Poached Eggs on Toast

The summer of 2013 was pretty crazy. Herm was working to establishing a branch of Keystone Custom Decks here in New York. In between jobs here, he would head to Pennsylvania for work. The branch down there was booked full and so glad to have him on the crew. 

I was working at a local cafe and cleaning for several families. When I could, I would go along with Herm to PA for the week, but most of the time I just stayed back. 

I know I have said it before, cooking isn't my first love. I do it out of necessity and love for my men. If I was single, my diet would be pretty bland and boring.

When Herm was working out of town for those many weeks that summer, I would make a big pan of baked oatmeal and eat that for breakfast and lunch every day. Supper would be a salad of some sort and maybe grilled chicken too.

But I was pregnant and my iron levels were on the lower side of safe, so my midwife told me to step of my game or I would have to eat liver. I was bound and determined that I would not eat liver, so I began to eat spinach. And lots of it! I ate it in salads, I drank it in smoothies. I threw it into soup and even thought about trying to make brownies with it. (Just kidding. I don't bake brownies.)

Because of my go-through-a-bag-a-day spinach habit, I came up with this recipe. I guess it isn't truly a recipe, more of a glimpse into how I now love to fuel my morning.

Ingredients:

     2 eggs

     2 slices whole grain bread

     2 sausage patties or slices of turkey bacon

     A large handful of baby spinach

     Feta Cheese

     Chipotle hot sauce

      Fresh cracked pepper to taste

I begin by adding about 2" of water to a small pan and bringing it to a gentle simmer. In the mean time I crack the eggs into separate ramekins and carefully tip it into the water once ready. While the eggs are cooking, about three minutes, I put whole grain bread into the toaster and warm the sausage patties on a small skillet. After the patties are hot, I throw a large handful of spinach into the skillet too and wilt it. 

To assemble, I layer the wilted spinach over buttered toast and add the sausage patty on top. Then I put the poached egg on top of it all, careful not to break the yolk. I like to crack pepper and crumble feta over the egg and sprinkle a bit of chipotle hot sauce too for extra flavor. 

Sometimes, when I am not in the mood for bread, I will make the same thing and serve it over a bed of quinoa instead. Either way, it's simple. It's delicious. And it's full of iron!

But you know what the part of eating this breakfast is? It's eating it with this sausage and egg lover.

Enjoy!

I've Moved

Please drop by www.sarahesh.com to visit the new house!

This move has been something I've been considering for a while, it was time. All of the previous posts and comments were carefully exported to a new site, although some shifting occurred, as always is the case with big moves, so please be gracious as the new home is organized and rearranged.

I have big hopes and dreams for this new home, and I just want you to know that you're welcome to stop by anytime!

All the best,

Sarah Esh

sarahesh.com

Hey Lonely Momma

Photo by Kate

I knew motherhood would completely change my life, but I don't really think that I realized just how much everything would change, how much my heart could love, how it would ache with love.

I anticipated the joy of watching a little one grow and discover the world, the joy, even more thrilling than I had imagined. What I wasn't expecting, though, was the loneliness. Motherhood in general, but especially new motherhood, can be entirely isolating.

My days that were once filled with co-workers and customers and conversation were now spent rocking and nursing a little one who didn't say a whole lot. And weekends that use to be sacred, saved for long distance runs and DIY dates with Herm, working on projects around the house, now looked just like the rest of the week, utterly mundane, one day blending into the next.

The loneliness I felt was mostly my own doing -- The effort that it took to go out shopping or for coffee with a friend felt almost overwhelming. Even more so now, to be honest, with an energetic toddler determined to explore the world alone. Conversations are constantly interrupted, and my focus is no longer on what the person is saying or feeling, but on what my child might be doing. -- I didn't put a whole lot into friendships because it felt so exhausting.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately, about the loneliness and the desire to seize life this year. Those two don't mix well, I need to create change. And the more I talk to other moms, the more I realize I'm not the only lonely one out there, so many other moms feel lonely and long for sisterhood too. I yearn for a community, a tribe of women, who get together to encourage and support each other. A tribe who, even after our kids are grown and on their own, and our lives start to fray in different directions, will still get together over coffee and pastries and share in the joys and sorrows of life.

Some days I think that it will get easier, the little ones will be able to clean their own noses and buckle seat belts and feed themselves, then I will have the energy to put more effort into friendship... I can hold out until then. But the truth is I can't hold out that long, I won't allow myself to. Right now, in the trenches of motherhood, is when I so desperately need friendship, the closer-than-hi-at-church-on-Sunday friends.

