'Round, 'Round, Get Around, I Get Around

This saga with N. and Social Services has my stress hamster in overdrive. It feels like I'm getting the run around. Well, no, I'm taking teeny tiny steps forward by checking off the stuff I'm apparently getting wrong, but I feel like I'm being punished by inconvenience.

I've said this several times, and in this case, it bears repeating: For a country that produces so much high-tech, many government services, municipal services, and things like health insurance corporations are remarkably low-tech. I don't understand why I can't go to an administrative office and get what I need done with the click of a button or six. I don't understand why my health insurance user portal is not particularly user-friendly or intuitive for the non-everyday stuff like finding and filling out a form for their mental health center (that's not true. I know why. It's so folks get frustrated enough with trying to get an appointment, that they give up and never make that appointment). I also really wish people in an administrative role had an easy way to actually give correct assistance when asked about the non-everyday stuff.

I called the number I was given for the Maccabi mental health center in Beersheva. Immediately a robovoice tells me to go to the website and fill out a form, and then call back. Robovoice does not tell me what type of form I need to fill out. The website does not have anything about ASD diagnosing. So I click something at random (after hitting Translate to English because the important stuff I need as a patient is only in Hebrew) and I can't find anything about "filling out a form to make an appointment".

I call the number again, and press 1 as instructed. And I let it ring for 5 minutes before hanging up (yes, this is during their scant business hours). The phone doesn't even transfer me to an auto "leave your name, phone number, and ID number and someone will get back to you" option.

So, N. and I head over to the main Maccabi office, take a number, and wait to talk to an administrator. When it's finally our turn, N. gives his information and tells her he allows me to participate in the conversation (he's over 18, and they need his consent). She tells us we have to call the number - where I interrupt her and tell her we tried that. She tells us to go to the website - I interrupt her again and tell her we tried that, does she perhaps know where on the website we're supposed to go and/or which form do we fill out? No, sorry, she's not mental health services. Their office is in another location, which she tells me. Turns out I know the place and it's closer to where we live now.

I had to get to work, and since I'm unemployed as of Tuesday (this visit was on Sunday), I told N. we'll go on Tuesday to the office, as directed. And so we went. And were told to call the - I interrupted the lady and told her I tried. And that I tried the website, before she could offer that nugget of advice. She told me that no one was on site today (see reference above about scant business hours), and besides, it seems what I need would be at yet a third location. But chances are they were closed. She did, however, offer to send them a message that we needed to speak to someone. We thanked her, and left.

N. and I were about to separate - he to the mall, and I back home to get chores done after writing out this megillah, apparently - when his phone rang (see above about me not being able to deal with his medical issues. I think we're going to have to make a separate trip to the administrative office so I can get medical guardianship over him) and he answered. And lo and behold, it was someone from the Maccabi mental health offices. So, there we were, standing on the corner of a random Beersheva street, discussing N. on speakerphone. At some point, I took the phone from N., took it off speaker because I was having difficulty hearing the woman.

I explained to the woman the situation, and she had the exact same reaction that I did. N. is on the spectrum, the diagnosis hasn't changed, what the hell is Social Services playing at? She'd never heard of this issue before. What can I say? We Ks tend to overachieve in some things (I wouldn't mind overachieving tonight at getting all 6 plus the bonus number in the Loto drawing! Just putting it out there, universe.). She said she needed to talk to her supervisor and she'll get back to me. I gave her my phone number, and we hung up.

And this is where we stand as of now. On the potential plus side, Maccabi is moving into a big, new building at some point in the near future, so I'm hoping things might become more consolidated. Oh, who am I kidding. They'll just find new ways to be inefficient.

Edit: Just heard from the woman. She said she's never heard of Social Services demanding a new diagnosis, and the mental health center doesn't diagnose after 18 anyway. I asked her where we should go, and she had no idea. She told me to tell Social Services that Maccabi doesn't do the diagnosing after age 18 and if they're insisting he needs a new diagnosis, they should provide the testing. Social Services has afternoon hours today, so we're going to go to their office. And since we moved to a new neighborhood, we'll need to be assigned a new social worker anyway. I've also contacted the national autism organization to see if they can offer assistance and advice.

Cookie Brittle

1 cup margarine

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp fine sea salt

2 cups flour

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries

1/3 cup chopped nuts of some kind

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C)
Line a 10x15 jelly roll pan with baking paper and grease a bit.
Combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
Spread the dough in the pan. (Keep smushing - it will cover the whole bottom of the pan. It's supposed to be pretty thin.)
Bake 20-25 minutes (until golden brown.)
Allow the brittle to cool completely and then break it into pieces.

