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Photo by Ken Williams for The Concord MonitorHave you seen the Man Cold video on Youtube?
A British guy lies on a sofa, to weak from his sniffles and slight fever to even call out for help. As he attempts to convey the extreme tragedy of his condition to his wife, paramedics burst in and give her a bell so she won’t be late with soup and soothing pats. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so true. When Dads get sick they get coddled. When Moms get sick, we get nothing.
Well, not nothing exactly, because we do get to continue with all our regular duties. Can I be the only mother whose children have bypassed a perfectly healthy father on their quest to find someone to tie their shoes and find their library books, no matter if that someone is crouched in the bathroom in the throes of a particularly nasty stomach bug? It’s nice to feel needed and all, but seriously, fathers have opposible thumbs too, and eyes that can sometimes be used to locate things—not the ketchup in the front of the fridge of course, but surely the backpack that is hanging on a hook in the mudroom.
I’m always waiting for that Hoarders show to stage an intervention, only to discover that the poor woman inside the home isn’t actually a hoarder, simply a Mom whose been hit with the flu during a school vacation. It could totally happen. I know this because I recently took to the sofa with strep and in the four hours I was supine, I’m surprised the Board of Health didn’t condemn the kitchen. When I came downstairs to get a drink I found every single cabinet open, as well as the microwave and the fridge. A half-melted Popsicle had been abandoned on the counter, along with the open jar of peanut butter which was spouting 3 butter knives like a modern-art take on a vase of flowers; I briefly thought about naming it Still Life with Skippy and trying to sell it to a wealthy collector. The sink was overflowing with dishes and cups as well as a cookie sheet that appeared to have been used to melt crayons. I can’t confirm that because I was too weak to open the oven, but the curly, multicolored shreds of paper on the floor were a clue. Until I entered the kitchen that day I would not have considered it possible to have one’s slippers make both a crunching and a sticky vrrrripping sound at the same time. If you don’t believe me just invite your children to set up lemonade stand without your help or supervision: the spilled mix crunches and the lemonade that gets sloshed sticks. It took me two days to recover from the actual strep infection. The recovery from the two days when I wasn’t completely focused on cleaning up after everyone took much, much longer.
The next time you get sick, and everyone at your house still expects dinner on the table, try this recipe. It combines frozen chicken breasts with a few key ingredients from the pantry to make pulled chicken so delicious, someone might actually bring you a nice cup of tea. Serve the chicken on rolls or in taco shells alongside some coleslaw, and if you are too sick to make it yourself, beg your hubby to swing by KFC and grab a quart of theirs. Better yet, get him to take everyone out for dinner so you can gather your strength for the recovery from your recovery.
Sweet and Spicy Pulled Chicken
Makes 6-8 sandwiches, twice as many tacos
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, well drained in a colander
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup prepared mustard
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, more or less to taste
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6-8 frozen chicken breasts
Hamburger rolls or taco shells for serving
1 quart coleslaw for serving (optional)
Mix together the first nine ingredients in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Place the frozen chicken breasts into the bottom of a large crock pot. If the breasts are frozen solid and won’t fit easily, run them under hot water for a few seconds and then separate as needed with a big knife. Pour the hot tomato sauce over the breasts and set the crock pot on high. Cook for 8-10 hours until chicken shreds easily with a fork. Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out all the tomato and onion and toss with the chicken. Moisten the chicken with about a cup of the cooking liquid and discard the rest.
Serve on rolls or in taco shells, garnished with the coleslaw.
Here's the video.....
Well, not nothing exactly, because we do get to continue with all our regular duties. Can I be the only mother whose children have bypassed a perfectly healthy father on their quest to find someone to tie their shoes and find their library books, no matter if that someone is crouched in the bathroom in the throes of a particularly nasty stomach bug? It’s nice to feel needed and all, but seriously, fathers have opposible thumbs too, and eyes that can sometimes be used to locate things—not the ketchup in the front of the fridge of course, but surely the backpack that is hanging on a hook in the mudroom.
I’m always waiting for that Hoarders show to stage an intervention, only to discover that the poor woman inside the home isn’t actually a hoarder, simply a Mom whose been hit with the flu during a school vacation. It could totally happen. I know this because I recently took to the sofa with strep and in the four hours I was supine, I’m surprised the Board of Health didn’t condemn the kitchen. When I came downstairs to get a drink I found every single cabinet open, as well as the microwave and the fridge. A half-melted Popsicle had been abandoned on the counter, along with the open jar of peanut butter which was spouting 3 butter knives like a modern-art take on a vase of flowers; I briefly thought about naming it Still Life with Skippy and trying to sell it to a wealthy collector. The sink was overflowing with dishes and cups as well as a cookie sheet that appeared to have been used to melt crayons. I can’t confirm that because I was too weak to open the oven, but the curly, multicolored shreds of paper on the floor were a clue. Until I entered the kitchen that day I would not have considered it possible to have one’s slippers make both a crunching and a sticky vrrrripping sound at the same time. If you don’t believe me just invite your children to set up lemonade stand without your help or supervision: the spilled mix crunches and the lemonade that gets sloshed sticks. It took me two days to recover from the actual strep infection. The recovery from the two days when I wasn’t completely focused on cleaning up after everyone took much, much longer.
The next time you get sick, and everyone at your house still expects dinner on the table, try this recipe. It combines frozen chicken breasts with a few key ingredients from the pantry to make pulled chicken so delicious, someone might actually bring you a nice cup of tea. Serve the chicken on rolls or in taco shells alongside some coleslaw, and if you are too sick to make it yourself, beg your hubby to swing by KFC and grab a quart of theirs. Better yet, get him to take everyone out for dinner so you can gather your strength for the recovery from your recovery.
Sweet and Spicy Pulled Chicken
Makes 6-8 sandwiches, twice as many tacos
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, well drained in a colander
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup prepared mustard
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, more or less to taste
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6-8 frozen chicken breasts
Hamburger rolls or taco shells for serving
1 quart coleslaw for serving (optional)
Mix together the first nine ingredients in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Place the frozen chicken breasts into the bottom of a large crock pot. If the breasts are frozen solid and won’t fit easily, run them under hot water for a few seconds and then separate as needed with a big knife. Pour the hot tomato sauce over the breasts and set the crock pot on high. Cook for 8-10 hours until chicken shreds easily with a fork. Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out all the tomato and onion and toss with the chicken. Moisten the chicken with about a cup of the cooking liquid and discard the rest.
Serve on rolls or in taco shells, garnished with the coleslaw.
Here's the video.....
2 comments:
Brilliant! So true. I always need something easy to throw together when I'm under the weather.
Oh no kidding! Thanks Michelann.
Suz
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