One day last week I set my to-do lists aside, baked some biscotti and made a fresh pot of coffee and invited a few other moms and maybe-someday-moms, who might also secretly be longing for a tribe in the trenches, over to drink coffee and eat biscotti around the warmth of the wood stove, kids running wild, while conversation and friendship happened. And it was so good.

Why don't I do this more? I will do this more. Seizing life means prioritizing relationships, initiating get-togethers, encouraging and supporting those around you. Twenty-fifteen is the year where I learn to seize life, but it won't just be for twenty-fifteen, no, this will be cultivated and grown year by year. This isn't a resolution, it's a lifestyle change.

If you are feeling lonely, I encourage you, do the same. Be the change you wish to see in your world.

Hey lonely Momma, there is a new kid in town, and if you ask, I bet his Momma is lonely too. Why not invite her over?

A Manly Meal

If tonight was the last chance you'd ever get to eat again, what meal would you choose?

Me: Something I didn't cook.

Herm: King crab legs, drizzled with a buttery garlicky sauce and a hint of fresh lime. Fettuccine Alfredo, rich and creamy and flavorful, loaded with mushrooms and shrimp. Oven roasted kale, lightly coated in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Wine, semi-sweet, a frosty Niagara or Riesling.

Perfect example of opposite attraction.

I married a man who loves gourmet food almost as much as he loves me. (I'm okay with that  now.) When he finds something he likes, he will still be raving about it weeks later, if he is especially fond of it, years later.

On one of our first dates he told me about his other love, King Crab Legs. He had a far away nostalgic sort of look in his eyes as he spoke. Even after we were engaged then married he still brought up the past. I made a mental note and saved it for later.

Later happened to be his thirty-third birthday.

A few weeks before that special day, I told my sister, Kate, of my plans and asked if she would help. We were going to make a kingly meal in celebrate of Herm's life. It would be a surprise.

Herm, however, had other plans and suggested that on his birthday we go finish our last minute Christmas shopping, grab Starbucks and people watch for a while. The mall around Christmastime is so delightful.

Frantic, I contacted Kate. If I set all of the ingredients out would you prepare the meal? She was willing.

Our afternoon was wonderful, strolling the mall, sipping lattes and soaking in the holiday cheer. Window shopping and newborn-parent-watching. Eventually we decided to call it a night and head home.

Why are the lights on? Herm asked me as we pulled into the drive. Oh, did I forget to tell you? Our chef is here, preparing dinner. 

We walked into a house smelling of garlic sauteed in butter, of crab and shrimp and all of Herm's favorite things.

The food was prepared, ready to plate. As we sat down to eat, our chef became babysitter, caring for Carson, our then three week old, so that we could enjoy the meal without interruption.

Every thing was fabulous, made to perfection. Herm thought so too, I know this because a year later he still raves about that meal.

His birthday is on the twenty-third, two days before Christmas. Again, he suggested we go finish up our last minute Christmas shopping and this time go out to dinner, we had a gift card to spend at Red Lobster. I willingly agreed to his plan, but just so you know, I will be doing a repeat of last years meal for you, probably sometime after Christmas... Which brings us to Thursday night.

After Carson went down for his nap, I began, whisking, melting, seasoning, and drizzling. Within 30 minutes the food was prepared and plated and Herm was talking again about last years meal and the first time he had king crab legs and how good this food was... And I, a wife who doesn't particularly enjoy preparing food, felt a bit of the joy and delight rub off on me too.

Yes, Herm has another love, and I'm okay with that.


Want to try this meal? The Fettuccine Alfredo was adapted from Pioneer Woman || Garlic Butter Baked Crab Legs came from Big Oven || This recipe is similar to what I did for the kale || And the best Finger Lakes wine is from "The Good Doctor"

Brown Sugar + Honey Body Scrub

I made this scrub for the first time as a young teenager. A zit had formed on my forehead, centered directly above my brows. In my mind, it was the size of a small Himalayan mountain, and I was going to do everything in my power to rid the pore of infection. I rubbed the scrub into my skin, good and hard, then applied a hot compress to the problem area. I had read that hot compresses work to draw out infection.

BAD IDEA.

I was left with an area even more red and twice as obvious. Within a day or so, there was a large crusty scab where once lived a small, almost invisible to the naked eye, zit.

However, ten years later, I am still making this scrub and using it regularly, although it doesn't often go anywhere near my face, especially not when hot compresses and zits are involved. 

If you are brave enough to try it, and I hope you are, please only use it as a body scrub. 

