What I Ate Wednesday #1

Last Thursday, it struck me how long it's been since I archived anything, so I just decided to pick up my camera and do it. Nothing particularly special was happening in the Choi household (as is the case most days), but then I remembered last night I was inspired to knock out a ham and potato casserole before going to bed,  so taking snapshots of this and the rest of the food we put out on our dining table the next day seemed a splendid idea.

I've also recently felt a conviction that all began by seeing how our little man has... evolved. Gone are the days where we could eat quietly without his prying eyes. Now he's interested in tasting everything we put into our mouths (thus requiring us to share our portions). I feel too bad denying him the foods we're eating, but I start feeling mom guilt when I give him anything that's store bought. All those artificial ingredients! The sugar load! I have no idea what I'm subjecting his little growing body to.  There was a very easy, sensible solution to this: only put good, wholesome foods on the table in the first place. But this seemed like a large commitment to pursue. In the interest of our family, I knew we had to begin somewhere, so these are the small changes that I decided to make for our home:

• Mapping out what we'll be eating at the beginning of the week
• Looking at nutrition labels and reading the ingredients
• Eating a vegetarian meal at least once a week 

Onto the day's eats!

I have to begin by mentioning that I rolled into bed at 5am and woke up no more than 3 hours later. Taking care of a tired, cranky baby during the night is  much like banging your head against a wall over and over again,  one long, hopeless enterprise. The next day everything just seems exhausting. Even putting fork to mouth was too much energy exertion so breakfast wasn't going to happen. Danny came home from his 12 hour overnight shift. He was tired. I was tired.  We were a real bowl of sunshine that morning.

ham and potato casserole / grapefruit

12:30 PM:  I'm constantly amazed by the level of energy Preston possesses (even when he should be as sleep deprived as I am) His mind is always active, and his body is always exploring. When I finally put him down for a nap, it's almost unsettling to see him look so calm and peaceful. I find myself staring at him for a long while, and then there wages an internal battle: Do I take a nap next to him or do I celebrate this alone time? Sometimes, even when I'm tired, I just need to do a solo activity for my own mental sanity. Today was one of those days. I took the time to neatly plated the leftover casserole from this morning (there was more than I thought!) and added some grapefruit for a sweet treat.

pan fried lemon-pepper salmon on a bed of rice / bok-choy salad 

5:00 PM: We don't eat fish often, but when we do it's usually salmon (or mackerel). I'm on a mission to learn more ways to prepare salmon. In the meantime I'm more than happy to enjoy my simple pan fried lemon-pepper salmon (also with salt, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon juice added). Yum.

pumpkin spice tea / brie + crackers

10:30 PM: When I put Preston down to sleep, my usual routine is to do the dishes, clean up Preston's mess around the house, wash up, and then unwind with a cup of tea with a smidgen of honey. And then I also ate that with one of my favorite late night snacks: cheese and crackers.

I was also tempted by these dark chocolate chunks we bought a few days ago from IKEA. Tasted better when we had them with black coffee, but it was still satisfying enough.

The Best Time of the Year

Hope you had a merry Christmas and a happy new year! The last time I updated this blog was at the end of November. In December, we participated in all the  festivities leading up to a holly jolly Christmas. We took Christmas photos by the giant tree at The Grove, sent out Christmas cards (halfway into December... rookie mistake!) , baked and indulged in way too many sugary treats, braved the rain to get our holiday shopping done, and even went to the theater on Christmas night to watch Star Wars to close out the night. It was very lovely.

I am feeling optimistic about the new year. In 2015, Preston lit up our world. Raising him up has been the most challenging experience and the most joyful experience. That definitely won't change in the new year . At the end of a long day, when I hear his steady, deep breaths, see his body sprawled across our bed, and know I did what I could to keep him smiling (and alive) that day, this to me feels like enough. 

I also do want to devote more time to reading the Word, be more intentional with relationships, and practice more writing, all the while keeping things simple and in perspective. The perspective is this: I will never have it all together, but it's going to be alright. Rain or shine, the goodness of life is always there.