Pizza Cutter Freebie!

Do you eat a lot of pizza in your house? We love pizza here. I had one of those wheel type pizza cutters, and it always got a lot of use, but somehow I lost it! I think it got thrown out in a pizza box. When it comes to pizza, regular knives just don't cut it (haha.. cut it - get it?) - that's why I was so excited to see this free offer -

FREE Pizza Knife Sample!

Run and fill out the form and get your free pizza knife. I can't wait to get mine!

Throwing a Birthday Party

It's coming up time for my son David's birthday. He's going to be 13 this year - a teenager at last! Thirteen for me always seemed like a major birthday - you're finally a teenager! But in Spanish, there is no X-teen, so 13 isn't really any different than 12 or 14.

David is a shy kid. He doesn't like having a lot of attention on him, so for the last couple of years, he's insisted on not having a birthday party. Fine with me - parties are a pain in the butt and expensive. He's happy for us to have a pizza and pick out a new DVD to watch, or to go to the movies.

Birthday parties for kids here have certain characteristics. First of all, a lot of the parents stay for the whole party, something you need to keep in mind when you're sending out your invitations. Also, they like to bring their little brother or sister.

I was always of the idea that when you throw a party, you put all the snacks in bowls on a table and have little plates where people serve themselves. No. You pass out little plates with a snack on it. Then people keep their little plate or napkin and you walk around the room over and over with the snacks. When you walk by with the potato chips, they take 2 or 3 chips. I think part of the reason for doing this is because (as I learned the hard way) if you put all the snacks out in bowls, the humidity makes them soggy in no time flat. The drinks are handled the same way. People don't choose their drink - they have a cup, and you walk around with a bottle of soda or pitcher of chicha morada and fill their cups. Generally, people accept whatever it is that you pass out. It's considered somewhat rude to NOT accept whatever is offered. Apart from the cake, there are certain foods that are expected - I was surprised to find that I was expected to make and serve Jello. I decided against it, because we were having a birthday cake made from layered jello called 'torta helada'. When my mother in law found out I wasn't going to serve jello, she made some and brought it. Asi es la vida.

Torta Helada

There's also the matter of entertainment. There is almost always entertainment - a clown, a magician or sometimes a 'party cheerleader' with music or a band. The purpose of the entertainment is to lead the party - they usually have a routine of 1 or 2 hours (you arrange the time in advance and pay accordingly) and lead the kids through games, dancing and jokes. Typically, all the kids will be involved in the games and competitions. Prizes - which you must provide - are handed out to the winners. One of the must-haves is a pinata. Although it's a Mexican custom, Peruvians love the pinata too. All the kids have little bags to fill with the toys and candies that fall from inside.

Even at a child's party, there will be lots of dancing. Usually, the entertainment will encourage kids to get up and dance, and parents will often dance too. That's one thing I do love about Peru, music and dancing is so entwined in everything they do. Birthday parties for the kids are a lot of work - but they're a lot of fun too. It was an especially great way to get to know the parents of Franco's friends when he started at a new school last year. All the same - I'm happy David is content with pizza and a movie for his birthday.

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The Gardner Came Today!

I have a gardener who comes every 2 weeks and cuts the grass in the front and back yard.  My upstairs neighbor pays for the front yard, and I pay for taking care of the back yard.  He does it all with a weed-eater, and has a large canvas sack tied around his waist like an apron, to protect his legs from flying grass, twigs and stones. Most gardeners I see here are usually in pretty grungy, dirty clothes, but somehow Vicente always manages to look clean and well dressed in khakis and polo shirts. And he never smells bad!  Ok - I know that may sound weird, but I'm really sensitive to how people smell, and for someone who works outside all day, I find it amazing that he never smells dirty or smelly.

He does a great job on our garden - it's amazing how quickly it puts it into shape. After he leaves, it's as well manicured as anything you'll see at Disney World.

Anyway - we're going to be doing a lot of work in the garden when my mom arrives, probably at the beginning of February.  We're going to be putting in roses in the backyard, and my mom would like more flowers in general.  I'm more fond of tropical plants, like dracaenas and crotons - but there's plenty of garden for both of us to have what we want. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I'll make sure to put up lots of before and after pictures.

Turkey and Spinach Quinoa

Quinoa is a grain-like food that's native to Peru.  The Incas are said to have thrived on it, and called it 'the mother of all grains'. It's a very popular dish here. I say it's 'grain-like' because although it's cooked and served like a grain, it's actually a seed, and not grown from a grass plant, like the true grains are. The quinoa plant itself is actually more closely related to the beet and spinach plant than it is to rice or wheat. When I first came to Peru, I had no idea how to cook it.  Here's a recipe I learned.


