This morning I am grateful for my Neti Pot. I know that some of you may not have heard of the neti pot. Others of you look horrified when hearing about it. But all I know is yesterday I felt like garbage and knew it was centered in my head. I use the Neti Pot last night and I feel great today.
Remind me to use it more often!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Gratitude
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Gratitude
I am grateful for my niece. She is nuts, she does tumbling tricks and physical acts that I'm sure will get her hurt or maimed, yet she is always fine. She loves her princesses and tells it like it is. She give snuggles and kisses. And she won't go to bed when her Aunt Amy and uncle J-J are babysitting, but that's ok. I bet we all slept in this morning.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Gratitude
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Gratitude
Ok, I wanted to post this during Friday proper, but was at a friend's house while this discussion arose and she did not have any internet connection. So this is my Friday post although it will not show up until early Saturday morning.
So today (Friday) I am grateful for the fact that shortly after college many of my friends married foreigners.
Not only have I learned so much about other cultures, I've also learned how to share a dinner with people with whom you can maybe only share a few words. It has opened my mind and made me a better well rounded person to be around Germans, Basques, Mexicans, Italians, Ecuadorians, Poles etc. It helps all of us to appreciate our current way of life while incorporating elements of the people and places we have visited. It reminds us that the world isn't really that big and that strangers aren't really that strange.
I am a Gemini, I thrive on the duality and mulifaceted nature of humanity. If we were all the same I would die of boredom.
So today (Friday) I am grateful for the fact that shortly after college many of my friends married foreigners.
Not only have I learned so much about other cultures, I've also learned how to share a dinner with people with whom you can maybe only share a few words. It has opened my mind and made me a better well rounded person to be around Germans, Basques, Mexicans, Italians, Ecuadorians, Poles etc. It helps all of us to appreciate our current way of life while incorporating elements of the people and places we have visited. It reminds us that the world isn't really that big and that strangers aren't really that strange.
I am a Gemini, I thrive on the duality and mulifaceted nature of humanity. If we were all the same I would die of boredom.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
GRATITUDE
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Gratitude
I've had kind of a rough go of it recently. And it's been made worse by my attitude. Especially as of late I have been a nasty, ungrateful, green-eyed (and often over-served) B**ch.
I've decided that it's time to take control of this situation (haven't the last couple of years been about empowerment?)
Here's what I'm going to do, every day, once a day between now and Thanksgiving I am going to write down something that I am grateful for. It can be a person, an experience, a trait of my own or even a material object. But I'm pretty sure I can come up with at least one thing every single day. It's time to start viewing my life through rosier colored glasses.
Feel free to share anything that YOU are grateful for.
Today, I am grateful for my fleece Columbia vest. While it is not the most fashionable, and I have a tendency to wear it over my work clothes in the office, it provides a sense of security as the days get darker and colder. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy. And I'm wearing it right now.
I've decided that it's time to take control of this situation (haven't the last couple of years been about empowerment?)
Here's what I'm going to do, every day, once a day between now and Thanksgiving I am going to write down something that I am grateful for. It can be a person, an experience, a trait of my own or even a material object. But I'm pretty sure I can come up with at least one thing every single day. It's time to start viewing my life through rosier colored glasses.
Feel free to share anything that YOU are grateful for.
Today, I am grateful for my fleece Columbia vest. While it is not the most fashionable, and I have a tendency to wear it over my work clothes in the office, it provides a sense of security as the days get darker and colder. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy. And I'm wearing it right now.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Every Cloud has a Silver Lining
If you're in Chicago, you know that summer is long gone (did it ever really arrive?) and fall is underway.
This early in the season it is easy to enjoy the chill in the air while pulling out the jeans and fleeces. I have an uncontrollable urge to go apple picking. The crockpot has come out to play. My husband and I spent several hours Sunday cleaning, organizing and starting to get settled into the house for the winter.
And while early fall is fine, we all know what's coming. Freezing temperatures, days when you never see the sun and that mind-numbing malaise of February and March when you "just don't know if I'm going to be able to make it" and "can't imagine why anyone would live here".
But, there is a bright spot, a small, shining red beacon of hope to help us through the long, cold winter. Sinfully seductive and worth all the effort it requires.
The pomegranate is back.
