Steak and Tampons

What a title, eh?

~ Steak.

I just cooked the beast steak ever. I don't eat much red meat anymore. I used to eat it 4-5 times a week, now I'm down to 1 time a week, which is usually a hamburger or ground beef in a taco or something like that. But a steak? I rarely eat steak anymore, but when I do, I love it. Yum.

I noticed I had two steaks in the freezer that were getting quite old, so I took one out yesterday. It had the look of starting to get freezer burnt, but it was wrapped well and there was no ice on it at all. But I knew it probably wasn't going to taste the best as frozen meats never do.

Side story. I'm ~totally~ into watching cooking shows. Not the type which a cook shows you how to cook, but the challenges - like top chef, ultimate recipe showdown, challenge, chopped, iron chef and that uk show where couples fight for a restaurant. I also have quite a crush on gordon ramsey and I watch 3 of his shows - ramsey's kitchen nightmares, kitchen nightmares and hell's kitchen. (I don't like "the f word" as he's actually nice in the show, which turns me completely off.) I would LOVE to go to culinary school someday and I just might in a few years.

So, I need to cook the steak and I usually just throw it on the grill, but instead, I decide to try to duplicate how I see the chefs cook on tv. I have no recipe of course, so I throw a bunch of butter in a pan and season the meat with salt, onion powder and cayenne pepper. I just want to get a quick brown on the meat and while it's browning, I spoon ladleful after ladleful of butter over the meat. I honestly don't know the real reason behind this - assuming it's keeping for the taste, but it may have to do with keeping the meat moist or not letting the butter burn. Whatever the reason, I always see chefs do this, so I copied them. After a quick brown, I put the entire pan into a preheated 350 degree oven. I tried to cook it using a thermometer, but I just can't get those to work on thin pieces of meat. So I just eyeballed it and felt it and took it out when it still felt rare.

I put the steak on a plate and let it rest for about 7-8 minutes. Then I sat down with it, expecting the worst. Except I got the best. Holy shit - it was perfect. Rare but not too rare. It was actually perfectly rare. Warmed all the way through, a bit red/bloody in the very middle, pink to the edge and a nice cooked outer shell. Oh. My. God. It was freaking perfect. And the juices were ~so~ good to run the cut pieces of meat through, as it was steak juice ~and~ butter. Most of the butter was left in the pan, but it sure did take on enough of it to be super tasty. Damn.

~ Tampons.

What's the deal with not being able to use tampons after delivery? I get that for the first few weeks, there is the chance of infection as things ~just~ happened up in there, but at the 4 week mark? Can I start wearing tampons now?

When I thought I got a period earlier in the week (or was it last week?) I don't think I did. I had one day of heavy flow and it tapered back down to normal. But then yesterday, I had cramps and a heavy flow, which continues today. Just like a period. I'll have to wait and see.

*Before anyone starts giving me advice on postpartum bleeding, remember I have done this before. After my first, I got a period at 5 weeks postpartum and was immediately back to normal, having AF come to visit every 29 days after that. (yeah - "you won't get a period as long as you exclusively breastfeed!" certainly didn't apply to me! My OB called me an over achiever.) With the second, I didn't get AF back for something like 6 months. Now, I was actually surprised that wasn't my period a week ago, as it certainly felt like it for the day. But I guess I'm being thrown for a loop so I'll just have to wait and see.

* Of course, I love to get advice if you got it, but just keep in mind advice such as the basics of postpartum bleeding is something I kindof know. Such a hypocrite I am! I'm such a know-it-all and give everyone else advice they probably already know, yet I'm bothered when I get advice on the basics. I suck!

I totally want to throw these freaking pads away and never ever use another again. Please, someone out there with medical knowledge, tell me I can!? Please???