SUSTAINABILITY -- ONE YEAR LATER

If you read THIS post and THIS one, then you know that a year ago my husband and I enjoyed a 2-week vacation at a very beautiful all-inclusive resort in Mexico.  It was two weeks of pure pampered bliss, and one of the best vacations we had ever taken.

It was also, quite simply, a vacation that changed my life.  How so?  Let me explain:

Once we arrived, my husband was busy right away exploring the resort, the pools, the beach, the restaurants, the activities... on the other hand, I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was sleep. And honestly, that is mostly what I did the first few days.

When I woke up on the morning of our 4th day there, it took me a few minutes to recognize the wonderful feeling of being rested! It was actually a rather shocking revelation, and definitely made me think, "If it takes me THREE DAYS to get rested up from just LIVING, then something needs to change!"

So I re-examined my life and my priorities, and decided then and there that when I got home, I would implement changes to hopefully prevent that kind of bone-crushing exhaustion from ever "taking over" again.

And that's what I did.

In ways large and small, I took practical steps to make my daily life more *sustainable*.  Of course there were certain obligations and responsibilties that didn't change (my job, my home, my husband!) and we could all use more hours in a day, but I was surprised by all the things that I could shift or rearrange. And by the difference these changes would make.

At the top of my list was, clearly, the goal to get more sleep.  That is hard for me, but I made it my #1 priority change.  I am now in bed typically 8 - 9 hours before I need to get up.  That difference alone  has been staggering! Of course that means better evening planning, so that I have everything done that needs done well ahead of bedtime.

Another strategy was our evening dinner.  Meals and good food are important to us, but we began doing a lot of our cooking on the weekends, instead of cooking every evening.  These weekend menus are fun to plan, very versatile, and great for mixing and matching all week long, for EASY, delicious weeknight dinners.

I tried to become more aware of not wasting time... keeping better lists of groceries and errands and combining trips so that more could be accomplished in less time, etc.

I continue to monitor myself... paying attention to my comfort level and my limitations.  I realize that adjustments and "tweaks" will probably be ongoing.  My mantra remains "sustainability", and not ever allowing that deep rut of exhaustion to take over.

What have I gained?  More time with my husband, my family, my friends. More time to read, play with my pets, relax. More long baths, more long walks, more time to think and play and enjoy the things that matter most.

What tips or strategies do you have for keeping your lifestyle sustainable?

WEEK NIGHT WONDER - Jalapeño Popper Quiche

Just look at this glorious bowl of mixed hot peppers, fresh from the garden!  Oh, yum!  The POTENTIAL!

I love hot peppers... and making jalapeño poppers is one of my favorite snacks.

But it was a Thursday evening and we needed DINNER, and this recipe, "Jalapeño Popper Quiche",  from Closet Cooking began dancing in my head!  If you have seen my recipe for Reuben Casserole or Pepperoni Pizza Soup, then you know how I love to take favorite, familiar flavors, shake them up and turn them into something unusual.  THIS recipe, using all the ingredients of jalapeño poppers was right up my jalapeño-lovin' alley!

AAAAND... it was QUICK.  It was EASY.  It was DELICIOUS!  Because of all that, it earned a well-deserved post as a "Week Night Wonder"!

JALAPEÑO POPPER QUICHE

A cheesy quiche with all of the flavors of jalapeño poppers including cheddar cheese, cream cheese, jalapeños plus a crispy crust!

Servings: makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (9 inch) pie shell, lightly pre-baked
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 jalapenos, diced (seed them if you prefer less heat)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• [I added 1/2 of an onion diced small and 2 cloves of garlic minced]
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated [I used more]

Directions

1. Spread the cream cheese over the bottom of the pie crust and sprinkle on the diced jalapenos.
2. Heat the milk and cream [and onion and garlic] over medium heat until just before it boils, about 5 minutes and pour it into a large bowl.
3. Pour the eggs into the heated cream while stirring constantly.
4. Mix in the paprika and salt.
5. Pour the mixture into the pie plate and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, arrange the jalapeno slices on top, sprinkle with cheese and bake until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown, about 15 minutes

If you can take THE HEAT (LOL!), I totally recommend this recipe!
It's a definite *YUM!*

Do you have a week night wonder that YOU love?

WEEK NIGHT WONDER - TEX-MEX SKILLET BAKE

This simple skillet supper uses shredded potatoes as a base. The potato mixture cooks on the stove top first to get it browned and crisp on the bottom.

