Vascular Surgeon, This 'n' That, Ultrasound, Reheating,

This morning I had my long awaited appointment with the vascular surgeon. I have said my legs have been better since I had the blood transfusion - looked up the date, much to my surprise it was April 10. However, my feet still go numb and I sure can't walk very far although at least I can walk further than I did. However, two or three toe nails are dying on my left foot and the toes themselves look like little sausages. The surgeon said the ultrasound looked great, no changes (that surprises me) and, having checked my feet and the pulses in my groin, he said "see me in a year".  Um, is that it? What about...? So I guess I am stuck with it for a while. It really is a lot better these days but I do think he should still have done some work on my veins/arteries. Oh well.

This afternoon I had to go to the pharmacy again, this time to get the pharmacist to certify Matt was still alive to collect his pension. We didn't know what to use for id because, of course, he no longer has a driver's license. In the end we used his citizenship card. I then popped along to the post office to pick up a parcel of cannabis which I had not been home to receive the day before Also bought some International stamps - 6 stamps for $17 odd dollars - daylight robbery. Then drove into the underground parking to collect my groceries and was horrified to see my phone was out of power. Luckily there was just enough to call them and say I was there. I had ordered ice cream so I was anxious to get home as it was 30°C today, supposed to feel hotter, before it melted. Typically everyone we met complained about the heat today. We humans are never satisfied. Complain about the snow and cold all winter and then the heat all summer.

Tomorrow Matt has an ultrasound to check if the kidney stone has gone. I hope so, it's been a nuisance although luckily Matt hasn't had any pain at all from it.

Last night, I made a "dump and go" recipe in my Instant Pot which was basically chicken thighs, barbecue sauce and a can of pineapple. Pretty good. Then tonight, Thursday, I had a lot left which I had store in the insert pot with a lid on it in the fridge - rice too of course - and I wondered about reheating in the pot. So, I did some Googling and all the things I found were using water and pots within pots and all kinds of stuff. Not what I wanted. Eventually I put the insert back into the pot, set the cooking time at 0 and turned it on. I let it stay on the warm setting for about 5 minutes then vented it. It was perfect. So simple and I didn't have to use any more dishes of any kind.

I love lamb chops of course, as does Matt, and when I saw this simple recipe I thought I might try it.

Lamb Chops Sizzled with Garlic

Las Pedroñeras, in the Castilla–La Mancha region, is considered the garlic capital of Spain. These

juicy, meaty lamb chops sizzled in extra-virgin olive oil with plenty of garlic cloves are Janet Mendel's homage to the village.

8 1/2-inch-thick lamb loin chops (about 2 pounds), fatty tips trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
pinch of dried thyme
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
10 small garlic cloves, halved
3 Tbs water
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs minced parsley
pinch of crushed red pepper

1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and sprinkle lightly with thyme. In a very large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the lamb chops and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until the chops are browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the chops and garlic and cook until the chops are browned, about 2 minutes longer for medium meat. Transfer the chops to plates, leaving the garlic in the skillet.

2. Add the water, lemon juice, parsley and crushed red pepper to the pan and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom, until sizzling, about 1 minute. Pour the garlic and pan sauce over the lamb chops and serve immediately

Servings: 4

 Author: JANET MENDEL
Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day