Why I love leftovers

While preparing a good meal can be very satisfying, not having to cook at all is sometimes a relief.

I have rheumatoid arthritis, which can sneak up and suck all the energy right out of me without notice – and that is why I meal plan like crazy but try to keep contingencies on hand and make a point of staying flexible.

Today is one of those days where I’d rather fast than have to cook, this time not because of RA, but because while I was in the middle of preparing yesterday’s dinner, I somehow pulled a muscle in my back. I’ve heard of this happening, but strange as it may seem, it has never happened to me, and for the record, owww.

I really have no idea how I did it – one second I was standing there stirring a pot of pasta…. giving some sauteed veggies a little shake – multitasking, yes, but nothing major and as far as I know I wasn’t trying to do any of this with contortionist maneuvers – and then whooosh, I suddenly couldn’t stand upright and was trying to find a cool spot amongst all the burners to hang onto while the worst Charlie Horse in the history of muscle spasms clenched down on the muscle along my left side. (There is a anatomical name for that muscle but I will simply refer to it as that Backstabbing Backstabber Muscle)

Now, dinner was not at a place where it could just cruise along for a little while without me and there was no way I was going to be doing anymore stirring motions for awhile. So, I gasped out instructions to my daughter about what all needed to be done, and slowly slowly hobbled into the living room, hoping this would pass soon.

Well… here it is, nearly 24 hours and no – not finished. The hard core spasm has stopped, but the muscle is still terribly sore and screams in terror every time I flex it. That pretty much means with every breath I take.

So tonight is leftovers from last night – which was good enough to eat two days in a row – served with a side order of heating pad.