Snacks

[Peter Creasey]

Seriously fine are Creme Brulee Almonds (http://www.squirrelbrand.com/productShow.php?NutID=41) .

[Judy G. Russell]

Get thee behind me, Satan...

[davidh]

Get thee behind me, Satan...I think that Bible quote is a euphemism for kiss my grits.
DH

[davidh]

Seriously fine are Creme Brulee Almonds (http://www.squirrelbrand.com/productShow.php?NutID=41) .
I was hoping that somebody would post a thread about food, but I don't even know what is creme brulee :(

How about something for the budget gourmet?
DH

[Peter Creasey]

I don't even know what is creme brulee

David...

Definitions of creme brulee on the Web:

* custard sprinkled with sugar and broiled
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

* Crème brûlée (French for "burnt cream"; in English, in French) is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel, created by burning sugar under a grill, or with a blowtorch or other intense heat source. It is usually served cold in individual ramekins.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crème_brûlée

* (pronounced broo-lay). Literally, this means "burned cream." It's a custard with a brittle crust of browned sugar.
www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/louisiana/new-orleans/feature_30014.html

* (krehm broo-LAY) - The literal translation of this rich dessert is "burnt cream". It describes a chilled, stirred custard which, just ...
www.shibdenmillinn.com/glossary/gloss-c.htm

How about something for the budget gourmet?

In what category? Snacks? Entrees? Desserts? Etc.?

[Judy G. Russell]

I think that Bible quote is a euphemism for kiss my grits.Not in my case (I hate grits).

[davidh]

Thanks for the definition. Sounds like fun for sweet tooth pyromaniacs.
DH

[Lindsey]

Thanks for the definition. Sounds like fun for sweet tooth pyromaniacs.
DH

It is a classic dessert. Just enough sweet to top off a meal without being horribly filling. It's a simple thing, but its success all depends on getting it just right: cooking the custard enough for it to be done, but not enough to make it stiff; getting just the right thickness of melted sugar on the top so that you get a nice crackle, but you don't have to take a jack-hammer to it to break through the crust; enough heat to melt the sugar, but not enough to burn it. It's very easy to do crème brûlée badly.

I had it once in New York City when it was absolutely perfect, and it was like eating food for the gods.

[davidh]

David...
In what category? Snacks? Entrees? Desserts? Etc.?

THE SWEET RICE CAKE
Bánh Chưng
...
One night, in a dream, Van saw his mother who let him know he would be selected for the throne. It would be sufficient for him to make a sweet rice cake in the form of a square with meat and bacon in the middle of it to symbolise the heart. The square cake represented the earth because at that time people thought the earth was square. Vân woke up and recalled the dream to his wife. The couple decided to follow the advice of their mother to make the cake, and to boil it in a terra cotta pot.
...
The sweet rice cake ( or bánh chưng in Vietnamese ) is one of the traditional delicacies of the Vietnamese people during the Tết festival. It is eaten with caramel marinated stewed pork.
http://www.limsi.fr/Individu/dang/webvn/egateau.htm
The ones that I'm used to are sticky rice with pork in the middle wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.
DH

[Mike]

I had it once in New York City when it was absolutely perfect, and it was like eating food for the gods.
I had it in San Francisco, as dessert for dinner with a date.

Our waiter had been very nice and jovial throughout dinner. A few minutes after he brought our desserts, he returned to the table and asked, "How are they?"

I looked at him with a deadpan face and said, "Someone burnt the tops of these desserts. Please take them back to the kitchen and bring us those chocolate tortes you talked us out of."

The waiter was dumbfounded. He stared at me, not knowing how to respond.

Finally, my date got it and started laughing. It was not until I no longer could keep a straight face that finally the waiter also clued in...

He got a nice tip that night.

[Judy G. Russell]

I looked at him with a deadpan face and said, "Someone burnt the tops of these desserts. Please take them back to the kitchen and bring us those chocolate tortes you talked us out of."LOL! The waiter must have been stunned! (Except that I've known a few people who would seriously believe that!)

