Compassion in Action

It's been a rough week for my family. I have a ton of support there is no bones about it. At the same time this is not my first loss in my family. I have lost my mother-in-law and my beloved grandmother in the same year 10 years ago. When someone loses a loved one we often don't know what to say nor do. I thought to myself yesterday that lose is awkward. But why is that? I think it is our culture honestly. Everyone is expected to be happy and chipper all the time. Which is silly we are all dealing with something deep emotionally. It does not even need to be someone passing away it could be an upcoming test in college, stress at work, infertility within your marriage etc. etc. etc. I thought what are the ways that we can show compassion to others that is not awkward? I find that actionable things for others have the most impact. So here are some tips to help you maneuver this complicated world.

1. Just let them know you are thinking about them.
This is the simplest thing you can do. It takes you 2 minutes to shoot over a message to someone to show your support. "Thinking of you." "Hey this is rough let me know if you need to get together to just chat." This is something easy you can do.

2. You offered to be there to chat and now they want to what do you say?
You do not have to try to cheer them up just be there to listen. Most people are not looking for a therapy session.  If the person specifically asks you for advice sure go all in but that is not what most people want. I mean sometimes I may want to get a beer and just sit. Just being willing to sit with someone goes a long way.

BIG TIP: Avoid the dreaded following statements if you can: "Time will make it better." "They are in a better place." "You can always adopt."

3. Bring food.
This sounds dumb I know but if someone is stressed about a test or had a death in their family the last thing they are thinking about is going to get food or make food. I like to keep it to simple things like my favorite bread or a pound of high quality coffee. You do not need to shower people with gifts but it is a nice comfort to the person that is going through a hard time.

4. Follow-up is important.
So you told them congrats on your baby and brought over a casserole. You did your duty right? I mean showing real compassion is the follow through. Check in from time to time to make sure they don't truly need anything. I know some of my mom friends feel super supported in the beginning and then after the cute newborn is month old away goes the help. You do not want anyone to feel isolated when they are struggling. Follow-up and check in often to make sure they are still okay.

5. It's okay if you do not know what to do or say.
Do not beat yourself up. Helping people that are struggling is awkward and can be frustrating too. Not everyone deals with stress or loss the same and trying to navigate this with different people can suck. It really can and giving yourself a break  is the best thing. I am no stranger to saying "I am here for you. I do not know what to say to help but I am here when you need me." Being real with people goes a long way. It's reaching out that is important.

So in the end what I want you to take away from this wall of text is that compassion... real compassion is action. You cannot show compassion to someone without acting and doing something. Remember it is awkward for us all but you can always be supportive.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Instant Pot: Thai Chicken and Rice Bowls

This was amazing. I know that I have been posting a lot of instant pot recipes but it honestly has been a game changer for me with meals. I have been really busy with not only my normal life but supporting my family due to my great uncle Randy being hospitalized. To cram meals in the instant pot is the key. I made this meal in 30 minutes flat before going to the hospital on Monday. It was packed with flavor and is a good healthy option for those that are busy.

What you need~
1 package of chicken breasts *mine had 3
1.5 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup of coconut milk
1/2 cup thai chili sauce
 1 tablespoon peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sriracha

Optional toppings for garnish:
cilantro, carrot sticks, sliced Brussel sprouts, bean sprouts and dried edamame

 

Instructions

1. Select the saute setting on your instant pot and add the olive oil.
2. Sear the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes on either side to seal in their juices. Remove to a glass baking dish (and turn off the instant pot).
3. Mix the sweet chili Thai sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, garlic, lime juice,  sriracha (and peanut butter if you want to include it) together.
4. Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts and stir to combine.
5. Place the rice in your Instant Pot and add the chicken and sauce over top.
6. Add the broth, coconut milk and secure the lid.
7. Select the manual pressure setting (high) and set the timer to 10 minutes. Natural release.
8. Shred the chicken with two forks and then mix with the rice before serving.
9. Garnish with cilantro, shredded veggies and peanuts. Serve with extra soy sauce to taste.

Until next time~

XoXo Emily

 

Instant Pot: Ham & Split Pea Soup

Wow. This was like really tasty and way too easy to make. I have made pretty much this same recipe in my slow cooker and it never turned out this good. I think soaking my peas the night before and the pressure cooking setting really forced a ton of flavor and awesome texture into this soup. I had some and it was sooooo good. Used some of the ham I cooked in the crockpot from Tuesday.  I cannot wait for Ryan to try it to tell me what he thinks. He loves this soup and I never have really mastered it before. I hope you make this ASAP in this snowy weather.

What you need~
1 bag (16 ounces) of peas soaked overnight in water
1 ham bone with leftover meat on it
1 onion diced
Splash of olive oil
1 cup of ham meat diced
2 carrots diced
2 celery stalks diced
2 bay leaf
1 handful of chopped parsley
Lawry's seasoning and Nature's seasoning (to taste)
42 ounces of chicken stock
Bacon bits

Start by setting the instant pot to sauté and cook down the onion in the olive oil. Add the ham to this and let it sweat down for about 5 minutes. Switch off and deglaze the pot using a little broth (this prevents the burn message). Add the carrot, celery, bone, peas, bay leaf and seasonings. Mix well and then set the instant pot to pressure for 15 minutes. Make sure to seal the top and close the steam valve. It took about 20 minutes to come up to pressure. When it was done I quick released the pressure and added the parsley after removing the ham bone. I chopped up some of the meat that fell off of the bone and threw it back in the soup.  Make sure to remove the bay leaf. When serving I added some bacon bits.

Ready to go!

After cooking away!

Removed bone and took meat off of it.

Stirring it all up.

Added the parsley at the end so it does not get gross.

BACON!

It gets thicker after reheating.

