Feeling drained. So are J and Bunny. The reason we did Christmas with J's mom yesterday and today, rather than with the whole extended family on the 25th, was that I knew it would be too much for us let alone Bunny. We traveled about 2 hours on transit (bus, subway subway bus, then car) to Richmond Hill. With all our gear (2ce as much on our way home what with presents and leftovers) and a toddler. The problem: She doesn't get it. I don't know if she thinks its character building to 'suffer', or if she's forgotten what it's like to have a toddler. Or if she's never taken transit with a baby/toddler AND 5 large bags. She doesn't trust J enough to believe him when he tells her why we aren't going for Christmas day, or how hard it is to travel.
I was going to go on. But I could go on for a billion years. And laying blame doesn't help set my mind at ease.
I guess my point was: I gave myself permission to back out of family events this year. Or change plans if I need to. The (mental and physical) health of my child (and me!) is more important. 3 days in a row crammed full of people that he rarely has met (and I see one-3 xs/year) is not worth, frankly, the aggravation. For all involved.
Maybe we need to make more time to visit with our so called loved ones more often and dispense with these (more often than not) awful obligations. No wonder Jason and I (and many more people) get Chrismasitis!
I do think that a certain amount of giving is important from all involved in a family. And by giving I don't mean gifts. Hang the gifts. And by hang, I mean something ruder. I don't need (or want 3) bars of mint chocolate (I'll regret saying that late when I'm prowling the house and ending up mixing melted chocolate chips with peanut butter)
wait...back to my point. Giving; us spending 2 hours on transit, MIL hosting and providing dinner, the teenager sucking it up and ending basement hibernation for a few hours of time with family.
In the end though. If I'm being insulted, if my gestures of kindness are being thrown back in my face, if my child is being humiliated (The look on his face. He was so confused! at almost 2. He understood something wasn't quite right), my spouse is being disrespected, I'm done giving.
When it stops being joyful, it needs to just stop.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Thursday, November 12, 2015
a couple slow cooker recipes
How very exciting. My first real post since April, and it's recipes for the slow cooker.
I don't even have snazzy photos.
*shrug*
This is actually for me for when I forget what I'm doing.
both of these are great on the stove too.
Mild chicken curry
1 tbsp fat
1 onion, sliced
4 tbsp curry power/paste*
1 small/med butternut squash (or your choice!!), diced
1 large potato, diced
1 large tomato, diced
4 chicken breasts (or meat of choice), diced (sub in chickpeas if you want a hearty veg option)
1 cup red lentils
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
1 bunch of spinach, chopped
Saute onions until light brown, add curry powder, cook until fragrant
Chuck onions, squash, potato, tomato, chicken and lentils into slow cooker. Toss. Add chicken stock
Either put it in the fridge, or cook now.
I think I cooked it for 6 hours first on high, then on low for 2-3 hours. I have no doubt it was done before then.
Add spinach and stir to wilt. Add coconut milk, stir. Serve over rice
*I make my own curry powder.
1tbsp each whole coriander, cumin, cardamom, fennel. ground up, sieve to remove the shells.
1/2 tbsp fenugreek
3 tbsp turmeric
Stir it all up!
Sausage and bean stew
(thanks to Mrs. MacDonald for serving a version of this to us on Halloween)
4-6 sausage, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp fat
1tbsp flour
1 zucchini, diced
1 celery stick, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 can beans of choice, drained
1 can diced tomatos
Saute onion in fat until light brown, add flour and cook a few minutes.
toss everything else in slow cooker.
cook on high for 2 hours, and low for however long it takes to be done.
serve over rice or pasta or spaghetti squash!
I don't even have snazzy photos.
*shrug*
This is actually for me for when I forget what I'm doing.
both of these are great on the stove too.
Mild chicken curry
1 tbsp fat
1 onion, sliced
4 tbsp curry power/paste*
1 small/med butternut squash (or your choice!!), diced
1 large potato, diced
1 large tomato, diced
4 chicken breasts (or meat of choice), diced (sub in chickpeas if you want a hearty veg option)
1 cup red lentils
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
1 bunch of spinach, chopped
Saute onions until light brown, add curry powder, cook until fragrant
Chuck onions, squash, potato, tomato, chicken and lentils into slow cooker. Toss. Add chicken stock
Either put it in the fridge, or cook now.
I think I cooked it for 6 hours first on high, then on low for 2-3 hours. I have no doubt it was done before then.
Add spinach and stir to wilt. Add coconut milk, stir. Serve over rice
*I make my own curry powder.
1tbsp each whole coriander, cumin, cardamom, fennel. ground up, sieve to remove the shells.
1/2 tbsp fenugreek
3 tbsp turmeric
Stir it all up!
Sausage and bean stew
(thanks to Mrs. MacDonald for serving a version of this to us on Halloween)
4-6 sausage, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp fat
1tbsp flour
1 zucchini, diced
1 celery stick, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 can beans of choice, drained
1 can diced tomatos
Saute onion in fat until light brown, add flour and cook a few minutes.
toss everything else in slow cooker.
cook on high for 2 hours, and low for however long it takes to be done.
serve over rice or pasta or spaghetti squash!
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
having a toddler means
he won't let you on the computer anymore, and once he's in bed, all I want to do is veg!
check out Scooter's instagram page.
and mine.
Maybe I'll get an update soon!!
for now there is Game of Thrones to watch!
check out Scooter's instagram page.
and mine.
Maybe I'll get an update soon!!
for now there is Game of Thrones to watch!
Friday, February 27, 2015
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Friday, January 9, 2015
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