Meals make the society, hold the fabric together in lots of ways that were charming and interesting and intoxicating to me. The perfect meal, or the best meals, occur in a context that frequently has very little to do with the food itself.
Anthony Bourdain
I got into cooking around 2006. Up until then, cooking a fancy diner consisted of buying frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu and pairing it with a Lipton Sidekick.
😳
I’m not joking. The Christmas my parents went on their cruise, my Bro, Sis, and I were in charge of making Christmas dinner. That’s when it all began.
Very soon after that Mom and Dad picked up and moved to BC. My Sis and I moved out into a little house in Winnipeg. I had lived on my own before but for some reason this was different. My parents weren’t there anymore. I couldn’t go home… So, I had to make a new home. I tried my hand at risotto, homemade salsa, and Jack Daniels pork chops. Yes, I can actually remember the dinners that I made for us because they were so few and far between 😂.
And then I read, Kitchen Confidential and my life changed! All of a sudden, cooking was worldly. Cooking was exciting. Cooking nourished the soul and wet my appetite for adventure.
That’s what Anthony Bourdain did for me.
He also made me question ordering Eggs Benedict from ANY restaurant ever again 😂. He was a man that lived for new experiences and told fascinating stories about living life to the absolute fullest.
I am not a huge girly girl. I like shoes and my Sis likes bags. Except for Kate Spade handbags… we BOTH love those! When I was in Vegas we did 0 shopping, both times 😬 BUT, I did manage to go into Kate Spade. It was fresh, colourful, the prints were playful and the whole store radiated happiness.
It just goes to show you that you can’t judge a person from the perception that you have from them. What is happening on the outside may not reflect what a person is feeling on the inside.
I used to be unable to relate to someone who had thoughts about ending their life. I used to think that a person was selfish if they committed suicide. I used to think a person was weak if they chose to run away from life. I used to think they just had to look forward because nothing was so bad that ending their life was EVER a choice. I used to think people had a choice.
When there are so many people out that unfortunately think like this, is it any wonder why so many people suffer in silence? Why so many people fight their inner battles… alone?
Over the years I have known many smart, happy, confident, beautiful, talented people that have chosen to end their lives. Over the years I have come to see the importance of mental health and what people with mental illness are going through. Over the years I have realized that they are NOT weak. People struggling with mental illness are strong! Every day they put on a happy face, go through their daily lives, care for their loved ones, and act “normal” while hiding their unimaginable pain. People like Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade were not weak people. They were amazing human beings that led 2 completely different lives. 1 on the outside that produced amazing food, exciting books, beautiful bags and gorgeous art that delighted people.
On the outside, they were bright, shining stars. On the inside, they were falling stars. Stars that had fizzled and silently went dark.
If you are living a seemingly beautiful life on the outside but struggling on the inside, please, please, please reach out to someone. Get the help you need. Message me! I WILL reply. I am certainly not a therapist but I promise you this,
I will listen.
I will care.
Please reach out to someone… anyone 💛.
BC 24 hr Crisis Line: 1-800-784-2433
This week wasn’t ALL about sadness. This week was actually all about having a very special guest on How Was You Week, Honey? OMG having a guest wrecks me! I was a nervous wreck ALL week leading up to Saturday night 🙈.
Our special guest this week was Matt, co-host of 1 of the funniest podcasts out there, Reasons Are Several. It is a pod hosted by 2 HILARIOUS guys that shoot the shit talking about movies, articles, sports and sex dolls 😳😂😜.
He is a stranger. I have never met him but he comes into my earphones once a week and over the past year I feel like we DO know him 😂. That must be why we ended up chatting like long lost friends for almost 4 hours the other night!! It was great! Check out part 1 (if you dare lol) of that conversation on Ep 69: Tangents Are Several!
What do you think of when you hear honey and mustard? I think deliciousness!!! I love that flavour combination and add yummy vegetables and chicken to the mix and we have a winner! This meal was crazy easy and it was so good that BOTH Girls asked for it in their thermos the next day for lunch! Serious winner here Folks! Honey Mustard Chicken on Rice Adapted from Food Faith Fitness
NUTRITION: 338 calories
1/4 cup almonds 1 1/2 tablespoon oil, divided 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 chicken breasts, cut into strips 1 zucchini, sliced 1 cup green beans, chopped in half 1 cup chicken broth1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon corn starch 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 cups cooked rice
Toast the almond in a small pan until they are a light golden brown, only a few minutes. Set side.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan on medium/high heat. Add in the garlic and cook until golden brown, just about 1 minute.
Turn the heat down to medium and add in the chicken breast strips. Cook, stirring every so often, until they pieces are no longer pink inside. Once cooked, set aside.
Once the chicken has been removed, turn the heat back up to medium high, add in the remaining oil and let it heat. Then, add in the zucchini and green beans.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies are lightly browned. Add in the chicken pieces and cook for 1 minute or two.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients, making sure to really dissolve the corn starch.
Add the sauce into the pan, stir and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce is nice and thick about 3-5 minutes.
Garnish with toasted almonds and serve over rice.
Remember last week? Last Monday to be exact? Yeah, this Monday was pretty much exactly the same 😂.
HBear had her last golf lesson this week.
SBean VERY firmly told me, “dance is over Mommy, I want to cut my hair. Long on this side and around my ears on the other side.” This Girl knows what she likes!
HBear experienced her very first track and field day this week! She was unsure about the whole thing but ended up having a great time! Grandma and Grandpa came out and watched her get a 4th in ball throw, 5th place in long jump, and 2 7th places in 80m and the 200m ! Granted she was more impressed with the canteen selling freezies 😆.
Tennis finished up this week too! Next week is a completely activity free week!!! Woot Woot 🍻!
I had a pretty good step week! It was a busy week 😉!
On Saturday we went to my in-laws for dinner! My FIL made the BEST slow cooker teriyaki pork tenderloin! It was SO good! I will get the recipe and share it with you soon!
On Sunday Ninja and I put up the tent. We bought it 9 years ago and we just wanted to see what it looked like out of the box 😂. After 4 hours, we finally got it up (we think) and promptly took it down 😂. I’m thinking camping is not a very good idea for us 😂.
Speaking of ideas that aren’t good, I volunteered for the Gr 4 field trip to the Nk’Mip Desert Centre 😳. I am petrified of snakes! It has taken me 5 years to work up to this field trip. I knew it was coming and I did it! I am so proud of myself! We thankfully didn’t see any snakes on the path but we did go see a snake presentation where they brought out 3 different snakes!!!! I excused myself and walked around the gift shop 😂. It was amazingly educational though and a super fun time! I love where I live!
Having Multiple Sclerosis is like trying to drive a car with a broken steering wheel and faulty brakes. You never know what’s going to happen next — Jamie-Lynn Sigler
