Have you ever had one of those stretches where every day feels like a marathon, and by the time you finally crawl into bed, every inch of your body is aching, your eyes are heavy with exhaustion—and then it hits you. It’s not just been one long day. It’s been two weeks. That kind of tired? I haven’t felt it in years, not since the newborn days. But here we are. That’s life these days. Just doing our best to survive as Ame®icans.
Lately, I’ve found that it brings me some peace to pause and look back—not to dwell, but to remind myself that I am doing things. Even when it feels like I’m barely holding it together, I can see it in the little markers of the week, like keeping track of dinners or the avalanche of things on my plate. These past couple of weeks I’ve been helping with fundraisers, sharing articles, speaking up when it matters, navigating medical stuff (and all the joys of the “healthcare system”), and driving a teenager across state lines for a volleyball tournament. It’s a lot.
And yet, here I am, still showing up. I may feel stuck some days, like fear and worry are keeping me frozen, but when I step back, I can see the truth. I’m working, parenting, staying engaged, doing what I can. It matters. I’m doing it. And probably, so are you.
February 7, Night 19 - I made tostadas by frying stale corn tortillas. This is the best example of turning a negative into a positive that I can imagine. I literally took something useless and made something delicious.
February 8, Night 20 - We were supposed to make a big paella dinner for my in-laws tonight, but we got sick, and rescheduled till later in the month. Did anyone eat? I have no idea. I was in bed and ill.
February 9, Night 21 - Superbowl. Snacks were made and consumed as we watched Kendrick Lamar set absolute fire to the stage. I honestly ate more potato chips and onion dip than is polite. We also made brownies. And a frozen pizza.
February 10, Night 22 - Back to back to back rehearsals and practices. Pretty sure this was a drive through Mickey D's night.
February 11, Night 23 - Gyro meatballs with naan bread, lettuce, olives, and homemade tzatziki sauce, with a side of jasmine rice. Mix ground beef or ground beef/lamb with parsley, oregano, thyme, and dill to make the meatballs, add one beaten egg and some seasoned bread crumbs. Roll in your hands to make 1-inch balls and fry in a pan until brown on all sides and cooked through. Serve on pita bread (except when the store is out of pita, then serve it on naan.) My tzatziki sauce is just chopped cucumber, greek yogurt, salt, pepper, dill, and parsley all combined.
February 12, Night 24 - Leftover meatballs served with a cup of EZ mac and cheese, my hand to god. Some nights, especially during a hostile government takeover, that's how we roll.
February 13 Night 25 - Ramen at Dragon Bowl Z. The funniest named ramen joint, also the food is good, I had a bao bun and some edamame. I wasn't hungry because I'd had a big lunch with a friend! At a restaurant! I ate a meal with another adult out in public, and I wore a dress and we talked about all the craziness going on and I didn't feel alone. It was so nice.
February 14, Night 26 - Chicken cacciatore from the slow cooker. Minor surgery earlier that day was successful. Nice to come home to dinner ready.
February 15, Night 27 - Greek food at a restaurant in Savannah. Patstitsio, moussaka, saganaki, dolamades. I was in heaven. The kids were in good spirits too. We were supposed to do a big group dinner with the rest of the volleyball team and parents, but after aimlessly walking around downtown and realizing no one had even an inkling of a plan we peaced out and stumbled into this place. A good reminder, that just because the group is doing something, you're not obligated to go along with it. Your peace and your family's well-being come first.
February 16, Night 28 - Hamburgers from a food truck outside the Savannah Convention Center. And that's on being a sports parent.
February 17, Night 29 - Cuban food from the local Latino grocery store, chicken legs, ribs, and slow-cooked pork. I sauteed cabbage as a side. Dinner was ready in the time it took me to check out in Spanish. Una bolsa? Si, gracias. Buenos noches. Being even the teeniest bit bilingual is a gift.
February 18, Night 30 - Henry's Depot food hall, a restaurant called The Current. Fresh fish and chips and hush puppies. The spicy aioli dipping sauce was next level. A nice night waiting on the kid for another rehearsal, just me and the husband. I have the best guy and I don't take it for granted. We also walked around downtown Sanford for a bit and just chatted.
February 19, Night 31 - One month into the T®ümp administration, dinner was leftover cacciatore, eaten over the stove while I cleaned the kitchen. I garnished it with the last 7 kalamata olives in a jar, which gave it puttanesca vibes. Later I made the NYT applesauce coffee cake just to make the house smell amazing. That totally worked. The cake was delicious and the house was scented like apples and spices.
February 20, Night 32 - Making carnitas tacos tonight! And I am making fresh tortilla chips. Because fried corn is my love language.
#KeepGoing
I've been so hit or miss with cooking lately! This week I did mostly prep cooking. I roasted chicken pieces one day and made broth with them the next day. Nothing beats homemade broth! I stored that in the freezer. Today I made red beans and rice with chorizo to motivate Kenai to shovel the driveway for me. Tonight I'm making some BBQ chicken legs and steaming some green beans before they turn.
ReplyDeleteYour BBQ chicken looked delish. I’d love a recipe if you’ve got one!
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