Christine thinks that Suede is copying Bossy. Christine can’t imagine trying to keep up this 3rd person thingie for any length of time. Thankfully, Suede’s cocktail dress was freaking adorable and thankfully Bossy has the market cornered on the whole third person thingie. Christine’s exhausted from one paragraph.
I’m so excited! I know I haven’t been around here much lately and I haven’t been reading much of anyone else’s lives either, but I promise, I’ll be back soon! How about I make it up to you with a pool party? Would you travel all the way to Ocala for a spectacular poolerific party? Oh and did I tell you there’s a Jacuzzi tub and a steam shower? No? I didn’t? Well there is and you’re welcome to use it. 
I swear I won’t look.
*snicker* Aren’t I funny? Seriously… Are any of the grown ups using Flock?
Really completely useless, but absolutely necessary. I just went into the kid’s rooms wielding some Mace Windu purple!
I’m going through the App Store downloading free apps at a feverish pace. Is that wrong? I haven’t synced it yet, though. Even though the word on the street is that it’s working now, I’m nervous.
You know what I love best about moving? Packing. Ok, that’s not true. I hate packing. I hate packing more than you could possibly imagine. So why do I keep moving??? I don’t know.
Anyway.
Packing does give you an opportunity to examine your belongings in the cold, hard light of day. All of your belongings. Even the ones at the very back of the closet, the ones that you really don’t know what you were thinking at the time of purchase. I came across a couple of them today and I thought I’d share them with you. Please note that it was a terribly overcast day and the lighting in my kitchen is more yellow than you could possibly imagine. Very unflattering too, it’s more than enough reason to move on its own.
#1
Do you know what this is? Can you guess? Notice the word “ice” on the side. It’s an ice shaver. Basically, you freeze juice or lemonade or crystal light in little cups and then when they’re frozen you pry the ice block out of the cup and put it in the big white part. You turn the handle on top and it shaves the flavored ice into cups or bowls or whatever. I have no earthly idea why I ever bought this. I’m not sure where I bought it, or how much it was, but I know we only used it once.
#2
Now here’s a good one. It’s a Thermos type of thing. You pour the beverage into it and there’s a pouring spout. It’s a one gallon container and it’s way cool. Perfect for when I take the kids camping, or we go to the beach and picnic, or when we go spend a summer day in the park. Anyone who knows me “for reals” knows that I don’t camp, I don’t picnic and summer day in the park? Erm, I’ll be sure to make a reservation at a nice restaurant in order to reward myself for sitting outside all day in the sun in Florida. Thankyouverymuch.
#3
Here is the contents of my liquor cabinet. Notice the Chambord and the Limoncello, notice that they are unopened. See the amber looking liquid in the back? That’s “Pumpkin Spice”, (no relation to the singing group) it’s also unopened - oh and I never heard of it before I bought it. There’s also unopened Creme de Cacao, Godiva liqueur, bitters, triple sec, Malibu, two bottles of Vodka, Midori and no less than 5 unopened Stirrings Mixers. Guess what I drink. Red wine. Guess what my husband drinks. Beer. I have these fantasies of having these very elegant parties where people drink fancy drinks with fruit garnishes in fabulous colored, striped, martini and margarita glasses (I packed them last weekend). And while we’re on the subject, here are my 5 different glass rim sugars to coincide with all the fabulous cocktails I’ll be making.
um, eventually.
Next on the agenda are the spices. and the oils that I don’t use. No, not seldom use. Do. not. use. Well except for the poultry seasoning, I use that every Thanksgiving. And I buy a new one every Thanksgiving just in case I don’t have any. No, I don’t look before I go to the grocery store. Yes, I know I should. I just don’t. mmmk? So do I throw the old one out? Apparently not. I had three of them in this picture. And sitting here just now, I realized I packed them. I need help. And see that white container with the heron on it, right in the front? That’s “Everglade Seasoning”. WTF is Everglade Seasoning and how did it find its way into my spice cabinet? And I have two bottles of plain white vinegar and two bottles of peanut oil. I don’t use plain white vinegar or peanut oil. Except when I’m making Easter eggs or deep frying. Oh wait. I don’t do either of those things either. I do however, have a deep fryer. I’ve never used it. Oh. And see those two jars with the yellow lids?
They’re Grandma’s Molasses. They’re both unopened and I have no idea what the hell I ever intended to do with them. There was also something else called something like seasones completos (with accents that I don’t know how to type). I don’t know what it is or what it’s for.