What You Need:

1 1/2 C of quinoa
2 C of chicken broth
1 t ground cumin
1 1/2 lb. turkey tenderloin
1/4 t of salt
2 small onions, sliced (or scallions if you can get them!)
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 C of fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
1 C of salsa

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Spray a cast iron Dutch oven with cooking spray.
Pour the quinoa into the prepared pan.
Add the chicken broth and cumin and stir it all up.
Place the turkey into the pan.
Sprinkle in the salt.
Add the onions
Layer the zucchini into the pan.
Spread the spinach leaves over the zucchini
Scatter the bell pepper slices over the spinach.
Spread the salsa out evenly over the top.
Cover and bake 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.

This is a great all-in-one meal.  I love it when I don't have to cook more than one cooking dish, don't you?  That's a Le Creuset French Oven in the picture up above, you can learn more about cooking with one if you click on the pic. 

I would imagine that this can also be done in a slow-cooker, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to get one here to Lima yet.  I'll keep it on the wish list. ;)

Haiti

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I've spent most of the morning listening to news about Haiti today - my heart just breaks for those poor people.  The poverty there is simply incredible - there are people there so poverty stricken that they actually bake crackers made of dirt.  And now, what little they had is gone. 

What I do notice (and I try very hard not to bring politics into this, but I have to say this) is the difference in the response from the US, in comparison to the earthquake here in Ica, and in comparison to the December 26 tsunami a few years ago.  I'm glad to see the US step up and do the right thing.

I saw an interesting suggestion from a woman on CNN message board:  If the US is going to be giving a lot of money in aid and reconstruction to Haiti, why not get skilled construction workers from the US - where so many are out of work right now - and send them over there, house them in cruise ships and pay them to do the re-building?  This way we create a few thousand jobs for Americans plus help a country that truly needs help.

Eating Raw Foods

Image via Wikipedia

So, it's like this.

I've been having some health issues - my hip is messing up on me, and worse, my heart is acting wonky.  Nothing too serious, but on top of all that, I'm feeling tired and having a general lack of energy.  So, I've decided that (along with seeing my doctor) I'm going to try to make some changes with my diet.  I don't really eat the healthiest of foods, most of the time.  I don't eat 'fast food' as a general rule, but we do have a Tuesday night pizza night, and I do love fried foods and lots of sauces.

I'd been doing a lot of research on gluten free and raw food diets recently.  While I don't think that gluten is an issue for me, I do like a lot of the more natural foods that are promoted on a gluten free diet.  And while I'm not sure that I can switch to a completely raw food diet, I do LOVE fruits and vegetables, and don't eat nearly enough of them. 

So, I'm switching to a 'mostly' raw food diet.  That means eating food that's as close as possible to its natural state.  So I'll be eating lots of fruits and vegetables in their uncooked states. And the foods that aren't raw, I'll be making a big effort to eat in more organic forms - things like switching to brown rice, whole grain bread and the like.  And I'll still be eating beans/lentils.  No white sugar - or as little as possible, anyway.  And I'll throw in some fish and chicken - but not fried, and no sauces or gravies.

I really don't expect switching to be a problem - I was 'mostly' vegetarian for about 3 years, and that was easy for me.  I ate the occasional turkey and fish. I think the most difficult thing for me is going to be going without my Sunday morning 'chicharron' (fried pork sandwiches) - but I think I can just switch it up for ceviche, and I'll be fine.

Today I had a delicious smoothie for breakfast.  Yesterday, I bought a bunch of fruits and veggies, and spent the afternoon cleaning and cutting up the fruit.  I put it in the freezer in containers, so in the mornings, all I have to do is pull out the fruit I want and pop some in the blender.  Today, I went with strawberry/mango/ cantaloupe/watermelon/spinach.  Yes, you heard me - spinach!  It made the smoothie a funny brown color, but the taste was delicious - like a light sorbet.  I added enough apple juice (100%, not from concentrate!) to make it 'blendable'.  And ate it together with a small handful of pecans and walnuts for fat/protein.

I'll keep y'all posted on how it goes, and how I feel.  But don't worry - I'm still going to be posting regular recipes - Peruvian, and otherwise!

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Another Accident :S

This time, in our car... Oh no! 