Hot and Sour Soup

 Hot and Sour Soup

Recipe

6 cups chicken broth

8 pieces Shiitake mushroom, sliced thinly

1/2 cup bamboo shoots

1/2 package firm tofu, thin sliced

1 cup carrot, julienne

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp sugar adjust according to your taste

1 tbsp sriracha hot sauce adjust to your liking

1 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 cup white vinegar add an additional if you like more sour

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons corn starch + ¼ cup water

2 eggs beaten

2 green onions, sliced

Salt to taste

Directions:

Slice the tofu, carrot and mushrooms. Set aside.

In a large pot, boil 6 cups of chicken broth on medium-high heat. Once the broth is boiling, add the mushrooms, carrot, tofu, and bamboo shoots. Cook for 5 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, beat two eggs and set aside. Make corn starch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of corn starch with ¼ cup water and set aside.

Start adding flavor to the soup. Add soy sauce, sugar, siracha hot sauce, white pepper, white vinegar, and sesame oil. Mix everything together and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Mix cornstarch slurry and slowly add in to the soup. Continue to stir while adding.

Add beaten eggs to the soup and continue to stir while adding. Add salt if needed. Serve while hot. Hope you enjoy.

Thai Coconut Curry Dumpling Soup

 Thai Coconut Curry Dumpling Soup

Ingredients:

• 20 gyozas or potstickers

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 4 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 teaspoon grated ginger

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 can (14 oz/400 ml) unsweetened coconut milk (full fat)

• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

• 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• Chopped chives, for serving

• Your favorite vegetables (optional), for serving

Directions:

1. Cook the Dumplings:

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the gyozas (or potstickers) and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.

2. Sauté the Aromatics:

In the same pot, add the grated garlic and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.

3. Make the Soup Base:

Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, red curry paste, and brown sugar to the pot. Stir well to combine and bring the soup to a simmer.

4. Add the Dumplings and Simmer:

Return the cooked gyozas to the pot and simmer the soup for 5-7 minutes until the dumplings are heated through.

5. Finish the Soup:

Stir in the lime juice and adjust the seasoning with more soy sauce or fish sauce if needed.

6. Serve:

Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with chopped chives, and add any extra vegetables you'd like. Serve hot and enjoy!

Amish Onion Fritters

 Amish Onion Fritters

Ingredients:

2 large onions, thinly sliced

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup milk

1 egg

Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

Prepare the Onions:

Thinly slice the two large onions and set them aside.

Combine Dry Ingredients:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

Add Wet Ingredients:

Add ½ cup milk and 1 beaten egg to the dry ingredients. Whisk until the batter is smooth.

Fold in the Onions:

Gently fold the sliced onions into the batter, ensuring each onion ring is well-coated.

Heat the Oil:

Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan, filling it about 1/4 inch deep. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches about 350°F.

Fry the Fritters:

Using a spoon, drop spoonfuls of the onion batter mixture into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Flip the fritters carefully with a spatula to ensure even cooking.

Drain the Fritters:

Once golden and crispy, remove the fritters from the oil using a slotted spatula and place them on paper towels to drain any excess oil.

Serve: These Amish Onion Fritters are perfect as a side dish or snack, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a delicious onion flavor. Enjoy them with a dipping sauce like ranch or ketchup, or simply as they are!

Asian-Style Crispy Garlic Chicken

 Asian-Style Crispy Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:

500 grams boneless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1.5 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

⅓ cup green onion, chopped

⅓ cup oil for frying

For Chinese Garlic Sauce:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

¼ cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon Sriracha

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Prep Sauce and Marinate Chicken:

In a mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and place in a separate bowl.

Add dark soy sauce and 2 tablespoons cornstarch to the chicken, toss to coat evenly.

Cook Chicken:

4. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add half of the marinated chicken spaced apart. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side.

5. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet.

Cook Aromatics and Sauce with Chicken:

6. Heat the remaining oil, add ginger and garlic, sauté for 30 seconds.

7. Add chicken, bell pepper, and green onions. Pour over the sauce, mix well.

8. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve hot with rice.

Mongolian Noodles with Ground Beef

 Mongolian Noodles with Ground Beef

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cooking Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes

Kcal: 420 kcal per serving | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

8 oz ramen noodles (or any thin noodles)

1 lb ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 green onions, chopped (for garnish)

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (optional, for thickening)

Directions:

Cook the Noodles:

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Prepare the Sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Cook the Beef:

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess fat.

Combine Everything:

Add the minced garlic to the cooked beef and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the prepared sauce and stir to coat the beef. If you'd like a thicker sauce, add the cornstarch slurry and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until thickened.

Toss with Noodles:

Add the cooked noodles to the skillet and toss to combine, ensuring the noodles are evenly coated with the sauce.

Serve:

Transfer to serving plates and garnish with chopped green onions. Serve hot.