I keep a small container in the shower and often will apply it to my legs before shaving. It exfoliates, removing dead skin cells, allowing for a super close shave, leaving your skin hydrated and silky-smooth. It's especially wonderful in the winter, when skin starts to look dull and dry.

It also is a great gift! Simply put it into a pretty jar or container, add some ribbon and a tag and maybe send a bottle your favorite colored nail polish along too.

BROWN SUGAR + HONEY BODY SCRUB

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:  Combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Store in an airtight container for up to three months.

To Use:  Apply a small amount to damp skin, rub in a circular motion. Rinse off and moisturize as usual. Use 1-2 times per week for soft, glowing skin.

You Know You're a Frazzled Mom If...

• You leave the house for the day, only to realize, after you are nearing your destination, that you only painted the fingernails on your right hand dark red; the left hand is still naked. 

• You drink your morning cup of coffee from an insulated travel mug, because sometimes it really does take three hours to drink it, and you'd prefer it sort of warm.

• Things like grocery shopping and clothing shopping alone feel like a dreamy fairy tale.

• And speaking of clothing shopping: Why do most dressing rooms have a door that doesn't come all the way down to the floor? Architects are smart people, you'd think they would realize that the 18" gap is the perfect escape route for an active toddler. If the toddler does manage to escape, most times the mother coming out after him/her is more likely to be dressed skimpy-beach-appropriate and less likely to be street ready.

• Nap-time is the golden hour. In theory you might dream of that book that has been taking you weeks to finished and the final sips of coffee left in your travel mug, but in reality you will be whizzing around the house like a mad-woman, dusting, laundry, workout, shower... you get the picture.

• All of your momma friends proudly talk about how their children sleep from 7pm - 9am regularly, and how two hour naps twice a day is the norm. You smile and act happy for them, but secretly you want to punch them in the face because you are still a late night watering hole and naps are a thing of the past for your energetic toddler. 

• The five second rule doesn't count. My child is eating dirt? Okay... it's sort of organic.

• Your toddler is under the impression that a tooth brush and a toilet brush can both serve the same purpose. Pearly white all around.

• You can't figure out why you literally keep getting your panties all in a bunch. Halfway through the day you realize that they are on backwards. Strange things happen when you get dressed in the dark, desperate not to wake your still sleeping child.

• You suffer from Shower Schizophrenia: The constant belief that you can hear your child crying while you're trying to take a shower.

• Everyone tells you that first time parents are way over protective, but what is really true is that grandparents, first time or seventh time, are worse.

• A grandma day means that you go back home and do some deep cleaning, finished the laundry, go for a super quick run, and rush through a leg-shaving session before going back to grandma's to reunite with your child, because even though days are crazy and often you dream about having 10 minutes of alone time, the truth is this: when you aren't with your toddler, you miss the craziness and the messes they create and the noise and the slobbery wet kisses.

Yes, some days are super crazy and others are just plain crazy, but the clutter and the mess show us that life is being lived. Believe it or not, even with my type A everything-must-be-clean-and-orderly personality, I find so much joy in this chaos. Frustration too, certainly. But the joy and the magic of watching a young one discover the world, day by crazy day, is so thrilling.

Hi, I'm Sarah and I love being a frazzled mom.

Seize Life!

New Year's resolutions aren't for me. I feel like to often people set themselves up for failure from the get-go. By the middle of February the momentum has worn off and resignation that you'll never change overwhelms.

Instead, I make a few, very reachable goals and I choose a word or phrase which I want to saturate my life. 

This week I discovered this Bible verse from the Message translation:

 Seize life! 

Eat bread with gusto,

Drink wine with a robust heart.

Oh yes, God takes pleasure in your pleasure!

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- Ecclesiastes 9:7

It stopped me in my tracks. I reread it several times, let it soak in. Seize life! ... Oh yes, God takes pleasure in your pleasure! 

The passage goes on to say, Relish life with the spouse you love each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God's gift. It's all you get in exchange for the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one!

Right away I knew what my phrase for 2015 would be: Seize life!

Life is but a vapor. I was painfully reminded of this just a few months ago when my closest childhood friend passed away. But his life was not in vain, and his legacy encourages all who knew him to embrace relationships, to embrace the moment, to seize life! He did this so well.

In memory of Ev, I will seize this precious and precarious life. I will relish each and every day with Herm. I will work at deepening relationships with those I am close to and I will reach out to those I don't know well with genuine interest in their lives. I will pursue my dreams and passions. And I will embrace even the craziest of days in motherhood and pour love and blessing over the Little Man who has blessed our lives so richly. 

Yes, 2015 will be the year where I truly learn to seize life!