Feast and Plague

I don't know about you Internet folk, or specifically you people I adore in far off lands like Athens, Georgia, but here in Austin we're in the middle of a full-on flu-plague.  I guess Texas is too expansive to warrant a NY-style state of emergency situation related to illness, but I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that everyone I hold near and dear (and even those people I just kind of know) here has been under the weather.    I lived under a fleece blanket for about a week, and as soon as I was better, John needed to take similar shelter.  We have spent a Benjamin on medicine.  Finally, and fingers crossed, we have come out of the other side.

As I rotated helping to care for J and various family members over the past few weeks (my dad was perhaps the most difficult patient, but he and I are cut from the same hypochondria-cal cloth, so no judgment), I did finally truly understand the healing powers of eating right during an illness.  There's a reason why soup is the miracle sick-food; it's got the essential, ancient base of broth and becomes a vessel in which you can throw anything into--veggies, lean meats, aromatic spices, you know the drill.  The best part is that if you have some chicken or veggie stock on hand, good soup requires no recipe outside of a little imagination and understanding of what's good for your sick-y people.  And I never realized how well paprika and cumin hang out together in a bowl.

I've been cooking A LOT lately; in fact, J is in the process of designing a new food blog for me that will be replete with recipes.  I'll share the link soon, but in the meantime, here's a little photo montage of what we've been up to.  Highlights: a wedding in a cave in Boerne, Texas (pronounced Bernie)--a town that has delightful people but a Yelp presence that hasn't been updated in years; we tried to hunt down many establishments that apparently do not exist, including a Starbucks I desperately needed.  Also lots of cuddling with the cats during our illnesses.  The aforementioned cooking.  Running when we can.  And hosting a couple of gatherings in which I get caught off guard by the camera (see below).

HI! to all my friends and family that are still reading. Miss you.