Monday mayhem: Finals week

Monday
Chicken Cheese Enchiladas http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/792
Refried beans
Spanish Rice

Reflections from the Backcounter
Final exams. A dreadful week of stress, anxiety and hours of studying. Finals are a fixture in the American education system and they have the capability of turning a household upside down. I am just putting my head down and trying to weather the storm of moods and stress while providing large quantities of good food available at all hours of the night. What else is a mother to do? I can promise that the days of my being able to assist with the math are OVER. My math ability was surpassed in about the third chapter of the Geometry book. So, I will focus on sustenance and support, the teachers will have to present the content. Hopefully, the enchiladas will brighten a few moods.
Peace,
Julia

No More Overload

Monday: Chicken with Corn Salsa http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/433

Reflections from the Backcounter

Monday morning...again....just spent a weekend at a horseshow with a bunch of other moms and the topic of overload came up. We were all feeling overwhelmed with our lives and the opportunity to relax at the horseshow was the best medicine we could have asked for. I recently read a great book by Richard Swenson, M.D. http://www.richardswenson.org/index.html and would recommend it to all mothers.

He remarks on the fact that most adults in the United States live their lives on overload, without margin. He defines margin as the space between our load and our limits. Overload is that point where our limits are exceeded. This is a very stressful and anxiety provoking way to live and leaves us with little energy for joy and exuberance. I hope you read his book as I gained significant insight. Unfortunately, for most of us, the have- to list of the day to day is pretty much non-negotiable. For me, I find that the key to improving my stress load is planning and organization. Without an action plan and a to do list, I fall apart. Thus, my compulsive meal planning. This streamlines my time at the store and my time thinking about and executing dinner preparation. Today's menu is really fresh and tasty. Hope your family enjoys it.

Peace,

Julia

On overload

Wednesday:
Sloppy Joes http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/100544
Carrot and Celery Sticks

Reflections from the Backcounter

I wrote Monday about my humble morning goals of getting to work clean with matching shoes. I suppose, 1 out of 2 isn't all that bad. I honestly wore mismatched shoes to work that day AFTER writing this blog and making a joke about it. Must have been a Freudian slip. I might as well come clean and tell the whole truth. The Mona Lisa is not the only person to have appeared in public with a blue velcro curler still in her hair. Let's leave it at that and try to move on....I need to run to the bathroom and check my hair just to be sure...Yup, my shoes match so it is a good day.

Peace,
Julia