[ktinkel]

Thanks for the definition. Sounds like fun for sweet tooth pyromaniacs.It is actually not (usually) very sweet at all — just the topping, a couple of millimeters thick, is sugary.

Except for those who loathe dairy projects or serious dessert-o-phobes, almost everyone is smitten by creme brulee the first time they eat it.

[ktinkel]

The ones that I'm used to are sticky rice with pork in the middle wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.That’s good stuff too.

Since you mentioned food, I will tell you what we are having for dinner tonight: Smoked duck breast (actually, my husband doesn’t like duck so he will have filet mignon), celery root remoulade, puréed carrots Moroccan style, and roasted new potatoes. Probably followed by pears and a locally made cheese. We will drink a special sauvignon blanc and a red not yet chosen, but probably a pinot noir.

(I had two medical procedures and was either prepping or fasting from December 20 through January 6; this is my payback for an extremely abstemious holiday period!)

[Judy G. Russell]

(I had two medical procedures and was either prepping or fasting from December 20 through January 6; this is my payback for an extremely abstemious holiday period!)Egads, if that was your normal fare, I was going to ask you to adopt me...

[Dan in Saint Louis]

How about something for the budget gourmet?
DH
My chocolate chip cookies. Which are, in truth, built by exactly following the classic Tollhouse recipe. None better.

[ktinkel]

Egads, if that was your normal fare, I was going to ask you to adopt me...I would be glad to adopt you, but you would also have to put up with very mundane meals most of the time! (Meaning, no, that was not our normal fare!) <g>

[Judy G. Russell]

My chocolate chip cookies.Mmmmmmm... chocolate chip.....

[Judy G. Russell]

I would be glad to adopt you, but you would also have to put up with very mundane meals most of the time! (Meaning, no, that was not our normal fare!) <g>I have a sneaky idea that your idea of mundane and mine might still be a bit different. (My idea of mundane is a hotdog!)

[Lindsey]

He got a nice tip that night.

LOL! I should hope he did! Oh, you are so mean!!

[Mike]

LOL! The waiter must have been stunned!
He was! Just like a deer in the headlights.

[Mike]

(My idea of mundane is a hotdog!)
Ours is plain spaghetti and sauce.

A hot dog is a treat, after we've shopped at Costco and sampled everything in the aisles. Hot dog and soda, $1.50.

[Mike]

My chocolate chip cookies.
Samples?

I made brownies using a mix the other day, but I stirred half a bag of Nestlé chips into the batter.

[Judy G. Russell]

Ours is plain spaghetti and sauce. A hot dog is a treat, after we've shopped at Costco and sampled everything in the aisles. Hot dog and soda, $1.50.Skip the bun, skip the soda, add a little broccoli and that's a mundane dinner for me.

[Judy G. Russell]

Samples? I made brownies using a mix the other day, but I stirred half a bag of Nestlé chips into the batter.I want samples from both of you!

[Bill Hirst]

I have a sneaky idea that your idea of mundane and mine might still be a bit different. (My idea of mundane is a hotdog!)
Mmmm, hot dog

-Homer Simpson

[Dan in Saint Louis]

Samples?

I made brownies using a mix the other day, but I stirred half a bag of Nestlé chips into the batter.
Next time add some peanut butter, or a spoonful of instant coffee.

[Dan in Saint Louis]

I want samples from both of you!
'Tis no secret -- there are no better chocolate chip cookies than those from the recipe on the Tollhouse bag.

[ktinkel]

I have a sneaky idea that your idea of mundane and mine might still be a bit different. (My idea of mundane is a hotdog!)And ours is canned baked beans and sliced ham! And we sometimes have Kraft Dinner. See — as mundane as it can be.

For some reason Jack draws the line at hot dogs for dinner. I can get him to eat bratwurst occasionally. Go figure that out!

[ktinkel]

Ours is plain spaghetti and sauce.We eat a lot of pasta too. I usually have homemade sauce around — a quart of that gets us through several meals. Jack always adds ricotta.

