Yesterday, I felt the effects of eating too much salt. The can of beefaroni had 1080 mg of sodium. It was supposed to be two servings, but I was hungry and I ate the whole can. I needed energy for cooking. The evenings’ task included chopping and sautéing onions, celery, onions and parsley. I needed enough to serve 60 people, the number we expected at the turkey-potluck for international students. One of the challenges of this week was to be in the grocery store shopping for turkeys and all the trimmings. Fortunately, Canon Rick Jones at St. Paul’s cooked the turkeys, so I did not have to smell them cooking.
I finished the stuffing on Wednesday morning and put it in the pan, without tasting for seasoning. Again, knowing it would be a busy day, I decided to have my can of chicken noodle soup and toast for breakfast. I noticed that the can had about 1800 mg of sodium. By 9 am, I felt like the ocean was in my mouth! I tasted salt all day long. I was alarmed to think about what a steady diet of canned foods high in sodium would do to a person’s health. After only two meals, I noticed a big difference in my body.
But, the soup sustained me, along with some beans for lunch. Dawn Fraser, Bob Snider and Rick were carving the turkeys by mid-afternoon. We put the stuffing in the oven and soon the smells of sage and thyme mingled with the aroma of the turkeys and gravy. I transported the food to the campus and soon students began arriving with wonderful dishes like: eggplant curry, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, crepes and sponge cake. It was a beautiful and bountiful table. I decided to stay busy taking photos and helping people get registered.
I was very glad to get home and cook a potato. It was satisfying, but also marked the mid-point in this week’s challenge. I knew I could make it through Friday. I don’t know how I would cope if this was my existence every week.
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