Feijoada

I think one of the best things to cook for a group of people coming and going is soup. It can stay on the stove, people can grab a bowl when they get a chance and everyone's fed. Not to mention, soup is generally pretty easy to make. The problem is though... soup gets boring. You can only eat chicken noodle or tomato soup so many times.

So I like to try new soup recipes. I came across this one for feijoada, which is apparently the national food of Brazil. I got my inspiration from this recipe. The author states that her recipe isn't that authentic, and since mine is altered from hers a bit, I guess mine is really not very traditional at all.


 -olive oil
-1 small red onion, chopped
-1 tbsp minced garlic
-10 sausages
-2 handfuls of baby carrots
-1 tsp balsamic vinegar
-1/2 tsp cumin
-1/4 tsp thyme
-2 pinches of salt
-1 tin of tomato puree
-1 1/2 cups of red wine
-1/2 cup water
-1 can of red kidney beans (16oz)
-1 can canellini beans (16oz)


In a large pot, start with a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Heat and saute garlic and onions for several minutes. The garlic should be fragrant and the onion translucent. Add the balsamic vinegar. Meanwhile, slice the sausages into bite-sized pieces. Add sausage and carrots to the pot, allow the sausages to begin to cook over medium-low heat. Season with the thyme, cumin and salt.

While the first ingredients are heating up a little bit, mix together tomato puree, the wine and water. Once blended, pour into the pot. Adjust heat to a light simmer, cover and allow to cook for 30-40 minutes.

After that time, add the beans to the mix. Stir in gently so the beans don't get mashed up. Let cook at least 15 more minutes. It can cook on low for as long as you want, which will let the flavor meld more and more.


Fair warning, the wine flavor is strong. I'm sure the alcohol is cooked off, as I don't seem to be stumbling about, but you can definitely taste the wine. I think next time I would use some spicier sausages too for some extra flavor.

I loved this recipe and all the boys did too. You know soup is good when all my boys eat it.

Yes, definitely call 911 for that

Communications: "Medic 41, for the unknown problem... Caller reports that a man is trying to cash a check on foot in the drive-thru lane of the bank."

......? This is a EMS issue...?

I condemn you to hades

Middle of the night... 60ish year old white guy walks into the ER through the ambulance bay carrying a lady of about the same age in his arms like a baby. Thinking she was dead or something, several of us ran over.

"Sir, sir... what's going on??"

"Well you see. This is my wife. 'Bout once a year or so she just does this. The doctors say she's cat-o-ton-ic or some such. Pretty sure that just means crazy. But she'll wake up in a few days."

He lays her on a stretcher, write his phone number down on the white board in the room, and walks out, saying, "Y'all just call me whenever she wakes up."

This lady is not actually catatonic. She does a fairly good job of playing possum, but when you sneak your eyes open to peek at me when you think my back is turned, I can tell you're faking. But she was determined to keep up her charade, so we just kind of worked around her.

So I'm sitting on one of those roll-y stools, drawing blood out of her hand. One of the techs is standing up near her head chatting with me. She literally hadn't moved in the past 2 hours or made any noise. So we both turned towards her when suddenly she yanked all of her limbs inward, sort of fetal position-esque, and made a noise that can only be described as a cross between a pterodactyl attacking and a dying pig.

Then she flung all of her limbs out, punching Jack the tech in the face and kicking me square in the chest. Jack gets knocked against the sink, whereas I went flying backwards, falling off the stool when I hit the glass door of the room. I lost consciousness briefly from my head hitting the glass and/or the floor. Five seconds later, I wake back up to Mrs. Catatonia pouncing on me on the floor. She starts clawing my face and neck. And then she moves on to attempt to strangle me, speaking her first real words of the night.

"I condemn you to Haaaaaadesssssss."

Around about then, Jack came to his senses, grabbed her off me and threw her back on the bed. Simultaneously about 30 other staff members came running in because of the ruckus.

It's kind of funny now. It wasn't really funny then. Let me tell you, there's not much in life scarier than a wild-eyed crazy lady jumping on top of you and condemning you to Hades.

