OR THE TURKEY STORY!

How many people do you know who gained 14 pounds while in the hospital? Well now at least you know one! Hey it wasn't my fault that
they served such things as a vegetable omelet AND oatmeal, stuffed
shells marinara along with broccoli and chicken noodle soup and
pineapple chunks or arroz con pollo with Capri vegetables and
tomato basil soup plus plantains and a cup of tropical fruit. There was
a Spanish omelet with oatmeal, wheat toast and orange juice at one
breakfast and pancakes with raspberry sauce plus scrambled egg whites
and orange juice at another while for dinner there was broccoli/cheese
chicken, orzo, split pea soup and apple sauce or how about grilled
chicken with peach salsa, barley pilaf and asparagus and let's not forget meatloaf, tri colored potatoes, chicken noodle soup, Key Biscayne vegetables. By the way did I mention each meal was served with a roll and butter, a drink, not to forget syrups, gravies and other 'goodies'?

Now on to the turkey that almost got away!

I
got the (frozen) turkey from The Pantry on Thursday and put it in my
refrigerator figuring it would take 3-4 days to defrost and then I could
cook it on Sunday using it for meals the rest of the week plus make a
pot of  turkey soup using the bones and carcass for flavoring and adding vegetables along with quinoa.
In any case it didn't work out that way as on Friday the vascular
surgeon sent me directly to the hospital without my having a chance to go home and get anything--or put the turkey in the freezer, not that I had room there for it!

I
had no idea how long I would be in the hospital and by Monday I asked
Allen to stop by my place and pick up a few things for me and to check
that the turkey wasn't smelling. He came back and said it seemed okay,
still somewhat frozen on the bottom. On that evening I was informed that
the surgeon would cut into my leg and drain about 30% of the blood. I
reminded him of the show I had to review and, after sort of giving me a
funny look and reminding me that it would be better if I stayed off my
feet for a few days,  said I should be out early enough. (As you know that didn't happen.)

As
Allen drove me home I talked about cooking the turkey. He left me off
at the elevator and after running around for me, coming and going from
his home to my place (about 40 minutes) coming to the hospital (another
30 minutes) and going home (30 more minutes) he was ready to go home
(add 40 more minutes) and take it easy.

I
came upstairs, and after putting my 'hospital' stuff, going through my
mail, I went to the fridge to get the turkey started on its roasted
life. IT WAS GONE!!! I called Allen and he knew nothing about it. I
asked Carol, the security guard, if she knew anything about it but didn't. With the office being closed I left a message for Babs asking
if she knew anything. I woke up the next morning to hear her voice on
my answering machine saying that it had been thrown out because after 5
days sitting on the counter (?) it wouldn't be safe to eat but  Esteban
had put it in the freezer. I immediately looked and there was no turkey
in there as I already knew because the freezer was packed as it was. I
called Allen but he didn't know what was going on.
I told Babs that the turkey wasn't in the freezer. In a few minutes she called back to say that Esteban had thrown it out and then a few minutes later she called to tell me he had put it in the freezer near the  office. Ten minutes later Esteban
was knocking on my door and there was MY turkey. Yes I almost hugged it
but I stopped myself in time!! And I went to work defrosting the turkey
in cold water for a few hours, cooked it up, stripped it, put the bones
in the pot and now I have turkey AND soup for weeks! Want some of the turkey, quinoa, (a can each of) corn, tomatoes along with onions, seasonings and garlic soup?