

We just got home from our week long trip. I can't remember the last time I didn't have the Internet for a whole week...Oh the horror! No, I'm kidding, it was actually pretty refreshing. I said I was going on vacation when in actual fact, our vacation this summer was really a taking care of business type of thing. My boyfriends' Ome had a stroke a couple of months ago and she just got out of the hospital last week. She's doing really well, with the help from a lot of rehabilitation but two major challenges she's still dealing with are the inability to effectively use her left hand and to chew food. This means that the only food she can eat has to be pureed. Seriously.

I've told you many times about what an amazing cook and host Ome has always been and since the stroke she can't cook or eat any real food. Our mission this past week was to visit her, spend some great time with her and cook tasty, nutritious meals that wouldn't have her feeling like she was eating baby food.

Given the circumstances I thought potato leek soup, borscht, chicken stew and cream of mushroom soup would be satisfying enough for Ome to forget about the lack of flavorful food she's had to endure and focus on getting even better. As much as it's possible for someone who loves cooking so much to think about anything else. I really felt for her, she's once again given me more appreciation for food.

There were many new things I learned from Ome this past week. One being that a splash of vinegar at the end of a borscht is essential to balance out the sweetness of the beets. The second was that as a host, sitting in the middle seat of a large table allows you to maneuver the dishes in perfect sync. I think though, the most important thing I learned this week is that we must always be grateful about the little things in life, such as the ability to chew food and chop vegetables. I can't even imagine how frustrating this ordeal has been for Ome but if there's anyone who can handle it, it's her. I can't wait for the day when she's kicking me out of her kitchen and her hostess seat.