Survivor Saturdays: Get Real

How much time do you spend wondering if you're meeting someone else's expectation? Doctors' wives are often judged by not only the outside world, but within their own circle of friends. Well, I'm here to tell you there isn't one woman out there who hasn't forgotten about an appointment, showed up to a nice event with spit-up on their shoulder, or failed miserably at making some fancy dish referred to by its French name. For some reason, we continue to perpetuate the myth that doctors' wives can do it all. Since I'm familiar with that pressure, too, I'm not going to tell you to ignore all of it. Instead, I'm going to share some of my secrets. I thought it would be nice if some of you chime in with some of your secrets, too. Let’s get real, ladies!

If you want to squeeze into a dress, but don't like your bumps and rolls to show... try Spanx. This undergarment is amazing and everyone wears them.

If you don't have much up top and don't want to undergo surgery, "cupcakes" do the trick. Slip them into your bra and you look sexy!

Keep a small pad of paper with you wherever you go, so you can jot things down as a reminder. I keep one in the car and one in my purse. I record people's names I just met, appointments I need to add to a calendar, grocery lists, and all kinds of things. If you have a place to write those kind of things down, you won't always be uptight about forgetting something.

Designate one cupboard, closet, or trunk for scooping up clutter when the doorbell rings unexpectedly. This is a life saver as long as you don't open the doors while the company is there. If your children are old enough, teach them to help you scoop up, too. They'll enjoy having a secret with you and you'll appreciate the extra hands.

Don't have time to whip together fancy foods for drop-in company? Follow some freeze-ahead recipes and keep them for the unexpected. Rules to follow: In a freezer, fish is good for about 2-3 months, chicken is good for about 6 months, beef is good for about a year. Potatoes don't freeze well, and vacuum baggies keep out freezer smells.

I want to share a new cookbook, Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms by Jane Doiron, that has just become available. I've been keeping an eye on this book after finding the author on twitter. I don't have a copy yet, but by what I saw on her website, this book includes easy meals you won't be embarrassed to serve company. She tells me there is a whole section on appetizers, too. I asked Jane if she would share a few quick appetizer recipes that appear in her book. She gladly provided the following recipes below. If you're interested in checking out the cookbook, go to http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com

Bruschetta

Healthy and delicious!

8 plum tomatoes, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 (4.75 oz.) bags Panetini Oven Baked Italian Toast (Garlic Parmesan)

~Prepare Up to One Day Ahead~

In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, oil, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir and drain before serving with baked Italian toasts. Serves 8.


Pear Bread

This is one of my favorites! It’s spicy, moist, and keeps well for days.

3 cans (15 oz. each) lite pear halves in extra light syrup, drained
½ cup canola oil
3 eggs
3¼ cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 8 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pans with nonstick spray; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mash the pears with a potato masher. Stir in the oil and eggs. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pear mixture on low speed until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter equally into the loaf pans. Bake for 70 - 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

~Freezing Directions~

When completely cooled, wrap the bread in plastic wrap and place in a labeled freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months.