As Johnny was turning into the driveway last evening, a car behind him apparently didn't notice him with his turn signal on, and plowed into him.  Fortunately the damage is slight, and the other driver forked over the money to pay for repairs.  And Johnny wasn't hurt, that's the most important thing.

A Beautiful Day in Lima

Image via Wikipedia

Today has been an absolutely gorgeous day here in Lima.  The sun has been out almost all day, making it warm and lovely, but not too hot - I think it might have hit 80.  The birds have been nutso in the back yard.  I've had doves coming INTO the house to drink water from the dog bowl!  The whole back wall of our house is windows, which of course are open now - not to mention the big double doors - and the birds just come and go as they please.

Apart from the birds, the garden is really looking beautiful.  The bougainvillea has filled back in very nicely, and I've got hibiscus and roses blooming.  The peace lilies have dozens of flowers - the air just seems fresher in the backyard. Is it any wonder I never like to leave the house?

The bird in the picture is a Saffron Finch - and there's been a pair of them back there today scavenging for nesting material.  Looks like their building in the bougainvillea.  Let's wish them luck!

Spur of the Moment Meals

Image via Wikipedia

Since the boys are out of school now, they aren't spending a lot of time here at the house - they're visiting with their mother and grandmother now that they're free from homework and school. For me, that means I don't cook - I'm happy with cereal, oatmeal, tuna fish and sandwiches. Johnny eats out on the road during the day while he's working, and he's content to have something light in the evenings, too.

But today it happened that we were both hungry. That's why I always keep a few staples around for throwing together a quick meal. I usually have a few 1/2 kilos of ground beef in the freezer, various noodles, beans, tomato paste and sauces... like I said, basics. So here's what I did when we decided we wanted something to eat.

Beefy Ramen - serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 K (1lb) ground beef
2 packets of Ramen noodle Oriental flavor
2 Italian tomatoes, de-seeded and cut up into small pieces
1/2 a large onion, cut lengthwise in strips
1 pack of Maggi Sofrito, or your favorite stir fry or teriyaki sauce.

First, I put the Sofrito in my frying pan and start warming it up.
Add the sliced onions and the ground beef, stir it all up and cook it until the beef is browned through.
Add about 3-4 cups of water, bring it to a boil. The water doesn't need to be deep, just enough to get all of your noodles into.
Add in your Ramen noodles, the seasoning packs and the tomato.
As the noodles start to cook, break them apart so they can cook evenly.
Cover and let cook 3-5 minutes.

You can serve as is, I did and it was fine.
If you'd prefer a thicker sauce, you can thicken it with a little cornstarch or flour.

Johnny LOVED this - I was kind of surprised, it was so different from anything he usually eats.

If you're in the US and would like to try some Sofrito, it's available here - LatinProducts.com. If you're in Peru, it's available at Wong, Plaza Vea, etc in the seasoning aisle. It's really great for doing a quick stir-fry.

Happy New Year!

We had SUCH a great time New Year's Eve. Not as many people showed up as we were hoping for, but the people who did come were SO much fun! Doing everything BYOB worked out great - there was lots of 'here, try this!' going on. We had a fun mix of expats and Peruvians, dancing and singing, and just general merry making until the sun came up. I really want to say 'Thanks!!' to all the folks who came by, and we are absolutely doing this again next year.

It was full daylight by the time the last guest left and the music was turned off. I hit the pillow around 7am, and we slept until about 2pm. We woke up ravenous, and decided that it was a great day for ceviche. So Johnny and I went out - just the two of us! Hooray! We went out to El Fayke Piurano, which is one of our favorite ceviche restaurants. It was so nice, having our own car to drive, too. We had a plate of ceviche mixta (fish, shrimp, calamari, octopus, mussels) and jalea mixta (same mixture - but jalea is battered and fried) , and a nice tall glass of 'leche de tigre' - tiger's milk. That's the 'juice' from the ceviche - spicy and lemony, supposed to be great for a hangover. Neither one of us had a hangover, but it just seemed like a great combination for the day. I love the leche de tigre with my chifles - fried plantain chips - and cancha. The salt, citrus and spice is such a great taste combination. It really hit the spot!

The plan was then to go home, and chill out and watch a movie - we've got about a dozen DVD's that we haven't watched yet. Well - poor old Johnny never made it past the couch! He walked in, sat down... laid down... and that was it. He was out for the night. He did manage to crawl into bed around 11pm, and snuggled in while I watched reruns of CSI and Law and Order (my favorite late night activities ;))

All in all, I don't think I could have asked for a better New Years.