A hot dog is a treat, after we've shopped at Costco and sampled everything in the aisles.Aren’t you a little young for that? The energetic Costco samplers here are over 65 (or under 10). <g>

[ktinkel]

How about something for the budget gourmet?Stuff from Trader Joe’s: Crispy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies; Mexican green chile cheese tamales or Asian potstickers from the freezer case; three-cheese or Alsatian pizza from the freezer; and so much more.

Increasingly some of the same things — especially those from Europe — can be found in regular supermarkets.

[Judy G. Russell]

'Tis no secret -- there are no better chocolate chip cookies than those from the recipe on the Tollhouse bag.Unless it's cookies from the recipe on the Tollhouse bag baked by somebody else.

[Dan in Saint Louis]

Unless it's cookies from the recipe on the Tollhouse bag baked by somebody else.
I am beginning to understand..........

[Judy G. Russell]

I am beginning to understand..........So? When's my delivery? (drooooooool....)

[Mike]

Skip the bun, skip the soda, add a little broccoli and that's a mundane dinner for me.
In that case, I'd get chicken sausage from Trader Joe's, which means the spaghetti still is my most mundane dinner. <g>

[Mike]

We eat a lot of pasta too. I usually have homemade sauce around — a quart of that gets us through several meals. Jack always adds ricotta.
We buy whatever's on sale. When we don't want mundane, we fortify it with something (sautéed vegetables, meat, spices, etc.).

Aren’t you a little young for that? The energetic Costco samplers here are over 65 (or under 10). <g>
There doesn't seem to be any age divide here. Everyone is sampling everything. But it's most fun to go at lunch time and have a meal of hors d'oeuvres followed by a dog and soda.

[Mike]

Next time add some peanut butter, or a spoonful of instant coffee.
I have to limit peanut butter in my meals. I've never tried adding coffee--I presume it gives it an espresso flavor?

[Dan in Saint Louis]

I've never tried adding coffee--I presume it gives it an espresso flavor?
Unless you add too much, you don't taste "coffee" -- just a little extra richness.

[ktinkel]

I have to limit peanut butter in my meals. I've never tried adding coffee--I presume it gives it an espresso flavor?I always add coffee when baking something chocolate — it gives the chocolate more depth and richness. If you use too much you get mocha, but below that threshold, just extra-rich chocolate flavor.

[Mike]

Unless you add too much, you don't taste "coffee" -- just a little extra richness.
Cool. Thanks for the tip. I'll try it when I bake something again, which hopefully will happen within the next five years.

[Peter Creasey]

How about something for the budget gourmet?

David, Okay, here you go!

Savory Meat Pie...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3375/3189906726_28bf43dd09.jpg

and Broccoli...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3472/3189906930_a164394dbd.jpg

[Judy G. Russell]

Photos of food are unfair. Now I need a midmorning snack...

[Peter Creasey]

How about something for the budget gourmet?

David, or how about this...

The other dark meat: Raccoon is making it to the table (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/59566.html).

[Judy G. Russell]

The other dark meat: Raccoon is making it to the table (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/59566.html).Ewwwwwwwww...

[ktinkel]

Last week’s New York Times food section had an article: “Saving a Squirrel by Eating One (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07squirrel.html)” — it is evidently catching on in England, where our grey squirrels are edging out their traditional red ones. So they catch and eat grey squirrel, prepared somehow (the article did not provide any recipes).

Squirrel is also eaten (so I have been told) in the southern part of the U.S.

[ndebord]

Last week’s New York Times food section had an article: “Saving a Squirrel by Eating One (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07squirrel.html)” — it is evidently catching on in England, where our grey squirrels are edging out their traditional red ones. So they catch and eat grey squirrel, prepared somehow (the article did not provide any recipes).

Squirrel is also eaten (so I have been told) in the southern part of the U.S.

Kathleen,

Well, I've had squirrel and you might as well be eating rat. Of course, we no longer have to travel to the deep South to enjoy this delicacy. Judy, it seems, can provide us this tasty treat any time we care to visit NJ!

