Still reeling at work! But some dinner menus to share

I'm taking a short break from work. Ugh, I hate it now. 

Not sure when I'll return to liking it. So far, it's a lot of questions I don't have answers for, doing things I'm not sure I'm doing right, and wondering how I will ever, EVER get it all done. (Answer: Never. You never finish a To-Do list. I know this, and yet I still let it cause me stress.)

But since I'm three weeks in (almost), I'm trying to start letting go of that panicked feeling and make room for my regular life to come back to the forefront. I can't continue feeling like I'm in Survival Mode forever. I can only do what I can do, and it's also important to exercise, drink water, take a minute of quiet, etc.! And to eat well. 

Last night, Shawn thanked me for making dinner after a long stressful day. So kind of him. I am grateful he sees that it's work -- but also, I like to cook. Turning my focus from my laptop to the stove and pantry is a relief, sometimes. Especially when it's a new recipe and I get to concentrate on just that. Something about creating, single-tasking, and um, I just like food. Plain and simple! So here are a few of the things we've been eating and I've enjoyed making.

White Bean Enchilada Soup -- I loved this. Had it again for my lunch today and it was equally delish. It seems like a lot of ingredients, but is actually not difficult. I also cooked and shredded some chicken breasts for the people who don't think it's a meal if it doesn't have meat. ;) My favorite part was slicing up some fresh jalepenos for the garnish. I usually don't do that since I have Cholula and diced in a jar jalepenos, always. But this time the extra effort was worth it.

When I went to Pensacola last week with my sister (! so fun to be all four of us, my nuclear family of origin, together again!), she made Shrimp Tikka Masala for us, and it was To Die For. She got her recipe from a subscription service and it's not currently on the online menu for me to link, but the one I linked is pretty close. Yum Yum I could eat it every day. I mean, anything with Jasmine Rice, am I right? I went right out and bought myself a bottle of garam masala spice, to have on-hand, and I will be making this at home toute de suite!

During one of the MANY days I was in the office over the last few weeks, I heard some coworkers talking about Egg Roll in a Bowl; they had never had it before. I've known about it for years but haven't made it in a while, so that was my contribution in Pensacola. It's yummy every time and feels virtuous! And again: Jasmine Rice. 

The rest of this week it's minimal effort for dinner, and we're going to our one out-of-town volleyball tournament this weekend (Sevierville, TN!), so I won't get to enjoy cooking again for a few days. 

Okay, back to the most pressing To Dos and Emails.