Crap. I just got an email from my mother. My 7 year old niece has been diagnosed with scoliosis. She was born with a malformed heart, which is fine now, after two operations, but the doctors have been on the lookout for scoliosis, since kids with her condition have a much higher chance of developing it.

Wait, do I have to stop sending the slightly-porny ~ma to Tomash now? What's our policy on this?

I don't know the policy but I take porny ~ma in all quantities.

Mock grilled cheese sandwich:

2 slices bread, 2 slices plastic cheese (American slices), 1 paper towel.

In popup toaster, toast bread to preferred darkness. While bread is toasting, peel cheese slices. When toast pops, place one slice on paper towel, cover with cheese slices, top with second slice toast. With flat of hand, press sandwich flat, turn, and press other side. Heat in microwave 30 seconds.

Results: Flat toasted sandwich, melty cheese, no added fat from grilling.

We use the microwave daily, for melting butter or making popcorn, heating a sandwich, occasionally heating a single serving of leftovers. We have a cheap but efficient two-slice popup toaster, a blender that sees use occasionally, and a frozen dessert maker that sees seasonal use. The espresso machine lives in the pantry and gets taken out for special occasions. We don't own a coffeemaker, otherwise. We have a sturdy dependable manual can opener. We rarely use the broiler or the oven (the range is electric), but we do a lot of stovetop cooking: braising or pan-grilling salmon steak, pot roast, chili, soups from scratch, beans. I have four cast-iron pans, including a single hamburger size and a deep-walled chicken fryer, all of which we inherited from my great-aunt. We have several specialized knives, which are easier to clean than Cuisinart parts if you don't have a dishwasher. Besides, chopping stuff on a board with a knife is a good stress-reliever, as is kneading dough by hand. We gave away our stand mixer, we don't bake. We have variety of whisks, though. And we've culled our pots and saucepans to one of every useful size. When we put together a multicourse meal, DH cooks and I act as sous-chef and wash everything for re-use as soon as possible, so we haven't felt a lack of multiples.

Oh Lee, I'm so sorry to hear about your niece. I hope it's easily treatable and quickly remedied.

Thanks Beverly. It's not really easily or quickly treatable. She just got a upper body brace that she has to work up to wearing 24 hours a day, except when she is showering or exercising, and may have for years.

Oh, Lee. That totally sucks. Best of luck to her.

Oh, I'm so sorry. How old is she?

Oh man, Lee, that just sucks. Poor kid.

I know you have some strong issues with what foods you can enjoy

On a board with Alibelle, I think I hardly peg the issue meter.

Okay, I'm cracking up hysterically about this, but I'm not so crazy I've taken the issue meter hostage. I mean, I'd eat the lamb dish.

Well, I'd definitely eat the peas and potatoes, and some of the carrots, and I would think strongly about eating the lamb, but the idea of baby lamb just freaks me out. When I had lamb in England it was because they were freaking trying to starve us or something by serving all the weird exotic meats, like squid, all in a row, and I couldn't take yet another meal of steamed broccoli, boiled potatoes, and water. So I told myself the lamb moussaka was beef moussaka, and just ate quickly.

Thanks guys. I feel especially bad for her, because she's already gone through so much medically.

How old is she?

8. (I originally said 7, but she just turned 8). She's going to have to wear the brace until her bones stop growing.