"I need to practice facing my stuff instead of stuffing my face."
This year, I definitely stuffed my face instead of facing my stuff. At the root of this for me was the feeling of powerlessness I felt in my workplace. I felt frustrated, isolated, and endangered. All of these emotions were throwbacks to similar emotions I felt as a child. I tried my best to keep me and the people I was teaching safe, and was honestly pretty successful. But, the constant assault on my senses from the noise, the 95 degree heat in my room, the banging and screaming in the hallways, the literal throbbing of the floor under me ( I was over a music room and they had amplifiers and drums playing all day--no soundproofing)--it was all just too much. I had to speak at a constant scream, just to be heard over the loud music. I was often horse at the end of the day. And I swear, just the act of having to scream, albeit not in anger, was still a kind of mimicry of angry yelling.
It felt like I had been fighting all day.
Those feelings didn't end when I left work. They followed me to the kitchen cabinet--as soon as I walked through the door. They also followed me to my bedroom where they kept me up all night.
The powerlessness and chaos all around me felt like a tornado.
I'm working on restoring myself to sanity, on stepping outside of the path of the tornado.
Today, my job is to nourish and care for myself. I'll start with one of my favorites: Shrimp Mozambique.
Shrimp Mozambique is a much beloved dish to us Azorean Portuguese peeps. It is somehow garlicky-sweet, warmly spicy, and lemony-tart all at once. YUM. (The Mozambique part comes from the piri-piri pepper from Mozambique that was much beloved by visiting Azorean sailors who then integrated it into their cuisine.)
It is usually served with white rice and delicious crusty bread for sopping up the delicious sauce. (Dang, bread...) I substituted with kasha and it was absolutely delicious. Barley is really yummy with this, too.
Side Note: I eat only wild shrimp from the USA. This is a personal preference, but I do believe it is healthier for you. Wild shrimp don't have added antibiotics. Plus, you'll have nightmares when you see how some shrimp farms operate in South East Asia. No thanks. Plus, you're saving jobs in the U.S, and reducing your carbon footprint. (OK, getting off my soapbox now.
It felt like I had been fighting all day.
Those feelings didn't end when I left work. They followed me to the kitchen cabinet--as soon as I walked through the door. They also followed me to my bedroom where they kept me up all night.
The powerlessness and chaos all around me felt like a tornado.
I'm working on restoring myself to sanity, on stepping outside of the path of the tornado.
Today, my job is to nourish and care for myself. I'll start with one of my favorites: Shrimp Mozambique.
Shrimp Mozambique is a much beloved dish to us Azorean Portuguese peeps. It is somehow garlicky-sweet, warmly spicy, and lemony-tart all at once. YUM. (The Mozambique part comes from the piri-piri pepper from Mozambique that was much beloved by visiting Azorean sailors who then integrated it into their cuisine.)
It is usually served with white rice and delicious crusty bread for sopping up the delicious sauce. (Dang, bread...) I substituted with kasha and it was absolutely delicious. Barley is really yummy with this, too.
Side Note: I eat only wild shrimp from the USA. This is a personal preference, but I do believe it is healthier for you. Wild shrimp don't have added antibiotics. Plus, you'll have nightmares when you see how some shrimp farms operate in South East Asia. No thanks. Plus, you're saving jobs in the U.S, and reducing your carbon footprint. (OK, getting off my soapbox now.
My recipe for Shrimp Mozambique .
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
12 ounces of frozen, raw, peeled shrimp
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
2 TB butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 TB fresh parsley, minced
1 packet of Goya Azafran
2/3 cup of Bud Light (yup, you read that right)
1 tsp of piri-piri pepper sauce. (If you can't find this, Franks's Red Hot or even Sriracha work)
1/4 tsp turmeric
juice of 1/2 a lemon
Directions:
1. Defrost the shrimp until cold water and drain. I pat mine with a paper towel to remove any extra water.
2. Melt the olive oil and butter in a skillet.
3. Add the onion, garlic, parsley and cook til the onion is translucent.
4. Add the Goya Azafran, turmeric, and piri-piri sauce. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add the bear, cover the skillet, lower the heat, and simmer over low for 4 minutes.
6. Add shrimp for just a minute or two. You don't want to overcook the shrimp.
7. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice.
8. Serve immediately over barley, brown rice, or kasha.
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
12 ounces of frozen, raw, peeled shrimp
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
2 TB butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 TB fresh parsley, minced
1 packet of Goya Azafran
2/3 cup of Bud Light (yup, you read that right)
1 tsp of piri-piri pepper sauce. (If you can't find this, Franks's Red Hot or even Sriracha work)
1/4 tsp turmeric
juice of 1/2 a lemon
Directions:
1. Defrost the shrimp until cold water and drain. I pat mine with a paper towel to remove any extra water.
2. Melt the olive oil and butter in a skillet.
3. Add the onion, garlic, parsley and cook til the onion is translucent.
4. Add the Goya Azafran, turmeric, and piri-piri sauce. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add the bear, cover the skillet, lower the heat, and simmer over low for 4 minutes.
6. Add shrimp for just a minute or two. You don't want to overcook the shrimp.
7. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice.
8. Serve immediately over barley, brown rice, or kasha.