Published: September 29, 2009 02:55 pm      

Can you see yet?

Janis Saunders, Democrat Food Critic

Well, I know I have reached an age I never thought I would reach. As a child I remember my grandmother slowly feeling her way around our house when she would visit. Her eyes looked cloudy and she would ask me to help her from room to room. She would tell me se wasn’t used to our house yet and was afraid of falling.

I asked my mother what was wrong with her. Why were her eyes cloudy and she was unable to see?

Mother would shrug her shoulders and say MawMaw had cataracts, which made her blind. I remember saying I would never have cataracts.

My eyes weren’t cloudy, but it was getting hard for me to see some things. I scheduled eye appointments for Jim and myself. Jim had his left eye done a year ago and knew his right eye needed some attention. I had not had anything done to either of my eyes, but I had a feeling I needed to have something done quickly.

Everyone told me, “Hey, you won’t feel any pain and the doctor will give you something that will calm you down and you’ll feel great.”

My doctor told me the same thing, so we made appointments to go in together and get it done. We arranged for our grandson, Steven, to drive us back home after the surgery per the doctor’s instructions.

Everything was going great until we got to the surgery place. When they took my blood pressure it was elevated and she asked me if I always had high blood pressure. I told her my pressure was always in a normal range, but I was just hyper when it came to surgery of any kind. The nurse had me do some deep breathing exercises and engaged me in a conversation about subjects not associated with surgery. Sure enough, after a few minutes of talking about other things, my blood pressure was taken again. This time it was in a safer range and she proceeded in getting me ready. Jim was taken in first and he left me there sitting and waiting for my turn.

My name was finally called and I followed a nurse into a room with a bed in it and another nurse waiting for me. He hooked up my IV and I don’t remember another thing. The next thing I do remember is being wheeled out and getting into our car with Steven sitting behind the wheel. I don’t even remember seeing Jim in the back seat until we were almost home. I do remember Jim’s cell phone ringing and him answering it. I asked who it was and found out it was our daughter, Diana. For some reason I felt like singing to her and proceeded to do so. Steven told me to sit back and relax and we would be home soon. For some reason, when we got home, I had an order of McDonald’s fries in a sack while Jim had three tacos from Taco Casa. I didn’t remember going through two drive throughs.

In fact, I don’t remember much about the rest of the day. My friend, Susan, called me to ask for some neighborhood information and also some info about a chair she had bought. I vaguely remember giving her a lengthy answer to her questions. She asked me if I was OK and I remember telling her I was really OK. In fact, I felt great!

That’s when she remembered Jim and I had surgery that morning. She told me she would talk to me Tuesday and hastily said goodbye. I also remember some telemarketer calling and I told him a lot of information he didn’t appreciate. He hung up on me instead of the other way around.

I looked for Jim and found him outside watering the plants even though it had rained the day before. I hollered for him to get back in the house, which he did. I suddenly felt like a teacher reprimanding a student. He came in the house and flopped down in his recliner and I did the same.

The next thing I remember is the 10 o’clock news coming on. Oh no! I completely missed dancing with the stars. I was heart broken. Jim was really happy. I did vaguely remember something about Tom DeLay and Kelly Osborne, but I don’t remember what they were supposed to have done. I don’t remember going to bed, but I guess I did since I woke up the next morning in bed, but still in my clothes from the day before. Wow! That medicine was some powerful stuff and I didn’t even get to enjoy it like everyone else had talked about. Neither did Jim. The next day Steven came over and proceeded to tell us what we had done the day before.

It seems the nurses had brought me some OJ and crackers and Jim proceeded to eat them. When Steven tried to herd us both into the car, Jim wanted to stay and talk while I was humming some unrecognizable tune.

I told Steven I didn’t remember any of that. At least when I have my other eye done I’ll know what to look forward to.

We are now enjoying the beginnings of “fall” and now is the time to cook accordingly.



Bourbon basted pork chops

1 lemon

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon minced onion

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash fresh ground pepper

4 (1-inch thick) rib pork chops

Cut lemon in half. Squeeze juice from lemon into a small saucepan. Add lemon halves. Add soy sauce and next 6 ingredients, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Reserve half of sauce.

Brush sauce evenly over both sides of pork chops. Grill covered with grill lid over medium high heat for 8 minutes on each side or until done, basting often with sauce. Serve chops with reserved sauce.



Broccoli dressing

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 cups soft bread cubes, lightly toasted

1 (8-ounce) package Swiss cheese, cubed

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

Saute onion and celery in butter in a large skillet over medium high heat until crisp tender.

Combine egg and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl; gently stir in bread cubes, cheese and broccoli. Spoon mixture into a greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden.



For dessert, these cookies are quick and delicious.



Pound cake cookies

1 cup butter softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon rum or 1/2 teaspoon imitation rum flavoring

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

About 42 pecan halves

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolk, rum and vanilla. Beat well.

Combine flour and salt in a bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or until firm.

Shape dough into 1- inch balls, place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press 1 pecan half into each cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield about 3-1/2 dozen cookies



Others who have had this surgery always talk about how beautiful the colors appear — so bright and colorful.

I guess my eyes are like the movie Wizard of Oz. You know, it starts out in black and white then when she reaches Munchkin Land, the movie changes to beautiful colors and the Yellow Brick Road appears. I guess I haven’t found the Yellow Brick Road yet.

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Janis may be reached at: jks4417@aol.com.