Adjust Or Go A Bust

Leave a comment

“Remain flexible and teachable so that you can make necessary
adjustments in life.”
― Mz Liz

Adjust 

[uh–juhst]

  1. to change (something) so that it fits, corresponds, or conforms; adapt; accommodate
  2. to put in good working order; regulate; bring to a proper state or position

 

Today marks the end of my third week of grad school. Whew!!  Adding reading assignments, papers, and projects to my already busy schedule is a challenge– challenging but not impossible.

This weekend is about adjusting.  I am making the new addition to my routine fit.  I am adapting my weekly routine.  I am accommodating new tasks.  I am deleting some things from routine (less social networking time) and putting others (my son’s tutoring, basketball, etc..) in order.

Accomplishing anything good in life required adjustment.

If you can’t adjust, you will certainly a bust!    -tfc

Sunday is my meal prep but last week did not work too well, so I had to adjust my routine.

I moved the majority of my shopping day on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning to Friday evening. The change frees me up for Sunday.

The second major adjustment is my cooking day. To free up more time to read and to write, I moved cooking from Sunday to Saturday afternoon… umm… I just looked at the clock.  The “afternoon?”  I started cooking at around 5:30 p.m…. the current time is 8:33 p.m., but it is done.  In between cleaning up the kitchen, letting the food cool down, and putting items away, I’m snapping pictures.  🙂

What’s cooking?  A hodgepodge of quick dishes for me and my peeps. The only menu items left to cook are veggies and I’m working on those.   I don’t have enough time to write recipes and all, but I wanted to give you an idea of what’s happening in my kitchen.

 

spaghetti squash

Spaghetti squash… it is quick and easy to prepare.


mexican quinoa

Mexican Quinoa is a hit with hubby, is loaded with protein, so it works.


black rice

This black rice will pair nicely with the black-eyed peas.


black eyed peas

My first attempt ever at meatless black-eyed peas.  I add extra goodies like garlic, jalapenos, and substituted water with vegetable broth, so the peas should have a nice 


sweet potatoes

I can’t go wrong with sweet potatoes.


sausage dish

Mom will love this!  Sweet hot sausage and turkey kielbasa cooked in a fire roasted tomato sauce.  Whoever want to indulge can enjoy it over whatever style of pasta they choose, just don’t touch my black rice.  🙂


crock pot

I would be lost without my crockpots!  The third crockpot is full of steel cut oats in the fridge. 

 

The point of this post is to remind you that when trying something new, you have to be flexible.  What works for me may not work for you.  Also, what worked for me yesterday isn’t working for me today.  So no worries.  Take in a deep breath–slowly release the air and keep it moving.  I have a ton of work to do and must go. See Yah!

Happy day to you!! Smooches!

 

 

 

 

This Is Why I Love Pinterest

6 Comments

So I just learned an important lesson!  Don’t simultaneously update your WordPress page on your laptop and  on your iPad. Why?  Grrr!!!  I finished my original post on my laptop.  Then I went to my iPad to upload pictures because my laptop is acting weird and shuts down when I load images on safari.  Anyway, the saved version on my iPad WAS NOT complete— I saved the wrong version and now I have to start over.  Grrr!!  Not Happy!

Okay– now I’m trying to move my emotions from disgusted and annoyed to excitement about dinner again. Br….eeeee..aaaaathhhh….

I was excited because I found another nutritious and tasty recipe on Pinterest.  The past few months I have pinned a few delicious and interesting recipes on my “healthy eating” board.  Who needs cookbooks anymore when you can use your cell phone to find recipes right in the store aisle, buy the ingredients, take them home, and whip together a healthy meal.

Thanks to The Pioneer Woman on Pinterest, tonight I stuffed my face with Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Kale!  Why didn’t someone tell me about spaghetti squash?  I feel like I’ve been missing out in life.  Geez!  The dish was da bomb! Like I was sucking the juice from the kale from the bottom of the bowl.  B’Dazzle came down stairs, spotted me and asked, “Is it good?”  I felt kinda silly doing exactly what I tell him not to do– put the bowl to the mouth and soup the remains out.  Haa!  Haa!!  Oh well, mom has her weak moments too.

I ate my spaghetti squash with boneless skinless chicken breast.  Tomorrow when I eat the leftovers, I’m going to toss in some steamed jumbo spicy shrimp.  The texture of the spaghetti squash is like thin spaghetti.  The flavor is mild so you can have fun with the dish and add all kinds of flavorful food items.  Mmm…

Six months from now, I will be confidently  strutting across a stage in a blinged out two-piece, displaying my months of hard work and sacrifice.  Meanwhile, I am trying to keep my meals interesting.   Or course I had to check out the nutritional facts. Wikipedia reports the following:

  • The spaghetti squash is an oblong seed-bearing variety of winter squash. The fruit can range either from ivory to yellow or orange in color. The orange varieties have a higher carotene content. Its center contains many large seeds.
  • Nutrition Facts
    Spaghetti squashSpaghetti squash

    Amount Per 100 grams1 cup, cubes (101 g)1 cup, cubes (101 g)
    Calories 31
  • % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 0.6 g 0%
    Saturated fat 0.1 g 0%
    Polyunsaturated fat 0.2 g
    Monounsaturated fat 0 g
    Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
    Sodium 17 mg 0%
    Potassium 109 mg 3%
    Total Carbohydrate 7 g 2%
    Dietary fiber 1.5 g 6%
    Sugar 2.8 g
    Protein 0.6 g 1%
    Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 3%
    Calcium 2% Iron 1%
    Vitamin D 0% Vitamin B-6 5%
    Vitamin B-12 0% Magnesium 3%
    *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

     

    If you’re looking to add a new dish to your meal cycle, give this a try; you cannot go wrong with this. I enjoyed it and would like to know what you think about it.

