Food!

Today I did something I rarely do:  came home from work and actually cooked dinner.  And by cooked, I do not mean something from a mix or heated in the microwave.  For once I actually put pans on the stove and cooked! on a weeknight! after working all day--and having to work tomorrow!  I am so proud of myself!  I really wish I would do this more often.  There are so many recipes I want to cook, crafts I want to make, cards I want to stamp, etc,etc.  But its hard to fit all those things in on my 2 days off in the week, let alone when some of that time is spent cleaning, doing laundry and mowing!  Sometimes I feel stressed about how to fit more into my days.  I get up at 4am.  Those of you who know me well know that 4am is NOT my best time of day.  Never has been, never will be.  I am way better at it than I used to be, for which I am thankful, but it doesn't seem to matter how much sleep I get--5 hours or 8--when that alarm goes off at 4 I am NOT ready.  But this is the job I have for now and it pays the bills and is close to home, so I try to be grateful.  So there is this constant stress of getting up early that nags at me when I'm trying to do other things.  The nerve! lol  If I go to bed early to try to get enough sleep there is little time after work to do much of anything before I have to hit the rack---stressful.  But if I stay up later and get some things done (either work or play things), then I feel even worse than usual when the alarm goes off and have to think about running around at work---again, stressful.  So its stress any way you look at it.  Grr!  I wish I could find the balance between the stress.  Have a bit more time for doing things and yet still get enough sleep.  Not sure how to do it though.  Sometimes I wish I didn't have so many interests and hobbies!  Then I wouldn't have the stress of when to fit them in! lol  Not really though.  I am glad that I find all these creative things interesting.  They keep me out of trouble....=)  Anyway.....by now you're thinking  "I thought she said this was a post about food".  lol  It is.  Sort of.  Food---and miscellaneous ramblings that the food created.  =)

What I made for dinner was............

Can you see the steam off the beans?  As I mentioned before, no glam photography on this blog!  Just keepin' it real here. lol  In case you can't tell, its chicken fried steak--minus the gravy.  I didn't want to take the time and didn't really need the calories tonight, so I just did the steaks.  And lest you wonder why I have Two on my plate, I'll tell you that the meat I bought was very thin.  (Do I sound defensive? lol) Probably not really the thing for this, but its what I got.  Ate it (them) too!  =)  This is the first time I have ever made chicken fried steak and I think the first time I had ever eaten it as well.  It was pretty good, though the meat, as I mentioned, was a little too thin, and the seasonings in the breading were not quite as distinct as I would like.  But all in all pretty good for a first try.  On a weeknight.  With not much time.  =)  Thanks to Pioneer Woman for the recipe--and the inspiration.  I've been watching past episodes of her cooking show that I downloaded from iTunes, and I want to make pretty much Everything she shows! As if I needed any more recipes! lol

So now I'm off to bed with my belly full so I can drag myself  hop out of bed when the alarm goes off.  Nighty-night!