Ok, so it's been a crazy few days and I haven't really had time for blogging. Well that's not entirely true, it's just been so hectic that when I do have a second I've been laying around and trying to relax! But I did finally get my pictures from my camera to my computer, which you would think is a long and difficult process, though it's not...
Anyway, so here's the delicious Spinach Salad* that I made and the London Broil with Garlic & Rosemary Roasted Potatoes...


Operation: New Recipe week didn't really go so well...I made the spinach salad and the cinnamon raisin bread (which I'm still real upset about forgetting to take a picture!) but didn't get around to the other stuff. I really really wanted to make them all but I might have been a wee bit ambitious!! I did make Shortbread Fingers (though this recipe makes them as wedges) from Martha Stewart (who else?!) and they were incredible! We ate the whole pan...**


I was really upset because I went to the supermarket twice for scallions to make the scallion pancakes and there wasn't a single scallion in the place! I will definitely be looking for them this week to make!

Unfortunately, my weekend was just as hectic...my poor Kassie Grace woke up with terrible bug bites all over her. These weren't your average, run of the mill mosquito bites. They were all red and puffy and made her whole leg swell! I couldn't even put shoes or sandals on her! She was scratching them so much that they just got worse. And let me tell you, this kid is smart. She wasn't gonna let these things ruin her day of play so while she's on her floor playing with one of her gazillion toys, she was running her leg back and forth on the carpet to scratch the bites on the back of her legs!! By mid afternoon, her calf swelled so much from the bites that her ankle was the same size as her thigh! The bites actually opened up and had puss oozing from them!!! *** She was super cranky (which if you know Kassie, is very out of character!) and wouldn't sleep so I decided to call her doctor- who apparently doesn't work on weekends. The nurse was really nice and suggested I bring her to the emergency room. Well, she actually said "If it was my daughter, I'd bring her right in." so of course that panicked me! I'm thinking my kid's got the West Nile Virus or something! Don't ya just love the "first time mom panics"???
So, like the good little mommy that I am, I load Kassie up and we're off to the emergency room. I don't know where else one would go when having an emergency, but if you'd like to resolve it quickly, the emergency room is not the place to go!!! We sat in the Chelsea MGH Emergency for almost 4 hours and got no further than triage!! My poor Kassie was so uncomfortable, overtired and cranky (from missing her afternoon nap due to the important task of scratching) that I was beginning to lose my mind!!! Keep in mind the fact that they kinda "quarantined" her to the back waiting room because they weren't sure if she had a rash that could have been contagious, so she got bored and ran out of running room very quickly!!! After almost 4 hours I very politley asked the receptionist if she knew how much longer it would be before we saw a doctor to which she replied, "Oh, it'll be quite a bit longer.". Are you kidding me? So, I packed Kassie up again and we headed to Whidden Memorial in Everette. Everyone I know swears by this place and always says how quickly they get you in so I figured we'd give it a shot. We were in and out in a little over an hour! They got her in to see a doctor within 15 minutes, who was really nice by the way!! They made me undress her and gave me a little baby johnny to put her in which she thought was great because it had ties in the front to occupy her. The diagnosis was that she just had a very bad reaction to these mosquito bites and all the rubbing and scratching had made them infected. They gave me a prescription for an antibiotic and suggested putting an anti-itch cream on her, though they weren't sure of the age limits for cortizone creams and told me to ask the pharmacist- which I thought a little odd but was far too tired to question. We finally headed home and Kassie was in bed shortly before 11pm, drenched in Skin So Soft to keep any remaining mosquitos away from her.

You would think that's the end of the saga, right? Nope.

I put her to bed and head to the pharmacy to fill her script. Now, I don't know if it was exhaustion or just sheer stupidity but it didn't even occur to me that it was her first script and that she wasn't in the computer at the pharmacy so I didn't think to take her insurance card from her diaper bag! I handed the prescription to the pharmacist and she asks, "Has she been here before?"...duh, no, and asks for her insurance info- which although I know exactly were it is really does me no good! She then tells me that she can't fill the script without that info and that I can't just bring her card with me when I pick up the script in the morning...??? Now, even if I was lying about my daughter having insurance wouldn't I just show up in the morning and end up paying cash for it, for which it would still need to be filled? I thought so! Well, Im just beyond tired and aggravated at this point so I figure I better get outta there before I kill her. When I return to the pharmacy in the morning I told the very nice (new) pharmacist what had happened and he told me that a few customers had been complaining about that employee and he apologized. He was so nice in fact that when I returned to pick up the medicene he said that it was actually on a list of medications that they suggest flavoring for young children. What a great idea, huh? I said, sign me up!! Generally it's a $3 fee but he also had a coupon for a free flavoring so I was pumped...we got bubble gum and Kassie loves it! When I take it out of the fridge, she sits on the floor and waits for it! I also picked up some Caladryl Lotion for her, but it's not the same stuff that reminds you of summer camp as a kid where everyone's covered in pink dots, it's actually clear but does the job!

Thankfully, the antibiotics and Caladryl lotion are working because she's no longer swollen- though most of the bites now have scabs on them- and no longer scratching! In the midst of all this drama I was supposed to go to Law's for a Passion Party, though sex toys were the furthest thing from my mind! I totally spaced and forgot to call her, but had a bunch of missed calls from her and Mish wondering where on Earth I was!?!?

As you can imagine, come Sunday I was exhausted!! I made another trip to the supermarket and returned home once again sans scallions...maybe it just wasn't meant to be and I should call Great Chef when I want them!!! It's Monday (already) and I'm still on my cooking/baking kick so we'll see what I can crank out this week. This morning I made a Banana Bread and a Banana Nut Bread...yummy!



* I guess by the looks of it I should have said I made a Bacon salad with spinach!
** That's what they look like before you cut them. After cutting them we dug in and there was absolutley NO time for pictures, it could've been dangerous!!
*** Sorry, should have warned you that they were disgustingly, although accurately, described!