Fun With Food

Learning new skills can be time consuming. We are trying to be methodical about Jim's diet.

Thursday, I soaked dried pinto and red beans so that I could make low-sodium chili for Jim. Friday, I cooked the beans, and for too long. So the plan changed to refried beans and brown rice.

I have never been good at cooking rice (except the instant kind). I made the mistake of trying a new cooking method--the microwave--as well as a new kind of rice (brown). Two thirds of the way through the cooking cycle, the rice was completely dried out pieces plastered to the bottom of the casserole dish. I discovered this morning I used the 1/3 cup measure instead of the 1/2 cup measure to draw the water. Made a huge difference!!

But the refried beans turned out well. Mashed beans, bean water, a little onion powder, a little Mrs. Dash, a little fake salt (although I don't think it's allowed), all mixed up and cooked down and served with a touch of shredded mozzarella and sour cream. Jim ate all that I gave him and said it was good. Woo Hoo! A new dish. Although Jim is a picky eater, he is being very forgiving about the need for him to control his diet.

Max and Ennis woke me at 4:45 am for breakfast. Jim says: "That kitchen is a hot-bed of activity." He does have a sense of humor, and he makes me laugh with those sorts of comments.

So I headed out at 5:15 to grocery shop. Our normally 24-hour grocery was closed. No sign about holiday hours. Sigh!!

Trying the chili again today. Jim's says he's getting tired of poultry.

Jim's assignment starting today is to keep a record of what he eats and drinks each day. I will try to develop a database/spreadsheet that assigns nutritional values to what he eats so that we can make sure we adhere to his dietary restrictions, including 2g sodium and 1200 ml clear fluids a day. We are accountants so we can be methodical when we need to be. After a few months, we should be able to hit the dietary requirements in our sleep.

Jim and I were exhausted yesterday after our meeting with 3 health care groups. We now have a home health agency, although we are not happy with nurse/aide/PT visits only 2x/week (when Medicare will cover a max of 3x/week) and not happy that the aide will not do light housekeeping or prepare food for Jim. We may need to change agencies once we get more settled.

The Delaware Hospice's Transitions (non-medical) program sounds great. The case manager social worker is going to try to find a volunteer to help me transport Jim to his Tuesday DR appointment, and find a volunteer to come in 2x/week to sit with Jim while I do shopping chores.

We also talked to a 2nd hospice (Vitas) even though we are not going with hospice right now. It's nice to know the differences in programs should the time come that we need hospice.

We feel like we are getting our ducks in a row, much better than when Jim came home from Shipley.

Practice makes perfect.