In looking at my last post I realize I am not too far from where I started.....how depressing.
Before I go down that rabbit hole, I must remind myself that any journey towards change is not a straight path but a circular one. We start out and make progress on our journey, but change is hard and we are creatures of habit. I believe our brains are wired to prefer the known (even if it is uncomfortable) over the scary unknown. So we circle back to what we know. Then if we really want or need the change we start out again. Only to circle back once more, hopefully not all the way back to the beginning.
This is not to be used as an excuse; I must keep going if I want to get there after all. But it also means that instead of beating myself up over not making great progress, I should just dust myself off and get going in the right direction.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Monday, November 22, 2010
This isn't the house of my dreams....yet
My domain is ........ in need of some serious help. I have been on strike for a while. Why? Well, I have been on a "poor overworked, under appreciated me" bender for quite some time now. I can justify it all I want by blaming the four males who share this place with me, because they are here far more hours in the day than I am. Or because I'm so tired after working 10-12 hour days. Or because there is something else more fun to do, and I deserve fun don't I after working those long hours. Right?!?!
But in the end, I have not been a good empress queen. If I want a clean, organized, welcoming domain, it is up to me to make it that way — whether they appreciate it or not. It will also be up to me to teach them to clean up after themselves. It won't be easy because so far what I've taught them is it's ok to leave it for me to do. I once read a quote, I believe from Dr. Phil - " You teach people how to treat you by what you accept from them." And I've been accepting less than the best from myself and those around me for a while now. Not OK. So I guess I need to stop accepting them leaving a mess for me to take care of when I get home. I also need to stop accepting myself procrastinating and being lazy. The house isn't going to clean itself. Sigh, wouldn't it be nice if it did though?
So to that end, I am beginning to take some baby steps. The 1st order of business will be decluttering. I am loosely following the Fly Lady system. It is a system to help people like me who don't know how to get out of the mess their homes are in. The people behind this are life & sanity savers. They have you start out by taking very small steps each day (15 minutes at a time) and building on each day's success. Want to try it out too? Go to http://www.flylady.net/index.asp
I am off to shine my kitchen sink! Wish me not luck, but perseverance & joy!
But in the end, I have not been a good empress queen. If I want a clean, organized, welcoming domain, it is up to me to make it that way — whether they appreciate it or not. It will also be up to me to teach them to clean up after themselves. It won't be easy because so far what I've taught them is it's ok to leave it for me to do. I once read a quote, I believe from Dr. Phil - " You teach people how to treat you by what you accept from them." And I've been accepting less than the best from myself and those around me for a while now. Not OK. So I guess I need to stop accepting them leaving a mess for me to take care of when I get home. I also need to stop accepting myself procrastinating and being lazy. The house isn't going to clean itself. Sigh, wouldn't it be nice if it did though?
So to that end, I am beginning to take some baby steps. The 1st order of business will be decluttering. I am loosely following the Fly Lady system. It is a system to help people like me who don't know how to get out of the mess their homes are in. The people behind this are life & sanity savers. They have you start out by taking very small steps each day (15 minutes at a time) and building on each day's success. Want to try it out too? Go to http://www.flylady.net/index.asp
I am off to shine my kitchen sink! Wish me not luck, but perseverance & joy!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Summer Pasta Dish And A Plug For My Favorite Spice Supplier
I came up with this dish tonight while trying to use up some of the veggies from my CSA share. It was pretty delicious, if the empty pot was any indication.
Swiss Chard & Shrimp Pasta
1/2 pound frozen, cooked salad shrimp, thawed and drained
3/4 pound egg noodles (about 1/4" wide), cooked and drained
2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup diced onion
10 stems Swiss chard; stems sliced 1/2" wide, leaves sliced in 1/4" wide ribbons
2 1/2 tsp Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle (can be ordered from http://www.penzeys.com/)
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup shredded Italian style cheeses (I used Sargento 6 cheese Italian); plus more for garnish
In same pan noodles were boiled, heat oil over medium high heat. Add tomatoes, onion, and Swiss chard stems. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and stems are crisp tender. Add the Swiss chard leaves and cook, stirring often for about 3-5 minutes more or until leaves are cooked to your liking. Add shrimp and noodles. Cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp and noodles are warmed through. Add in butter, cream, and cheese. Toss well until cheese and butter are melted. Serve with a tossed green salad.
This served 4 people.
I use a lot of Penzey's spices. I stumbled upon them online one day and I've been hooked ever since. The prices are about the same as in the local grocery stores, but the quality is so much better. The spices are fresher and my cooking has never tasted better. They also have a huge selection, including spices you may not have ever heard of.
If you are lucky enough to live near one of their stores, it's worth a trip. They have samples in glass jars so you can smell each spice before buying.
Enjoy!
Swiss Chard & Shrimp Pasta
1/2 pound frozen, cooked salad shrimp, thawed and drained
3/4 pound egg noodles (about 1/4" wide), cooked and drained
2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup diced onion
10 stems Swiss chard; stems sliced 1/2" wide, leaves sliced in 1/4" wide ribbons
2 1/2 tsp Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle (can be ordered from http://www.penzeys.com/)
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup shredded Italian style cheeses (I used Sargento 6 cheese Italian); plus more for garnish
In same pan noodles were boiled, heat oil over medium high heat. Add tomatoes, onion, and Swiss chard stems. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and stems are crisp tender. Add the Swiss chard leaves and cook, stirring often for about 3-5 minutes more or until leaves are cooked to your liking. Add shrimp and noodles. Cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp and noodles are warmed through. Add in butter, cream, and cheese. Toss well until cheese and butter are melted. Serve with a tossed green salad.
This served 4 people.
I use a lot of Penzey's spices. I stumbled upon them online one day and I've been hooked ever since. The prices are about the same as in the local grocery stores, but the quality is so much better. The spices are fresher and my cooking has never tasted better. They also have a huge selection, including spices you may not have ever heard of.
If you are lucky enough to live near one of their stores, it's worth a trip. They have samples in glass jars so you can smell each spice before buying.
Enjoy!
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