;-)

[Mike]

Squirrel is also eaten (so I have been told) in the southern part of the U.S.
As are possum, rabbit, beaver, gopher, and any sort of roadkill.

That don't make it raht.

[Judy G. Russell]

Squirrel is also eaten (so I have been told) in the southern part of the U.S.It is, and I've had it, and yes, it does taste like chicken. A little.

[Judy G. Russell]

Of course, we no longer have to travel to the deep South to enjoy this delicacy. Judy, it seems, can provide us this tasty treat any time we care to visit NJ!If I could only catch the little basta^H^H^H blighters.

[ktinkel]

It is, and I've had it, and yes, it does taste like chicken. A little.Hmmm. Well, squirrel just doesn’t get my saliva going somehow.

I do enjoy their antics, however. If they would just leave the birdseed alone.

Mike: We tried distracting squirrels with popcorn and other treats on the ground. But they would eat it up and then go after the birdfeeder.

[Mike]

We tried distracting squirrels with popcorn and other treats on the ground. But they would eat it up and then go after the birdfeeder.
No, no, no. You can't distract them. All you can do is set barriers and then give them a consolation meal.

[Judy G. Russell]

Hmmm. Well, squirrel just doesn’t get my saliva going somehow.It's not on the top of my list either.

I do enjoy their antics, however. If they would just leave the birdseed alone. I am feeling somewhat more charitable towards them since the blow-in attic insulation seems to have kept them out of the attic so far this year.

[ktinkel]

I am feeling somewhat more charitable towards them since the blow-in attic insulation seems to have kept them out of the attic so far this year.Hey — great!

[Bill Hirst]

As are possum, rabbit, beaver, gopher, and any sort of roadkill.

That don't make it raht.
Mmm, fresh roadkill. I've had squirrel, and it was at least half a state away from the "deep" South. It wasn't that bad, but not that good either. There's no way a wild animal is going to be as tender as a feedlot cow on a high starch diet. The combination of overeating and underexcercising is how they get the big streaks of fat in a good steak.

One of the preferred methods of "catching" squirrels is to blast their heads off with a .22 rifle. It's about as sporting as fishing with dynamite, but you do need to stay sober enough to see just one squirrel. (Drinking and shooting: another southern tradition. If you can't hit a moving target, you can always practice on the "no hunting" signs. They make a nice "clang" when hit.)

-Bill (not that I ever did it personally, but I know people who did.)

[Bill Hirst]

I shouldn't even be talking about food tonight. I have to get a feeding tube installed tomorrow morning. My poor esophagus, already damaged by too much post-cancer radiation, sprang a leak the other day. I have to quit swallowing food for a while so it has a chance to heal. It's a quick surgery and I expect to be home the same day. So it will be liquids only, no exotic roadkill.

-Bill

[earler]

We eat rabbits, deer, and wild boar, all from our woods, by the way. Delicious and they weren't fed on grain. No marbling of the meat either.

[Judy G. Russell]

I shouldn't even be talking about food tonight. I have to get a feeding tube installed tomorrow morning. My poor esophagus, already damaged by too much post-cancer radiation, sprang a leak the other day. I have to quit swallowing food for a while so it has a chance to heal. It's a quick surgery and I expect to be home the same day. So it will be liquids only, no exotic roadkill.Good heavens, Bill! I'm glad to hear this is expected to be a minor procedure, but this definitely does NOT sound like fun. Hope everything heals well and soon.

[Bill Hirst]

We eat rabbits, deer, and wild boar, all from our woods, by the way. Delicious and they weren't fed on grain. No marbling of the meat either.
Maybe the squirrels my friend shot had been eating insulation from someone's attic. Or maybe he was just a lousy cook.

-Bill

[Lindsey]

Squirrel is also eaten (so I have been told) in the southern part of the U.S.

Indeed. Squirrel is a main ingredient of the original Brunswick stew (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunswick_stew), of which Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia all claim to be the origin.

Nowadays, though, it's usually made with chicken.

