The past 24 hours flew by in a flash. We had a great day, following our usual routine with pleasure and smiles on our faces. The six-pound roasted chicken came out perfectly after being in the oven for three hours. It was much tastier and healthier than the pre-roasted rotisserie chickens found in most grocery stores.
In years past, we’d buy rotisserie chickens from markets, but the list of the most unhealthy ingredients has steered us away from this “convenience food.” Many of these chickens contain wheat and starches that may not be suitable for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Also, the inclusion of countless chemicals to enhance flavor and preservatives is alarming.
Prepping the chicken for the oven took me no more than 10 minutes, and most of that time was spent slicing white onions into chunks, cleaning whole portabella mushrooms, and peeling carrots to add to the roasting pan. Then, I seasoned everything in the pan with fresh garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, coarse ground pepper, and mixed barbecue spice seasoning.
I set the timer on my phone to preheat the oven and start the chicken cooking three hours before eating. As expected, the chicken was so large that tonight, we’ll have the other half for dinner. We’ll repeat this meal Sunday for Easter dinner using the second, much smaller chicken since that will be our last homemade meal at the condo since we’re leaving Monday morning.
I thought I’d begin packing this morning, but I’m not ready to start the process. Once tomorrow’s cardiac ultrasound and subsequent doctor appointment with the results from the test are done and I have a verdict on whether I need another open heart surgery, I’ll be committed to begin packing.
I don’t know why it is necessary for me to be motivated to begin packing, but this idea stuck in my mind when the appointment was made three weeks ago. It’s been a long wait, and I’m anxious to get this over with. The waiting has been awful since we were in Ecuador, and the cardiologist told me I needed surgery on my valves in the next few months. That was in November, and at that time, I became motivated to get signed up for Medicare with a good supplement plan.
Signing up for Medicare while we were in the US was imperative, as it required signing documents and sending them by snail mail. Now that both Part B Medicare and Aflac’s Plan G supplement are in place and effective since March 1, I have peace of mind knowing this is now in place.
Also, I wanted a second opinion from a US cardiologist to determine if, in fact, I needed more heart surgery, which I dread with more angst than I can describe.
As for tomorrow’s post, since I am leaving for the test and doctor’s appointment at 7:30 am, I will prepare the post when I return to the condo. I haven’t asked Tom to go with me. There was no point in him sitting around for two hours and making the Uber ride up and back with me. I am fine going on my own.
Regardless of the outcome, I will post it tomorrow, but it may not be available online until a few hours later than usual. Of course, I will share the outcome with all of you.
Thanks for all the positive thoughts and prayers from many of our readers and friends. You all mean the world to us.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, March 26, 2014:
