homesick

It's been a while since my last post and I'm probably a slacker because of it. Sorry! I was in Miami last week for work and this week has been busy getting "caught up" on things. By "caught up" I mean "less behind" because I'm pretty sure that it's impossible to be completely up to date at work. (excuses, excuses)

Anyway, things in Miami went really well last week and I got to see a bunch of my awesome work peeps that I don't get to see often enough who are spread throughout the country (and a couple internationally). It makes me realize that they are what drives me because I feel better when I'm around them and our students.  Almost six years ago I wouldn't have imagined I'd be where I am today work-wise and had no intention of working for a university.  But here I am. And I plan to stay... for the foreseeable future, at least.  :) 

As awesome as things went last week, it was exhausting both physically and emotionally.  I'll be making a transition soon (within the institution) so this Miami trip was special - it was a milestone / end of an era trip because it means that my first 5-10 year plan of my career is closing and that was the last time I was involved in the events side of our "big show."  With that comes opportunity.  And it's weird. And awesome. And scary.  This is where homesick comes in - at the end of my trip, all I wanted was to come home. A colleague told me that she's never seen me homesick before on a work trip and she's right because it doesn't happen often. Home may be cold, snowy, occasionally icy, and cold (did I say that already?) but it's home.  I'm sure that a good part of it was looking forward to something familiar amongst the change. When I got home, it felt good. 

Since I got home I've wanted other familiar things.  I made Grandma D's Mock Chow Mein hot dish from the church cookbook earlier this week - something Mom made a lot when we were growing up and it was one of my favorite hot dishes.  And all week I've been wanting cherry coffee cake (Mom's recipe in the church cookbook).  I may make that Saturday in between tending to my needy car (put gas in me; change my oil; fix my windshield; blah blah blah), doing some work, and doing laundry.  Other familiar things. :)  I'll leave you with this:

Grandma D.'s Mock Chow Mein Hot Dish

1 lb.lean pork steak, cut in 1/2 inch chunks

1/2 med. onion, chopped
3/4 c. uncooked rice
3 c. hot water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 c. frozen peas

Dip meat in flour and fry meat and onion in 1 tbsp. vegetable oil to brown. Put rice in a large enough casserole for expansion. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and cover.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until rice is tender.  Add more water if it gets too dry.  Stir occasionally in the oven. 

My only notes:

• I added some salt and pepper to the flour that I dipped the meat in.
• The original recipe doesn't say to cover it when it's in the oven, but you need to - lesson learned. :) 
• We drizzle just a little soy sauce on it just before eating - we like the extra flavor and then you don't have to put any salt in because the soy sauce has plenty.  We use the low sodium kind.

Enjoy!