The day after my operation I felt pretty tired. Surprisingly I hadn't slept for more than 2½ hours - I'd expected a far longer sleep as I still have the anaesthetic inside me, but perhaps the adrenaline was pumping through me? The pain wasn't too bad at all. I needed paracetamol the following day but on subsequent days there was no need for any analgesic. And my energy gradually returned. Fortunately the covid restrictions about social contact has been lifted and so I was able to have various friends and family members visit me. I took naps in the afternoon and religiously did my arm exercises, having set my alarm on my phone to remind me three times a day. Showering was difficult - I was meant to keep my dressings dry, and walking our ebullient hound was impossible - as she tends to pull on the lead and I didn't want to tear my stitches. My kind husband got a lot of extra exercise in the few weeks after my op.
My elderly father was discharged from his own hospital stay the day after my operation. My recovery has been good, good enough to feel up to making a cake for us to enjoy with family 5 days later.... although by the end of that afternoon I did feel somewhat exhausted and went to bed really early.
Now I love Yottam Ottolenghi. I spotted his Guardian recipe for a peach cake the day before and it was my inspiration behind this cake; I played about with it and hope he won't mind. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/jul/24/yotam-ottolenghi-peach-recipes-salad-chilli-ginger-lemon-chicken-schnitzel-grilled-peach-salsa-sunken-peach-cream-cake.
I needed my cake to have good strong flavours as my father's taste and smell have been affected having contracted covid last year; it also had to be moist and almost melt in the mouth as his various medical conditions have affected his saliva glands and he also no longer has teeth. I added the almonds as they go so well with stoned fruit and polenta to give it a 'bite'. I reasoned that fresh fruit is healthy (c.f. Crudwell Diet in my previous blogs) and there are analogies between the de-stoned nectarines poached in Chardonnay and lumpectomies for Breast Cancer which I didn't mention to those who came to eat it! I needed to reassure my father (and one of my sons who also joined us for tea) that I was recovering well and up to making cakes again. If you are interested in making my version of his cake, go to https://wordpress.com/post/kathiescakes.wordpress.com/830.
