Friday, November 3, 2017

Leave Tomorrow for Tomorrow: Secret Subject Swap

Welcome a Secret Subject Swap. This month 11 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret   in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts. Read through mine and at the bottom you’ll find links to all of today’s other Secret Subject participants.

Secret Subject Swap, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


My subject is: You have a chance to go forward one year in time. How has your life changed? Better or worse?
It was submitted by: Minette of Southern Belle Charm.

I should have gotten this prompt last month for Halloween because even thinking about it is terrifying. Even if I were given the option, the need to decide whether to do it or not stresses me. Could I? Should I? Would I? I don't know how I'd answer.

I think, quite honestly, getting through today is sometimes tough enough, do I really need to know what tomorrow holds? It's a double edged sword, of course. Maybe if I knew the decisions I am now making work out in the future, I'd be more confident. Knowing what's to come can possibly do the opposite too, leave me unable to deal with today.

I think I, I think anyone, with a prompt like this would want to be positive. It makes today more meaningful. I expect my youngest, PurDude, will have graduated from college and be settling into a job and a new life. Will I get lucky? Will he be somewhere where I can see him more often than I do now? Doubtful. It will be another difficult transition for me. But it will also be another source of great pride in him. 

Where will College Boy be? He's taking time off from school and is now close to home. Will he make good choices about his future, his direction? Will he even put effort into making these choices? Sadly, I'm not confident at all. I worry about him more than I can bear, and I'm afraid this may very well be unchanged a year from now.

I expect my home life will be very different a year from now. Will I still find joy in cooking? You know what, I doubt it. Dinner for four became dinner for three and a year from now, possibly dinner for two. I'll probably feel less need to make a big meal, to prepare a lot of food. Sitting down for dinner without my boys there will be sad. 

Orange Honey Mustard Chicken, easy to make, full of flavor, marinate and bake.| Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #chicken

Orange Honey Mustard Chicken


I imagine I'll still bake, just not as often. My love of baking has been fed by the looks on the boys and their friends' faces as the treats came out of the oven. My relationship with the kitchen will most likely revolve around holidays, on those occasions I will go all out anticipating the joy of having us all at the table once again. 

The biggest change may very well be an ongoing decision I anticipate I'll be making, where to live. I know I'll be questioning staying in a house with 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and a 3 car garage. But the thought of what's next is terrifying. I cannot even imagine cleaning out this house, making choices as to what I want to keep and what's expendable. Selling furniture and treasured belonging, sending clothes to charity, asking the boys to go through what's left in their rooms. And where will we go? I've made no secret of the fact that I hate where we live in the Midwest, always wanted to go back to the east coast, but can we? Will we? Will that put us closer to the boys? Or further?

Yes, this prompt forced me to look ahead, causing me all kinds of stress. But it did something else as well, it encouraged me to focus on now, concentrate on where I am and what I'm doing in this moment. Let tomorrow come slowly, all in good time. For now, I'll take living in today.

So thank you, Minette, for reminding me that for right now I'm where I need to be, doing what I need to be doing.

Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:



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Orange Honey Mustard Chicken
                                                              ©www.BakingInATornado.com


Printable Recipe


Ingredients:
4 bone-in chicken breast halves
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
2 TBSP butter
1/2 cup honey
2 TBSP stone ground mustard
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:
*Line a 9 X 11 baking pan with heavy foil. Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts. Place in the baking pan, skin side up.
*Place the orange juice concentrate and butter in a bowl and microwave for 40 seconds. Whisk. Add in the honey and mustard. Whisk again. Add the almonds.
*Pour about half of the marinade over the chicken. Turn the breasts over so they're skin side down and cover with the remaining marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to a day.
*One hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place on the counter. 
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the chicken and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, turn the chicken over so the chicken is skin side up. Using a spoon, drizzle some of the marinade from the pan onto the chicken. Return to the oven and cook for another 45 minutes. 

20 comments:

  1. Well, the good news is you don't HAVE to make those choices and changes if you don't want to. You may hang on to the house for a while, maybe invite people over for dinner more often, bake for a weekly makret...
    What are the chances of your hubby transferring to the East Coast? If there are possibilities this might release new energy for you?
    I'm glad you didn't question whether you'd still be blogging.
    I wish for you to remain "gsund und gfrÀssig", that's Swiss German for healthy and enjoying your food. ♥

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  2. Love this post and I can relate to much of it. Since becoming empty nesters this year, I really don't cook much during the week. Simple crockpot meals or grilling is about all we do here. However, if the kids are coming over on the weekend, then I enjoy putting out a big spread. It's just no fun cooking for only the two of us. We've been relying more and more on takeout food, and sadly, it is making me FAT.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, not having a house full of big eaters sure does take a lot of the fun out of cooking.

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  3. I am actually afraid to think of what my life might be like a year by now. But, I did pin your recipe and I now have something to look forward to. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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  4. I love that you got this prompt and I love your point of view. It reminds me of some things I need to be reminded of. Thank you

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for pushing me to realize that today is enough.

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  5. This just makes me want to hug you. I remember those feelings. I used to cry constantly. Right now you can't see that forest because of the trees. I promise the good times are yet to be. I think you should move, but I think you should wait to see where Purdue goes and then find a close big city and give it a try. Rent an apartment for a year. Enjoy every second of it. It will all work out. You should try out for one of those Top Chef shows. I bet you'd be terrific and I know you'd win! Then one day when you're least expecting it you'll get to start all over again and that my friend is heaven. Live for today, but more importantly live for you. I love you!

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  6. A year from now my life will be properly pretty much the same as it is now

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  7. Just biting off a bit at a time is the way to go in looking at transitions. I agree putting the future plans although tickling your nose on the back burner to enjoy today and bringing it up in small mouthfuls is easier.
    I love adding mustard to recipes and the honey marry so well together. I also like this recipe a lot because you use bone in. I am so sick of boneless!

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    Replies
    1. I don't know if putting tomorrow on the back burner is self preservation or not, but that's the plan for now.
      Sounds like this recipe is a good one for you, hope you try it.

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  8. I was in your boat 4 years ago. My boys left home. It went from 4-6 at home all the time, to just David and I. I am still adapting to cooking for two, but actually enjoy it more. David is an eclectic eater and enjoys almost anything I make. His kids are picky and I didn't like cooking for them at all. My boys weren't as picky, but would sometimes have already eaten at a friend's house, so planning was difficult. I also enjoy having our time just us. It's been a nice transition - and actually much easier than I thought it would be.

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    Replies
    1. I love how the change has worked out for you. I'm sure I'll adjust too, it'll take some time but it'll happen. But for now I'm going to leave that for tomorrow.

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  9. My goodness -- I'm sorry you are struggling with this. I hope you don't let it get you down. Just part of the circle of life. As much as I enjoyed having my kids living at home, there are so many plusses as well. The best part is when they come to visit and bring the little ones. And I love having a smaller house than before. You will adjust but it won't happen over night. Nothing to fear - it will flow. I cook just as many big meals now as before - at least 6 nights a week. Still do new recipes. It takes an adjustment and there are usually leftovers to freeze or to have when the kids drop in. :)

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    Replies
    1. I'm sure I'll be lonely, but I know I'll love having lots of leftovers for when the kids stop by or when I just don't feel like cooking.

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  10. It seems like you have a real transitional year coming up. But you've done things like this before and I'm sure you have more to come. Like I said in my post: I think you can!

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