5/15
After two weeks of excruciating pain, yesterday I had a root canal. I’ve never looked forward to a dental procedure as much as this. I’ve also been dealing with another physical problem. I have a pain in the middle of my chest. It feels like something is blocked. When I eat, it is worse.
Should have called the doctor but I didn’t.
When I woke I knew I couldn’t go in the garden, the temperature was going to be in the high 80’s. I was determined to make the coleslaw recipe that called for the peppers and head of cabbage that had been in the fridge. I called my cousin, (I hate talking on the phone). It makes it easier if I’m doing something while talking. Well I was thrilled she didn’t answer so I put on The Beatles channel and started the coleslaw.
It’s an easy recipe that I found when I’d been given a gift of red pepper jelly. (I thought at the time, what the hell am I going to do with this?). I think it was in Southern Living magazine, (I cook a lot of their recipes), that I saw a recipe that used red pepper jelly and it sounded good. It was for a mayonnaise free coleslaw.
Usually I buy the bags of shredded cabbage but this time the cabbage was on sale so I bought the head. First step is cutting peppers and red onion into thin strips and shredding the cabbage. I knew the food processor could do it but I couldn’t get it out of the cabinet. The base is heavy and I can only use one hand to lift and carry, (my other hand was holding on so that I can stand). I saw the blender had a shred button so I took it out, loaded with cabbage and turned it on. Nothing. I took it apart and put it back together and tried again, nothing! Ok, so I pull out the hand grater and start grating. I’m making quite a mess and I’m getting very little grated cabbage. I rememberI have a mandolin. That I’ve never used and go find it. The direction are in Chinese so I put it back.
At this point it will take a long time and I’m also getting frustrated. I decide to just shred it myself with a knife. So now this simple step has taken up more than an hour! I will ALWAYS buy the bags from now on. So then I mix the dressing, very easy, combine the two and refrigerate. I tried some but it hurt going down. I slept the rest of the afternoon. Recipe below
Spicy Pepper Jelly Coleslaw
Prep time 20 minutes
Serves 6
4 cups shredded cabbage (2bags) Dressing
1 thinly sliced red bell pepper 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or cilantro paste*
1 thinly sliced yellow bell pepper 1/4 cup red pepper jelly
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 3 Tbls. Olive oil
2 Tbls lime juice
Kosher salt and black pepper
Combine ingredients and whisk together dressing and combine.
* I didn’t have fresh cilantro and either did grocery store but in the produce aisle where they have the fresh herbs, I bought this paste nd it was delicious, so that’s what I use now.
When I got up, I felt worse, my chest was burning. We are in quarantine for the Covid 19 virus and I haven’t been anywhere but my husband has. I thought maybe it could be that cause I had trouble breathing and dry cough. Took my temperature and was normal. I googled my symptoms and have determined that it’s definitely my esophagus. I only cough while trying to eat. On a side note, I thought maybe I was being sent a message to stop eating. First the nerve in my tooth and now this. Maybe I can lose my gut through all this pain. Anyway, it was too late to call doctor.