Ted Update
February 20, 2008 – 5:37 pmSome minor Ted updates. Or major if you want to think of it that way.
New interface, new version of Wordpress. Added some recipes to the side menu. Still trying to decide where to put the penguins in this one. Let me know if you have ideas.
Don’t normally use this for life/personal things, but thought some sort of an update was in order. Overall doing pretty well at the moment.
- Job: Good (read: pays the bills, possibility for advancement, resume building if nothing else)
- Rescue Squad: Good (read: almost done with EMT class, still having fun, still learning, still making a difference)
- Living Situation: Improving (read: friend buying a house soon, probably move in with him, kitchen I can use!)
- Family: Good (read: all in good health, even the crazy ones, Mom going in for surgery in a few weeks, kinda a big deal, but everyone is optimistic.)
- Social Life: Improving (read: still have little time for breathing, let alone spending time with friends etc, but recent events lead me to believe that this is also looking up.)
- Personal Health: Improving (read: overall I’m pretty healthy, but can always do better. Have cut soda pretty much completely out of my diet, only one or two cans a week. those that know me realize how impressive that is. Started up with a decent workout program that I’m pretty sure I can stick to (yey kettlebells!) and just had a healthy visit to the doctor/dentist.)
You’ve been at work too long when…
January 30, 2008 – 5:49 pm“They spelled uninstall (dot) wrong log… wait, no.”
It’s been one of those days.
Chicken Stew
January 17, 2008 – 10:54 pmIngredients:
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 stalks celery, chopped (1 package)
- 3 carrots, peeled, chopped (or 1 package of baby carrots, 1lb)
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 3 (14-ounce) can low-salt/fat chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 5 chicken breasts with ribs (~ 4 or 5 pounds total)
- 1 cup corn starch
- 2 (15-ounce) cans beans, rinsed. Any kind; 1 can of black and 1 can of white work well together.
- Hot sauce (optional)
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Season to taste. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaves, and thyme. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.
Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 5-10 minutes. Add the beans and starch to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced into a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.
Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite- size pieces. Return the chicken to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season to taste.
Serves: 12-15
Serving suggestion: over brown rice.
More of the slowing down..
January 15, 2008 – 8:12 pmRemember how I said we should not go too fast? Well here’s more of the same.
In our rush-aholic world slowing down seems subversive. In the workplace we have to be “seen” to be working. Even though doing a task more slowly can often produce a result faster, many of us get caught up in unnecessary meetings and tasks. You may be suffering from too much speed. After all, you are reading this. We humans are not always-on, efficient machines that can run seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. Burning the candle at both ends results in, well, burnout.
Humans need rests, relaxation, and recreation. We need time to think about things, to clear the mind, and to have fun. But to a person overburdened with claims on her time, fun seems only a distant remembered state of mind.
Slowing down is a way to incubate, conserve, and harvest our energy, not about relief from boredom by just watching more TV or going shopping. You may have to confront boredom at first. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.
The article breaks it down quite nicely:
- Don’t slow down quickly
- Have a slow hour
- Slow and calm
- Eat slowly
- Exercise slow
- Do one thing at a time
- Slow your attention
- Slow down now.
It also occurs to me that I should follow my own advice… but well, … soon. Maybe.
