Meat My New Best Friend

If you haven't heard by now, the Atkins/Omi 2010 Christmas plans did not quite pan out as expected. You can read about all of the details on my other blog, but this whole tragic story started a few days before we were supposed to leave when I felt the dreaded sharp pain on the right side of my stomach. Yep...appendicitis was a-brewing inside me. After my second trip to the doctor for the week, I was sent to get a CT scan. A few hours later they called and instructed me to get to the ER ASAP. I spent the night in the hospital with my good friend Morphine, and the next morning they took out my appendix.

Now you might be wondering, why is she blogging about her appendix (or lack thereof) on her food blog...? Well, I did some research about what I would be missing out on because I no longer have an appendix. Essentially the answer is nothing. Homo sapiens no longer have a use for this organ. Koala Bears, on the other hand, still need theirs to digest certain plants. Way back in the day, the appendix was used when humans had a different diet, namely, consuming raw meat. That brings me to the point of this post...it is now more important than ever for me to ensure that my meat is fully cooked. Thus, may I present to you, my new best friend...


The Polder® Deluxe Preset Meat Thermometer! I started using this when I cooked my first turkey (which I'll blog about later...I hope). It's a magical little machine that ensures your meat is fully cooked and safe to eat. The great thing about it is that you can keep it in your meat while it cooks and the alarm will go off when it reaches the desired preset temperature. I use it when I boil chicken, make a pot roast, bake frozen chicken, cook steaks, etc. It puts me at ease knowing that I will not get sick due to consuming raw or undercooked meat. For those of you who might worry about this, I'd highly recommend investing in one. They're about $30 at any kitchen goods store and very easy to use. Syonara appendix! Thanks for nothing. If you don't have a thermometer with all the bells and whistles, here's a handy guide for you to keep on hand. You'll know that your meat is ready to eat when the thermometer reads the following:
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