I posted a photo of my first raw apple pie on Facebook and a cheffy friend of mine suggested that it was a "deconstructed" apple pie. How very buzz-word of him and he would know of course because he is a chef, but I needed to look up exactly what that meant. I like this definition best, deconstructed dishes take the foods that are normally combined in the dish, change their forms, and then plate them together in a different way. It's not just about taking the dish apart, but putting its elements back together. So this raw apple pie is only kind of deconstructed, as it replaces the pastry with nuts, which isn't in the definition. Nuts are a squillion times better for you anyways. Check it for yourself.
Raw Apple Pie
For the crust, you will need:
2 cups of brazil and pecan nuts
1 cup of fresh pitted dates (these can be substituted with dried apricots, figs or raisins etc)
1/2 teaspoon of cardamom
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
A pinch of sea salt
Place the nuts in a food processor and process until you have small crumbs. Add in the dates and spices and process until the mixture is well combined and in very small crumbs. (I like to process my nut mix until it is dough like, because it is easy to mould, but you might like yours more crumbly and if this is so, process less - experiment!) Have a taste now to check your spice levels, I love cardamom so I usually add more. Press the nut mixture into a 22cm diameter pie tin and place in freezer until firm.
For the filling, you will need:
6 large apples (if not large add extra)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and a little extra
1 cup of fresh dates
Peel and slice 4 of the apples and put them in a bowl with some lemon juice to stop the apples going brown. Cut up the remaining 2 apples and place them into the food processor with the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the dates. Process until smooth. Combine the mixture with the sliced apples.
Remove your pie crust from the freezer and arrange your filling evenly in it. Eat immediately or refrigerate. Your raw deconstructed apple pie will keep for a few days in the fridge. However it is so yummy you will want to eat it all at once. My latest Japanese visitor insisted on eating it for breakfast, even though it doesn't seem all that breakfasty to me, but who am I to stand in her way... It's pretty darn healthy, even though the prunes add a whole lot of sugar; all the more reason to eat it for breakfast - all day to use the energy up.
Anyways moving right along. I was infused with Tysabri yesterday. I had a shocking morning in preparation. I forgot my water bottle and head phones. In weighing my options, I didn't think anyone on the ward would appreciate me watching a movie without head phones. I realised I was sans head phones as I was driving past a friend's home. I gave her a call hoping she would be home, but she was almost at school with her kids. My heart sank, but then she said just come by and pick up my keys, go in get the head phones and drop the keys back. It was a very streamlined event actually and only set me back by 15 minutes. Thanks so much Jacquie.
By the time I got to the hospital I really needed a coffee, so that set me back another 10 minutes. After I filled out all the paperwork and booked my appointment for February, I noted on the receptionist's watch that it was 9.30, half an hour past my slot. I expected to be waiting forever. I perused the magazines and rather than reading old news decided I would give in to the lure of Christian. I got my book out and was shocked to be called straight into the ward. I think I need to be half an hour late more often.
I was seated and the elderly gent sitting across from me was surrounded by 4 nurses. He didn't look like he was having fun at all. The nurse who was attending to me stated, rather than asked, if I would mind if the trainee nurses could assist. I was like, oh yeah sure, but you know I have difficult veins, hoping it was loud enough that they would be put off. The reply was, Merrill is the best person for putting cannulas into veins, you are in good hands. Yeah right this was the women who stabbed a nerve in front of my kiddies last time.
The 3 trainee nurses wandered over and I decided to be chirpy and generous. You have to start learning somewhere right? Merrill followed with no intention of doing the cannula herself. Leisha put her hand up and said she would like to have a go. Everyone examined my veins and Merrill couldn't understand why no one had successfully put a cannula in my hand, as they certainly looked good. There was a little bit of banter, but then I acquiesced, sure have a go why not! Merrill started to give instructions and I thought this is a little anxiety inducing, put on your head phones and start your movie. Impatient me said, oh don't be ridiculous doing that will just delay what is going to happen, just let them get on with it already.
All merit to Leisha, she followed Merrill’s instruction, ignored my negativity about hand cannulation and succeeded on her first attempt at putting the cannula into my hand. No one else has ever done that, I usually get pricked at least twice and it the hand too, woo hoo! The down side was that it was horrible listening to Merrill's instruction and more painful than any of the other places I have had the cannula inserted. I was so glad Lesiha told me after the fact that I was her second ever cannulation!!
I remembered yesterday that no one, who is a nurse, wants to intentionally hurt you (unless you are truly awful I guess!) They are doing their job and that job in my case, is inserting a cannula into my vein so I can have the medication I have of my own free will consented to have. What they know about MS now is that early treatment is imperative for reducing damage, as damage is occurring regardless of whether there is any activity on your MRI or not... so you probably need some form of medication from diagnosis. I find it tedious that some people carry on like pork chops about the medication they have consented to have to reduce damage and improve their future quality of life. If you are not happy with your medication - research it, talk to an informed person about it, seek alternatives, get a second opinion OR learn to accept it. I figure you can make life easy for yourself and get on with it, or dilly dally around, annoying the nurses, your neurologist or your doctor, lengthening the process and making life tougher for yourself. Ok off my soap box.
Enjoy the apple pie!
