Feel Good Monday Post: Surrender and Lemony Eggplant dish)

Hi Everyone,

Greetings on this mixed weather wintry day (sleet, freezing rain, snow). 

When thinking about what to write about today, the topic of "surrender" came to mind.

I chose this because clearly it has been the lesson for me the last couple of weeks with having an assortment of ailments at my house ( children with stomach bugs, fevers, head colds, etc) and then school closings due to winter weather.  

So, here's my plan for surrender.  While my story is focused on the challenges of motherhood right now,  I think this plan could be used for any challenging moment in life.

• Breathe deeply when I feel overwhelmed 
• Love what is before me & dedicate time to expressing gratitude for what I have ( play with my children for however much time I can carve out of the day)
• Know that this too shall pass (the house will be restored to its non messy state and I will get what I need to get done soon enough)
• Have fun in the process!

On another note, I went to a friend's house for a Chinese New Year's Party over the weekend.  Among the delicious food served was an eggplant dish I LOVED.    Here is a recipe that included the ingredients of the dish (it is not the exact recipe).  It is from www.foodwanderings.com .  It is a little more complicated of a recipe than I usually post, but it was truly delicious. 

Enjoy!  

Lysa

Burnt Eggplant with Garlic, Lemon and Pomegranate Seeds (from FoodWandering blog)

adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants (2lbs)

2 gloves garlic, minced

Grated zest of 1/2 large lemon

3 tablespoons lemon

3 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons parsley

2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped

Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Char eggplants on a stove top, grill or on a broil mode in the oven. Turn around so it is charred all around. When broiling, I removed the stem and forked the eggplant all over the surface of the skin.

Let eggplant cool once charred all around. Peel and with a fork separate into strands. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon, mix and let strain in a fine mesh strainer for up to an hour. Cook's note: I add the lemon immediately so the eggplant won't oxidize too much. I let it strain for 20 minutes only.

Add the rest of the ingredients including 1 tablespoon of leftover lemon juice , mix, adjust for salt and refrigerate until serving.