20131119-211700.jpg

20131119-211724.jpg

This just came out of the oven. I pulled it from the skin with a fork as per the recipe instructions.

20131119-211839.jpg

20131119-211913.jpg

Random momology

8 Comments

This post is in good spirits; no complaints here!  I felt the need to share some of my random thoughts today.

Every single week I go about the business of being super mom.  No, I’m not trying in any way shape or form trying to be super mom, nor do I even like the term.   Apparently, it just comes off that way… or at least that’s what I suspect my family might be thinking.  Shame on them!  Maybe shame on me too!  Lol!

Predictably, Friday nights are dedicated to laundry.  Why?  Because I don’t want to deal with dirty clothes, etc… on my days off.  If I get it done by Friday bedtime (whatever time I collapse), then I’m set until the following week.

My family has the luxury, and that’s exactly what it is… a luxury of having nutritious, delectable, and balanced meals at least five to six days per week.  And… it’s usually on the table by 5ish!   No junk food!   No prefab unidentifiable dish from a box, but real homemade meals.  Did I mention that I work full-time outside of the home?  Just checking—sometimes I have to remind my family of this, fact.

Careful planning enables me to get more, but not everything, done than time really permits.  Sometimes I feel as though I really am squeezing blood from an onion.  Rarely do we run out of necessities such as bread, cereal, etc…   I am however, guilty of forgetting to pay the utility bills.   You know, gas and electric.  The big stuff that are difficult to live without.  I am dead serious.   As the official mail “sorter” if I don’t sort the mail, most of it it doesn’t get sorted, and if it doesn’t get sorted… well, you know the story. The utilities won’t get paid!  It’s absolutely absurd.  Embarrassing, but true.  There have been a few occasions where I happened to stumble on a disconnection notice… not due to lack of funds… but lack of time!  Yeah, I know I’m working on electronic bill pay for everything. I’m not quite comfortable with automatic and electronic deductions from my bank account, but I’m strongly considering the option.

Enough babbling!

Last Sunday, I decided to put ME first!

Normally, it’s the opposite.  I ate first.  No one in my home is interested in eating organic steel cut oats, with blueberries, flax-seed, wheat germ, and bee pollen, so I ate first and worked on breakfast later.  I did everything that I wanted to do first.  I happily and defiantly put everything that needed to be done off.  I even completed a six-mile run through the neighborhood.  I returned home at 5 p.m.   The same time that dinner is usually on the table.  I started dinner around 5:30 p.m.  Everyone was chillin and lying around like they didn’t have a care in the world, so I just took my sweet old-time.  Dinner ended up being served a little after 7 p.m. and while no one complained, they got to the table quicker than usual!  I like!

“Mom, you need 25/8,” were my daughter’s comments to me last night.  Referencing to Mary J. Blige’s new song, she recognizes that I’m a busy working mom.  Sidebar:  not much of an offer to ease the burden, but if you’re living with a young adult, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  (Chuckle)

While Mary needs 25/8 to love her man, I need 25/8  to handle my business.

Since I can’t get 25/8, I’ll simply fine-tune my priorities again.

On Sunday, putting me first and getting through my task list, including working out prevented self –inflicted anxiety and resentment.   Why self-inflicted?  Because I set goals for myself and when I don’t accomplish those goals, I tend to get frustrated. I don’t think anyone in the household consciously cares, they just subconsciously reap the benefits. No judgement; just an oberservation.

To make things easier at home, the past umpteen years, I’ve made major changes to my home/family routine.   Still- old habits die-hard!  Part of my problem, oops!  I mean “challenge” (I prefer to view so-called problems as challenges) is that I am a perfectionist.   I strive for it; I don’t try to be it.  I just want things done right not half-ass.

Delegating is an option, but I still want it done right.  Is that so bad?  Who defines what right is? Me?  Hmm… is that part of the issue?   Just thinking on paper…..

Now then, soon, I will be checking into a plush hotel for a “me” day and I’m going to do whatever I want to do; most likely nothing other than read or write.   In error, I told my hubby my plan, he said, “we” should do that.  “We?”  Who said anything about “we?”  This isn’t a “I’m going to entertain you day!”  It’s an “I’m going to entertain myself day.”  OMG!  Literally ROTFL!  (Rolling on the floor laughing)   Is that hilarious or what?  Of course I love my hubby and enjoy time with him, but sometimes we girls need time alone.  Since my home is always occupied, I will find a vacancy elsewhere.  The change in scenery will be good,  much-needed, and will perfectly recharge my battery.   Oh boy!  I can’t wait! Lol!