New Year's Eve Is Coming

Tomorrow night is New Year's Eve. Next year will be the last year of the first decade of the 2000's - hard to believe this 10 years has passed so quickly. Seems like it was just yesterday that everyone was panicked about the Y2K bug. That NYE passed badly for me - I was sick in bed with the flu, so missed out on all the Y2K excitement. I vaguely remember watching the ball drop several times, as one of the channels was showing the stroke of midnight around the world.

So what will the next year bring? I haven't a clue. It looks to be exciting, my mom and nephew will be here spending a lot more time with us. They'll be coming down at the end of January and staying for 6 months. I can't wait - We're all really looking forward to it.

I'm working on improving my financial status, and have set some goals for myself, which you can read about at my 'other' blog - Ok, Internet - Make Me Money! - if you are so inclined.

I'm also working on improving my relationship with my two sons - one is turning 13 in a month, the other is closing in on 11, and things are starting to get rocky. It's not easy, being a step-parent.

And I'm also making a commitment to spend more time together with my husband this year - we both have a tendency to get wrapped up in our own stuff and neglect our time together.

So, how about you? Are you making any resolutions?

Oh - and if you're in Lima tomorrow, come by around 9 or 10 - we're having a party. ;)

Image by pellis via Flickr

We ended up with a holiday worthy of 'A Christmas Story'.

Christmas Eve, I'm expected my husband's family to show up, as they have every year for the last 5, with all the food - my mother in law cooks every thing, and I typically make a side dish or two.

Around 6pm, i ask my husband who all is coming - and he casually replies 'Oh, didn't I tell you? Everyone is going over to my aunt's for Xmas eve, because she's sick and can't get out' .

For some reason, it had never been mentioned, although I'd been asking for 3 weeks what the plans were for Xmas eve.

Well, we had company in the house, backpackers from Venezuela and Ecuador, that we had invited to stay for Xmas with us instead of going on to Bolivia on the 23rd as they'd planned, so it would have been bad form for us to slide off to someone else's house. So we rushed off to Wong and got a pre-cooked turkey part, a couple boxes of salads and cookies, and what not.

Unbeknownst to me, the Venezuelan had also gone off shopping, and came home with enough food to feed a small army - lechon, more salads, more what not.

I started cooking scalloped potatoes (I had to have one favorite side dish of my own), and at about 10 pm (about the time I'm inviting people over - sadly, no one showed :() my husband says, 'I'll be back in a few minutes, I'm going to run to my aunt's house and say Merry Xmas to everyone - no more than half an hour. I looked at him and said... 'Do NOT leave me all alone on Xmas eve.'

At 10 minutes to midnight (!!!) I'm calling my husband on the cellphone - 'Where the heck are you?? it's almost time to eat?? He walked in at midnight, calmly mentioning 'I'm not really hungry, I already ate over there'.

I punched him in the arm. :oops:

The guests had gotten tired and gone to bed, but the fireworks woke them up.

Well, the fireworks and our dogs, who went absolutely berserk when the fireworks started up.

So - the food turned out being delicious, and we all ate until we were stuffed, then talked for a while, drank a bunch of wine, and finally fell into bed around 3am.

Hope your Christmas was as exciting as mine!!

What Are You Eating For Christmas?

Image via Wikipedia

Christmas in Peru takes place on Christmas Eve. My mother in law is doing the turkey, and most of the rest of the food. I'm going to make a couple casseroles full of scalloped potatoes - if I'm lucky enough to find cheddar cheese in the market, I'll make that au gratin. I think I might make a pot of green beans too - There never seem to be enough vegetables to make me happy.

Everyone will start coming over around 10 or 11 pm, and we'll listen to music, talk or watch a movie. Cartoon Network is showing all Christmas specials, so maybe I'll get lucky and there will be a Rudolph or Frosty - Or a Charlie Brown Christmas!

At midnight, all around us we'll hear fireworks and firecrackers shooting off. They aren't supposed to be permitted anymore, yet everyone still does it.

Then, we'll all come inside and eat. Turkey, potatoes, salad, zarsa, and of course at the end, paneton and hot chocolate.

After the food, we'll sit around and talk some more - if anyone has gifts to open, this is when we'll do it.

And then, probably no early than 2 or 3 am, everyone will go home. Anyone who doesn't have transportation will spend the night.

