The Mothership

This salad is always a fan favorite and super duper easy to prepare when you have limited time. The acidity of the balsamic mixed with the bite of arugula and onion really draws in those taste buds. I will put the portions here for both how I make for our household and then for large parties. This salad does not keep for more than a day as the dressing will wilt the arugula and could become slimy. You can always mix the dressing ahead of time and then add to the greens as needed.  Recipe for Home: 1.5 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 2 Tbsp. Avocado Oil 1 tsp of honey or less Kosher Salt (just a dash) pepper  5 ounces of arugula  Pine nuts Grape tomatoes,  halved (about 10) 1/8 Red onion, diced or thin slices Instructions: In the bottoms of a large bowl mix the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk together. I usually add small amounts of the kosher salt and pepper because they can be overpowering.  Place the arugula in the bowl and some of the tomatoe...

There is nothing anyone could have said. Nothing anyone could have done to change my mind. I was fat, not worth a lot of conversation or even time, and most of how I behaved or performed was all wrong. This is where my worth and identity rested, and the value I held in my life. Which, now that I have a daughter, I would never envision for her story. Her worth and purpose are nowhere near connected to her weight. This month is Eating Disorder Awareness month and even though I was never truly diagnosed as having one, I most certainly had one. And I'm sure someone you know was just like me. I was not healthy...in any sense of the word. Not mentally or physically. I was starving myself; not just sustenance, but bread of life. I had friends. I had a boyfriend, and I was a straight A student. There was no convincing me I was successful, and beautiful. My family and friends did nothing but TRY to lift me up. No one tore me down; it was all a mind game that I had played in my own head. I...

 Have you ever been so cranky you're just agitated with everything in sight? The way the mailman crumpled your package... How you haven't made time to fix the broken window shield in the front of your car... How your children run in from school and immediately drop everything to the floor because they don't have ample time at school to properly use the restroom? The way a certain someone chews their food... You have to wear button up pants, and button up pants make you have a headache... How everyone wants to climb and touch you all the time...  How someone slams the toilet from the other room... How the laundry is NEVER finished and socks will forever be turned inside out... How you spoke horribly to someone this morning and can't fix it till later... NO. Just me, eh? Well, this story starts with one agitated mother and ends with a bag of cheese. I was going about my business and all of the above events, plus a dozen more that I won't be vulnerable enough to enligh...

I am super nervous each time I use the insta pot but slowly getting better at using the pressure cooker function. This recipe is super yummy:) and ready in less than an hour - from first chop.  Ingredients:  1&1/2 cups dry brown rice 3 cups of broth Cooking oil  Garlic powder Flank steak - 2 to 2.5lbs 2/3 cup coconut amminos (or soy sauce) 5 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tsp of ginger powder 1 cup water 2 tablespoons of cornstarch  6 tablespoons of cold water 4 tablespoons of honey  2 packs of frozen broccoli florets  Arugula (optional) Sesame seeds Green onions, sliced or snap peas for garnish Recipe: Bring to a boil broth, 1Tbspn of oil, 1tsp garlic salt. Add rice. Simmer covered on low for 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, slice flank steak into thin strips. Heat insta pot on sauté mode. Add cooking oil to the pot and sauté the steak.  While sautéing, whisk the coconut amminos, water, garlic, and ginger powder in a small bowl.  Turn sauté off. Add ...

So, I haven’t made this in years. Because the last time I made it...it was so detestable, that my husband who will eat almost anything, couldn’t even finish it. It was so bitter. Bleh! So, we were talking with our friends April & Marques and they mentioned that their favorite dish to eat as a family is Eggplant Parmesan. So I asked for the recipe and I added a little to it. I also figured out how to get rid of the bitter taste. This recipe made enough for a 9x13 and an 8x8 freezer meal too. I do all I can to make less work for myself during the busy school year and a lot of times I’ll just make double of the dinner and make a freezer meal out of the extra. Also, I had two HUGE eggplants to use. INGREDIENTS: 2 LARGE eggplants Salt 4 eggs, beaten 3 cups of Panko bread crumbs 1 Italian Dressing seasoning packet 2 jars of red pasta sauce - your favorite 4-5 medium tomatoes, chopped 4 cups of mozzarella fresh, torn basil, about a cup copped red onion (optional) ...

 My stories and posts from last year at this time keep popping up on my news feeds and the only thing I can think of is "Remember how you felt? You felt so trapped." I was happy. I was joyful. But I was internally exhausted. Trying to be all the things and all the places for all the people. Not that they MADE me do any of it...I said yes to that all on my own and I take responsibility for that. I have a hard time with setting boundaries for myself. If there is anything that has helped me along in my healing it is my husband's ability to cross-reference and say, "maybe that's too much." It doesn't mean I always listen to him, because I have different desires, gifts, and a different threshold than him. But all the same, he is a great sounding board. The memories I have of those times from last year were filled with laughs and goodness. But I can feel the anxiety, stress, and pain welling up in my chest even now of how it felt. Always saying, "I just n...

I see you. I know you. You seem familiar and resemble someone I know.  You are the woman holding her babe that seems happy in her arms with the invisible sleeping and attachment struggles from beneath the baby wearing garment. The woman who comes to the party, grimacing and half smiling because her little guy is pumeling everything in sight because he needs to. The woman who comes with the little one afraid to enter the crowd because it is too noisy or too much and all you want to do is socialize.  The woman who comes with a child that is over opinionated and remarks loudly to everything they process. The woman who so desperately wants to understand her child and would do anything to just “have an easy day.” I see your struggle, and your torment. And yet, somehow, I see your delight.  You see the joy in your child. And you feel as if you’re the only one able to see. You ask yourself that question that seems to be on repeat, “Does anyone else see the struggle and yet the l...