I will share this with you because you are my friend. I have been hazy lately. It’s like my brain is running in mud. If you understand this expression, then maybe we are on the same page. I try to focus, I honestly do. Information just can’t get through the fog. I blame it on several factors although I am not sure if it can be pinpointed to one, or if there are several contributors, external and internal.
Examples of this “fog” recently came to light when I enter a room and forget what I came for. The next thing I know I am distracted by a book or magazine and have wasted a half hour, though time spent reading is never really a waste to me. Sometimes I brush my teeth in the morning, twice. I actually feel the water cup and toothbrush to see if it’s wet; I just can’t remember. I have been accused of telling the same story to my husband and children over and over. In my mind, a good story is worth hearing twice, but that is my opinion. When I open packages from Amazon, I don’t know what is inside. I swear I could plan my own surprise party!
This problem became known to my family recently in which will forever be called “Sandy got lost and went to Chisholm” caper. I was going to Duluth to meet my parents for dinner to celebrate my dad’s 82nd birthday. I had my friend Amber along, and of course my trusted Google maps. I have driven to Duluth more times than I can tell you, but from the beginning I had a fog come over me and left common sense behind. We had decided to dine at Valentini’s. I even called for a 7 p.m. reservation. I pushed directions on my GPS and left Annandale. In Mora, the normal route changed and I continued going North. In McGregor, Maps took me West instead of East. My only thought was “this must be a shortcut to Hermantown.” I only realized my mistake when I arrived at Valentini’s in Chisholm at 6:55. My parents were happily seated at Valentini’s in Hermantown more than an hour away.
Mr. Valentini was very kind and impressed that I visited both his restaurants in the same evening. My family, on the other hand, is ready to send me to the funny farm.
I blame it on seasonal allergy medication. Whatever the cause, if you see me out wandering, remind me that I live in South Haven, and point me towards home. Peace and hugs, Sandy
“I just finally discovered what’s wrong with my brain: on the left side there is nothing right and on the right side, there is nothing left.”
Salmon with Asparagus
6-8 new potatoes, halved if large
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 asparagus spears, trimmed and
halved
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 salmon fillets, about 140 g/
5 oz. each
handful basil leaves
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Tip the potatoes and 1 Tbsp. of olive oil into an ovenproof dish, then roast the potatoes for 20 minutes until starting to brown. Toss the asparagus in with the potatoes, then return to the oven for 15 minutes.
Throw in the cherry tomatoes and vinegar, and nestle the salmon amongst the vegetables. Drizzle with the remaining oil, and return to the oven for a final 10-15 minutes until the salmon is cooked. Top with the basil leaves and serve everything scooped straight from the dish.
Orange and Blueberry Bircher
1/2 cup oats
2 Tbsp. golden flaxseed
zest of 1/2 an orange
3/4 cup of yogurt
2 peeled and chopped oranges
1 cup blueberries
Mix oats and flaxseed with the zest of 1/2 an orange. Pour 1 and 1/4 cups boiling water over mixture and leave overnight. The next day, stir in yogurt. Spoon into glasses or bowls, top with
2 peeled and chopped oranges and blueberries. Makes 4 servings.
Chicken & Avocado Salad with Blueberry Balsamic Dressing
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup blueberries
1 Tbsp. extra virgin rapeseed oil
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 cup canned or frozen lima beans
1 large cooked beet, finely
chopped
1 avocado, stoned, peeled and
sliced
2 cups bag mixed baby leaf salad
1 and 1/2 cooked chicken
Finely chop the garlic. Mash half the blueberries with the oil, vinegar, and some black pepper in a large salad bowl.
Warm the lima beans.
Stir the garlic into the dressing, then pile in the warm beans and remaining blueberries with the beet, avocado, salad, and chicken. Toss to mix, but don’t go overboard or the juice from the beet will turn everything pink.
Pile onto plates or into shallow bowls to serve.