RIP Mom

My mother passed away today. I will not be posting for a bit.

Doctor's Strike Near?

Good luck finding a doctor unless it is an emergency!

Earlier this evening, the Senate failed to approve an amended version of H.R. 4851, the Continuing Extension Act of 2010, legislation which would continue the payment freeze at its current level through June 1. As a result of the Senate's failure to pass identical legislation addressing the extension of the Medicare physician payment freeze, Medicare contractors will begin processing claims on Thursday, April 15. The Senate is expected to return to consideration of this amended version of H.R. 4851 tomorrow.

Since the version of the extension legislation the Senate is considering is not identical to the version passed by the House on March 17, the House must approve this Senate passed version before sending it to the president for his signature. Earlier today, the House Rules Committee approved a rule allowing for swift consideration of this amended version of H.R. 4851. The House is expected to act on this legislation later this week.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) previously indicated that if legislation was not enacted by midnight April 14, Medicare contractors would begin processing the held April 1 claims.

Idiocy

This is a friend's status on Facebook today.

I wonder why God has put certain people in my life, is it to show my weakness or my strength?

This is especially true after I spent an entire day updating my HIPAA Privacy Manuals and Security Manuals for our business. I had hubs take a new updated Business Associate agreement for both the Privacy Business Associate Agreement and the Security Business Associate Agreement to the meeting tonight to have the President of an organization we belong to sign them. The Executive Director wouldn't sign the updated forms because SHE says they are not necessary. And we pay her. And we pay her to know that these are needed. And we pay her. And she obviously doesn't even realize they are needed.

Heads will be flying tomorrow.

Household Repairs and Thunderboomers

Sorry about no post yesterday - was doing a bunch of work and when I finally had time to do the blog post, a huge thunderstorm hit with 70 mph winds and hail and then no power. It also was in the midst of hubs installing a new garbage disposal. Now nothing against my husband but he is a male - a male who just can't understand some things are beyond him - especially things like fixing items that break in the house. He is a fantastic surgeon, a good cook, etc.......but mechanical items needing repair and my husband just don't mix.

If an item states it takes 1-2 hours to install (I actually know it only took 30 minutes for the repairman to install a new garbage disposal 2 years ago), my husband turns it into a 1-7 day project. Don't know why.......or maybe I do - he doesn't like reading directions or following them.

I bet you are wondering now why we need a new garbage disposal after only 2 years. Well, in the past 2 years my husband and son have been in charge of my kitchen. That should be 'nuff said. But I know you all need more of an explanation. I knew I did. So my half Polish husband (other half Italian) decided that he knew where the certificate was for the last disposal and sure enough the receipt stated it was to last 5 years. It's the fine print that got him - NORMAL WEAR. We didn't have normal wear with our disposal. No - spoons, forks, silverware, anything we don't want to put our fine lily white hands into got put down the disposal. That's not normal wear. That's cruelty.

So day 2, I am still without a kitchen sink. Anyone taking bets on how long it takes him to install it or how long it takes me to call someone to just put it in? Bet I know who would be faster!

Happy Easter!

I celebrated my watching sunrise service on TV while hubs went to the service (I would but have a severe allergy to lilies). We then met my parents and one of my sisters and her husband along with our kids at a restaurant near my parents. Had a good time. Allergy season has hit Chicago or at least me so it set off my Meniere's thus didn't make for a pleasant car ride. The narcoleptic anti-inflammatory medication knocked me out for a nice 4 hour nap then I finished the day catching up on some work and doing laundry. It is nice and stormy in Chicago which my knee and ankle just love!

But today we rejoice! He is Risen!

Holy Saturday Traditions

In our family, there are a few traditions we follow to celebrate the last day of the Triduum which is Holy Saturday. Some of these traditions actually have a very religious significance.

Take for instance, new Easter clothes. This tradition came from the part of the Baptismal ceremony where one was given a new white garment to wear for its newness and its whiteness both signifying purity. Therefore, wearing new or special Easter clothes isn't just commercialism, it is done to celebrate our New Life in Christ just as our Baptism did.

Even the Easter bunny has a religious significance. It is a symbol of God's plan for His creatures to "be fruitful and multiply". The Easter eggs the bunny carries in a basket represents Christians carrying the message of Christ into the world.

Today is the day we decorate the eggs we boiled yesterday. The Easter egg is a symbol of the Resurrection. The shell represents the tomb which could not contain the Resurrected Lord. The chick which `bursts forth' from its lifeless shell is a metaphor for the mystery of the Christ's Resurrection. Filling baskets with colored Easter eggs is a nearly universal custom in Christian countries, and there are nearly as many traditional ways to dye and decorate eggs as there are ethnic groups. From the very elaborate and expensive Easter eggs made by the jeweler Fabergé for the Russian Czar in the nineteenth century, to the intricately etched Pysanky eggs of the Ukraine and similarly distinctive egg-decorating customs of eastern Europe, to the simple (if messy) kitchen-table food-coloring dyed eggs most Americans know, the Easter egg is revered as a symbol of the Resurrection.

Holy Saturday also includes the blessing of the water. The water is a sign of purification and of baptism. Holy water is water that has been blessed is a sacred sign. Water blessed during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday is used for baptisms and other blessings. Upon entering a church, Roman Catholic churches have a font or basin so that the person who enters the church can dip their fingers in the blessed water and make the sign of the cross as a symbol of purification.

