Catching myself.

Pansy's Eyes
Little Purple Pansy,
How beautiful you are,
With your eyes so dancy
You might have been a star

Little Purple Pansy
With your saucy gaze,
You make a person fancy
Putting you in a vase.

Little Purple Pansy,
Your insolence I defy,
I'll cause you some anxiety,
I'll surely make you cry.

Little Purple Pansy,
With your sober mien,
You made me see that truly
I've wronged a royal queen
             - Marie Boujicanian (my grandmother!)

As you may know, this blog is in part about slowing down, just long enough to find simple moments in your day.  I often need to remind myself to slow down. I have always had a bit of anxiety which I didn't fully realize until I was postpartum with my first daughter, at a time when that wasn't really discussed so publicly as it is now.  It is a life long journey to understand and grow with my anxiety, not shove it away to a place where it can eventually do more harm.

So, I have had my first two dance classes and really look forward to them each week! I am learning a fusion of different dance styles from my teacher. That said, my teacher is showing me some of the basics so that we can build upon them in future classes. Of course, there was a part of me that wanted to start dancing right away without focusing on the basics but that wouldn't work! I need to learn the basics so that I can be successful in what I am learning. I needed to catch myself, slow down and enjoy the moment - which I did.

Ok, time to put on Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root and get cooking!

Last Friday night after Sosie's soccer game and my car accident, we decided to buck tradition and stay home for dinner. I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer, a Traders taster and some vegetables in the frig. A quick but yummy dinner was enjoyed by all.

Garlic-Mustard Glaze (thanks, Karen!)
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
2 T Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T honey
1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves (I used dry this last time)
2 tsp Spanish paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh pepper

Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before using.

Can also use as a marinade - brush onto meat (chicken, beef, or pork) and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Smitten Kitchen, from Bobby Flay

This time, I mixed a little Dijon mustard and olive oil and brushed it onto the pork with a little salt and pepper and used the sauce afterwards. I served with a freezer bag of whole grains and peas from Trader Joes. They had made a taster of this mix with a jarred green curry sauce they sell. It was absolutely delicious. I also made a greek salad of sorts (tomatoes, cucumber, sweet pepper, onion, fresh parsley, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dash of olive oil, salt and pepper).

Enjoy and have a really great night, everyone!