Men's groups in the churches in my neighborhood cook huge kettles of it outdoors over a fire in late fall (or at least they used to; I'm not sure if they still do) and sell quarts of it as a fundraising project. My mother always bought many quarts and kept it in the freezer to thaw out and serve for lunch on cold winter days. It really does make a great warming lunch on a day when there is ice and snow on the ground.

[Lindsey]

As are possum, rabbit, beaver, gopher, and any sort of roadkill.

That don't make it raht.

Hey! My brother used to hunt squirrels with his pellet gun when he was a kid, and he'd bring them home and get my mother's housekeeper to cook them up for him. None of the rest of us were remotely interested, but he and maybe sometimes my dad would enjoy them. :o

[Lindsey]

I am feeling somewhat more charitable towards them since the blow-in attic insulation seems to have kept them out of the attic so far this year.

The key words there being "so far." :D

[Lindsey]

I shouldn't even be talking about food tonight. I have to get a feeding tube installed tomorrow morning. My poor esophagus, already damaged by too much post-cancer radiation, sprang a leak the other day. I have to quit swallowing food for a while so it has a chance to heal. It's a quick surgery and I expect to be home the same day. So it will be liquids only, no exotic roadkill.

Oh, my, Bill, I'm so sorry to hear that! I hope the healing process goes quickly for you!

[Lindsey]

We eat rabbits, deer, and wild boar, all from our woods, by the way. Delicious and they weren't fed on grain. No marbling of the meat either.

I think the real secret is in knowing how to cook it. You have to approach the cooking of wild game differently from the way you cook beef.

[Mike]

If you can't hit a moving target, you can always practice on the "no hunting" signs. They make a nice "clang" when hit.
I wa raised in SW oHIo, where many of the inhabitants are "from" the South.

Apparently, many of the road signs also made good targets.

[Mike]

Oh, yuck! I'm hoping it will be a short healing process and you'll be back to solid food soon!

[Judy G. Russell]

The key words there being "so far." :DIt's 12 degrees here today and I haven't heard them up there yet.

[Bill Hirst]

Good heavens, Bill! I'm glad to hear this is expected to be a minor procedure, but this definitely does NOT sound like fun. Hope everything heals well and soon.
I'm back. It was NOT fun and Idon't want to talk about it

-Bill

[Judy G. Russell]

I'm back. It was NOT fun and Idon't want to talk about itI don't think you're supposed to talk, yet! But do accept all of our very best wishes for a very very fast recovery.

[ndebord]

We eat rabbits, deer, and wild boar, all from our woods, by the way. Delicious and they weren't fed on grain. No marbling of the meat either.


Earle,

My brother used to sneak out just ahead of hunting season to an old abandoned apple orchard. Best vension I've ever had!

[earler]

We respect the law as concerns the hunting season, and how many deer and wild boar may be killed. Last weekend there was no hunting because of the snow on the ground. It's illegal to hunt until the snow disappears.

We have too many deer, which is a problem for newly planted trees. The wild boar are a problem, too, mainly because they mess up the roads in the forest after the thaw, which has now begun. The severity of this winter will bring a lot of morel mushrooms in the spring.

[ndebord]

We respect the law as concerns the hunting season, and how many deer and wild boar may be killed. Last weekend there was no hunting because of the snow on the ground. It's illegal to hunt until the snow disappears.

We have too many deer, which is a problem for newly planted trees. The wild boar are a problem, too, mainly because they mess up the roads in the forest after the thaw, which has now begun. The severity of this winter will bring a lot of morel mushrooms in the spring.

Earle,

You may if you're hunting for sport, but if, as the people I'm talking about, you hunt to fill your large freezer in the basement to feed your kids, you stalk your deer in advance, pick the one you want and shoot it the day before the amateurs hit the roads.

If the population is controlled by state boards, you usually end up with too many of any one species, as science is abrogated by sentiment.

