Beef in mushroom sauce

Just jotting down my notes here... for the record.

Beef in Mushroom Sauce with Dice Potatoes and Roasted Vegetables

Cooked the beef filets in an iron skillet with just a pat of butter.  Seasoned with Montreal Steak seasoning, but might just do garlic and herb seasoning next time.  Seared and cooked the beef almost through but not totally.  Removed to a plate.  Tossed in a bag of frozen mushrooms (love these!!) and that let out enough liquid to get the browned bits up from the bottom of the pan.  Sauteed them and added a dollop of Beef Better Than Bouillon and 2 Tbsp. water.  Stirred to mix it around.  Then sprinkled flour over the top and stirred, then added enough water to liquify.  Let it cook down to be like a gravy.  Then added the beef back in and warmed through.  Could add more seasoning if you want.

Diced potatoes tossed with oil and seasoning of your choice.  Air fried at 400 degrees for about 15 - 17 minutes.  perfect!

Did the honey balsamic brussels sprouts and then tossed the california blend in the same bowl to get leftover bits of marinade.  Roasted at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Chimichangas in the Air Fryer

I made these quick and easy Cheese Chimichangas in the air fryer.  They were good.  I can see adding more to them in the future... like cooked chicken, green chilis... whatever you can think of.  But the basic idea is simple and tasty.

Cheese Chimichangas
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
8 oz. shredded cheese of your choice
1 ½ Tbsp. taco seasoning
8 flour tortillas
cooking spray
options for garnish include more shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream salsa, avocado

Soften the cream cheese and then stir it with the shredded cheese and taco seasoning.  (And add any other ingredients that you like - chicken, green chilis, etc.)  Divide among the tortillas.  Then tuck in the sides and roll up each tortilla (or however you like to do this).  Spray the air fryer tray with cooking spray.  Lay seam side down in the air fryer.  Air Fry at 375 for 3 minutes, then turn over and finish air frying for 2 more minutes.

Gathering my thoughts

Throughout this whole ordeal I have had many thoughts go through my mind that I think, “I should write down”. In other days I would be able to retain those thoughts long enough to finish whatever I was doing (like showering, very often)  :) and then get to the computer to compose my thoughts. That has not been happening during this time of pandemic. I do think it has something to do with the pandemic. I keep seeing articles and charts that talk about how our human productivity is pretty low because we are in a time of such duress and stress and change that we are all stuck in the ‘meet our daily needs’ phase. There isn’t any self improvement going on for most of us. Funny how we all (probably) went into this with that in mind, though. Looking back at what little I did journal, I sure had big plans for myself! ha! Time to complete all those projects! Time to get healthy and exercise every day! time... Yes, there has been time. The same amount of time as I always had, really. but different, right? Yes, different. But, maybe not in a way that allows for great soaring change. There is enough great soaring change in just waking up each day.

I keep hearing people say they want this to be ‘over soon’ so we can get back to ‘normal’. Our world is altered. We won’t go ‘back’ to anything, I don’t believe. That isn’t necessarily all bad. It is just something we can’t yet conceive of, and that is unnerving. The world has altered many times before. This is just the first time in some of our lifetimes for that kind of change. Not for my parents, who remember the Great Depression and World War 2. Definitely world altering events. But for most of the rest of us, this is the biggest thing to happen in our lifetimes. And it is confusing and scary and we definitely long for the comfort of what used to be. I get that. I am right there in that longing. But I do wonder if it will help ease the transition if we can get that out of our thought process. Holding on to what is already gone leads nowhere. We must shift our gaze somewhere else. Toward a future we can’t envision yet. Toward a new ‘normal’ that feels uncertain and, even now, is constantly changing. How on earth do we do that?

We don’t. We won't find anything on earth to sustain us in this time of great change. I have long talked about how my faith isn’t outcome based. How this world is not my home. How I find the greatest comfort in learning who God is... and that He is unchanging. The one thing I can hang on to in the midst of ANY storm or shifting sand. The only thing that is constant and stays the same. Well, this is where the rubber hits the road, isn’t it? Where I get to truly live out my faith in a way that makes living it through past difficulties seem quaint. And I am so very thankful for this. Hallelujah! I want to shout praises to my Lord who is constant, eternal, sovereign, and always with me. Incredible. HE has not changed. This world is a fickle place but the Lord, my God, remains. Amen.