The good news is that most of the kitchen is packed and 99% of breakable decoratives are packed. And we still have 20 days to go. Maybe I’ll go make myself a cocktail. Who am I kidding. I’ll have the wine.
huh. Who knew that ludicrous and illusion were so closely related???
So which do you choose?
A small piece of fine, dark chocolate, or the entire three pound bag of imitation, supermarket, bargain candy?
A glass or two of a delicious, fine wine or a “box” of the cheap crap?
An afternoon spent really reflecting on your life, meditating, enjoying your own company with a cup of coffee and a good read or a rushed trip to drop off your kids at some sort of day care or music lessons, while you run errands, go food shopping and call it “Girl’s Day” because it’s the first time you’ve been alone in three weeks?
There is a very fine line between self care and the kind of self-indulgence in destructive behavior while calling it “me time” that’s running so rampant in our society. I know that I’m prone to this kind of thing and I’m hoping that “ratting myself out” helps me and maybe, maybe (if I’m really lucky), someone else to learn not only how to tell the difference between the two, but how to stop the destructive and cultivate the productive.
The women of our generation are, I believe, the first ones to really try to have it all. We’re not just working; we’re creating companies and occupational situations that suit our temperaments and our goals, not content to merely pay the bills; we want all the jack. We’re changing the way companies are run. And our families? We have more choices now than ever as to how we run our homes and our families and we’re taking advantage of every new technology and opportunity so that our families are exposed to the best of the best. And we’re still insisting on quality family time, so that our children have role models who have fulfilling lives as well as parents who are there for them, cheering their accomplishments and wiping their tears. And our husbands? Well, we’re still taking care of them too. We cook gourmet meals, we learn how to dress to show off what God gave us and downplay what God gave us too much of, we share make-up tips to “accentuate the positive-eliminate the negative”, we decorate and entertain and whatever you want… If we don’t know how to do it, we’ll Google it and have it ready for you by tomorrow. And those of us who have chosen not to work outside the home and those of who have chosen not to raise a family, not only are these women working just as hard at their chosen vocations and avocations, but they’re also made to feel guilty by a society of who? Other women. We’re hardest on ourselves and hardest on each other. We’re running night and day, not to just keep up… oh no, we’re running to excel.
Whew. No wonder we’re exhausted. Really, who could blame us for eating 74 peanut butter cups at midnight? We deserve the break, don’t we?
But.
That doesn’t really fortify us. What would fortify us is true self-care. Really taking the time for ourselves, to rest and rejuvenate so that we can do it all again tomorrow and next week and next month and next year. So how do we do that? Well, I think the first thing we need to look at is the food that we put into our bodies. I mean, I love a fresh, delicious, lovingly prepared meal, whether it’s by my hand or someone else’s. But I have been known to polish off a bag of Ruffles, or scarf down a Big Mac and fries, or a pint of Chunky Monkey. I know it’s not good for me, but yet, I’m still drawn to it, turning to the “bad food” as a substitution for a sympathetic ear, or a kind word, or a full-on-wrapped-up-in-comfort hug. Some self help books will tell you that there’s no such thing as “bad food”, but I know that for me, at least, that’s just not true. So for the first part of this journey, I’m going to really focus on what I need and what I’m not getting that causes my cravings for self-indulgent, self-destructive substitutions. I’m going to focus first on the food.
From the outside, my life looks fabulous. Except for one thing. I’m fat. Now, in other cultures and other times, it would be determined that I was very attractive because my weight would signify a life of opulence. Here in America in the 21st century? Not so much. Women are rewarded with attention if they look like they’re starving to death. It’s really bizarre, isn’t it? In this culture, it doesn’t matter what I’ve accomplished, what I’m cultivating or how far I’ve come, the only thing that most people see is that I’m overweight. And can I tell you a secret? I think the same things when I see a woman who is fighting the same battle as I. Hypocritical much? Why yes. We’re conditioned. We’re conditioned to judge other women and to hand down their convictions as well. That has got to stop. We are not our weight. We are not our color. We are not our hair. We are more the same than we are different. Women who do not have a weight problem might just be suffering from something so similar to what we’re going through, but we just don’t see it, because it’s manifesting in another area… an addiction maybe? An inability to get out of a situation that we just can’t understand? We are all just women who are doing our level best to create a life that we are proud of, to love those around us, to give a leg up to someone who might need it and to feel loved and appreciated by our families, by our lovers, by our friends. I’m going to try to change the way I view this, the way I cope with it and the way I’m viewed by others going through it.
My first goals, for the next week are these:
Care to join me?
There was a recipe in Oprah magazine this month for a mango chicken salad, that while intriguing, was definitely missing a thing or two. I ripped it out of the magazine and put it aside, figuring I’d get around to changing it or trying it, whenever I got around to it.
However… the universe had other ideas. My BFF Aretha went to visit her mother this weekend for the holiday in Miami where she procured ginormous, succulent, big as your head mangos from her mother’s yard. Believe me, they were un-freaking-believable and I would show you a picture, but they’re gone now, sorry.
Anyway. I took the basic idea of O’s mango chicken salad and made an outrageous dinner.
Two bags of arugula, washed and dried
One each red, yellow, orange bell peppers seeded and cut into 1 in. strips (next time I’ll julienne them)
One half of a large red onion sliced into thin rounds and then cut in half
Three large, beautiful, ripe mangos peeled and sliced into one inch strips
Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Thin sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast
Honey
Dijon Mustard
Preheat a Pam treated non-stick grill pan to high. Mix the honey and mustard in a bowl and dredge the chicken in it. Add to the pan and grill for 6-8 minutes on each side (or until cooked - this will vary depending on the heat and the thickness of the chicken). Meanwhile, make a vinaigrette with the oil, balsamic and salt. the 2 to 1 ratio seems to be everyone’s favorite, but I like a little more vinegar. Whisk until combined and set aside.
Toss the arugula, peppers, onion and mango in a large bowl.
When the chicken has been fully cooked (no pink inside and the juices run clear), set it aside for about 5-10 minutes. You don’t want it to be too hot or the veggies will wilt, but you don’t want it too cold either. Slice the chicken into one inch strips and add to salad, add the vinaigrette and toss right before serving.
This made four VERY healthy portions that fed my big-eating family enough for dinner.
There’s something about the combination of the savory, sweet, peppery, crunchy, salty, etc. that is just absolutely outstanding.
I know that a lot of people are talking about this, all the time - but we had a surprising encounter with it this weekend.
My husband and daughter love Vita Herring in Wine Sauce - or at least they used to. Today they opened a jar of it and after a bite or two they were making faces and noises that were not conducive to enjoyment. Jim picked the jar up and started to read the label. Sure enough, there it was: “high fructose corn syrup”. Why, why, why at this stage of the game, would they change the product to include HFCS? People are buying less and less product manufactured with this particular bit of nastiness, we’re all more aware and at least everyone I know is making a concerted effort to pick foods that are as close to natural as we can manage. I know this product won’t ever make it into our house again and while I’m happy that I never have to smell it, I’m sorry that Haley and Jim are losing one of their father/daughter traditions.
Vita? Are you listening?
A few months ago, while in Publix dairy section, I noticed that they were now carrying Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is a much thicker type of yogurt than what we’re used to and it is fab-u-lous. I made a mental note to add a recipe to my next shopping trip that could use the yogurt and then promptly forgot about it for three months. Hey I’ve got a lot going on here, cut me some slack.
Anyway, last week I remembered and decided that we were due for some Chicken Fauxvlaki - it’s like souvlaki, but I change it out so much that I think I could get in trouble for calling it souvlaki. Again, I digress.
One package of thin sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts grilled and sliced into strips
Head of iceberg lettuce chopped into bite sized pieces
couple of red ripe tomatoes (the kind without salmonella), chopped
Whole grain pitas, lightly toasted and open on a plate
thin sliced red onion
Tzatziki sauce (recipe follows)
Pile everything on top of the pita except the sauce - sprinkle a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a little vinegar of your choice (I used red wine vin. this time) Add big dollops of the tzatziki. Don’t try to pick it up and eat it like a sandwich, it won’t work. Just use a fork and when you get to the pita, it’s all gooey and delicious and you can wipe up the plate with it and eat it. Then you can lick the plate clean.
Ok, here’s the magic…
24 oz. or larger container of Greek Yogurt
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, chopped into very small pieces (some people grate it, I like the chunks)
3 cloves of garlic peeled
one lemon
one bunch fresh dill
A couple of hours before you’re going to eat, empty the entire container of greek yogurt into a bowl (if you can’t find the greek stuff, drain regular unflavored yogurt through a cheese cloth into a bowl over night in the fridge- but only after exhausting every option to find the greek stuff)
Add the cucumbers
Grate the garlic into the mixture using a micro planer, it really makes a difference.
Squeeze the lemon into it
chop and add the dill
Toss until it’s very well mixed and refrigerate for a couple of hours. If you do it the day before, be warned that the garlic flavor intensifies. I love garlic so that doesn’t bother me at all, but make sure your companion eats it with you, or else they will not want to kiss you. 
If you’re really looking to be bad, make some french fries and dip them in the tzatziki too - you won’t know what hit you.