Our family not only dyes our Easter eggs today but we make our Easter bread which is served on Easter Sunday. I remember when I was younger that we would bake our colored eggs into the bread dough. I personally have never done that since I always had an aversion to having the dye in the eggs being a part of the bread. Instead I would make a standard yeast bread but instead make rolls out of the bread. Traditionally we would have ham on Easter Sunday along with cappelletti but this year instead we are going to a restaurant. We would also take the dyed eggs and make deviled eggs out of them. My husband and I learned a long time ago not to hide the real eggs since we would seem to forget where one would be hidden and a few months later, we would find it via our noses. Instead we switched to plastic eggs for hiding and the dyed eggs for eating.

Good Friday Traditions with recipes

Everyone has their own traditions to celebrate Good Friday. Some are quiet from noon to 3pm, others go to services, and still other traditions deal with even what they eat on Good Friday. My family always had mustard green pie with homemade pizza (cheese and vegetables only) with hot cross buns. My husband added stuffed artichokes to go with our dinner meal. We would also boil the eggs to allow them to dry for coloring on Saturday. For Lent we followed the no meat on Friday's but could have fish (I make a mean tuna noodle casserole). But for Good Friday, we could not even have fish. As I was growing up, anyone over the age of 14 participated in the fast with only one meal. We also attended all 3 services (Stations of the Cross, The Rosary, and the evening service called the Tenabrae).

Other countries had their own tradition. One I particularly thought was interesting was the tradition in Bermuda where kites are flown. They are often handmade with wooden sticks, colorful tissue paper, glue, and string. The shape of the kite and the use of wood is meant to symbolize the cross that Jesus died on. Also, the kite flying in the sky symbolizes his ascension to heaven.

But across all Christian religions, the one food that stands out as a traditional Good Friday food are the Hot Cross Buns. Some state they are traditionally eaten for breakfast on this day and are about the only luxury afforded in this time of mourning; however, in our family we had them for dinner. This tradition came about from a legend that stated a priest at St, Alban's Abbey in Herfordshire gave these to the poor on Good Friday beginning in A.D. 1361, and thus the tradition was born.

They are one of my favorite buns. Here is my recipe that has been handed down generations although with the invention of a mixer, we changed the recipe:

1 cup milk
2 TBSP yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, melted, cooled
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
4 eggs
5 cups flour
1 1/3 cups currants or raisins (I use a mixture of both white and dark raisins)
1 egg white

Glaze:
1 1/3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1- 2 TBSP milk

In a small saucepan, heat milk to very warm, but not hot (110°F if using a candy thermometer). Fit a stand mixer (you can also use a handheld electric mixer) with a dough hook. Pour warm milk in the bowl of mixer and sprinkle yeast over. Mix to dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes.

With mixer running at low speed, add sugar, salt, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Gradually add flour, dough will be wet and sticky, and continue kneading with dough hook until smooth, about 5 minutes. Detach bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30-45 minutes.

Return bowl to mixer and knead until smooth and elastic, for about 3 more minutes. Add currants or raisins and knead until well mixed. At this point, dough will still be fairly wet and sticky. Shape dough in a ball, place in a buttered dish, cover with plastic wrap and let rise overnight in the refrigerator. Excess moisture will be absorbed by the morning.

Let dough sit at room temperature for about a half-hour. Line a large baking pan (or pans) with parchment paper (you could also lightly grease a baking pan, but parchment works better). Divide dough into 24 equal pieces (in half, half again, etc., etc.). Shape each portion into a ball and place on baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 400° F.

When buns have risen, take a sharp or serrated knife and carefully slash buns with a cross shape all the way across the top (an equilateral Greek Cross). Brush them with egg white and place in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° F, then bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack. Whisk together glaze ingredients, and spoon over buns in the cross pattern made earlier. Serve warm with butter, if possible.

It is customary, because of the Cross on the buns, to kiss them before eating, and to share one of these Hot Cross Buns with someone, reciting these words:

Half for you and half for me,
Between us two shall goodwill be.

Here is our recipe for Mustard Green Pie:
(Note one of my sisters hates mustard greens so she substitutes spinach).

Approximately 1 and 3/4 pounds mustard greens
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch green onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 large eggs
1 container (15 oz) part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9&1/2-inch deep dish glass pie plate. Trim off two inches from mustard green stems, discard ends. Separate stems from leaves, thinly slice stems and coarsely chop leaves.

In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil until hot. Add sliced stems and cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add green onions, salt, and pepper and cook 1 min. Gradually add chopped leaves until wilted and excess moisture evaporates, about 5 min. In a large bowl, with wire whisk or fork, mix eggs, ricotta, milk, parmesan and cornstarch. Stir in mustard green mixture.

Transfer mixture to pie plate. Bake pie 40 minutes or until knife inserted 2 inches from center comes out clean. (Makes 6 main dish servings)

Variations of the pie: I have used 8 sheets of frozen phyllo dough (thawed) and line the pie plate with them, leaving the ends up as in the picture. After filling in the mixture, I fold over the ends of the phyllo dough toward the middle. I have also used a single crust as if I were making a standard pie and taking 2 strips of the dough and making a cross on the top (no other top crust is needed). It just depends on my mood when I am making it. I have also used half spinach and half mustard greens. To me, I like the phyllo crust the best.