Post marathon blues

In case you didn't know, i.e. you haven't seen or spoken to me for more than 3 seconds in the past week, I ran my first marathon last Sunday. Hands down, the most difficult thing I have ever done and it can only be described as a life changing moment for me. For that reason, I am struggling to get on with my life. At this point, I am still dealing with a lot of emotional and physical ailments. The physical one (stupid sore ankle) will heal with time and rest, but the emotional one will need to be tackled head on. And, as in the past, cooking will save the day. Tonight's dinner is one that I've done for years. We've been eating arepas (think thicker tortilla) since our days in St. Louis and they're still a favorite.

Arepas with turkey, arugula and avocado

Masarepa corn meal
water
2 tbls vegetable oil
turkey breast (I bought a rotisserie style one from my grocery store)
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
store bought salsa of your choosing
1 cup arugula

 Make Arepa meal as directed. You're looking for the dough to come together but not be too wet. I used a cup of masarepa flour and added water until it looked correct. Make golf ball sizes balls of dough and press then with a heavy flat surface. I put each ball between two sheets of parchment paper, then used a plate to flatten each one. They won't be as thin as a tortilla, but that's not what you're looking for. Cook each disc in a pan with the oil until browned on both sides and set in the oven to stay warm. This might sound like a lot of work, but it's really not. You can use tortillas, but it's not the same.
Meanwhile, slice the turkey breast thinly and set aside 4 oz or so for each person you are serving. 
To plate: Place one arepa on the plate, place the turkey on top. Add the arugula and avocado, then top with salsa.

It's that easy.

Dinner.

I spend an abnormal amount of time thinking about dinner. I think about it while I'm falling asleep, at breakfast, while I'm preparing lunch and even while I'm eating dinner. I have a problem. I'm also the sort of person who wants to shop everyday for that night's dinner. It's not that I need to buy the freshest food, I just really like to shop for it. One problem: My kids HATE to grocery shop. And I'm to blame. Since their birth, I have dragged them to the grocery store, almost every day. They know the way we go so well, that they start complaining before we hit the stop light before the turn. I won't go into what the actual shopping trip can be like. "N" is a little more tolerant these days, but it's mostly that she's been spared due to being in school. "C" is in the twilight of his grocery store going days and is in full on passive resistance......even offering to stay in the van, by himself. "Hmmm....that's a good idea, but Dada would end going to jail." So, if you see a 30-ish year old man standing in an aisle at your grocery store with a stupid grin on his face, please let him be. He's shopping without his kids. Risotto with Roasted Cauliflower and Minted Sambal:

My kids are a little weird.

Actually, my kids just eat a few weird things. Not weird like "why is that kid eating play-doh" weird, just strange for 6 and 4 y/o. "N" is a pretty normal sort of kid and her food tastes generally follow suit. She loves pancakes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples and sweets, but she is strangely obsessed with sushi. I mean bat-nuts-crazy about it. It's pretty awkward when she is shoving past perfect strangers in the grocery to get to the sushi bar, chanting "sushi, sushi, sushi!" "C" is fairly normal also, but he's always had a very adult palate. Even at an early age he's liked things like salad, blue cheese, brussels sprouts and my green smoothies. So when he started eating my homemade soups as a toddler, I wasn't that surprised. But, it's turned into a full blown love. And there's a bright side. Now "A" has someone to eat split pea and ham soup with and I have a pho lunch partner.

Balance.

Isn't that what most of us are trying to find? For myself, balance is something I struggle to find for myself all of the time. Early on in my new career as a stay at home parent, balance was something I didn't care about having. I was so engrossed with having very young kids and a super busy spouse, that it wasn't even possible. Now, my kids are downright old! My wife has a job that she enjoys and it provides us a lot of flexibility. My balance now begins and ends with cooking. It allows me to be very creative and also to expose my kids to a wide array of foods. I've been blessed with great eaters and I think that my love of cooking has something to do with it....or not...who knows. Tonight's dinner was a little bit of a show off. It's some of my most favorite flavors, but I have to admit, I was thinking about this post as I was planning the menu. This blog will have a lot of food and food pictures. I will try to supply you with recipes as well, but I can't promise it will happen every time. Tonight's dinner: Beef Roulade with braised fennel and Brussels Sprouts Salad

"I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. And doggone it, people like me."

What the heck am I going to write about? I've spent the last few weeks contemplating whether or not to even start writing a blog... again (see dadinterrupted.blogspot.com) and, during that time, that one thought has consumed my thoughts. Posts need to be special. They needs to draw people in and keep them coming back for more. But, let's be honest. I'm not that interesting. But, that's what I've got. So, this blog is going to be about me, my family, and my probably fairly normal life. A little about me: I am a lot of things. I am first and foremost, a husband. My wife "A" and I have been together for almost two decades and I really don't have a lot of memories that don't involve her in some way. Without getting too mushy, she is my heart and we do almost everything together. Secondly, I am a dad to two amazingly beautiful children. "N" (6 years old) is a brilliant, vivacious, and happy young lady and "C" (4 years old) is a handsome, charming, and enthusiastic boy. But, what makes me at least a little unique is that for the last 6 years, I have been a stay at home dad to them. I am also passionate about cooking, running, traveling, sports, beer and many other things, so this blog will be about all of these, plus some things that I haven't gotten into....yet. I hope you'll come along for the ride, give me feedback, and forgive me when life gets hectic and I am gone for a while.