h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

is gorgeous. marinated diced chicken breasts, in sumac, a few other spices, oil and lemon juice today for lunch; and leftover in fridge for at least four more days. made hummus today too
Just so energyless ATM; due next testosterone injection on Friday, and currently have tanked out so extra dizzy all the time, and no energy, but, similarly no tiredness so can't sleep just very spaced out

Surgery lost the prescription for the testosterone. or, rather, they lied to us, and said the pharmacy had lost it... we chased round.... and eventually discovered it at the pharmacy, but it was sent to them late, several days later than the date and time, recorded by pharmacy for when it got sent to the pharmacy.

For, some odd reason; all prescriptions now go from surgery to pharmacy electronically. except... injectible things, which go on a green piece of paper

Anyhow, thanks to their incompetence, at all things they do, I was then able to book in for my testosterone injection, two days earlier than I'm due to have it so have that arranged for Wednesday; which is of course somewhat dependant on the pharmacy being able to get hold of the testosterone by Monday/Tuesday (OK would be fine too if they got it by Wednesday morning too)

Only managed half an hour weights at gym, Friday and have booked in for tomorrow morning, but have moved Wednesday to Thursday, due to injection, plus we'll go to the gym on Friday too... hopefully by Thurs/Fri, I've have enough energy/strength, to do more than just half an hour or less.

Mainly, I've been reading mystorys and thrillers mainly ATM finding some authors I've never heard of who're often rather good though the last one I finished left me at the ending still enjoyed it though, even if it got a bit bafflingly high-brow by the end and my lack of a classical education ment I didn't get a lot of references to various things...

Cooked a beef chilli tonight which like the marinated chicken breasts, will last for another four nights I think

sweating buckets ATM, too, thanks to the low testosterone, but, not a lot I can do about that... plus weather is still kinda hot

Sorting through the clean laundry last night, discovered I only wore two pairs of socks last week - despite walking every day and going to the gym on three days I hardly produce any body oder mind, due to testosterone thesedays so

perhaps it might be easier to stay with testosterone injections from the local surgery, rather than the hospital, at least, then, ; I can cheat and just arrange the injection for when I need it, rather than when some standardised 'normal' range says I need it

Coincidentally one of my sisters just a few days ago asked me and our other siblings about sumac and za'atar. I was able to find her a recipe for homemade za'atar and she used them to cook for some of her friends. They were reluctant at first but once they started eating there was no stopping them



with the testosterone shot

The only sumac I'm familiar with is a poisonous variety similar to poison ivy or oak. I've never heard of za'tar.

We don't have poison sumac over here, but here's a recipe for za'atar. I hope you can read it

https://www.feastingathome.com/zaatar-spice-recipe/

Za'atar (however its spelt), is gorgeous. especially used for marinating chicken

meanwhile.... just cooked up some chicken today, I marinated overnight, this time in Lebonese 7-spice (which interestingly, has way more than 7 different spices in it?!) plus Sumac, plus pepper, lemon juice and oil

meanwhile meanwhile, last night had mackerel with sumac which works really well too

Also made hummus today... with the extra addition of chile flakes - the naan we bought, as we've such a good local source of fresh made flatbreads

-yes; sumac is mainly it seems poisonous species, but obviously one at least is not... - no idea which species of Sumac is the one that the spice comes from

The testosterone injection went fine... - it was the first time using this nurse at the local Gp surgery, and I think we'll use her again; thanks to woeful non-communication between GP and hospital, by using her for the injections, we can.... take advantage of the lack of hospital/GP communication to mean I can determine the date of my own injections, and not have to stick to the 'average' 10, 11, or 12 weekly interval between injections

Although I didn't have any bloods taken yesterday; so I'll have to E-mail hospital to get them to E-mail GP, to instruct them I need bloods each time I have the injection

Energy hasn't come back yet though...

Speaking of chickens and spices I visited my brother and his wife together with our youngest sister a few days ago and they served us a very tasty chicken with some Italian style bread and salad.
I asked for the chicken recipe and it was remarkably easy:
Cover the bottom of a fireproof dish with peeled garlic cloves.
(I kid you not! I have never seen so much garlic in one and the same dish - but it was totally worth it!)
Rub chicken pieces with lemon juice.
Place them on top of the garlic and sprinkle with grated lemon zest, coarsely ground pepper and salt.
Pour double cream (38 percent) until almost covered and place slices of butter on top.
Cover with lid or foil and fry for at least 1 hour at 200 degrees.
Serve with baguettes or rice as well as salad and a rosé. Et voila!

Bon appétit!



PS: I'm thinking one or more spices would add to this dish. Like sumac, rosemary, parsley, you name it. I shall have to experiment.

::

if your thinking lemon-y.... then sumac; its lemony but.... with 'bite/fight', if that makes sense.... more herby, then add za'atar which is a fabulous middle-easturn spice blend.... err, its got sesamae in it... and some herbs... sage? err... I can't recall, but its gorgeous with chicken, and works really well with lemon juice, or sumac

talking of which;
marinated some diced halal chicken breasts last night, well, from yesterday just after we ate lunch, actually... with lemon juice, sunflower oil (probably should be olive oil, but William doesn't get on with olive oil, and I like sunflower oil more too...), with sumac, a little cumin, black pepper, cinnamon (very little), a bit of garlic, and... whateverelse I put on, I'd need to look at my recipe to recall

cooked that up today, on a tray, and whilst it cooked I made hummus with chilli flakes this time =- we've enough cooked chicken for the rest of the week, and we had it for lunch again, today, with the locally made flatbreads/naam

went out to our favorite pub, tonight, which we went to on Wednesday; the first day it opened after lockdown restrictions eased like being back home, at our favorite pub, and the beer is exceptionally good

I got my hands on a small lamb rump steak which I will enjoy tonight. Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, baked tomatoes and onions as well as rice will be the other ingredients I think