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 4 ounces Mexican chorizo (I used TJs soy chorizo, no need to pre-cook)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup enchilada sauce
• 1/3 cup grated white onion
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds Yukon gold or baking potatoes, peeled and shredded (YES, I used a bag of Ore Ida shredded hash browns with bell peppers and onions - VERY EASY and delicious!)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped avocado
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Remove the casings from chorizo. Add chorizo to pan; sauté for 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds. Remove sausage mixture from pan. Combine the sausage mixture and enchilada sauce.   (NOTE:  If you use soy chorizo, like I did, just mix all these ingredients toether, no need to pre-cook!)
3. Add remaining 3 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Combine grated onion, salt, pepper, potato, and egg; toss. Add potato mixture to pan, pressing gently; cook for 10 minutes (do not stir). Spread enchilada sauce mixture evenly over potato mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges.
4. Combine avocado and juice; toss gently. Stir in cilantro and remaining ingredients. Serve cilantro mixture with casserole.

THE FINAL WORD:  Don't skip the avocado/cilantro/radish topping... it really MADE THE MEAL!  *YUM!*

PHOTO CREDIT:  HERE

WEEK NIGHT WONDER - REUBEN CASSEROLE

So one of my favorite ways to cook is to try familiar, delicious, tried-and-true flavor combos and use them in an unexpected new way.   Like the Taco Soup or Stuffed Pepper Burgers I made recently.  Um, *YUM*!

Well, we LOVE Reubens.  But sometimes I'm not especially in the mood for a sandwich for dinner, you know?  Well, enter Reuben Casserole.  All the flavors (and more) of a Reuben, in a hot, creamy, satisfying comfort-food-at-its-finest casserole.

There are a lot of variations of this (apparently it was not an original idea!)  But I combined several recipes that I found online to create my version of this casserole.  We were very happy with the way it turned out. It was delicious.  It was also fast, easy, and fun.  PERFECT for a busy weeknight supper.

REUBEN CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups (give or take!) mashed potatoes.  (Leftovers from your Sunday supper work great here!)
1 pound high-quality deli corned beef, sliced and then cut into1" slivers.
1 pound Swiss cheese (I like mild Alpine Lace, but use your favorite Swiss), sliced.
1 bag sauerkraut, drained
1 (8oz) jar Thousand Island dressing
1/2 c chopped fresh sweet onions
4 or 5 slices of lightly toasted, buttered Jewish rye bread, cubed.
1 cup sharp grated cheddar for topping

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Layer the sauerkraut in the bottom of the dish.  Pour the Thousand Island dressing evenly over the sauerkraut.
Layer the corned beef next.  Layer the cheese slices.  Layer the mashed potatoes.  Top with onions and rye bread cubes.  Cover with foil and bake for approx.30 minutes.

Remove foil, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, and return to oven (uncovered) for about 10 more minutes.

Let stand outside the oven for 5-10 minutes, then serve.   ENJOY!

PS:  Honestly, I'm not exactly sure how mashed potatoes made it into a Reuben Casserole, but several of the recipes I found did indeed call for that.  And since we LOVE mashed potatoes, I added them.  Ditto with the chopped onions... not really a traditional Reuben *thang*, but does add a nice crunch and flavor to the topping. 

CAJUN SHRIMP CASSEROLE (*Yum!*)

It's starting to get *COOOOLD* here in PA and for us, that means warm, hearty, comfort food.  For weeknight dinners, nothing fits that bill (in my opinion) better than a casserole.  Combine a few fresh, delicious ingredients; bake in the oven, and then relax while the warmth and the aromas fill the kitchen.  Mmmm, mmmm! 

I made the following recipe recently and we LOVED it.  Of course I tweaked it a little (I'm notorious for that!)  I added some kielbasa and crawfish along with the shrimp, I increased the "heat" level with additional ground and fresh hot peppers, and I used brown rice instead of white.  But other than that, I followed the recipe "as written", and the reminiscent-of-jambalaya casserole that we were rewarded with was simply wonderful.  Serve with a simple salad and hot crusty bread. 

CAJUN SHRIMP CASSEROLE
2 pounds large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined.
1/4 cup butter
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of shrimp soup (or cream of mushroom)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in okra, lemon juice, and salt; sauté 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in soup and next 4 ingredients until blended. Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 12 inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.

Recipe (and photo) from  Myrecipes.com