The Hot Handle

A blog interspersed with occasional gluten free recipes.

Please note: If you have a family member who requires a gluten free diet, be sure to use a cast iron skillet that has never previously touched gluten....and if it has, scrub it all down completely and re-season, to be on the safe side.

Looking for information on Celiac Disease? There are many good sites, but here is one to get started with:
www.celiacdisease.net/celiac-disease-101.



Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Covid Chronicles, Week 20

Another week checked off!

This week I came across this interesting video about how masks work:

On Sunday (7/26) we drove up to Katie and Andy's house in Lancaster, MA.  They will be married TEN years on August 20!!  We brought them an early anniversary gift of a gas grill, to go on their back porch, alongside their new patio set.  We also brought the accessories and food to put it to good use right away.  It was fun to surprise them like this.....they only knew that we were coming, and bringing food, and that we needed Andy to be present with some tools and a mask.  

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Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Covid Chronicles, Week 19



Last week, on Sunday evening (7/12), we got some takeout in an attempt to return to a "date night" routine.  I ordered a burger (which comes with *amazing* onion rings), and also a kale salad that I planned to mostly consume the following day for lunch.  

Unfortunately, the evening after I ate the salad on Monday, I woke up with the runs.  

After the second excursion into the bathroom, I realized that this can be a symptom of Covid.  (I have a good friend who actually had this symptom with Covid!)

"I'm going to sleep in Katie's room," I told Peter.

"No, you can stay here."

Pause.  Rumblings in my stomach continued.

"No, I'm going to sleep in Katie's room."

I must have hit the bathroom five times that night.  I got up with a mild headache.  I ate breakfast in a separate room.  I wore a mask anytime I was inside.  

I recalled reading articles that suggested if a person is exposed to less of the virus at the onset, the symptoms are more mild.  This stuck with me because it seemed logical to think that meant a vaccine could be effective.  I figured that anything I could do to keep Peter from possibly being in contact with the potential virus was good, even if he was destined to get it anyway.  

I took my temperature.  Twice.  No fever.  Stomach stayed OK, too. 

By 10:30 pm that night, alone in Katie's bed, I decided it was too hard to sleep there, and I was feeling better.  I crawled back into my own bed.  I felt pretty good by Wednesday morning, and I resumed all normal activities.  

Except kale salad. 

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This week I came across this interesting piece:


Dear Diary 2020 Edition,

In โ„๏ธ January, ๐Ÿ”ฅ Australia caught on fire. I donโ€™t even know if that fire was put out, because we straight up almost went to war with Iran.  We might actually still be almost at war with them ๐Ÿค”. I donโ€™t know, because ๐Ÿ‘ฉ Jen Aniston and ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿป Brad Pitt spoke to one another at an awards ๐Ÿ† show and everyone flipped out ๐Ÿ˜ฒ, but then there was this thing happening in ๐Ÿฆ‡ China, then ๐Ÿ‘‘ Prince Harry and Megan โœŒ๐Ÿผ peaced out of the Royal family, and there was the whole impeachment trial ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€โš–๏ธ, and then CHINA virus ๐Ÿฆ  showed up in the US โœ”๏ธโ€œofficially,โ€ but then ๐Ÿ€ Kobe died ๐Ÿ˜ญand UK peaced out of the European Union.

In February, the president was acquitted and the ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿผโ€๐Ÿ’ผSpeaker of the House took -Ten. Whole. Years.- to rip up a speech, but then the๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ”ฌ ๐ŸŒŽWHO decided to give this virus a name, COVID-19, which confused ๐Ÿค”some really important people ๐Ÿ‘” in charge of, like, our lives, into thinking there were 18 other versions before it, but then Harvey Weinstein was found guilty ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿปโ€โš–๏ธ, and Americans started asking if Corona beer ๐Ÿบ was safe to drink ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ, and everyone on Facebook became a doctor ๐Ÿ‘จโ€โš•๏ธ who just knew the ๐Ÿค’flu killed way more people than COVID 1 through 18.

In March, stuff hit the fan ๐Ÿ‘ฟ. Warren dropped out of the presidential race and Sanders was like Bernie or bust ๐Ÿ’ฅ, but then Italy shut its whole country down ๐Ÿšท, and then COVID Not-1-through-18 officially became what everyone already realized, a ๐Ÿ˜ฑ pandemic, and then a nationwide state of emergency ๐Ÿ†˜ was declared in US, but it didnโ€™t really change anything, so everyone was still confused or thought it was still just a flu ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ, but then COVID Not-18 was like, "Yaโ€™ll not taking me seriously? ๐Ÿ’ก Iโ€™m gonna infect the one celebrity everyone loves!" - and totally infected Tom Hanks๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿป, and also said, "Yโ€™all close all of the schools so yโ€™all can ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ appreciate teachers ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿซ for once (because you canโ€™t teach them anything other than how to use a touch screen๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ)," and "Close down all of the salons so you canโ€™t get your ๐Ÿ’‡โ€โ™‚๏ธ hair or your nails done ๐Ÿ’…."  Then everyone had to work from home and attend Zoom meetings in their underwear. The ๐Ÿ“‰ DOW took a dive on itself, and most of us still donโ€™t understand why the stock market is so important or even a thing ๐Ÿค”.  We were then all introduced to ๐Ÿ… Tiger King and the ONE thing we can all agree on this year ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ, Carol totally killed her husband โšฐ๏ธ ..... whacked him!  And then Netflix was like, "Youโ€™re welcome," and we all realized there was no way we were washing our hands enough in the first place because all of our hands are now dry and gross and were all searching for lotion now.