PS: This story is way better when I tell it verbally. Say "I condemn you to Haaaaaaadessss," in a creepy, gravelly voice. And picture this:

I beg to differ

Trauma is the only way you can enjoy help save lives during a gory bloodbath?

The ICU begs to differ...

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Lasagna is an easy, filling, universally-loved firehouse meal. I mean really, what's better than lasagna? Lasagna with buffalo sauce and lots of cheese! Yummmmmm... I'm really embracing the idea of taking traditional pasta and mixing it up with totally different flavors. Multiple people emailed me later to ask for the recipe after I served it to the troops. It's cheesy and tangy. Easy as squad meals go too. This recipe's inspiration came from here. I did change it a wee bit though.

-lasagna shells
-2 lbs chicken breast
-1 jar of Frank's Buffalo Sauce
-3 jars of Alfredo sauce
-30oz ricotta cheese
-1 cup of egg substitute
-1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 350*. Do all the prep things: cook chicken and noodles if needed. I poach my chicken. And I used no-cook lasagna, but cooked noodles would be fine. So cook them now. Once the chicken is cooked through, chop it up into bit-sized pieces.

Get two separate bowls. Mix Alfredo sauce and buffalo sauce in one bowl. In the other, mix together ricotta, egg substitute and chicken (chopped into small pieces). Start by spooning a thin layer of sauce across the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place a layer of noodles, then more sauce, followed by a layer of the ricotta mixture. Continue layers until ending with a layer of sauce. Bake for an hour covered. Sprinkle cheese over the top and cook uncovered for about 15 more minutes.




Then inhale :)

Ambulate before carry

So once upon a time, there was a kid in our first due who, in the time I've known him, has weighed anywhere between 350 and almost 500 pounds. (By the way, I'm not exaggerating about his weight... he could only be weighed on one special scale in the hospital and I've seen those red numbers flashing and he doesn't fit on our "bariatric cot.") Back when he was closer to 500 pounds, he was a cardiac arrest at home. He was successfully resuscitated by some of my colleagues and walked out of the hospital like a month later. Did I mention he was only 17 at the time? I can't swear to you what caused him to code, but I'd wager that his extra 300+ pounds didn't really help the situation. We go to his house a lot, not always for him, but also for his mother and grandmother who have a variety of medical problems of their own. This kid had no chance... both Mom and Grandmom has BMIs > 40 or so.

I went there the other day for the kid. He's like 20 years old now and has lost a fair amount of weight. A trim 375lb or so? So now his BMI is only like 54...

His complaint was "shortness of breath." He clearly had a cold. Was telling me about his runny nose, his cough and never actually mentioned being short of breath. In fact, he denied dyspnea when I asked him point blank.

Because I knew his history (and really didn't want to code him again), I did my initial assessment in the house, including a 12-lead. Everything was stole cold normal, so I offered my hand to him and said, "Ok let's go to the truck." He stands up and we start walking out.

Mom and Grandmom start rushing waddling into the room.

Cue the screeching...


"What do you think you're doing?!"

"You're making him WALK?!"

"Sit down baby... you're too sick to walk!"

"Y'all better be carrying him out of here!"

"Go get that cot girl. After I call, you work for me and I say carry him out to that ambulance!"

Seriously? How do you even say that with a straight face to me? I'm literally a third of his size. And I'm supposed to pick him up?

I carry out people who physically can't walk or those whose condition could be exacerbated by exertion. Chest pain, dyspnea, bad trauma, seizing/post-ictal or unconscious patients. This does not include obesity. (By the way, at this point the kid has already made it halfway to the truck, with no adverse effects.)

The mother and grandmother continued to scream at us until finally I pointed out that the kid was in the ambulance and so it was a moot point.

And I wish I were kidding... but the mom and grandmom proceeded to sit back down on the couch, eating chips and watching TV while we took the kid to the ED. Not stereotypical at all.

I think a little more walking would do the whole family some good...

My new favorite

I wish I were as funny and satirically accurate as these guys...

http://www.gomerblog.com/

Happy Reading!