Anti-Normal & Pork Chops Lombardi

I have so much chaos in my life, it’s become normal. You become used to it. You have to just relax, calm down, take a deep breath and try to see how you can make things work rather than complain about how they’re wrong.

Tom Welling

I don’t feel like I have a lot to say this week.

Everything in my life is… Same same.

I could write another post about how messed up flipped turned upside down my life has become in the last 4 months, but I’ve already done that. I could write about HBear’s dance competition and how much guilt I feel because I wasn’t there. I could write about the state of the world but honestly I have been trying to avoid the news as much as possible lately. It’s too depressing. I could write about mental health and how over the past 8 months I have learned more about mental health than I had in the past 42 years of my life. I could talk to you about HBear’s struggles, she has given me for permission, but I am not ready to go there yet. I could write about Ninja’s trip to the emergency room because he is struggling with post Covid side effects and the tinnitus is driving him insane! It could also be a side effect of the stress he is feeling right now but that’s a discussion for another time. I could talk about how much I miss my Mom, how grateful I am for my ridiculously supportive family and friends, or about my fears of the future. Do you notice a theme here? I feel like a person that tries to find the positive in every situation but lately all I can do is laugh and wonder, when will things truly feel normal again?

HBear hates that word. Normal. Who gets to decide what is normal? I asked what is a better description word for the word we know as normal? We decided on PC, PreCovid. When would it start to feel PC again? I liked PC. I genuinely liked my life. Ninja and I were talking about this and we decided that we’re not unhappy now but we were happier then. We need to find new ways to bring that same happiness into the world that surrounds us now.

Alright then, I always liked a good project anyways 😉.

Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #273: Art Reflects Life HERE! This week, we get together during the weekend of dance competition. Topics: Macs, Easter Sunday, birthday brunch, framing, kangaroo, infusion, Vibe, hockey, passing artists & missing family.

What is Pork Lombardi? It is lightly breaded fried boneless pork centre cuts topped with a mushroom wine sauce and lots of mozzarella! Ummmm YUM! This recipe is comfort food at it’s finest! Ninja made this dish and he was shocked at how easy it was AND how delicious it was. He thinks he’s freaking Gordon Ramsay now 😂.

Pork Chops Lombardy
Adapted from Bake At Midnight

4 boneless centre cut pork chops
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, divided
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
2 green onions, chopped

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Saute the mushrooms until they begin to caramelize; about 5 minutes.

Remove mushrooms and set aside.

Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

Dredge pork chops in flour.

Melt 2 tbs of the butter in the same skillet. Brown half of the pork chops well on both sides.

Place chops in prepared baking dish. Distribute mushrooms over the top.

In the same pan you browned the chops in, add the wine and stock, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bring wine/stock mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Pour wine/stock mixture over the chops and mushrooms.

Mix the shredded cheese with the green onions and distribute evenly across chops and mushrooms.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

This week SBean celebrated Earth Day by dressing up in her new sunflower dress! She also wore her new Jilly romper from Smash & Tess with her new doughnut crossbag 💕. Oliver is loving the warmer weather and always finds the sun streaming through the window. SBean had a sleepover with her Gr4Besty and we went for some bubble tea because they had it in their minds that it would be amazing… it wasn’t 😂. We went for on evening stroll on the beach and they baked cookies and chocolate banana pancakes! We also watched HBear’s performances live-streamed on the DanceBUG app. HBear FaceTimed me often and Ninja took advantage of the good weather to stain the fence.

HBear had a great time at her first dance competition of the year! Actually, the last 3 years, at least onstage in front of an audience anyways!! It was different because I wasn’t there. Although a wonderful time was had, there was a new feeling of getting off stage and seeing all of your friends share their excitement with their Moms as you just hung back. It was hard. However, there were a ton of highs too! Grandma & Grandpa came and watched the solo, Uncle Seb came and watched hiphop and Papa and Daddy come for ballet and jazz and lunch at The Cactus Club! HBear was the first one from our studio to perform, a teen jazz solo! Gold! Actually, the kids got a gold in all 6 dances! HBear got to hang out at the theatre and watch the entire competition! The kids also spent 4 days at a hotel and enjoyed the pool and the continental breakfast 😂. It was a great time and I am forever grateful to the DanceMom that cared for HBear throughout the entire competition! Doing make up, hair, peptalks, and taking pictures for me! All the Dance Moms in our village stepped up and really helped me out. When I push back ALL of my guilt all I feel is thankful 💛.