Tomorrow, Christmas Day, isn't much different from any other day - a lot of stores and restaurants will be open as usual. Hopefully, I can go to the black market and get some deals on 'filler' toys for the boys. David is getting a camping trip, Franco is getting some Hot Wheels, and they're both getting a telescope to share. But I want to get some smaller, less expensive toys for filler - and for their stockings - things like little green army men, a deck of cards, a checker's set... things I can get for less than 10 soles. Because when you're a kid at Christmas, no matter what anyone else says, quantity DOES count!

So - to all my readers (all 25 of you!) I wish you the most joyous of holiday seasons, what ever holiday you may celebrate. And I'll see you later in the week!

Happy Birthday to My Mom!

Image via Wikipedia

Today is my mom's birthday, and I just wanted to take this opportunity to tell her how much I love her, and how important she is in my life. :)

Christmas in Lima

Cover of A Charlie Brown Christmas(TM)

Christmas is getting closer, and I'm just not feeling it.

Believe it or not, I think I miss the crass commercialization of Christmas in the US! I miss seeing decorations everywhere, music blaring in every store, commercials non-stop on the TV. I did see Santa Claus in Wong (a supermarket) the other day, but my kids want nothing to do with that - even though he was giving out free candy canes. I loved that they were playing Vince Guaraldi's music from 'A Charlie Brown Christmas', though.



THAT'S what I need! I'm going to track down all the old Christmas specials - Charlie Brown, Rudolph, Little Drummer Boy, Frosty.... I'm sure I can find them online. Maybe I'll burn them to a DVD and watch them one after the other.

I'm am looking forward to my mom coming down in January - we're going to have a whole other Christmas, US style, with turkey, and green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and scalloped potatoes, and pie. :D And we'll all get up early and open presents from Santa - none of this ridiculous (sorry Peru!) staying up until midnight and eating a full meal then opening presents when everyone is all cranky and tired. And with hot chocolate? In full summer?? How on earth did that tradition get started? I love you Peru, but sometimes, you just don't make sense.

Peanut Butter, Bananas and Mayo

Ok, people -

What's the weirdest food that you love?

Since I was a kid, I loved banana sandwiches - sliced banana and mayonnaise on white bread. As I got older, I started experimenting. Wheat bread was a good choice. Banana and peanut butter was good, especially with a little honey. Any kind of nuts tossed on for crunch.

But the Florida cracker in me won out - and my favorite is peanut butter, bananas and Kraft Mayo on white bread. Good, soft white bread, with chewy crust. I like to think I'm being a little bit healthy with fruit and peanut butter.

A lot of people think the combination is disgusting. Most of those people have never tried it. ;) I don't mind trying unusual foods, that's why I've eaten everything from raw fish to guinea pig since I've lived in Peru. There are some things I won't eat - tripe is one of them. Actually, most things made of intestine are off limits for me. And it's not because I think it's gross, it's because I've tried it and didn't like it. (I actually didn't know what it was the first time I ate it, I just didn't like the taste)

So tell me - what is your favorite weird food? Maybe it's an unusual exotic food, or maybe it's a combination that most people find weird, like scrambled eggs and grape jelly (yum).

Hmmm... I seem to like a lot of weird combinations.

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Zarsa - Peruvian Salsa

Image via Wikipedia

If there's one thing you can say about Peruvians, it's that they love onions. Red onions are a part of just about every meal. Even when they aren't cooked into the food, you'll find them served raw as a side dish. This side dish is officially called 'Salsa Criolla' , but everywhere you go, you'll see it called 'zarsa'.

2 Medium red onions
1 aji limo
2-3 limones (or key limes, if you're in the US)
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro (optional)

Cut the onions in half from top to bottom and peel off the outer skin. Slice in super thin half rings. When you've got everything sliced up, put it all in a colander, and rinse under cold water.

Slice your aji limo, also in very thin slices, so that you have little thin rings of pepper. It probably won't take the whole pepper, I usually add between 5-10 little tiny slices of it, depending on the size of my onions. It all depends on how spicy you like your zarsa.

Combine the onion slices and aji slices in a serving bowl. Sprinkle on salt and pepper, add about a tablespoons worth of finely chopped cilantro (if you like it - it's not necessary), then juice the limones over the whole thing. Stir to mix everything together. You can serve right away, or let it sit for a half hour or so, to let the flavors meld.

Great on hamburgers, hot dogs, with fried fish, fried chicken, on top of avocado slices - or just by itself as a side dish. I make this nearly every day!