I hope you enjoy it!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

How does that MINI handle the snow?

MINI. I have always wanted one. I think that after watching the old school Italian Job movie I knew a life goal of mine was to have one. It was like a pipe dream for most of my life. Until my MINI I had never had a brand new car ever.  I have had all sorts of vehicles starting with a 1987 Jeep Cherokee. This post is not about them though. I will mention them in regards to comparing handling later though. The title of this post is a question I get asked almost any time it snows. I do have to laugh because it gets asks so much I feel like a robot answering this question. So I thought why not REALLY talk about it on here and share some of my favorite all time pictures of my two MINI's I have had Duke. His nickname is the snow tank in winter.

Handling:
My MINI handles so well but why? A lot of science goes into these cars. With that being said just some numbers if you are a number person real quick.

Base Curb Weight (lbs.): 2760
This car is relatively light weight for a car so not a ton of weight is getting pushed around driving in slush, ice and snow.  This helps if the car starts to get stuck too as it is easier to free itself.

Dimensions:

Wheelbase (in.): 98.2

Length, Overall (in.): 151.9

Width, Max w/o mirrors (in.): 68

Height, Overall (in.): 55.7

The wheel base on this car is a good ratio to the length and width of the car. It causes it to feel truly grounded while you are sliding around out in the winter weather. I never feel like the tail end gets away from me in this car. It is also off of the ground enough to clear at least 12 inches of snow easily.

FWD
I mean this is a must in the winter around here. It helps the car push around without the tail end getting crazy.

Horsepower (Net @ RPM): 189 @ 4700
Torque (Net @ RPM): 207 @ 1250
Turbo charged (S model)
Let me tell you that you need torque and horsepower to be able to move in snow and slush. The car has just enough horsepower to push through 6 inches of snow like a little knife. I never feel like I am going to get stuck and on ice the tires take a hot minute to move but I get a moving at the light quicker that most cars.

Winter tires:
If you do not have winter tires on your car you need them badly. I constantly explain to people that putting them on my MINI each year makes my MINI a little snow tank. If you have never driven a car with winter tires you need to get them. They ground your car in a way like your car is wearing little snowshoes. They are specifically made for colder temperatures out of materials that thrive in winter. I would not say they are more sticky but that is how they feel when on the snow.

Comparison:
I often compare this car to our Jetta, our AWD BMW and my older AWD Murano I had and honestly it is far superior in every way. The BMW will not get stuck that is true but it is heavy and slides around a lot. The Murano may have had AWD but it felt like I was driving a out of control horse. The AWD would only kick in when the car was already out of control and over correct all the time. The MINI just feels right in the snow. So good it was the car we selected to drive to Toronto and we drove that sucker through a huge snow storm on the way back. Ryan even picked it over the AWD BMW when we had the epic storm last year that dumped 2 feet of snow. I mean I know a lot of people will balk at the idea of a tiny car being the ultimate snow car but I would put bets on my little car.

In closing I love my MINI and it handles like a little snow tank in the snow!

Here are some fun car pictures.

Snow tank in action.

This was when it was -50 F with wind chill. Started every time like a boss!

A little snowball in the snow storm.

Yes my cross county ski's fit.
Other things that fit:
A table
All my gear for the weekend up north
My husky with cats in their crates
Groceries ( I buy a lot)
4 grown adults conformably

 

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Travel Adventures: Apostle Islands Winter

Just a snowball of fun. It was a blast this weekend. From watching the dog sled racing all the way to the snowmobiling we had such a fun time. It helps when you travel with hilarious people too I might add. We love a good adventure and this was no exception. Here is a photo recap of this amazing trip. ALSO Happy Birthday Chad glad you had a great birthday weekend full of puppies and laughs.

2/1/2019
The start of something magical.

We stopped at this little burger place it was cold in the restaurant but the food was worth it.

This burger was like if a Big Mac and a Whopper had a baby. YUM!

#classy #wine

Step Brothers while eating birthday cake!

Birthday cake for Chad!

The creepy fish lamp in our hotel room.

2/2/2019

Huskies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a blast watching the races and exploring the area afterwards.

Our  hotel had some pretty amazing breakfast options.

Ready to see the races!

We made it!

My first view of the dogs!

Getting ready.

So many racers!

Some of them had little boots on. Cute!

Can you tell we are excited?

Prepping the teams.

They are so pumped to go some of them jumped and yowled.

Good doggies!

Just alpine Barbie and Viking Ken! 

So fast!

The path of the many races.

Times!

Such tasty food at the race. A spicy rice bowl.

Ryan's coffee at the coffee house looked like a squirrel.

House blend chai!

This is the exact type of car Ryan had as a teenager. :)

Ryan got a switch. Playing some Mario Kart.

The coolest brewery/pub. So cool we came here two times.

Yum!

This mac n cheese!

2/3/2019

This day was a day where we just did random fun things. Like tubing at a ski hill super fun!

Started the day with a bloody Mary Kate made me. YES!

Blueberry pancakes. Man our hotel had great breakfast options.

Look we found a random ski hill.

Tubing!

Don't go down backward!

Snow angel?

We stopped at a place that does dog sledding and sells doggy gear.

I LOVED this place!

Snacks!

Cool bar.

Old fashion heaven!

Back to the awesome brewery for the boring Super Bowl.

PIZZA!

2/4/2019

So this day was intense. From the travel through a blizzard and snowmobiling all day. I may have forgot my winter boots. Thank goodness for my leather boots I at least had. Needless to say it was a cold but fun day.

We rented these sleds.

Preparing.

We stopped at a gas station. This cutie was hanging out.

Second stop included hot food and diet cokes!

Kate warming her hands since they were frozen.

gas refill.

Fun day on the trails.

 We just had such a fun time. Let's do it again real soon!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily