Temporarily Handicapped in the Kitchen

It happened so quickly I wasn't even sure what I had done. I was at work early one morning prepping the paninis for the day. I was pitting an avocado, when the newly sharpened knife went through the pit right into my hand. I knew right away it wasn't good because I lost the feeling in my middle finger immediately. I was taken to the emergency room where I received....one stitch. I was embarrassed not only by my poor knife skills but also that I went to the hospital for one measly stitch. Seriously? I did take my gauze wrapped hand back to work that day and continue the best I could. To make a long story short, I needed surgery on the hand to repair the nerve I cut. The surgery was obviously a little more invasive than the original injury and I was unable to use my left hand for quite some time.

I thought my family would step up and take care of me, but it seems that I need a lot more than hand surgery to get help around here. The first night I stood in the kitchen trying to make a salad with one hand. My left hand was still numb from the surgery. My husband was sitting at the island doing work and ignored my dropping things and frustrated grunts until I had almost finished. Then he said "why didn't you just ask me?" Needless to say we did a lot of take out that first week.

Alec, my 16 year old, did make dinner one night with my guidance. He did a wonderful job. The dish he made was one my sister in law had recently tried and suggested to me,chicken rollitini. He pounded out the chicken breasts and spread ricotta cheese and sprinkled mozzarella over that (he forget to add the fresh spinach I bought for this dinner)before rolling up, dipping in egg and bread crumbs. These are baked in the oven until the chicken is cooked and cheese is melty. He topped this with a simple marinara sauce and some more mozzarella and finished in the oven. To incorporate the spinach into the dish, I added it to the pasta after it was drained and topped with a little garlic oil. It was delish!!

My hand is on the mend and I should soon be back to the kitchen with a vengeance.