Perfect is the enemy of good

Don't these vegetables look amazing? I saw many street vendors like this in Florence and I couldn't resist taking the picture. These vegetables are art to me but they are not perfect, nor do they need to be! They are fantastic just the way they are.

Like many people, I often have managers in my head telling me that I am not doing this enough or that enough, I should play more with the kids or work out harder or be more organized, be a better daughter or friend or mom or colleague, etc. It doesn't matter what the managers say - the point is the same, I should do more or be more, well, perfect. Again, these are just parts of me and of course the more rational side of me knows better. It also doesn't mean that those times don't sting.

In the end though, perfect is the enemy of the good. If you are always trying to be perfect then life isn't messy and the best things come from messy sometimes. In many cases it is the journey, not the destination.

I remember walking with Sosie when she was a little peanut. I wanted to keep walking so that we could get to the park. She just wanted to explore along the way. It didn't really matter if we got to where we were supposed to go. Sosie wanted to see the rocks and the ants and the birds and the trees. I would miss out on all those things if I was spending all my energy trying to be this version of perfect.

After I had children someone said to me - you don't need to be the perfect mom, you just need to be good enough.

Good enough is not a bad thing. Good enough is brave and strong. Good enough is surrounding your children with unconditional love, support, structure, fun and guidance. Good enough is being a friend to others as well as yourself. Good enough is appreciating what you have and loving yourself and your body for what it is. Good enough is working hard at work and being present at home to the best of your ability. Good enough is having fun and finding moments to laugh, especially at yourself. Good enough is finding love and nurturing it with lots of room to grow. Good enough is letting go a little bit, even though there are risks to doing that. Good enough is letting you feel all the emotions a day brings. Good enough gets the monkey off your back a bit. Good enough is a goal. I like good enough.

What is your favorite song right now? I have heard from a good friend that they are listening to JT's (new JT, not the classic JT) Pusher Love Girl and Drink You Away.

So, put on Raging Fire by Phillip Phillips and get cooking!

I first had this recipe when Sosie was 15 months old and I was almost 3 months pregnant with Sage. We were in Bucarias in Mexico and this was waiting for us in the refrigerator. Boy, it tasted good then and it tasted good last night when I ate it with some friends. This is an incredibly easy recipe and can be made ahead if necessary. I am always a little skeptical when a recipe calls for a cream of chicken or mushroom soup for some silly reason that I can't name but this is really good!

I cooked this with canned corn from Trader Joes with cilantro on top as well as a basic salad.

Chicken Enchiladas
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (I used the natural version, comes in a box in healthy section or Whole Foods)
1 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup medium salsa (I used mild)
1 small can diced chiles
Combine these four ingredients in a bowl

1-1.5 cooked and shredded chicken breast
3/4 cup diced scallion
3 cups shredded Mexican cheeses
12 large tortillas (I used smaller ones)

Cook chicken and shred. I used chicken tenders and roasted at 350 for 10 minutes with olive oil, s&p. Combine chicken, scallion, and 2 cups of cheese (I have used more than 2 cups here). Fill the tortillas with the meat, cheese and onion mix, roll up and place in a 9 by 13 pan.

Pour soup mix over the filled tortillas and top with remaining cheese (adding more cheese if desired).

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy and have a spectacular day!