Work, stress and important things

So, today I am strugging with how to juggle work, home, family and my own wants and needs.   I love being a nurse, and really don't even mind being a nurse manager, but my current job is pretty stressful.  I guess when you close your eyes at the end of the day --- all anyone wants from their job is a little satisfaction and a little respect.   In nursing school, they say that the definition of stress is "responsibility without authority."   I feel like that pretty much sums up my current job.    Then, you add in family responsibility: the formation of an 11-year-old boy, keeping a house, preparing meals and keeping a husband relatively happy.   Top it off with the holidays --- and you have a whopping case of stress.   It gets very hard to keep your priorities straight.    So, my goal for this weekend is to try to figure out how to make sure that the important things stay at the top of my priority list.   

I have a former co-worker struggling with chemo as she battles breast cancer in both breasts.   She and I weren't very close, but she is constantly on my mind as she stays positive after a double-radical masectomy, a post-surgical infection and chemotherapy treatment.   Regardless of what I've got going on, at least I am relatively healthy.    Audra DeMoss, you are a true hero; I think of you and pray for you every day.   You help me remember what is truly important.  Live Strong.

On a lighter note, I drew the name of someone in a gift exchange today which is supposed to be $10 gifts.   I know that in reality it is probably worth more than $10, but I think I will make a handbag for the gift exchange.   Then I won't have to leave my happy little sewing room this weekend to go shopping.    Now, that sounds like a plan. 

Last Saturday, I picked up an eggplant at the local farmers market --- along with some baby vidalia onions and fresh garlic.    I'm going to make my favorite eggplant dish on Saturday:

Sicilian Ziti Bake ala Anna

·         1 lb box of ziti – cooked to Al Dente (Set Aside)

·         1 lb grated mozzarella (separated)

·         16 oz ricotta

·         2 eggs (separate)

·         2 – 3 tbs milk

·         ¼ cup parmesan

·         1 lb ground beef

·         1 – 8 oz can and 1 – 16 oz can Hunts Tomato Sauce

·         1 can Hunt’s Tomato Paste with Italian seasoning

·         1 eggplant, thinly sliced

·         Italian breadcrumbs

·         Italian seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper…

Prepare 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 375 F

Beat  1 egg with the milk.  Season with salt and pepper.   Dip thinly sliced eggplant into egg mixture and then dip into seasoned breadcrumbs.    In a heated skillet with enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, cook eggplant until golden brown.    Place in the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan.

Brown ground beef and drain if necessary.  Add 1 clove of finely diced garlic to beef.   Add two or three tablespoons of the tomato paste to the ground beef.  Add two or three tablespoons of water until ground beef is slightly saucy.    When ground beef is done, then spread it over the eggplant slices.

Make a sauce with the remaining tomato paste and the tomato sauce; season to taste.

Mix the ricotta, ¼ cup parmesan, ½ cup mozzarella and 1 egg with Italian seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper.  Spread or drop on top of ground beef.

Mix the ziti and the sauce; pour on top of the ricotta mixture.   Top with mozzarella.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and mozzarella melted and starting to brown.

Makes me look forward to the weekend even more......