Muffin Top

The flu made me do it.

The flu makes me emotional. Partly because I am a champion pity-party-thrower. Partly because... well I have no idea why. But I do know that I laid in bed for a shameful number of hours watching the 2nd season of Parenthood on Netflix and bawled like a baby.

While watching the aforementioned shameful number of hours of Parenthood, I realized that I am going to sorely regret the lack of documentation I've been making of the life of our sweet little family.

I think I get too caught up in needing to write something really meaningful. Or really witty. Or really wise. And so I don't write. Because who can live up to that?

But what if I could actually get myself to believe it's not about that. What if I write something just average? Would that really not be okay? 

What if I write just to remember?

If I don't write things down, life will get hurried, and I wil forget. I know this about myself. That is why I write the silliest little reminders to myself -- like the huge note I taped to the door that said "TAKE PICTURE" so I wouldn't forget on the kids' first day of preschool this month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Sidnote - have no fear, Matt finally agreed to get that sweet boy a haircut the next day.)

I mean, one would think that it would be impossible to forget such a thing, but trust me, I'll forget. And I know that no matter how I tell myself I'll never forget what Molly's bed-head looked like that one morning, I'm going to forget.

And as impossible it seems that I could forget the sweetness of finding Owen in his bed, tuckered out in a pile of trucks, wearing the beloved cowboy boots - I know that it's these sweet, small, seemingly insignificant moments that will fade the fastest.

 

So I'm going to write. I'm going to write to remember. And I'm going to write because it will be good enough. It will not be the greatest, the wittiest, or the wisest. But you know what? I'm okay with that. I think I'm finally okay with that.

I'm doing a Bible study written by Beth Moore on the book of Esther. If you've never gone through that study, I cannot recommend it enough. But one of the lessons really broke my heart open more widely than the others (and that's saying a lot).

This particular day in the study really spoke to the perfectionist in me. The me who grew up making good grades & doing well in sports... and then went off to college & beyond, and started living in the real world where there's always someone who runs faster and thinks deeper... and suddenly being "great" at something required being "perfect" at everything.

And, well, that's really hard.

And somewhere along the way, I started believing that if I wasn't the greatest at anything, then I wasn't truly doing anything great at all.

And then I read this from Beth Moore, totally unexpected and perfectly timed, in the middle of the study on Esther:

Christ summons the disillusioned to the paradoxical bliss of spilling life lavishly, sacrificially for the glory of God and the good of man. Those with presence of mind and semblance of health are called to pour out the drink offering of their lives until the cup is overturned and every drop of energy slips - perhaps unnoticed, uncelebrated - into the vast ocean of earthly need. The last imperceptible drop of your well-lived life will sound to the hosts of heaven like a tidal wave hitting the floor of the Grand Canyon.
In effect Christ says, "I'm already great enough for both of us," relieving the willing of their woeful burden. "Just follow Me." 

So, here we go. Whether it's writing or cooking or laundry or whatever. I'm not here to be the greatest. I'm here to follow the Greatest.

Phew, that feels better.

Quote taken from esther by beth moore, p. 173.

Annnnd it's Wednesday.

Story of my life. Just excitedly hit "publish" on my first blog post since, what, April? And of course, the post is a recipe for Tastebud Tuesday, right? Because it's Tuesday!!

NO IT'S NOT!!

Oh well.

Tastebud Tuesday: Poached Salmon w/ Creamy Piccata Sauce

Leave it to food to get me back on the blogging wagon. I have had three home-runs this week with new recipes - I just couldn't keep them to myself!

Insanely overdue pictures from the past few months are coming soon... but until then, here's what we had for dinner tonight! (I found this recipe on www.eatingwell.com.)

Poached Salmon with Creamy Piccata Sauce
- 1 lb salmon filets (I buy them frozen, and thaw before cooking. Tastes great!)
- 1 cup dry white wine, divided
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tsp capers, rinsed
- 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

1. Place salmon in a large skillet. Add 1/2 cup wine and enough water to just cover the salmon. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, turn the salmon over, cover & cook for 5 min. Remove from heat.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot & cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 sec. Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine; boil until slightly reduced, about 1 min. Stir in lemon juice & capers; cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream & salt. To serve, top the salmon with the sauce & garnish with dill.

We loved this! It was super flavorful - my kids even cleaned their plates! I served it with green beans I had roasted in the oven and some brown rice. Bon appetit!

Tastebud Tuesday: Black Bean & Spinach Lasagna

Holy heck, it's Tastebud Tuesday. And before you turn up your nose at the thought of black beans in your lasagna, be assured that even my husband and children ate - and enjoyed - this meal. I've been trying to incorporate more meatless recipes into our week - mainly to save a little money. This recipe has made the regular rotation!

Black Bean & Spinach Lasagna
2 eggs
15 oz ricotta (I use low-fat cottage cheese)
10 oz frozen spinach (thaw it & then drain & press out as much water as you can)
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups shredded cheese (I use Italian blend - and you can definitely lighten up the recipe by not using all of that cheese. I only use 2 cups.)
16 oz black beans, drained & rinsed
1 large jar (2 lb 13 oz) pasta sauce
9 lasagna noodles (I don't boil them - I just soak mine on a cookie sheet for several minutes while I mix together everything else.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir together first 5 ingredients (eggs thru salt) and 1 cup of cheese. Set aside.
3. Mash beans; stir into pasta sauce.
4. Spread 1/3 bean/sauce mixture on bottom of lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Layer with 3 noodles, 1/2 spinach mixture, 1 cup cheese.
6. Repeat layers. (Then you'll  put your last 3 noodles on top of the cheese, then cover those with last 1/3 of bean/sauce, and last cup of cheese.)
7. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Yum. :)

Running Buddies

I loathe running with a jogging stroller. So, I rarely do it. But, yesterday was so gorgeous that even the prospect of pushing 50+ lbs uphill couldn't deter me.

Here are my running buddies, ready to go.

 
Here they are, 3 miles later... "Mommy, look - Molly's snuggling on me!" They were so cute, I might have to start running with them more often. Maybe. Probably not. But it's tempting. Kind of.