[davidh]

"Snacks" ranks #5 in the last 100 days, in Tap room
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It's COLD!!!
Judy G. Russell

December 12th, 2008 10:06 AM
by Judy G. Russell
109 600
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Late night indicators for the election
sidney

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Anchorage headline:
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So... what to talk about after the election?
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November 26th, 2008 09:00 PM
by Judy G. Russell
84 432
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Snacks
Peter Creasey

Today 06:04 AM
by earler
68 364 DH

[earler]

It's pretty hard to pick the deer you want beforehand, impossible really. If you shoot game before the season opens you violate the law. There are plenty of deer and wild board around, more than enough to fill anyone's freezer. This is true in the states, too, though there may well be fewer wild boar.

Anyway, why is someone shooting game before the season any less an amateur than those who obey the law?

[Lindsey]

It's 12 degrees here today and I haven't heard them up there yet.

Here's to that continuing for as long as you have that house!

[Judy G. Russell]

Here's to that continuing for as long as you have that house!I'll drink to that! They're free to move back in... the day my moving van pulls away!

[ndebord]

It's pretty hard to pick the deer you want beforehand, impossible really. If you shoot game before the season opens you violate the law. There are plenty of deer and wild board around, more than enough to fill anyone's freezer. This is true in the states, too, though there may well be fewer wild boar.

Anyway, why is someone shooting game before the season any less an amateur than those who obey the law?

Earle,

Sure you can. We knew of an abandoned apple orchard and followed the movements of deer in and out of it. When the time came, we shot if not the exact one, then one of the bevy. My brother said he watched them enough to know which one he wanted. And the wardens knew who needed to fill their freezers and who were just tourists and turned a blind eye. Common law.

Wouldn't know about boar, not native to northern Michigan.

P.S. And those apple-fed deer were mighty tasty!

P.P.S. Haven't gone hunting since the early 90s when I went out once with a nephew who (at the time) spent almost all his time shooting. Quite the eye. Heard that I was good and was quite disappointed in my lack of skills. Had to explain to him that I gave away all my rifles to his father in 1968 when I came back from VietNam and hadn't picked up and shot anything untill he talked me into going out with him. 20/10 vision, young eyes, lots of practice. The kid was good!

[earler]

One of a bevy is not the exact deer.

I can understand the 'blind eye' in this case, though not why anyone would abandon an apple orchard. But that isn't common law, which is something very different indeed.

Pity you don't have wild boar. A delicious repast.

[ndebord]

One of a bevy is not the exact deer.

I can understand the 'blind eye' in this case, though not why anyone would abandon an apple orchard. But that isn't common law, which is something very different indeed.

Pity you don't have wild boar. A delicious repast.

Earle,

One of the bevy would have been me. My brother stalked his deer and could (usually) tell one from another. But then, he was the better hunter and fisherman than I (although despite my weak eyes, I like to think I was the better shot [then]). As for abandoning an apple orchard, we are talking about Michigan here... <weak grin>

I've never eaten boar. Had bear and some interesting SE Asian delicacies though.

[earler]

I've seen many deer in my life, but have never been close enough to know if it is was the same one I had seen before. I think your brother is using a wee bit of hyperbole. You did say he was also a fisherman and they are well known for their tall tales.

[ndebord]

I've seen many deer in my life, but have never been close enough to know if it is was the same one I had seen before. I think your brother is using a wee bit of hyperbole. You did say he was also a fisherman and they are well known for their tall tales.

Earle,

You want a 100% guarantee? Can't give it, but he hunted all the time and he was very, very good. His son, my nephew (the one with 20/10 vision, at least when he was younger) spent most of his misspent youth hunting. Spent days at a time in the woods tracking and shooting various kinds of game.

I was the least enamored of the life and even so would spend a couple days at a time hunting before I lost my temper and wanted to go back to a town and shoot pool and play poker.

P.S. FWIW, you can tell one buck from another by their antlers, if you watch them enough. <shrug> I' rather eat fawn or a doe, but the former is not exactly kosher.