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¡Viva Alianza! and Other Sports News

Image via Wikipedia

Today is the big day between Alianza Lima and Universitario. These are the two favorite teams out of all the Peruvian teams, and they have a huge rivalry. This season, the championship is down to the two of them, and everyone is a-flutter.

In our house, we're big Alianza fans. (I say 'we' loosely, because I don't really care much ;)) So today, we're going to be partying and eating chips and drinking chelas (beer) and rooting for the 'home' team!

¡Viva Alianza! ¡Viva Peru!

In other sports news, Sofia Mulanovich, Peru's world champion surfer, is competing today for 2nd place at the Billabong Pro surf competition. 1st place has already been awarded to Stephanie Gilmore from Australia, who is so far in the lead that she can't be touched.

And of course, the golden girl, Kina 'Maldita' Malpartida won her boxing match against Britain's Lyndsey Scragg and held on to the WBA Women's Super Featherweight world title.

I make the BEST roast chicken

If you live in Peru, you have the secret to absolutely delicious roast meats right in your grocery store.

In the section of the supermarket where they sell seasonings and mixes, you'll find some sauces under the brand name Piki. I've been using the rocoto molida for cooking and my husband likes to put in on his food. One day, I'm in Plaza Vea trying to figure out what I want to do different with the chicken that week, and I notice this 'Piki Aderezo para Pollo'. I figured, what the heck, and bought it.

Oh my. It made the most delicious chicken I've ever had. I put 4 leg quarters in a glass baking dish, and just poured the sauce on top and spread it around. Then I covered it and let it marinate for about an hour. Later, i cooked it in the oven at 350F for about 40-45 minutes. It came out with perfect seasoning, juicy, tender - my guys LOVE it. That with some potatoes, rice and salad, and it's a perfect meal.

This week, after such success with the chicken, I decided to try one of their other products - Aderezo para Cerdo - and used it to marinade a pork tenderloin. Now, tenderloins are very lean, so I usually wrap them in bacon to make sure they have enough fat cooking with them to stay juicy. It was not necessary with this marinate! I did add about a half cup of water, since I was cooking it uncovered, so that it wouldn't cook out completely. They cooked absolutely delicious and tender and juicy. It was hard to get the boys to leave enough for their Dad to eat when he got home!

So, if you're in Peru, I highly recommend giving the Piki line a try. And as an added bonus, if you aren't in Peru, it looks like you can buy it online - InkaProducts.net.

Swine Flu :(

This past Saturday evening, my oldest son David mentioned that his throat felt a little scratchy. I gave him some hot tea, but about an hour later his mom came by and picked him up for the weekend, and I didn't think any more about it. When he came home Monday morning, he had breakfast, but seemed a bit quiet.

Then he said 'Kelly, I don't feel very good'. Uh-oh. Runny nose, a bit of a cough, congestion.

He didn't look real good, so I told him to go lay down. At that point, he didn't have a fever.

Within a couple of hours, he could hardly walk, was crying from the body aches and had a raging fever. It was obvious he wasn't going to school. He all but collapsed walking to his bedroom from the bathroom - I ended up half carrying him back to bed.

I called the doctor, who said it was definitely flu, and most likely swine flu (later confirmed). He said there was no reason to bring him to the clinic unless he started developing a rash with his fever, had trouble breathing, or any other more serious symptom.

Meanwhile, it was necessary to lower the fever - it was causing him to shiver uncontrollably, and he was having terrible body aches. He said it hurt his whole face just to drink a little water! My poor baby :( It was awful watching him suffer like that.

After a bit of a mix up at the pharmacy (they sent Johnny home with antibiotics and ibuprofen - NOT treatment for the flu!) I ended up with a decent anti-flu medicine and tylenol for the fever. By the evening, David was feeling well enough to eat a little something, and was drinking lots of gatorade and fruit juice.

He felt a little better on Tuesday, but still spent the majority of the day sleeping. His fever broke and he sweat so bad it soaked the bed sheets. I sent him off to the showers and changed the bed - and sprayed the whole room down with Lysol! (Franco has been sleeping on the couch through this whole thing)

Wednesday he still slept until nearly 1pm, but when he woke up was feeling MUCH better. Good enough to get up and start wanting to kick the soccer ball around - so I sent him to study for a couple of hours and do his chores :D

Today is Thursday, and he's heading back to school. So far (knock on wood!) no one else is showing any symptoms. So it looks like we may have weathered the H1N1 storm!

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