This early in the season it is easy to enjoy the chill in the air while pulling out the jeans and fleeces. I have an uncontrollable urge to go apple picking. The crockpot has come out to play. My husband and I spent several hours Sunday cleaning, organizing and starting to get settled into the house for the winter.
And while early fall is fine, we all know what's coming. Freezing temperatures, days when you never see the sun and that mind-numbing malaise of February and March when you "just don't know if I'm going to be able to make it" and "can't imagine why anyone would live here".
But, there is a bright spot, a small, shining red beacon of hope to help us through the long, cold winter. Sinfully seductive and worth all the effort it requires.
The pomegranate is back.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Black Bean Soup
I meant to make some black bean soup at the same time as the tacos, however, it had to wait until a few days later. Luckily we're still enjoying the tacos!
BLACK BEAN SOUP
2 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots diced
1 onion diced
a couple of cloves of garlic minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp diced jalapeno or 1 tbsp Amy's homemade salsa
2 cans black beans undrained (preferably low sodium since you don't drain them)
1 can diced tomatoes undrained (I used the tomatoes with green chilis)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
lime (or if no lime use red wine vinegar)
In a large pot heat the olive oil and sautee the onion, garlic and carrot until they are softened.
Add the cumin and the jalapeno. I didn't have any jalapeno so I added a heaping tbsp of my salsa which is pretty damn spicy. Add the black beans, the tomatoes and the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Lower to a simmer, cover and let cook for about 15 minutes or until the carrots are soft.
Pour off 3 cups of the soup, add to a blender and puree. Return to the pot and continue to simmer.
At this point I tasted and started seasoning. The soup definitely needs salt and a dose of black pepper. Ideally I would have added some lime juice, but since I didn't have any I added a splash of red wine vinegar. I like my foods pretty spicy so I added a bit more of the salsa, probably a little more than I would have liked.
Jason and I both had a ladle full of the soup with tacos the night I made the soup. Personally, I think soup is ALWAYS best one day later. The flavors have time to meld and, in the case of my spicy soup, mellow. However, even on day one it is definitely a success.
Drink with a New Glarus Spotted Cow.
BLACK BEAN SOUP
2 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots diced
1 onion diced
a couple of cloves of garlic minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp diced jalapeno or 1 tbsp Amy's homemade salsa
2 cans black beans undrained (preferably low sodium since you don't drain them)
1 can diced tomatoes undrained (I used the tomatoes with green chilis)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
lime (or if no lime use red wine vinegar)
In a large pot heat the olive oil and sautee the onion, garlic and carrot until they are softened.
Add the cumin and the jalapeno. I didn't have any jalapeno so I added a heaping tbsp of my salsa which is pretty damn spicy. Add the black beans, the tomatoes and the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Lower to a simmer, cover and let cook for about 15 minutes or until the carrots are soft.
Pour off 3 cups of the soup, add to a blender and puree. Return to the pot and continue to simmer.
At this point I tasted and started seasoning. The soup definitely needs salt and a dose of black pepper. Ideally I would have added some lime juice, but since I didn't have any I added a splash of red wine vinegar. I like my foods pretty spicy so I added a bit more of the salsa, probably a little more than I would have liked.
Jason and I both had a ladle full of the soup with tacos the night I made the soup. Personally, I think soup is ALWAYS best one day later. The flavors have time to meld and, in the case of my spicy soup, mellow. However, even on day one it is definitely a success.
Drink with a New Glarus Spotted Cow.
TW, this is for you
Labels:
chicken,
Main Courses,
Recipes
CHICKEN TACOS
This is the simplest, most delicious multi night meal out there. All you need is a crockpot!
In the morning before leaving for work put in the crockpot on low
1 package of boneless chicken breasts (approx 3 breasts)
1/2 - 3/4 jar of Frontera Chipotle Salsa
When you come home, shred the chicken and serve in corn tortillas with extra salsa, shredded cheese, green onions and cilantro (or whatever taco toppings you like). Eat for the rest of the week.
Delicious.
This is the simplest, most delicious multi night meal out there. All you need is a crockpot!
In the morning before leaving for work put in the crockpot on low
1 package of boneless chicken breasts (approx 3 breasts)
1/2 - 3/4 jar of Frontera Chipotle Salsa
When you come home, shred the chicken and serve in corn tortillas with extra salsa, shredded cheese, green onions and cilantro (or whatever taco toppings you like). Eat for the rest of the week.
Delicious.
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