P.P.S. Perhaps I did not explain in detail. That particular apple orchard... he staked it out long in advance of when he made his kill. If you waited until the next day or so when hunting season started, you would get to play in the deep woods like the tourists do, with no guarantee that your freezer would hold the family's meat for the winter. At that time, my brother lived on the edge of wild territory and he and his friends were quite familiar with the terrain and the wildlife that lived there. And drank at the local tavern with the game warden, if they were of a mind to drink. (My brother never touched the stuff, a character flaw imo!)

[davidh]

Got my 2 coupons for DTV converters back in DEC 2008.

Local PBS station has 4 DTV channels now. One is Create channel.

Jacques Pepin showed how to brush maple syrup on both sides of strips of bacon and cook in microwave til crisp.

Well, at least DTV is good for something.

[Peter Creasey]

Jacques Pepin showed how to brush maple syrup on both sides of strips of bacon and cook in microwave til crisp.

David, Sounds tedious!?!

[EDITED TO ADD] Actually, after seeing Pepin's Video on Brushing Maple Syrup on Bacon (http://www.kqed.org/w/morefastfoodmyway/episode211.html) , this preparation not only is easy but looks SO appetizing.

[Peter Creasey]

Barbecue explained in this Rhett & Link video about, naturally, the South --> The BBQ Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ubTQfr_tyY)

[Bill Hirst]

I'm back. It was NOT fun and Idon't want to talk about it

-Bill
Mostly why I didn't want to discuss it was the Veteran's Administration hospital managed to send me home without any pain medication, and by 4pm on a Friday, all of the responsible doctors had split. Fortunately I had a stash of Tylenol-3 at home, plus a couple of Demerol, so I wasn't in terrible shape. My thoughts that weekend were running to lead pipes and dark alleys, with side thoughts of "I'd never get away with it" and "aren't lead pipes outlawed by the EPA? It just goes to show you: when lead pipes are outlawed, only outlaws will have lead pipes."

I made my opinions clear to the surgeons Monday, and filed a complaint with the Patient Advocate. Still, it gives me a real low opinion of Government medicine right now.

Anyway, I started hyperbaric oxygen last Thursday (at a real hospital) and that's going fine. It's a good think I don't mind being stuffed in a plastic tube for two hours like a toothbrush on a display rack. It isn't so bad, there are movies to watch, and medications for the jittery (hmm, maybe I should get some of that.)

-Bill

[Judy G. Russell]

Mostly why I didn't want to discuss it was the Veteran's Administration hospital managed to send me home without any pain medication... it gives me a real low opinion of Government medicine right now.If it makes you feel any better, regular private docs do exactly the same thing. The whole anti-drug crackdown has doctors so scared of being prosecuted that pain control has completely dropped off the horizon in today's medicine. Something else I sure hope this Administration reverses!

In any case, fingers and toes crossed for you, for a complete and quick and painfree-as-possible recovery!

[ktinkel]

If it makes you feel any better, regular private docs do exactly the same thing. The whole anti-drug crackdown has doctors so scared of being prosecuted that pain control has completely dropped off the horizon in today's medicine. Not always. I had drop-in bladder surgery last week, and was in a fair amount of pain when the anesthesia wore off. A nurse noticed that, and brought me a percocet, unasked for (by me or my doctor, who had by then left the hospital).

I appreciated it very much; and certainly do not think it will turn me into an oxycodone addict!

I was also amazed and surprised — as Judy points out, private medical practitioners today are also extremely reluctant to treat pain. They can’t see it, for one thing, and don’t trust patients to tell the truth — mostly, though, I think they fear being taking advantage of by drug seekers.

[Judy G. Russell]

Not always. I had drop-in bladder surgery last week, and was in a fair amount of pain when the anesthesia wore off. A nurse noticed that, and brought me a percocet, unasked for (by me or my doctor, who had by then left the hospital).I've had generally good pain management treatment in the hospital, but once you're ready to step foot outside? Nope nope nope. Forget it. Even getting codeine is a hassle.

[ktinkel]

I've had generally good pain management treatment in the hospital, but once you're ready to step foot outside? Nope nope nope. Forget it. Even getting codeine is a hassle.This was as I was leaving. It certainly was unexpected.

