popping pills

Thank you for your get well wishes. My foot is much better now. The swelling and pain have decreased significantly. I'm taking the antibiotics just to be safe. So I don't burden my mind with the mundane, I created the following spreadsheet to keep me on schedule. I also purchased pharmacist-recommended Caladryl Clear to apply to my newly acquired insect bites to reduce itchiness and, hopefully, scratching.

swelling up

I might have cellulitis, not to be confused with cellulite, though I probably have that too :(. On Friday, my first right metatarsal-phalangeal joint (connects great toe to the rest of my foot) started hurting. The next morning, the pain was unbelievable! Constant pain, weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing, extremely tender to the touch. I was limping around and had a hard time driving. The sudden onset of pain was unusual.

Fortunately for me, I hung out with my friend, an M.D., and he checked out my foot. His differential diagnosis:

1. Cellulitis--infection of the skin and the soft tissues underneath the skin. I have a pretty good pain-free range of motion through the joint. The inflammation, swelling, tenderness, heat appears to be superficial. I don't have any cuts or wounds in that area, but I had spider bites on my legs a couple days ago. Bacteria could have entered my body that way.
2. Gout--automatically comes to mind when the first metatarsal-phalangeal joint is involved, though in my case the joint itself doesn't seem to be affected. It's a rare condition for women my age.
3. Fracture--I did bump my toe a couple days before, but it was a small bump. I didn't think much about it.

If it is cellulitis, it should clear up with 7-10 days of prescription antibiotics.

sampling wedding cupcakes

my museum buddy got married yesterday! they had cupcakes instead of wedding cake--key lime, chocolate, and red velvet. my friends and i got different flavors so we could sample all three. my favorite was key lime, surprisingly. they had centers filled with cream and were decorated with icing and fondant (which i learned is like edible play-doh). i also learned that red velvet cake is just white cake with red food coloring, popular in southern u.s. cuisine. now i can't wait to try the red velvet cake at doughboys bakery, featured in oprah's best cakes episode.

churro-making

This weekend, I got to work on my churro-making technique. First, at a bbq with tri-tip, hot dogs, and sausages. Then, at a Mexican-themed potluck with chips and salsa and bean dip; arroz con pollo with Andoille sausage, corn, and squash; ceviche; and rice and beans.


ceviche


churr-O!


nestlée's newest product, a.k.a. diabetes in a tube, tastes like sweetarts, but sweeter, with a gritty consistency like toothpaste

eating crustless sandwiches

Today I had tea at the house of one of my high school teachers. Teas by Design catered the event and provided everything from the food to the silverware to the linens. Beautiful presentation, tasty food, and very reasonably priced. And when we finished our sandwiches, they brought out more!


the hostess chose the teas. we had english breakfast and pomegranate


signature chicken salad on hawaiian bread, stilton cheese apricot signature sandwiches, turkey and cranberry, avocado crab in miniature croissants


blueberry, apricot, and raspberry scones


miniature cherry tarts and lemon curd bars


mini cheesecakes and chocolate-dipped shortbread

clogging my arteries

I spent the rest of the long weekend in San Diego.


dim sum at pearl


fried zucchini and chili cheese fries at ruby's diner at the carlsbad factory outlet


shrimp tacos


bbq chicken salad


viking cake (chocolate creme brulee is hidden between chocolate cake layers, smothered with caramel and milk chocolate whipped cream. crushed chocolate almond pralines finish off this dark and dense torte) and blood orange ricotta torte (ricotta cake layers soaked with fresh blood orange juice, and layered with blood orange whipped cream, fresh raspberries and cranberries) at extraordinary desserts


crab and avocado omelette at mimi's cafe


shrimp and asparagus fry