In ๐ŸŒง April, Bernie finally busted โœŒ๐Ÿผ himself out of the presidential race ๐Ÿƒ, but then NYC ๐Ÿ—ฝ became the set of The Walking Dead ๐Ÿ’€ and we learned that no one has face masks ๐Ÿ˜ท, ventilators, or toilet paper, or THE FREAKING SWIFFER WET JET LIQUID, and by then our ๐Ÿฆ outgrowth was showing, so there was a shortage on ๐Ÿ“ฆ box hair dye and all of our hairdressers were like, ๐Ÿ˜ฑ "NO DON'T DO IT!!!"  But, then Kim Jong-Un died, but then he came back to life โ€ฆ or did he? Who knows, because then the Pentagon released ๐ŸŽฅ videos of UFOs and nobody cared, and we were like man, itโ€™s only Aprilโ€ฆ.

In ๐Ÿ’ May, the biblical end times kicked off, with historical locust swarms, murder hornets ๐Ÿ, and the realization that 2020 was the start of the Hunger Games ๐Ÿ™ˆ (however, people forgot to let us know). Some people started to protest lock-down measures with ๐Ÿ”ซ AR-15s.  ๐Ÿ€โšพ๏ธ Sports events were cancelled everywhere.  Then people all over America finally reached a breaking point with race issues and violence. There were ๐Ÿ—ฃ protests in every city ๐ŸŒƒ, which was confusing to some of us because people were definitely gathering in ๐Ÿ‘ซ crowds of more than ๐Ÿ–๐Ÿผ๐Ÿคš๐Ÿผ10, and for sure closer than 6 foot away โฌ…๏ธโžก๏ธ from each other. Those people must have forgotten about the ๐Ÿ˜– pandemic called COVID Not-One-Through-18.  Media ๐Ÿ“บ struggled with how to ๐Ÿคฌ focus on two important things at once, and people in general struggled to focus on more than one important thing.  A dead whale ๐Ÿ‹ was found in the middle of the Amazon rain forest ๐ŸŒณ after monkeys ๐Ÿ’ stole COVID 1-Through-19 from a lab ๐Ÿ”ฌ and ran off with them, and either in May or April (no one can keep track of time now) a giant asteroid โ˜„๏ธ narrowly missed the Earth ๐ŸŒ.

In โ˜€๏ธ June, science and common sense just got thrown ๐Ÿคพ๐Ÿผ straight out the window and somehow ๐Ÿ˜ท wearing masks became a ๐Ÿ› political thing, but then everyone sort of remembered there was a pandemic, but then decided that not wearing a mask was somehow a โœ๏ธ God-given right (still haven't found that part in the Bible, or even in the Constitution). Then ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ”ฌ scientists announced they found a mysterious undiscovered mass at the center of the earth, and everyone was like ๐Ÿ™…๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ™…๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿšง DONโ€™T YOU DARE TOUCH IT, but then everyone took a pause to realize that some people actually believed that Gone With The Wind ๐Ÿ’จ was like non-fiction, but then it was also announced that there is a strange ๐Ÿ›ฐ radio signal coming from somewhere in the universe ๐ŸŒŒ that repeats itself every so many days, and everyone was like ๐Ÿ‘ฝ DONโ€™T YOU DARE ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH ITโ€ผ๏ธ๐Ÿšซ But then America reopened ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ from the shut-down that actually wasnโ€™t even a shut-down, and so far, things have gone spectacularly .... not that great ๐Ÿ‘Ž๐Ÿผ. All of the "Karen"s came out at once, and people started tearing down ๐Ÿ”จ statues. Everyone was on Facebook arguing ๐Ÿคผโ€โ™€๏ธ that masks kill because no one knows how breathing works ๐Ÿ‘ƒ๐Ÿผ, but then Florida ๐Ÿ– was like "Hold my beer," ๐Ÿบ and "Let me show you how weโ€™re number one ๐Ÿฅ‡ in all things, including new Not-Corona-Beer Coronavirus."  Trump ๐Ÿ‘ฑ๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ decided it was a good time to ask the Supreme Court ๐Ÿ› to shut down โŒ Obamacare because what better time to do so than in the middle of a pandemic ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ, but then we learned there was a massive dust cloud โ˜๏ธ coming straight at us ๐Ÿ“ from the Sahara Desert ๐Ÿซ, which is totally normal, but this is 2020, so the ๐Ÿ‘ป ghost mummy thing is most likely in that dust cloud. We then ๐Ÿ“š learned of meth-gators ๐ŸŠ, and I'm like, "That is so not on my flipping 2020 Bingo card ๐Ÿ˜ก and can we use it as the free space??" ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿป Then we learned that the Congo's worst ever Ebola ๐Ÿšจ outbreak is over ๐Ÿ˜“, and we were all like, "There was an Ebola outbreak that was the worse ever?" ๐Ÿ‘€ ....... and donโ€™t forget we just discovered FLYING SNAKES! ๐Ÿ Seriously! FLYING SNAKES!!!!

So here comes Julyโ€ฆ. at this point we are over it, just tell us whatโ€™s next .... ๐Ÿ‘ฝ Aliens? ๐Ÿ”ฑZeus? โ˜„๏ธ Asteroids?  Artificial Intelligence becomes self aware?  Can it just be something cool ๐Ÿ˜Ž or fun for once?  Maybe even a good laugh, like hahaha ๐Ÿ˜‚ April Fools! We all actually wouldnโ€™t mind that joke at this point.

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I have no idea who wrote this.

Also, why didn't I know about the whale in the Amazon? 
Or a few other things because I just canโ€™t keep up anymore!

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Covid Chronicles, Week 18


It's getting characteristically hot here in CT at this point.  I love being outside, and when I want to read or knit it seems such a waste to be sitting in the air conditioning, but sometimes it is so humid that it just doesn't work.  Generally, if I can get shade and a breeze, I'm fine as long as I'm only reading or knitting.  The trick is that the shade doesn't set in on my back porch or front patio until 3:30 or later.  

Peter is back to his welding class at Asnuntuck......daily lab work, 12-3!!!  It's a lot considering we have been getting comfortable with more time at home.  He can't go to welding lab on Tuesdays, because that's his work day for YNHH.  He knows that he doesn't "have to" do this, but he generally is not a quitter.  We're hoping that it only lasts until July 30.  (No one seems quite sure about the complete schedule.)

The biggest news since last week has been that John broke it off with his girlfriend.  They had been dating just a few days short of three years, but things came to a head on July 5, which caused him to reflect on what life would be like if they stayed together.  I must say we completely understand his situation and feelings; we believe he has come to the right decision.  It's all very complex, and I'm glad he stood up for himself like he did.  

Never a dull moment!!!

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Covid Chronicles, Week 17


Perhaps you are like me in that, during this darn Covid crisis, some days I feel like I'm rocking it; other days I just feel like crying.  Luckily my "lows" are getting less frequent, however. 

Last week I had a day where I was rocking it:  I did my power exercise routine with weights for an hour, working up a sweat.  I also worked for about four hours organizing my recipes, which are in four three-ring binders.  They are greatly pared down now, and still in four three-ring binders, but they are no longer overflowing, and they are fairly organized.  I even went for a few walks that day, and achieved well over my 10K steps goal! 

I'm trying to keep this momentum up.  Yesterday I cleared out my shoe areas, and each day I'm trying to do a little bit more to reduce our "stuff."  I think it's good for me to have daily "objectives" to meet.  We all need a sense of accomplishment.  

On Thursday, July 2, Peter was out working at his new garden.  He came in slightly earlier than expected, and when I saw him run to the sink with a bloody mess in his hands I gasped and exclaimed, "Is that YOU?"  He responded, "Yes, but it isn't as bad as it looks."  

Apparently he cut the outside of his thumb with a hand saw.  (How ironic!)  I dropped everything to drive him to our nearest walk-in center that can do stitching.  Luckily he was able to move his fingers and all; that's a good sign.  Of course, due to Covid I waited in the parking lot while he went in and waited for his turn, etc.  He texted me photos here and there.  The whole thing only took about two hours total, so it didn't impact our day except for a late lunch.  Some ibuprofen before bed helped him to sleep without pain.  And yes, he has antibiotics.  

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Yesterday Peter finally was able to go back to Asnuntuck Community College to get back to the lab work for his class in welding. Since he's right handed, the injury doesn't seem to matter too much. It should be pretty safe for him to go into a well-ventilated welding booth by himself, especially with hardly anyone else in the building!  He'll be happy when he is finally done with this class, just for the fact that it was suspended for quite a while due to Covid.   

Last week in the CSA I received kohlrabi.  I got another one today!  It's an interesting vegetable that looks like Sputnik. In the past I've make kohlrabi chips in the oven, but now that I have two large bulbs I'm planning on googling some other recipes.  Will probably roast them this time.  Roasted veggies always seem to taste good!