today: the reason for yesterday. also: chard lasagne.
you may have noticed my late-evening posts of late. i am sure you well know that my most honest inspiration comes to me when the house is still and i am finally in a good mood.
my misanthropic antics aside, i wanted to report that despite (or perhaps because of) a rather discouraging go at it yesterday, i have had what i must recognize today as a good day.
usually because i am alone.
my misanthropic antics aside, i wanted to report that despite (or perhaps because of) a rather discouraging go at it yesterday, i have had what i must recognize today as a good day.
"what did you do today?" my inquisitive brother asks over a pint.
blink.
hmmmm.
blink.
blink.
hmmmm.
blink.
OH! "I made a casserole!"
Mind you, I did a lot more than that, but it really was a good casserole! It was soo good that it was all I could think of in answer to that question. If you find yourself with a surplus of Swiss or Rainbow Chard, please note recipe below.
I had a delightful morning. Thought I am still struggling with getting out of bed before 10am, today I was able to at least jump up and shower right away. I thought the maintenance man was coming today to take care of our mice problem, so I wanted to be prepared (a few months back, he caught me in my pjs! How indecorous).
But then this preparation gave me impetus for a quiet, beautiful morning. I had some lovely conversation, some haunting classical piano, some morning candles, a spot of hot tea, and a general feeling of calm usefulness. I was able to complete today's list and even rework the mother-load list into more usable categories. This productivity leaves me to ask, could it really be that the key to being at home is simply a morning shower and/or getting dressed?! Sometimes I feel simplicity's slap so acutely. Girls who work at home? Any advice?
This also sends me to thinking about the way cause and effect ripples throughout our moods. Since mood is something often so organic, I seriously baffle at how one bad mood can make a day so upsetting...and then how that upset effect can precipitate a change the next day - even if only out of determination to have a better day.
I suppose it all comes back to just letting myself alone.
Feel what you feel.
You will not be lost to it...
And the day ends with a successful tutoring session, a pint with my brothers, a card that warms my irascible soul, and a spot of chocolate cake and port.
i wish i could hoot to you from across the forested floor and hear your call, the call from your soul.
love,
the slow and wide-eyed owl known as candace.
_____________________
Chard Lasagna:
This was SO easy! There are no real measurements, and I FREAK out with recipes that lack structure...but this one turned out great.
Wash 1 bunch swiss chard in cool water and drain. Trim the leaves from the stems, then roughly chop the leaves and pat them dry. (Don't worry about the exact size of the bunch. These recipes will work no matter what size your grocery store or farmers' market sells.)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Butter a 9-by-9-inch baking pan.
- Peel and thinly slice 2 potatoes (with a mandoline, if you have one). Layer a quarter of the slices in the pan.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a little chopped butter.
- Top with a third of the prepped chard.
- Layer with grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese, a pinch of dried thyme leaves, and more salt, pepper, and butter.
- Repeat twice with the remaining potato slices and chard, then end with potatoes.
- Pour 1/2 cup milk over the top. (The pan will seem very full-don't worry, it will cook down.)
- Cover with foil and bake until tender, a little over an hour.
- Top with a last layer of Gruyère or Swiss and, if desired, Parmesan. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden.
4 comments:
I like the positivity of the post! And I should try that recipe sometime..I will let you know :)
From a fellow worker at home who just got told she was part time and now has more hours in her day... yes, a shower and getting dressed are sometimes my greatest hurdle and often the best at launching me into my day.
As for my to do lists, I put to practice what my mother used to say when I'd procrastinate chores, "The sooner you start, the sooner it's done." Basically, "If you'd quit thinking about doing it and just do it, it'd be done by now."
But that's not to say I haven't had my lazy mornings over the past week or so. I'm still getting the hang of having all this time. Some days I'm better at it than others. I'm trying not to judge my days based on the number of things I cross off.
I swear to you, it is a tricky business this life-work from home - and the number of times I've been caught by the mail man, maintenance guys and early bird tenants (errggg!) while still in my sweats with hair piled on top of my head is rather embarrassing.
But, my tricks to a good day:
1. Get outdoors first thing, if only for 10 minutes. Get a cup of coffee, pick up the toilet paper you forgot the night before, come throw snow at your neighbor-up-the-street's windows... The morning air and short walks (not to mention getting dressed) perk me up like non other.
2. Limit my morning computer goof-off time. I'm not always successful at this one.
3. Make the day's To Do list no longer than 15 items. Over that, and I get overwhelmed before I've even begun.
I'm just up the street, it's 10:07, and I'm toasting my big 'ol mug to you and a great day missie.
I am a total slacker in the morning if I don't shower right away. I can waste the entire morning sipping coffee & perusing the internets. & If I start working before I've gotten dressed...forget it. You'll find in carpool line at 3PM in my pj's (teeth brushed but with yesterdays makeup staining my cheeks!). I also do all the things I really do not want to do first, then the rest of the day is something to look forward to. Hope this helps a bit :)
Post a Comment