Accidental Poisioning or Google Induced Hysteria

So the New Year brought with it a challenge to make a meal that I had never made before.  Being an overachiever, I decided to to double up my effort and tried four new recipes, one for lunch and the rest of supper.  This seemed like an excellent plan until I realized that I also had stewing beef and cabbage that needed to be used pronto.  This meant I also had to make my borscht yesterday as well.

So Jan 1, 2015 started with the entire day spent in the kitchen cooking and doing dishes.... and doing more dishes.  And did I mention dishes?  

The stuffed baked sweet potato was excellent, but I felt I did not really get to enjoy it, as I had started on the borscht prior to sitting down. This meant I could not spend as much time as I would have liked savouring the potato.

I had soup to make!  

Half-way through the borshct making I realized that the pork tenderloin was in the freezer and would need to de-thaw.

Crap!

I also realized that the pork and the fennel induced potatoes au gratin needed to cook at different temperatures.

Double Crap!

Tenderloin removed from the freezer to de-thaw in the fridge. 

Potatoes au gratin started and cooking.  The plan being I would pop the pre-cooked potatoes back in the oven at the tail end of cooking the pork roast to warm-up.

The borscht was completed while the potatoes cooked.  I canned it and put it in the freezer to eat at another time.    By this time I was knackered and decided to have snacks-  hummus with chips and the Chocolate Goddess Mousse with Pomegranate made the day before.  Sorry no pictures.... to yummy... time spent eating vs photographing this particular food item.

That is when I looked a the time..... if I wanted to have supper at a decent hour I needed to get started on the stuffing and the roast.  The only problem.... the roast was still frozen solid.

No problem.... no problem.... don't panic.  It might thaw faster in a cold water bath.  It isn't that big.

As the roast lounged in it's cold water spa;  I prepared the stuffing.  The stuffing was done... but the roast wasn't.  

Staring at it did not help.  Praying did not help.  Running another cold bath for it did not help.  I just had to be patient.  

I was patient for about 30 minutes.... then I was all "Screw patience!  I am a woman of action!!!!!  I am not going to let a little hunk of frozen meat get between me and supper!!!!!!!"  

So I stuffed the pork.... frozen bits and all and nestled it into the roasting pan ready to being the cooking process.  The recipe said to cook it for 1 and a quarter hours or until the internal temperature was 145 degrees.    I followed the recipe, in fact when I measured the temperature it was over 155 degrees in the middle of the roast.   

Ahhhh!  I forgot to put the potatoes in to re-heat!  

NUTS!!!

Okay-  the roast has to "rest" (because sitting in a hot oven I guess is overly taxing to roasts) for 15 minutes.  There you go-  put the potatoes in to warm while the roast is resting.  

15 minutes later-

I cut the roast up.  Just a second, the meat is looking a little pink?  Should it be pink?  Is it like chicken and pink is bad?  

No, no, no.... the meat thermometer said it was done.  It is fine...... fingers crossed.

I start eating.   Part way through the meal my stomach starts feeling queasy.  The following thoughts start running through my head-

• "I didn't just give myself food poisoning did I?"
• "You ate pink meat. Why did you eat pink meat?"
• "What are the symptoms of pork food poisoning? How soon until I know whether I poisoned myself?"
• "Goggle!"
• "Where the hell is the iPad???????"
• "Okay Goggling...... blah, blah, blah........ ROUND WORMS!!!!!!... What the freakin' hell!  Did my stomach just do a flip?"
• "Symptoms are getting worse.  Is it poisoning or is it the thought of round worms?"
• "Christ I feel like I need to puke.  No puking will just confirm that you now have round worms.... suck-it up!"
• "Great idea!  Make a new meal!  Way to start this challenge bonehead... poison yourself..... round worms-  urrrgghhh tummy not well." 

For the next three hours I lay prostrate on the couch, sipping peppermint tea, fluctuating between being convinced I had poisoned myself and trying to convince myself that I had just overeaten and that was why my stomach was upset.  As the minutes past to hours, I braced myself for the possibility of more surprises- such as projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea.  Oh the fun I had in store for myself.  

Neither came. It seems my nauseous state was all a figment of my imagination fueled by hysteria over contracting roundworms and a deep seated fear of pinkish meat.  Sadly, I don't think I will ever be able to enjoy this variation of a meal again... and I have all these left overs!

Did I mention that one of the challenges this year is to host a dinner party........ 

Dinner anyone?