While all tethered to the drip, it is easy to get a little shot of something, usually. This was above and beyond.

Maybe I got one good nurse!

[Judy G. Russell]

This was as I was leaving. It certainly was unexpected.
While all tethered to the drip, it is easy to get a little shot of something, usually. This was above and beyond. Maybe I got one good nurse!You sure did! My experience is to the contrary (including one doctor who told me the only way I could have more morphine would be to give up another body part!).

[ktinkel]

You sure did! My experience is to the contrary (including one doctor who told me the only way I could have more morphine would be to give up another body part!).Lovely!

I think doctors in one-person practices are more responsive than those in the behemoth firms (that include both a lawyer and a CPA). Just from my limited experience anyway. Both my primary and urologist are one-man bands, and they are also more inclined to be responsive. The orthopedists, on the other hand, were members of a flock and rigidly adhered to rules for everything.

[Judy G. Russell]

I think doctors in one-person practices are more responsive than those in the behemoth firmsI think that tends to be generally true, but the whole medical establishment is suffering greatly from the restrictions placed in it by insurers.

[ndebord]

I think that tends to be generally true, but the whole medical establishment is suffering greatly from the restrictions placed in it by insurers.

Judy,

Which is why over 50% of today's doctors are in favor of single payer insurance.

[Judy G. Russell]

Which is why over 50% of today's doctors are in favor of single payer insurance.Can't blame 'em one bit.

[ktinkel]

I think that tends to be generally true, but the whole medical establishment is suffering greatly from the restrictions placed in it by insurers.Oh, yes. Modern health insurance is what brought patients and doctors together. If you recall, we used to bitch about doctors’ fees (which were not always fully refunded in the old Blue Cross style plans). Now we join with the doctors and bitch about insurance companies.

The insurance companies do not earn their keep. They are an extravagant pest and ought to be driven out of the health care business.

Thanks to the ineptly and corruptly designed Part D (drug coverage) plans, I think the insurance companies may lose their perch. Part D is a shameful hoax. Benefits have dwindled drastically for each of the three years it has existed, while their monthly charges have risen.

[Judy G. Russell]

The insurance companies do not earn their keep. They are an extravagant pest and ought to be driven out of the health care business.I'll drink to that!

[ktinkel]

I'll drink to that!Drink lots!

[earler]

Single payer insurance? It doesn't exist except in north korea. In france or the uk most people (92% in france) pay for a supplemental insurance policy over and above what they get from the national health system.

The sad fact is that every country has serious problems as concerns providing medical care. The dutch recently have instituted an interesting change. Instead of the government providing the health care payments insurance companies now do so, with a savings of about 10% of the cost. Of course, the insurance companies can't 'cherry pick' whom they must insure, but must accept everyone.

[ndebord]

Single payer insurance? It doesn't exist except in north korea. In france or the uk most people (92% in france) pay for a supplemental insurance policy over and above what they get from the national health system.


Earle,

What would you call a national health insurance program if not single payer?

The supplemental insurance policy seems like a healthy (no pun intended) addon dictated by experience.

Let us look at it from a fiscal perspective, which is less likely to be clouded by ideological constraints. We pay more than the rest of the developed world for health care by a lot. What is the major difference between our health care system and the rest of the world? National Health Insurance. Dare you say coincidence or should you say correlation?

[earler]

In theory, national health insurance is single payer. Yes, that is true and what was hoped for in france and the uk. However, since health care costs increased rapidly both governments began pulling back. In france today, the social security only pays a maximum of 60% of what one pays to doctors and pharmacies. Therefore, 92% of the population subscribes to supplemental insurance in order to reduce co-payments to a lower level. So, yes, single payer in theory, but in practice, no.

The uk has also had similar problems so that most people who can afford it pay for supplemental health insurance.

I know that michael moore's silly book and film claims single payer systems in europe. But, it just ain't true. Believe me, I live in france and know full well the truth. I spent 9 days in hospital for surgery to remove part of a kidney last autumn. The total cost was $25,000. Without supplemental insurance I would have had to pay $10,000 myself.